wren-studying

[wren-studying]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything 

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

All About Procrastination

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Common Study Mistakes

7 Strategies to Improve Concentration

How to make your notes aesthetic

7 Ways to Power Up Your Notetaking 

Keep reading

[wren-studying]

how do i focus during exam season? how do i survive med school? how do i keep concentrated while studying? even though sometimes i ask this myself as well, today I’ve compiled my most useful tips for maintaining concentration and focus while studying for longer amounts of time — this video covers everything from efficient planning and the 80:20 rule to diversifying study methods.

my most important takeaways include:

switching study methods and topics

replacing the stimulus provided by electronic devices

creating additional external accountability

maintaining a realistic attitude about how much you can get done (!!)

i’m so happy to be making videos again!!

[wren-studying]

Hello! So I'm most likely have Autism (I have an evaluation in November) and I still struggle with find out what college major I want. Any tips/advice that helped you?

Hi!

Some advice I got that helped me decide on my course was to think about whether you enjoy education or if you're using it as a pathway to a career and if you would be able to go straight to working in that career when you finish your course or if you would be required to do a second degree/ you need other qualifications or work experience

For example after I finish my social work course I will be a qualified social worker and can work in that field

Another thing to think about is how large are the classes or what courses smaller colleges offer as I chose one of the smaller colleges rather than a university because my class is only 30 people compared to 200 making it more comfortable for me and less demanding on my senses

[wren-studying]

One day, my heart will sing again ❦

[wren-studying]

6/09/21

Haven't been on here in a while but my plans have changed a lil bit, I was planning to move to Scotland as a last option to do social work course there but I received an offer from one of my choices to do the course in Northern Ireland so I don't have to move! Very thankful now as we just found out my granda has lung cancer and I want to spend as much time as I can with him

[wren-studying]

some tips if you're mentally ill and just trying to scrape through university

(for reference, i'm still only a first year and this is just what i've found works for me. im also in humanities, and don't write any exams, so my advice might not work for everyone.)

1. don't even look at supplementary readings. write them down or save them somewhere along with what topic/module they're related to so you can use them as references if you have an essay on that topic. a lot of the time you probably don't even need to do primary readings; the lecturer will go over the most important stuff in the lecture.

2. make a list of the bare minimum you need to do each week. for me this is attending tutorials - because of covid everything else is still asynchronous for me, so for participation marks i just need to show up to tutorials and do the weekly questions. i can catch up on other stuff when i need it for assignments.

3. take your meds (if you have them). set alarms, set multiple alarms, ask a friend to bug you about it, whatever. i have too many times fallen into the trap of forgetting my meds because i feel like i don't need them, getting too depressed to take them, and then getting even more depressed, and having no motivation to work. my meds always help more than i think they do.

4. get a study buddy. this doesn't even have to be someone in the same courses as you! they don't even have to be a student. just get someone to sit in a room with you, or be on a video/voice call, and hold you accountable. for adhd people this is like a hack to our brains! no clue why, but for many of us it seems that just having someone else in the room (or on a phone call) makes it way easier to avoid procrastinating.

5. water and food! especially if you're on adhd meds, make sure to eat before you take them, or have something to snack on while you work. i often forget to eat and then wonder why my brain feels like slush. (also, have a big water bottle so you don't have to fill it up as much).

6. don't worry about your notes looking pretty. this has honestly been one of the hardest things i've had to get over, for some reason. i really enjoy making pretty notes, but they just aren't practical for my brain, especially now i'm in university. because of adhd, my brain doesn't remember shit if i just wrote it down once. instead, i've started focusing on just getting down key words and phrases, with a simple two-colour highlighting system (colour 1: main heading; colour 2: subheading; colour 1: key words/definitions). this way i can easily find what im looking for when im referencing my notes for an assignment. (NB: since i don't write exams, i don't need to memorise anything - if you do need to do this, i recommend flashcards; either physical ones or quizlet).

