random college tips

i. get to your classroom early if you don’t have a class beforehand

ii. pack your bag the night before

iii. don’t overannotate

iv. stay on top of your readings

v. try your hardest not to miss class

vi. fridays are homework days

vii. proofread your papers before you turn them in

viii. ask if the professor prefers a certain citation style

ix. always bring extra pens/pencils to class with you

x. college kids love gum

ok thats my random ass list of stuff regarding college !! i’ll probably make more masterposts like this b/c this was fun as heck. if u have any questions/need advice, just hmu !! you can check out my other masterposts here.

Masterlist of Lifestyle Journal Ideas

I was going to post images with each listing, but 100 pictures on one Tumblr post was quite a task. So, if you’d like to see examples of any of these, I am adding them to my Pinterest Board which can be found [here].

1. Books To Read- Color them in as you go! Or make a fun list of them and check them off one at a time. 

2. All About Me- Make doodles of things you love, add quotes, draw yourself!

3. Future Log- There are so many ways to make this page. Please do some research to see which would work best for you

4. Movies To Watch- Pretty self-explanatory, but there are many ways to do this page too

5. Skills To Learn- Jot down all the things you want to learn

6. Important Numbers and Addresses- In case of emergency of course. Also, be careful what you put in this part for your own privacy reasons

7. Year In Pixels- Honestly, one of my favorite pages

8. Fonts, Banners, and Frame Ideas- For practice and to choose from when you are having trouble being creative

9. Snail Mail Log- Keeping a list of people who you want to send letters to

10. Savings Tracker- It’s always fun to see how much you have saved up

11. TV Series Tracker- Keep track of all the shows you still need to binge

12. Monthly Challenges- I know I haven’t been helpful with this lately, but you can always search for challenges on my page

13. Music Playlists- A list of songs that describe you, your goals, things you love, etc. 

14. Timeline of Your Life- This was hard for me to make. My life isn’t all that exciting

15. Inspiration Page- Fill it with quotes, pictures, memories, etc. 

16. Self-Care List/Ideas- I posted many lists like this on my Pinterest if you want more ideas

17. Monthly/Yearly Memories- Look back on all the good and bad things that you’ve gotten over and endured. 

18. Sleep Tracker- See how many hours you get each night. This also works well when paired with number 7. 

19. Me Time Log- Keep track of how many hours you spend with yourself. We all need to learn to love on ourselves a little more. 

20. Tiny Adventures- Go out of your comfort zone and go on some tiny adventures like reading in public, talking to a stranger, giving people compliments, etc. 

21. Word Tracker- For those who are writers who like to procrastinate

22. Daily To-Do List- This can be done on your weekly pages or you can make a page specifically for daily sticky notes. 

23. Blog Post Ideas- Got an idea, but you’re not at your computer or have what you need for your post? WRITE IT DOWN

24. Fitness Log- Keep track of how much and when you work out or stretch or do yoga or and of those fun physical activities. 

25. Food Log- If you’re trying to lose weight or just get healthy or just want to track your food intake for fun, this is for you! 

26. Meal Prep- I love how cute and helpful these pages can be. 

27. Gift Lists- Ever see something and say to yourself, “Man, ____ would really like that”? Keep a list of things people would like so that you don’t worry about it when it comes to holiday time or birthdays. 

28. Grocery Lists- Every time I go shopping, I forget something because I didn’t write it down. 

29. Goals- Oh, yes! It’s 2018. We need some goals. Monthly, weekly, daily, YEARLY. Just get some goals and aim for them. 

30. Recipes To Try- I see nice recipes all the time on Facebook, but I never think about them again after I keep scrolling. It’s bad. 

31. Daily Affirmations- Give yourself some compliments and some emotional support

32. Business Plan- Make yourself a good businesswoman or businessman or businessperson in 2018. You got this. 

33. Birthdays- Keep track of all those important people in your life that need to be remembered on their special day. 

34. Work Hour Log- Sometimes we don’t keep track of all the things we get paid for. Actual work, babysitting, photography jobs, writing jobs, pet sitting, house sitting, etc. 

35. Wishlists- Not so you can #treatyourself, but so that you can make note of things you really want. 

36. Gratitude Log- It’s always good to have a moment of gratitude with yourself. Make it a monthly challenge if you need to!

37. Quotes- Your own, friend quotes, celebrity quotes, author quotes, and lyrics. 

38. Illustrations and Doodles- Doodling helps you keep your mind fresh and ready to react quickly to situations. 

39. Jokes- Your own, ones you heard, ones you read, etc. 

40. New Discoveries and Interesting Facts- Find a new interesting fact? How about that lemonade is basically Sprite in almost any other country than America?

41. Travel Log- Places you want to go! There are so many ways to do this, so look up different versions before starting!

42. Family and Friend Favorites- Their favorite colors, animals, stores, places, hobbies, etc. 

43. DIY Projects- Things you want to try out someday. 

44. Chore List- Keep track of when you do your chores so that your house doesn’t become disgusting or dusty. 

45. Bucketlist- What do you want to do before graduation, moving out, marriage, having kids, etc. 

46. Story Ideas- I always come up with story ideas and then when I sit down to write them, I blank. 

47. Period Log- For people with periods that have many PMS symptoms or even PMDD symptoms. This is a great way to show your doctor all of the things you go through each cycle. 

