thelatinscholar reblogged
thelatinscholar reblogged
I thought this was going to be inspirational but it’s better
thelatinscholar reblogged
Taking textbook notes is a chore. It’s tedious and boring and sometimes challenging, but hopefully these tips will help you improve your skill and shorten the time it takes you to do textbook notes!
Give yourself time: Realistically, you can’t knock out 30 pages of notes in 20 minutes. Take your time with textbook notes so they’re a good studying tool in the future. The general rule is to take how many pages you have to do and multiply it by 5: that’s how many minutes it’ll take you to do the notes.
- Also, divide you notes up into manageable chunks to increase your productivity. I am personally a huge fan of using pomodoro timers, and I adjust the intervals for however long I need to.
Skim before you start taking notes: If time is an issue, don’t read your 40 page in depth before even picking up a pen, but make sure you know what you’re reading about by skimming a bit ahead of your notes. Read over section titles, and look at charts, maps, or graphs. Writing and highlighting as you read the chapter for the first time isn’t effective because you don’t know if a sentence will be important or not, so make sure you’re reading a paragraph or section in advance before writing.
Use the format they give you in the book to help take your notes: In a lot of textbooks, there will be a mini outline before the chapter itself that shows all the headings and subheadings. Those will be your guidelines! I find this super helpful because long chapters can be daunting to go into without any structure. If you don’t have one of those, use the headings and subheadings provided for you. If you haven’t already been doing this, it will help you so much.
Read actively: It’s so easy to “read” a textbook without digesting any information, but that is the last thing you want to do. Not only does it make taking notes a million times harder, but you’ll be lost in class discussions because you didn’t understand the reading. To keep from passively reading, highlight, underline, star any important information in the book itself.
- Have a color coding system for highlighting or underlining and write down a key somewhere (here’s a few that you can adjust for your needs: x,x)
- Use sticky notes or tabs to mark any questions or important points to come back to
Summarize important information and paraphrase: When taking the actual notes, don’t copy down full sentences word for word. Not only does writing full sentences waste a lot of time, it’s not an effective way to learn. If you can paraphrase the information, then you understand it. It’s also easier to study notes which are in your own words instead of textbook academia writing.
Be selective: You shouldn’t be writing down every fact that comes up in your textbook. If a fact ties into the bigger topic and provides evidence, then it’s probably something to keep, but you don’t need every piece of supplemental information (but do make sure you always write down the vocab). Learn your teacher’s testing style to help you decide what to write down. Could this be on the quiz/test? If the answer is yes, make sure you write it down.
Learn to abbreviate: Just like writing full sentences, writing out full words will waste time. Implement some shortenings (make sure to use ones that you’ll understand later!) into your notes. Some common ones are: b/c=because, gov=government, w/o=without, and here’s a great list of a ton of examples of abbreviations and shortenings.
Answer margin and review questions: A lot of textbooks have margin questions on every page or so that sum up what’s really important about that information. Make sure not to skip them because they’re really helpful for understanding. Write them down and answer them clearly in your notes. Most textbooks also have review questions after the chapter that check for reading comprehension, so make sure to answer those because they’ll show you if you really understood the chapter.
Don’t skip over visual sources: Maps, diagrams, illustrations, charts, and any other visuals in textbooks are so helpful. If you’re a visual learner, these things will be so essential to you and how you understand what you’re reading. Charts, tables, and diagrams sometimes also summarize information, so if you’re a visual learner it might benefit you to copy those down instead of writing it out.
- Add visuals if it’ll help you: As said above, copying down charts, tables, illustrations, or diagrams can be super helpful for visual learners. They’re clear and concise, so pay attention to them.
Write your notes in a way that’s effective and makes sense to you: Mindmaps, Cornell notes, or plain outline notes are all really good forms of notetaking. Find which one works best for you to understand them and which one is most effective for your class, and use it (stuff on mindmaps and cornell notes).
Combine your class and textbook notes: If you rewrite your class notes, add in information you think is relevant from your textbook notes. Mark anything both your book and teacher said were important–you don’t want to forget any of that. If you don’t rewrite class notes, then put stars next to anything repeated.
thelatinscholar reblogged
Casual reminder that Nani was on her way to becoming a Professional Surfer before her parents died and she had to drop everything to look after Lilo.
spankmethorin
I apologize, I don’t mean to deter from the heart breaking and yet heart warming message,
Nani has a poster of Mulan on her wall.
She also apparently “excelled in math and chemistry” so she could’ve been using surfing winnings to save for college.
either way, Nani is smart and talented and she dropped everything to take care of Lilo and that means everything to me.
thelatinscholar reblogged
not even fuckin risking it at this stage
c-itylust
hahhaha gOD DAMMIT
please please please
got a big test coming up this saturday
need all the luck I can get
thelatinscholar reblogged
tips for science majors (and all college students)
hey everyone! i decided to compile a list of tips for college students, specifically science majors because a lot of people are starting college soon. a lot of these could apply to any majors in general, but i’m simply speaking from my own experience.
