life with lala

@lifewithlala / lifewithlala.tumblr.com

21 years-old • minimalism • taoism • meaningful living • productivity • original content

Work From Home Routine For Productivity

Hi, there! I’m Lala! Today I am sharing my WFH routine. Some things to keep in mind are that I only work 4 hours a day and my pomodoros tend to be longer. Usually it’s 25 minutes, but for me 25 minutes is too little, I tend to work better in 45-minute pomodoros. I hope this can be of info to you guys, it really has helped get my shit together.

I am using this app called Routinery to help me manage my routine AND IT WORKS WONDERS. I love how simple and customizable it is, it has made following my routine a breeze. I love it so much I even have the paid version, and I never pay for apps. This is not sponsored post or whatever, this is me genuinely recommending you this app! You can check them out here if you want to download the app.

Useful and practical advice for everyone starting college

GIF by slk-t

So... Yes, I graduated! To celebrate this, I thought it would be a good idea to pass on some knowledge to those new students starting college this year (I feel like a Senpai). If it was difficult for me, I cannot fathom how much difficult it's going to be for you guys starting this year with all the things happening around the world. So good luck and I hope this really helps you out!

Try to get along with everyone. Look, prior to entering college I was asocial AF. It's not that I was shy, I just didn't like hanging out with people. However, my time in college taught me that interaction IS a very important part of life. I will be forever thankful to my classmates, who approached me on my first day (I entered college mid-year with no experience in business or economics. I was completely clueless). They were very nice to me and tried their best to explained how the school works, what classes we will be taking, what the professors and exams are like and such. Without their help, I would have had a harder time trying to get used to college. Truth is, you WILL need help at several points in college. And if you're not on good terms with anyone, who will be willing to help you? No one. So don't be a jerk and try your best to be nice and genuine with everyone in the class.
Help your classmates. Just as you will need help, your classmates will also need help. Don't wait for them to ask you for help. Offer to help them if you can! This can help you make friends or find new study buddies. Do not underestimate the power of helping others. When you help people with something, it is very likely that they will help you back when you need to. They might even recommend you for a job or internship position just because you helped them.
Find one or two study buddies. Study buddies will make studying more bearable. The study material that you will get in college is nothing compared to high school. So having a few study buddies that can help you make summaries, explain and work together on assignments will make studying much easier! I remember I had a study buddy for one of my minors in which we had to learn 16 chapters. We divided the summary workload and took turns explaining the chapters we each summarized. We literally cut the study time in half because of this!
Keep in contact with your classmates and professors. Chances are you will be separated for some time during minors, study abroad programs or internships. But that doesn't mean you have to lose contact with them. I'm not saying you have to chat with them every day. But contacting them once in awhile is good. I have been able to help some of my classmates with some subjects and applications. I have also become one of my professor's running buddies. So keep in touch because you never know what good you can give and what good it might bring you!
Be persistent. I have had instances were my school coach has ghosted me AND the school completely. Putting my internship and thesis at risk. Shit happens. And when you see things taking a turn for the ugly, fight back with all you got to get things back on track. The truth is, college is a business. And it will continue with or without you. A bit toxic, yes. However, it is up to you to not let things go south! Take action. Contact your professor when needed. Contact the administration. Contact management. Be persistent!
Plan as soon as possible. Don't wait for the first class to get your curriculum and then plan a week later. Download the curriculum BEFORE going to that first class. Plan BEFORE going to the class. Bombard your professor with questions regarding the curriculum on the first day. Make changes accordingly. Execute that plan ASAP. Your worst enemy is time. But your best friend is also time. The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be for your exams. Read more about how I plan here.
Don't say "yes" to everything. Yes, I am guilty of this one. I learn fast. I'm young. I have lots of energy. I can do whatever I put my mind to. WRONG. This kind of thinking led me to severe burnout. I was helping my parents in their business. I was doing a full-time internship. I started my own business and had 9 clients. I was training for a marathon. Shit went down horribly at some point. I'm glad I went through that burnout because it taught me the importance and necessity to be balanced in life. And that my ability to say no is sometimes more important than my ability to say yes.