7. talk to your lecturers/tutors! not all of them are gonna be nice, but more often than not, i've found my lecturers and tutors to be very understanding and accommodating (although i might just be lucky). if you can, ask older students about which lecturers and tutors are lenient and if there are any you should avoid. i've found that especially since tutors tend to be younger (and often are students themselves), they're very understanding with mental health. if your university has a disability service, sign up with them if you can, and inform your professors at the start of the semester that you may need extensions on assignments due to [insert mental illness/medical problem]. if you tell them in advance, they'll probably be more likely to hand out an extension or give you leeway.

8. this has gotten long, so im gonna end it here with: go easy on yourself. uni is hard enough without also being mentally ill, and the fact that you're even trying to do it is impressive. you're working three times as hard as other people, and it can be frustrating when it doesn't feel like you're getting results that represent the effort you've put in. i'm proud of you, even if you haven't managed to get any work done.

[wren-studying]

i am not joking we need to force teach cooking in schools. like. it is an essential thing for survival. do you know how easy it is to make things if you know even the bare bones shit about how cooking works. we need to teach teenagers how far you can take an onion and some other veggies it''s sad that people grow up not knowing how to prepare literally anything. and i'm not talking about oh this home ed class taught me how to make chicken nuggets at home i'm talking about learning the balancing of sweetness and acidity and saltiness and bitterness and shit like that and techniques and oil temperatures and how meats cook. it needs to be taught because it's literally not even that difficult and it matters so much

[wren-studying]

I want to live by myself when I move out of my parent's place but I'm really afraid of money problems? I'm afraid that the only place I can afford will be in the ghetto and it'll all be torn apart and I'll only be allowed to eat one granola bar a week. I'm really stressing out about this. I don't know anything about after school life. I don't know anything about paying bills or how to buy an apartment and it's really scaring me. is there anything you know that can help me?

HI darling,

I’ve actually got a super wonderful masterpost for you to check out:

Home

what the hell is a mortgage?

first apartment essentials checklist

how to care for cacti and succulents

the care and keeping of plants

Getting an apartment

Money

earn rewards by taking polls

how to coupon

what to do when you can’t pay your bills

see if you’re paying too much for your cell phone bill

how to save money

How to Balance a Check Book

How to do Your Own Taxes

Health

how to take care of yourself when you’re sick

things to bring to a doctor’s appointment

how to get free therapy

what to expect from your first gynecologist appointment

how to make a doctor’s appointment

how to pick a health insurance plan

how to avoid a hangover

a list of stress relievers

how to remove a splinter

Emergency

what to do if you get pulled over by a cop

a list of hotlines in a crisis

things to keep in your car in case of an emergency

how to do the heimlich maneuver

Job

time management

create a resume

find the right career

how to pick a major

how to avoid a hangover

how to interview for a job

how to stop procrastinating

How to write cover letters

Travel

ULTIMATE PACKING LIST

Traveling for Cheap

Travel Accessories

The Best Way to Pack a Suitcase

How To Read A Map

How to Apply For A Passport

How to Make A Travel Budget

Better You

read the news

leave your childhood traumas behind

how to quit smoking

how to knit

how to stop biting your nails

how to stop procrastinating

how to stop skipping breakfast

how to stop micromanaging

how to stop avoiding asking for help

how to stop swearing constantly

how to stop being a pushover

learn another language

how to improve your self-esteem

how to sew

learn how to embroider

how to love yourself

100 tips for life

Apartments/Houses/Moving

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 1: Are You Sure? (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 2: Finding the Damn Apartment (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 3: Questions to Ask about the Damn Apartment (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 4: Packing and Moving All of Your Shit (The Responsible One)

How to Protect Your Home Against Break-Ins (The Responsible One)

Education

How to Find a Fucking College (The Sudden Adult)

How to Find Some Fucking Money for College (The Sudden Adult)

What to Do When You Can’t Afford Your #1 Post-Secondary School (The Sudden Adult)

Stop Shitting on Community College Kids (Why Community College is Fucking Awesome) (The Responsible One)

How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter (The Responsible One)

How to Choose a College Major (The Sudden Adult)