- handwrite your notes! I know it can be tempting to type them on your laptop because so many science classes are so heavy with information and lectures move so fast, but handwriting notes is super helpful and a lot of times an easier option, especially when drawing diagrams and writing reactions
- make at least 2 friends in every class to study and share notes with. chances are you won’t understand everything perfectly and getting a different perspective might make things clearer. also helpful if you miss a lecture!
- practice questions are your best friend! this is true for most classes, but they’re absolutely necessary when it comes to classes like organic chemistry. look up practice questions and tests online and use them.
- if you don’t already know any statistics, learn the basics. stats is ESSENTIAL and has come in handy for almost every science class i’ve taken. knowing what a t-test is, p value, alpha value, etc. beforehand is super helpful for labs and reading papers.
- practice reading scientific journal articles as much as you can. this is a skill that i’ve yet to master and can be really frustrating but knowing how to process and understand those dense articles is really important no matter what you want to do in your life. most school libraries have subscriptions to most major databases like pubmed and journals like nature and science, so dedicate some time once or twice a month to read an article that’s interesting to you. focus on trying to interpret the figures and summarizing the data.
- youtube is great for explaining scientific concepts you don’t understand. because certain processes and molecules etc. are so complex and may be hard to understand from a textbook with words and 2-D pictures, videos on youtube might explain and help visualize things better. there are some good ones out there but googling the topic you’re looking for usually brings up some helpful material!
- khanacademy (my all-time fave i would literally die for khan academy guy he can have my firstborn)
- crash course
- interactive biology
- bozeman science (also has videos for ap bio/chem/physics/environmental science!)
- minute physics
- get involved in research as early as possible. even if you don’t think you’ll like it, getting involved in research is a great experience for anyone. research professors and their work and email as many as you can before the semester starts to see if you can work in their labs. not only does it look great on your resume but you’ll also learn so much about the scientific process.
- get a chalkboard/whiteboard for your room. it’s a great study tool to practice drawing mechanisms, reactions, processes, figures, etc. it literally saved my butt in organic chem last year.
- don’t get stressed if you don’t know what you want to do with your major. try different things. do research in different labs on varying topics, talk to your professors and advisors, do some shadowing, talk to people in different industries.
- rewrite your notes and redraw diagrams. rewriting notes is a good tip for anyone, but redrawing diagrams in a different way than they’re presented in your textbook or lecture in a way that you understand better is super helpful.
- don’t put lab reports off until the last minute. lab reports are the bane of my existence, but there’s nothing more stressful than doing one at the last minute before it’s due and realizing your results made NO sense. start them as soon as you finish the lab and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your lab instructor or other students.
those are all the ones i could think of at the moment! hopefully some of these are helpful for some of you :-)
thelatinscholar reblogged
thegoodvybe
Source: weheartit.com
thelatinscholar reblogged
I am a writer perhaps because I am not a talker.
Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 7 June 1917)
thelatinscholar reblogged
Anonymous asked:
what would you recommend reading as an intro to feminism and race theory? or Intersectionality / not White™ feminism?
off the top of my head / from my own reading list
- “Mapping the Margins:Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color”–Kimberlé Crenshaw (obviously)
- “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex:A Black Feminist Critique of AntidiscriminationDoctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics”–Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Women, Race, and Class–Angela Y. Davis
- Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches–Audre Lorde
- Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism–bell hooks
- In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens–Alice Walker
- Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment–Patricia Hill Collins (an overview of Black feminist canon)
- All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women’s Studies (a collection)
- The Nawal El Saadawi Reader
- “The Coloniality of Gender”–Maria Lugones (& other things from this list)
these cut across a few different disciplines & traditions btw but I think that’s what’s called for, really
thelatinscholar reblogged
thelatinscholar reblogged
“When I’m with you, I don’t breathe quite right.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald; The Love of the Last Tycoon
thelatinscholar reblogged
Just completed and submitted the final version of my Extended Essay !!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
So I compiled lists of words that I found super super useful in making it easier for me to finish any essay !! Here is a masterpost of some sort with transition words + key vocabs grouped together for easy access as well as an IB IOC ‘cheat sheet’ I used for my english LAL orals last year (though most commentaries follow a similar structure so its generalisable) ~
Good luck with your essays !!!