College is more than just learning theory. Look, classes are not the thing you should focus on solely in college. If there's anything more important than classes, I would say is your ability to network and leverage this to get experience in the field. That is what college is about. College opens so many opportunities, not because of what they teach, but because of the resources that you are able to get. I'm not saying go slack on your classes, but keep in mind that a lot of times, people don't hire because you have a perfect GPA.
Have a plan to be smart with your money AND stick with it. I had a plan to be smart with my money. And I did so for 3 years. But in my fourth year... I fucked up. Guys... stick to your financial plan and avoid goddamn headaches. Learn about budgeting,
Do not pull all-nighters. If anything all-nighters made me perform worse. Also, they completely messed up my sleeping schedule, which in return messed up my entire schedule. As a result, I would stress out because I was behind schedule and I did not have the energy to catch up. Guys, do not underestimate the power of a good night's sleep.
Time batching will be your best friend. Having a set day to do similar tasks is honestly, one of the best ways to work. One day I would do all my homework for the week. The other day I would only study. One day I would do all of my house chores etc. It's much simpler and effective this way.
Having a study routine will actually help you to pull a miracle. A lot of people swear by a morning or night routine. I swear by a study/ work routine. For real... why aren't work routines more common? Once I start my routine, my brain knows its time to work and study and will not get distracted. You can read about my study routine more in detail here.
You will get fat pretty fast, so exercise. You will not have a lot of time on your hands. You no longer have breaks to play sports, you don't need to go to gym class, you probably have a car now. Your sedentary life will pretty much begin in college. And because you have the money you will start eating out or order takeout. So EAT WELL AND WORKOUT. I realized that the weeks I ate healthily, were also the weeks I was more energized. So do these 2 things religiously.
Don't be too uptight. Relax and have fun. If you're the type A, teacher's pet kind of student... don't be afraid to loosen up a little bit. After my burnout episode I understood the importance of having fun once in awhile. Turns out that going to parties, clubs, having girls night out is a fun experience and you'll look back at those memories with fond!
Start applying for internships as soon as possible. THIS. Honestly. Apply early. Finding an internship position isn't hard. But finding the right internship place that will allow you to grow and learn and at the same time get along with the culture is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder! So take your time finding an internship. Go to as many interviews as you can. Don't accept the first internship position because it's the first you got. Look at it objectively and talk to others that work in that company. I had the opportunity to work for 2 days under the guidance of another intern before saying yes. Ask for a similar opportunity so you can test the waters before accepting the internship offer.
Taking care of yourself is harder than you think. Develop a routines. Stick to those routines. Develop a personal hygiene routine. A workout routine. Eat healthy. These things are easier said than done. Constantly work on these things. If you let one fall, others will start falling too. Self care is a work in progress so never stop improving yourself no matter how many deadlines you have!
Older students are a godsend. If you want to hear a goddamn unbiased opinion, please refer to an older student. The administration or professor might tell you a process or application goes a certain way, but the older students that went through it, know better as they literally had to go through it. The advice they will give you will be more practical than the advice the professors can give you. So listen to them carefully. They will also be able to help you with tips for exams, summaries or explaining. So be friends with them too!
Get a mentor. I was lucky enough to find 2 excellent mentors in my college journey. I became good friends with one of my professors, and she was the one that taught me all I know about personal investing. Honestly, she was the real MVP. Amazing professor, explanations were top notch, and really enjoyed her work. The second one, was my thesis coach. She helped me built my business and her expertise in the field helped me a lot in starting up. Don't be afraid to ask your professors or experts in the field to help you get started! Sometimes, they are eager to pass what they know unto someone. You got nothing to lose!

#studyblr #college #student #studyspo #study blog #notes #study motivation #productivity #studygram #study tips

Announcement!

Hi, guys! I’ve been thinking for the past few weeks if I should keep this study blog, seeing that I am graduating this month. I’ve talked with some of you, and of course thought deeply about this because I love sharing my tips and hacks with the studyblr community.

I want to tell you that I WILL keep running this blog! I am still learning despite not being a college student anymore, I still have work to do, I am still growing as a person so there is a lot more than just studying now.

That’s why I will be changing my username to something that fits this new chapter in my life. Just wanted to let you guys know before hand!

So... I can't wait to share this new journey with you all!

Anonymous asked:

Just curious what country do you attend school in?

Hello. I live and studied in Narnia. Because no one knows where tf it is.

Joking. I'm in Curaçao 😂 but for real no one knows where it is.