Finances

How to Write a Goddamn Check (The Responsible One)

How to Convince Credit Companies You’re Not a Worthless Bag of Shit (The Responsible One)

Debit vs Credit (The Responsible One)

What to Do if Your Wallet is Stolen/Lost (The Sudden Adult)

Budgeting 101 (The Responsible One)

Important Tax Links to Know (The Responsible One)

How to Choose a Bank Without Screwing Yourself (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting

How to Write a Resume Like a Boss (The Responsible One)

How to Write a Cover Letter Someone Will Actually Read (The Responsible One)

How to Handle a Phone Interview without Fucking Up (The Responsible One)

10 Sites to Start Your Job Search (The Responsible One)

Life Skills

Staying in Touch with Friends/Family (The Sudden Adult)

Bar Etiquette (The Sudden Adult)

What to Do After a Car Accident (The Sudden Adult)

Grow Up and Buy Your Own Groceries (The Responsible One)

How to Survive Plane Trips (The Sudden Adult)

How to Make a List of Goals (The Responsible One)

How to Stop Whining and Make a Damn Appointment (The Responsible One)

Miscellaneous

What to Expect from the Hell that is Jury Duty (The Responsible One)

Relationships

Marriage: What the Fuck Does It Mean and How the Hell Do I Know When I’m Ready? (Guest post - The Northwest Adult)

How Fucked Are You for Moving In with Your Significant Other: An Interview with an Actual Real-Life Couple Living Together™ (mintypineapple  and catastrofries)

Travel & Vehicles

How to Winterize Your Piece of Shit Vehicle (The Responsible One)

How to Make Public Transportation Your Bitch (The Responsible One)

Other Blog Features

Apps for Asshats

Harsh Truths & Bitter Reminders

Asks I’ll Probably Need to Refer People to Later

Apartments (or Life Skills) - How Not to Live in Filth (The Sudden Adult)

Finances - Tax Basics (The Responsible One)

Important Documents - How to Get a Copy of Your Birth Certificate (The Responsible One)

Important Documents - How to Get a Replacement ID (The Responsible One)

Health - How to Deal with a Chemical Burn (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting - List of Jobs Based on Social Interaction Levels (The Sudden Adult)

Job Hunting - How to Avoid Falling into a Pit of Despair While Job Hunting (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting - Questions to Ask in an Interview (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - First-Time Flying Tips (The Sudden Adult)

Life Skills - How to Ask a Good Question (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - Reasons to Take a Foreign Language (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - Opening a Bar Tab (The Sudden Adult)

Relationships - Long Distance Relationships: How to Stay in Contact (The Responsible One)

Adult Cheat Sheet:

what to do if your pet gets lost

removing stains from your carpet

how to know if you’re eligible for food stamps

throwing a dinner party

i’m pregnant, now what?

first aid tools to keep in your house

how to keep a clean kitchen

learning how to become independent from your parents

job interview tips

opening your first bank account

what to do if you lose your wallet

tips for cheap furniture

easy ways to cut your spending

selecting the right tires for your car

taking out your first loan

picking out the right credit card

how to get out of parking tickets

how to fix a leaky faucet

get all of your news in one place

getting rid of mice & rats in your house

when to go to the e.r.

buying your first home

how to buy your first stocks

guide to brewing coffee

first apartment essentials checklist

coping with a job you hate

30 books to read before you’re 30

what’s the deal with retirement?

difference between insurances

Once you’ve looked over all those cool links, I have some general advice for you on how you can have some sort of support system going for you:

Reasons to move out of home

You may decide to leave home for many different reasons, including:

wishing to live independently

location difficulties – for example, the need to move closer to university

conflict with your parents

being asked to leave by your parents.

Issues to consider when moving out of home

It’s common to be a little unsure when you make a decision like leaving home. You may choose to move, but find that you face problems you didn’t anticipate, such as:

Unreadiness – you may find you are not quite ready to handle all the responsibilities.