… oops just realised I forgot to bullet point one of the lists
slytherinmind
It’s gold! Not only makes writting essays much easier, but also can be really helpful if English is actually your target language!
thelatinscholar reblogged
top 5 videos that make me want to study
hey guys, on my instagram i asked if people wanted to see videos that motivate me studying, pushing my limits, and most important help me stop procrastinating. so here is my top 5 videos, hope you like them! (instagram: thomreads)
video number one: The ABCs of SUCCESS - Amazing Motivational Video for Students, Studying & Success in Life
video number two: Grey’s Anatomy, Cristina Yang: “Be unstoppable.”
video number three: Legally Blonde - I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be!
video number four: Michaela Pratt | That’s My Girl (How To Get Away With Murder)
video number five: From FAILING STUDENT to ROCKET SCIENTIST - The Motivational Video that Will Change Your Life
bonus video: Rory’s system to study her finals (Gilmore Girls)
thelatinscholar reblogged
college study tips that actually help
- put your phone on silent and put it across the room
- listen to classical/soundtrack music without lyrics
- make index cards for important vocab
- wear pajamas
- make diagrams and pictures. they don’t have to look pretty, as long as you understand it
- make timelines for historical events
- have a light snack
- drink coffee or tea to keep you going
- take a break every hour or so
- have one pencil/black pen and one colored pen or highlighter. anything more will just distract you. the aesthetics aren’t important, your knowledge is
- don’t be afraid to email/message your teacher or a classmate if you don’t understand something. the last thing you want to do is learn the incorrect information
- know that sleep and health is more important than your grade. you cannot perform as well on a test if you are tired or sick. take care of yourself
- it’s not a race. it’s not about who can learn something in the quickest time, it’s about learning
- take a deep breath
- prioritize your homework by how long it will take you and when it’s due
- plan some you time in between studying and school
- if you’re mentally exhausted, set a timer for 30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll wake up even more tired
- don’t understand something? that’s perfectly fine, don’t stress over it. ask for help rather than complaining
- have a goal in mind and write them down. say things like “i am getting an education so i can get the job of my dreams. the life that i want. the happiness that i deserve”
- be thankful. it is a privilege that you get to go to school and get an education.
- you got this.
thelatinscholar reblogged
I think all Gilmore Girls fans can agree that Rory Gilmore is the original studyblr! If I’m having a chill study session, I’ll play an old episode where she is extra motivated or there is a big focus on academics. The following are my go-tos!
SPOILER ALERT
I wrote short descriptions with each episode so SPOILER ALERT for everyone who hasn’t seen or is still watching Gilmore Girls!
S01E02- “The Lorelai’s First Day at Chilton”
Rory starts at a new prestigious school. She has to deal with proving herself academically.
S01E04- “The Deer Hunters”
This episode deals with academic failure and studying hard to move past it.
S02E02- “Hammers and Veils”
Rory has anxiety over not having enough extra-curricular activities for college applications.
S02E04- “The Road Trip to Harvard”
Rory visits her dream school and gets a good look into college life.
S02E18- “Back in the Saddle Again”
Rory has a challenging group project.
S03E03- “Application Anxiety”
Rory receives her Harvard application and gets stressed over the competition.
S03E08- “Let the Games Begin”
Rory visits Yale.
S03E16- “The Big One”
Rory has to give a speech and has to comfort a friend who doesn’t get into her dream school. Rory also receives her college letters.
S03E17- “A Tale of Poes and Fire”
Rory picks her college.
S03E22- “Those Are Strings, Pinocchio”
Rory graduates high school and deals with paying for college.
S04E01- “Ballrooms & Biscotti”
Lorelai and Rory have to deal with the stress of preparing for college.
S04E02- “The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale”
Rory starts college.
S04E03- “The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles”
Rory begins her college shopping period.
S04E06- “An Affair to Remember”
Rory has trouble finding a good place to study while she is behind on her class syllabus.
S04E08- “Die, Jerk”
Rory is told to toughen up her journalistic writing, so she writes a harsh review and faces the consequences.
S04E10- “The Nanny and the Professor”
Rory participates in the orientation for her school newspaper.
S04E14- “The Incredible Sinking Lorelais”
This episode once again deals with academic failure.
S05E10- “But Not As Cute As Pushkin”
Rory gives a tour of Yale to a high school student.
S05E20- “How Many Kropogs to Cape Cod?”
Rory starts an internship.
S06E13- “Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
The student news has to pull a hectic all-nighter to publish the paper.
S06E14- “You’ve Been Gilmored”
Rory becomes the editor of her paper.
S06E16- “Bridesmaids Revisited”
Rory speaks at a journalism panel.
S07E21- “Unto the Breach”
Rory graduates college.
thelatinscholar reblogged
Use this comprehensive list to reference common compounds and ions conveniently. I made this especially to give a lump sum of practice problems for drawing Lewis Structures. Suggestions and comments appreciated, thanks!
Revised simpler edit (1/9/15) with elements sorted, and I changed everything to structural formula.
thelatinscholar reblogged
Hey guys! It’s my studyblr’s one year anniversary today and I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything. This community has inspired me a lot and has helped me in countless ways. I have also met so many wonderful people here and reading all your sweet messages and replies on my posts always makes me so happy. So I made these studyblr icons as a little gift for you guys! Just please credit me if you use them. Thank you once again!! 💕