Anonymous asked:

I’m sorry if this annoys you please feel free to ignore lovely 🥰 but I have really bad anxiety and last September I began my studies in uni but I had to interrupt my studies after two months because of my mental health. I’ve transferred to another uni (one with my dream course and that is close to home so my family can make sure I’m taking care of myself) but I’m TERRIFIED of going back. I’m scared my anxiety is going to take over and I won’t be able to cope again esp with the workload.

Not at all! You're not being annoying! Everyone needs help from time to time so it's okay.

I think it's perfectly fine that you are terrified because it shows that you care and want to see it through. Living close to your family can definitely help. University IS stressful, so when you need help reach out to those close to you and know you better.

If you needs someone to talk to, my DM is open.

Anonymous asked:

Your advice for incoming students is very helpful but I strongly disagree on complaining to the administration about your prof. I worked with both profs and college admin and that advice is misplaced You guys have to remember that prof are humans too and complaining about them not answering your email within 24 hr is really self centered Going to the admin is like asking to see the manager If the prof is racist go to the admin if not just be patient and then ask again Being Patient is a skill.

Personally, I think it depends on the situation. In my case for example, there were 2 instances were I HAD to stand up and take it to admin if I wanted to finish on time, as I should.

The first instance was during my internship. I had completed my internship back in December (a month before my internship was over, so my professor had enough time to grade my research and start my thesis right away). After a week, I had not heard a response from him, not even an email saying he had received it. So obviously, I send a follow up email. No response after a week either. I decided to send him a WhatsApp, and my professor had the nerve to leave me on seen. I tried calling his phone number and nada. My time to start my thesis was arriving fast, it was already January. And I was not allowed to start on the original date, because I did not have my final grade for my internship. My professor, was not only avoiding me, he was avoiding the school too. I took my concerns immediately to the admin, and we decided to have someone else grade my internship. We found one, but 3 days after the new professor was going on a two week vacation. I pressed the school so hard call after call after call so I could start my thesis ASAP. I officially started my thesis in March, two months after I was initially supposed to. Imagine how much later I would have started had I not call them every two days after my Professor went AWOL and the other one went on vacation. These types of thing are unacceptable. Professors can make mistakes, but they shouldn't be irresponsible and communicate properly.

My study buddy and friend who is a top student also ran into a similar problem. And she still has no professor assigned for her thesis. She, one of the smartest people, I have ever known in my life, is not graduating in time because of professors and bad managing from the school's part.

The second time, was during my thesis. Where the second reader had so many thesis to read, he was not giving feedback on time. He was giving feedback after 3 weeks to a month. Literally paralyzing everyone's research. Had we not come together and complaint about this, the school would not have assigned other readers to keep up with the number of graduating students. And like hell I would NOT have graduated on time.

You know what it is to do your absolute best to finish something on time but the ones that give you the assignment are doing a half assed job themselves? And if you let it pass, they will only do worse next year with the new students. So speak out when they are not meeting the set expectations. Yes, it can happen one or two times. But when it happens constantly and is not benefitting the student at all, speak up!

Anonymous asked:

Hey to incoming college students-this fall semester will different than any other semester before. Literally no one has experience something like so in a way everyone will be like “new”. Remember in the fall to have fun and relax!

This 👏

Anonymous asked:

hi lala ! idt ive ever sent u anyth as anon before but i just wanted to tell u that ive been following you for a few years now and im so proud of how far you’ve come !!💓 it’s truly smth else to see ppl absolutely Thrive ,, also pls don’t feel pressured to continue this blog if you’re not feeling it anymore or if it gets too hectic to manage in the future ! but u do u boo😌👍👍 hope u have good day ahead fam xx

Thank you! I appreciate your support a LOT. I honestly wish, I could still study as I am pretty much a nerd and love studying. But I feel like it is time for something else and can't wait to see what I can do on my own.

Anon, your words are appreciated 🙏

Anonymous asked:

Hello, what advice/s can you give to incoming college students?

1. Try to get along with everyone. For real, I cannot stress this enough. Try to keep your professors, college staff and classmates on your side. They can help you a ton with complaints, resources, finding a job, recommendation.

2. Help your classmates. If they need something, don't be stingy. Help them. You will eventually need some help too. They are more likely to return the favor when you've helped them too. But be aware of the ones that have a habit of asking people for things and they themselves don't do anything.

3. Find one or two study buddies. The study material in University is going to be MASSIVE. so having study buddies will help you immensely in group projects, dividing study load, and making the whole process more bearable.