Money worries – bills including rent, utilities like gas and electricity and the cost of groceries may catch you by surprise, especially if you are used to your parents providing for everything. Debt may become an issue.

Flatmate problems – issues such as paying bills on time, sharing housework equally, friends who never pay board, but stay anyway, and lifestyle incompatibilities (such as a non-drug-user flatting with a drug user) may result in hostilities and arguments.

Your parents may be worried

Think about how your parents may be feeling and talk with them if they are worried about you. Most parents want their children to be happy and independent, but they might be concerned about a lot of different things. For example:

They may worry that you are not ready.

They may be sad because they will miss you.

They may think you shouldn’t leave home until you are married or have bought a house.

They may be concerned about the people you have chosen to live with.

Reassure your parents that you will keep in touch and visit regularly. Try to leave on a positive note. Hopefully, they are happy about your plans and support your decision.

Tips for a successful move

Tips include:

Don’t make a rash decision – consider the situation carefully. Are you ready to live independently? Do you make enough money to support yourself? Are you moving out for the right reasons?

Draw up a realistic budget – don’t forget to include ‘hidden’ expenses such as the property’s security deposit or bond (usually four weeks’ rent), connection fees for utilities, and home and contents insurance.

Communicate – avoid misunderstandings, hostilities and arguments by talking openly and respectfully about your concerns with flatmates and parents. Make sure you’re open to their point of view too – getting along is a two-way street.

Keep in touch – talk to your parents about regular home visits: for example, having Sunday night dinner together every week.

Work out acceptable behaviour – if your parents don’t like your flatmate(s), find out why. It is usually the behaviour rather than the person that causes offence (for example, swearing or smoking). Out of respect for your parents, ask your flatmate(s) to be on their best behaviour when your parents visit and do the same for them.

Ask for help – if things are becoming difficult, don’t be too proud to ask your parents for help. They have a lot of life experience.

If your family home does not provide support

Not everyone who leaves home can return home or ask their parents for help in times of trouble. If you have been thrown out of home or left home to escape abuse or conflict, you may be too young or unprepared to cope.

If you are a fostered child, you will have to leave the state-care system when you turn 18, but you may not be ready to make the sudden transition to independence.

If you need support, help is available from a range of community and government organisations. Assistance includes emergency accommodation and food vouchers. If you can’t call your parents or foster parents, call one of the associations below for information, advice and assistance.

Where to get help

Your doctor

Kids Helpline Tel. 1800 55 1800

Lifeline Tel. 13 11 44

Home Ground Services Tel. 1800 048 325

Relationships Australia Tel. 1300 364 277

Centrelink Crisis or Special Help Tel. 13 28 50

Tenants Union of Victoria Tel. (03) 9416 2577

Things to remember

Try to solve any problems before you leave home. Don’t leave because of a fight or other family difficulty if you can possibly avoid it.

Draw up a realistic budget that includes ‘hidden’ expenses, such as bond, connection fees for utilities, and home and contents insurance.

Remember that you can get help from a range of community and government organizations. 

(source)

Keep me updated? xx

[wren-studying]

a series of things i wish i had known before my first year of college

it’s okay not to make a lot of friends the first year of college

it’s okay not to go to any clubs the first couple of weeks

bring reusable grocery bags

you can cook anything in a crockpot

change your major as many times as you want

going to a grocery store you went to at home all the time is very good for homesickness

don’t do homework on your bed

find a place on campus (other than your dorm) to study

find a place OFF campus to study

go to your advisor more often

download both lyft and uber so you can choose between better deals

you won’t always get along with your roommate. that’s okay.

you don’t have to read the entire assigned text, read the intro, the conclusion and skim the rest of you don’t have time

google maps is your best friend for public transit

the process is transitional and you will be okay.

[wren-studying]

Breaking down Neurotypical College Advice Part 1

Never take an 8 AM class

This is almost always unavoidable in college. Even when I tried my hardest and had seniority at my last college I still couldn’t avoid an 8 am class. So instead of making students feel bad (”If you hadn’t taken an 8 am class you wouldn’t be doing so poorly right now”) let’s talk about ways to make 8 am classes more tolerable:

Go to bed early the night before

Prepare breakfast the night before. Even if you just throw a granola bar in your backpack, having food in your body in the morning will make the class easier to get through. And you WILL forget to do this the morning off, so do it at night.