4. Annoy your professors. For real, some professors don't take giving classes or controlling seriously. Are they late with giving you feedback? SPAM THEM. email, phone, app, messenger. Whatever the fuck it takes. No response. Take it to their superior or the college board immediately. You'll be surprised by how professors sabotage the career of student just by being reckless. Do not take their shit.

5. Plan everything. As soon as you get the syllabus, make a schedule, and dear stick to it because your finances really depend on it.

#studyblr #college #student #studyspo #study blog #notes #study motivation #productivity #studygram #study tips

Hi, guys! Lala here. I have finished my thesis and am waiting to defend it. Sadly, I am not planning to do a master. So my time as a studyblr might come to an end.

So I was curious as to know if you guys want me to share my journey in the business world and work life. Along with tips and tricks, just like I have been doing all along. Let me know!

STUDY HACK: How I get things done in 4 hours a day

Hi guys, Lala here! I want to share with you guys how I am able to get things done in 4 hours a day. I know that for some of you the idea seems ridiculous. I thought the same 3 years ago. But I realized that while I would study, I was actually pretending to study because I would actually drift away from my studies and work and end up reading something completely unrelated to what I was supposed to get done.

I would “study” for very long hours and didn’t get even half things done. And what is interesting is the fact I was actually burned out and stressed. About 2 years ago, I came across this article on Quartz called “The 4-hour workday is not a crazy idea”. While this is targeted towards businesses, I said to myself “School is basically work, so why not give it a shot”. And I am not kidding guys, it has helped so much. I actually get more things done, and I am not overworked because studying or working for 4 hours a day leaves me with plenty of time to focus on personal goals and my health. And while university leaves you with a ton of work, I am able to do it following the principles I shared with you above.

If you guys want to know more about the methods that I talked about here, you can find more info below:

Time-blocking 101

Avoid the urgency trap with the Eisenhower Matrix

Productivity 101: An Introduction to The Pomodoro Technique

How to improve productivity with time batching

Hope you guys found this useful, and if you want to know more study hacks, feel free to check out my blog.

How to catch up to your classes

Figure out how behind you are

The first step is figuring out how behind you actually are. Will you get anxious? Yes. Will you panic? Most likely. However, brace yourself. You got yourself in this, so make sure you get yourself out too. If you don't, nobody else will. Grab a paper or open a document. And do the following:

List all your subjects
Mark what you will be evaluated for. Is it an essay, presentation or your good old theoretic exam?
For each item that you have to deliver write down the following

Essay: How long should it be? Is it a team project or individual? How
Presentation: Is it an individual presentation or with a partner?
Theoretic: How many chapters will the test be based on?

Don't panic. Prioritize.

I'm not going to lie, you WILL be overwhelmed once you finish that list. However, you are not obligated to do all of them. What do I mean by this? Well, why don't you try to make a couple of them during resit period? I started a whole semester late, I had double the exams than my peers. Is taking all the exams at once doable? Certainly, but you will have to sacrifice your sanity and be content with a passing grade. However, I am not the type of person that is satisfied with a passing grade and I am also kinda lazy so I would choose which exams I would take in the examination period and which ones I would take in the resit period. That way, I didn't overload myself with stuff and ensure a high grade nonetheless. Work smarter, not harder, kids.

This is where prioritizing came in handy. Based on the previous information gathered in the first step, filter which exams are the most important. Do you have a subject that requires an essay, presentation and a theoretic exam? Make it a priority. Is that theoretic exam feared among all students for being hella difficult? Make it a priority. As a rule of thumb, make all team projects a priority. So, then... What do you leave for resit? Is it an individual paper that does not require a lot of work or cannot be too long? Resit. Is it an individual presentation? Resit. Is it a simple test in a subject you are confident in? Resit. Although I do recommend trying to take all the written exams in the examination week. However, if you see that the workload is too much, move one to the resit.

Create a Master Calendar

Now that you know what you will be prioritizing, it is important to create a master calendar that will help you catch up. Here are some guidelines on how I do it.

Mark off all your deadlines first
Per subject divide the study material in tasks: What chapters do you need to study? When will you outline your paper? When will you write? Revise it?
Schedule the most pressing or time consuming assignments first
Assign 1 or 2 study subjects per day

If you work with programs such as Notion or other software that helps you with project management, doing a big backlog can be a game changer. Want more in depth information? I wrote a blog just about that here.