Try not to do the “set my alarm for the last possible minute” thing. You’re not giving your brain enough time to wake up before class. Try to set multiple alarms earlier, and use different tones for each so your brain doesn’t get too used to one tone and oversleep. Set your phone/alarm far enough away that you have to get out of bed to turn it off.

If possible, make a friend in the class. I use the word friend loosely; in my 8 am class I had no true friends but I did have a “salt-mate” who I vented about the class to, and we helped each other out when we were struggling. If you have to miss a class you can get the notes from this person.

Reward yourself for going! This works best if your brain thrives on reward systems. Get some ice cream, a coffee, buy yourself some flowers, buy a pack of stickers, let yourself play video games, watch netflix, literally whatever makes you feel like it was worth it to go to class.

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss class. No, really. It happens. If you’re missing more than the common 3 allowed, talk to your professors privately about it. Tell them what’s going on. Most will be understanding and overlook some absences. 

Be gentle with yourself and remember that you’ll most-likely not have to do this again next semester. You got this!

Note: This is advice I see given a lot on neurotypical college tips posts, hence the title of this post. This is not to say that neurotypical students don’t deal with this issue as well (hell yeah they do) but it’s so often expressed as “the only advice that matters” and I wanted to give some alternative advice. This will be a series, I just wanted to do one at a time to make it more reader-friendly.

[wren-studying]

Does anyone have any resources or advice for living in dorms/ moving out for uni as an autistic person? (Within Uk) Im really anxious cause I dont know what to expect

[wren-studying]

this is mostly a joke

[wren-studying]

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FINAL EXAMS

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR ENTRANCE EXAMS

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR ORAL PRESENTATIONS

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR GIANT ESSAYS

GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK

d(^u^)b

[wren-studying]

Let’s face it- even the most motivated and disciplined students can’t study for a couple of hours straight- we all need to rest. Taking a break  from studying every now and then will improve your focus and attention. Below are some of our ideas what to do during study breaks. We divided them into categories depending on the length of  your break. Feel free to try them out to later get back to your books refreshed and motivated!

5-10 minutes

Get some fresh air (either go outside, or simply stand up and go to the nearest window- don’t focus on anything and just breathe)

Leave your room/desk and go for a little walk

Throw yourself a little dance party (Cristina and Meredith did it and trust us, it works- put on some energising music and dace for a song or two)

Stand up and stretch!

10-20 minutes

Make yourself a proper, healthy snack (cut an apple into slices and put peanut butter on every slice or make yourself a healthy smoothie)

Watch a TedTalk on a completely unrelated topic (it will both relax you and still keep your brain working)

Do a little yoga (there are multiple mini-routines on youtube)

Browse the #studyblr tag (or maybe post your own photo with it!)

Take a quick shower (if you have a real study marathon ahead of you, a shower break can be a great way to get energised)

20-40 minutes

Call a friend

Clean your room (sounds pretty boring, but you’ll feel refreshed and super-productive once you’re done- and you won’t have to do this later!)

Take a nap (but really, try not to make it longer than 40 minutes)

Watch ONE episode of Friends (nothing better than a good laugh, right?)

 40-60 minutes

Workout (go for a 30-minute run or find a workout video on youtube- you’ll end up energised and full of endorphins, which will help you to keep going)

Try a new recipe and make yourself dinner for later

Read a chapter of a book you’re currently reading (if you’re not reading any- start a book)

~gomedorgohome

[wren-studying]

Fuck I have coursework due tomorrow I thought it was due tuesday, I have less than a quarter done

[wren-studying]

Online classes are hell, my bio teachers audio keep making giant scratching sounds from her using the tablet shes recording on and it hurts so bad im near tears but I cant say anything cause no one else seems to care

[wren-studying]