Have a structured and mindful study routine

I was surprised at how much I improved my study when I implemented a study routine. Before having one, I would spend hours and hours on one thing, or I would start reading about something and quickly started doing unnecessary research on what I've read. I thought I was being productive but truth of the matter is that I wouldn't finish what I actually HAD TO do. Some weeks back, I shared my study routine with you. Having a study routine is important, if you want to ensure you are completing your tasks. Pro-tip: use the pomodoro technique or set a specific time for you to finish each of your tasks. You'll finish more things that way.

Have a partner to keep you accountable

Finding a study buddy is one of the best decisions you can make when you are behind your studies. BUT make sure they are serious. This helped me so much back in my minor, I teamed up with another classmate and we created a shared doc where we each assigned a chapter to summarize. We would then come together and explain the chapter to each other. Thus cutting the time we spent reading and writing the summaries in half in order to focus on learning. Try to come up with ways to divide the workload between the two of you and then explain and discuss about it. This is a more interactive way of learning and is sure to keep you more engaged and help you remember it afterwards.

Anonymous asked:

What exactly do you mean when you say you're a polyglot? How many languages do you speak and are they all at least B2?

Hi, anon! 👋

By polyglot I mean that I speak several languages. I currently speak 4 languages: Spanish, Papiamentu, Dutch and English. I could say it is 5, as I had Chinese neighbors and friends up until the age of 9 and picked up Cantonese fluently. However, I moved out and forgot most of it and only started to practice it again (10 years later) recently with my boyfriend and his family. I can understand it, but I speak it brokenly, however I've made fast improvements since I picked it up again. But fluently, I speak 4 atm.

And yes, it's above B2. If you want an exact level, that I cannot give you. Spanish is my mother language and was brought up speaking Spanish and still do so to this day. Papiamentu is the local language where I am from (a mixture of a bunch of languages!) and the second language I learned. I have been speaking Papiamentu on a daily basis since I was 2. The school system here is in Dutch and I have been exposed to the Dutch language since I was 4, to this day, I still speak Dutch on a regular basis at college, at work and with friends. English was the last language I picked up at around 13 years old (?) and surprisingly is the one I use the most with my closest friends and at work. Curaçao, where I am from, is a very touristic island in the Caribbean and being multilingual is encouraged from an early age. There are other people here that also speak Portuguese, French and German too. At the very least, almost everyone speaks 3 languages fluently.

Most of my tips are based on passed experiences. Most precisely, my experiences learning English and Cantonese, as those are the languages I studied more formally.

Hope that clears it up for you!

#studyblr #college #student #studyspo #study motivation #productivity #studygram #study tips #foreign language #language #langblr #cantonese #dutch #spanish #language tips #language learning #foreign languages

Languages 101: a language learning guide by a polyglot

Hey, guys. Lala here! As polyglot who speaks 5 languages and learning more, I’ve been through my fair share of language learning experiences. Here, I wanted to share some tips with you guys that have helped me along my journey.

What are some language learning tips that have helped you guys? Share them with me! Do you have a question? Don’t be afraid to leave me an ask!

Read more of my content here:

5 tips on how to be productive when studying from home

My study routine for ultimate productivity

Minimalist student toolkit

Written by @lalavscollege

#language #language tips #foreign languages #studying another language #langblr #foreign language #POLYGLOT #language learning #studyblr #study tips #lalavscollege

5 tips on how to be productive when studying from home

Hi, guys! Lala here.

I previously posted my study from home routine. I wanted to share additional information/ rules I go by that also help me get things done while at home.

Personaly #5 Communicate Expectations is the one that I don’t see a lot of people talking about. If you live with other people in your house, it can be an extra challenge to get things done especially when you have a latino mom that thinks I am playing and on Facebook the whole time instead of studying and thinks its a always a good time to barge in the middle of my classes and evaluations. I personally have gotten so much value out of it, as it allows me work smoothly without the interruption of people entering in my room or mindlessly knocking at my door.

So you have any other tips that help you get things done while studying from home? Let me know!

If you’re interested in knowing more, check out my original content:

My study routine for ultimate productivity

Minimalist student toolkit

Planning 101: A student tested guide to planning your shit

Hi, guys! Lala here. We all know the importance of having a morning and night routine, but I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about having a study routine. So I wanted to share mine with you and hopefully you guys can get some value out of it.

Do you have a study routine too or want to share some tips? Share them with me!

mint-tea-studies asked:

what KIND of tea? :)

Mint tea 😏

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