48. Words That Make You Happy- Silly words, ugly words, words that are fun to say, etc. 

49. Things That Make You Happy- People, places, and things. 

50. Monthly Habits- Water intake, cleaning, bathing, exercising, reading, etc. 

51. Story Titles- This can be titles for books, short stories, poems, or just nice sounding titles for anything. 

52. Made Up Words- I make myself laugh with all the words I make up on the daily. 

53. Follower Counter- This page keeps me inspired to keep doing what I love. 

54. Index- Always have an index for easy access to the pages you want to find. 

55. Icons- Sometimes we need to have icons to make our pages pretty. Sometimes we make too many icons and never use them (me). 

56. Packing List- For those who travel often or stay at friends’ houses more than our own, it’s good not to forget the things we need. 

57. Morning Routines- Our bodies need routines for mornings to get us ready for the day. 

58. Nightly Routines- Our bodies need routines for nights to prepare us for sleep. (see what I did there?)

59. Weight Tracker- If you’re struggling with your weight, keep a chart tracker or add your daily weight to your calendar. 

60. Pen Test Page- If you get new pens, highlighters, or markers, its best to test them out before using them. 

61. Brain Dump- Sometimes we just need to jot down ideas or thoughts. It’s okay if they don’t make sense. 

62. Spending Log- Keep track of what you spend because you might need that someday. 

63. Water Tracker- HYDRATE

64. Habit Tracker Reward System- This is something I came up with myself, so if you have questions, message me!

65. Name Lists (For Babies and Stories)- Keep a list of cool names for characters or even future babies. 

66. Looking Forward To…- Birthdays, holidays, raises, pay days, vacations, etc. 

67. Compliment Lists- Make a list of your go-to compliments, your favorite ones people have given you, etc. 

68. Level 10 Life- Please look up what this is before jumping into it!

69. Pet Care Log- Keep track of how much you do with your pets. Walks, play time, park time, play dates, baths, etc. 

70. Achievements- What have you done that you are proud of?

71. Weekly Log- Keep track of your week. This is one of the most used pages in any bullet journal honestly. 

72. Monthly Log- Another overly used page in any bullet journal. Very important. 

73. Daily Log- I don’t do this too often, but I know it helps others who really need a whole page for each day. 

74. Bill Tracker- This was fun to make and something I will be using now

75. Income Tracker- How much and how frequently do you get paid?

76. Deadline Page- Prepare yourself for things that you need to get done. Do not procrastinate this year!

77. Vocabulary Practice- Sometimes we just need to educate ourselves on our own terms. (and with our own terms. Anyone? Anyone?)

78. Doctor Appointment Log- If you don’t want to add them to your calendar or they are too far out to add to the calendar you’re using. 

79. Username and Password List- Be careful with this page. If someone finds your bullet journal, this could be bad. 

80. Monthly Cover Page- These are so cute! I just started doing them, but they make my journal so artsy and pretty. 

81. Dream Log- This is a fun one. Track your dreams. This would be good to line up with how many hours you get as well. 

82. Favorites List- What are YOUR favorites? Movies, snacks, drinks, subjects, people, colors, animals, etc. 

83. Habits To Break- Do you bite your nails? Quote The Office too much? Throw clothes into piles on your floor? STOP THAT. 

84. Small Things That Matter- Puppies, getting up in the morning, pennies, smiling at yourself, laughter, etc. Remind yourself that there is good in the world. 

85. Things To Sell- Get rid of the things you don’t need. Or make things to sell! Be prosperous this year. 

86. School Schedule- High school and college students really need this. Even teachers do too. Make a chart of your classes, room numbers, buildings, and times.

87. House Projects- Things that need fixing or improvements around the house. 

88. Day Trip Ideas- Fun places to go when you have the time. 

89. Things I Am Bad At- It’s okay to admit our shortcomings and work on them. Or just accept them for what they are. 

90. Resolutions- YES! Make yourself this better this year. Be the best you. 

91. Crochet/Knit Log- When making a blanket, small items, or just keeping track of your improvements in your skill. 

92. Future Planning- Make a list of the things you want in your future and how you plan on getting them. 

93. Quirk List- Ever notice you do small little weird things? Make a list to appreciate who you are. 

94. Who Borrowed What- Sometimes people borrow things and you forget until you need it again. By then, they threw it out or gave it to someone else. 

95. Six Word Stories- Get those creative juices pumping. 

96. Love Yourself- Write down all the things you love about yourself. Appreciate yourself. 

97. Paying It Back- Honestly, a good page to have, but it doesn’t get much attention from me. 

98. Childhood Dreams- We should always try to look back on what we thought we wanted

99. Good Deed Ideas- Ever think “wow, wouldn’t it be great if I could _____”?

100. Mind Mapping- There are a few reasons I really enjoy this, but it really helps me get my thoughts and ideas out more easily

How to Fill Your Empty Notebooks

I am going to create a list of Youtube videos, to give you ideas on how to fill those empty notebooks.

16 ways to use a notebook by Mistral Spirit

15 Ways to Fill Your Journal by Grow With E.

Ways to Fill a Journal by Johanna Clough

Ways to Fill Your Notebooks by Jordan Clark

How to Fill Your Journals by Soozee Lara

11 Ways to Fill Your Notebooks by Lavendaire

25 Ways to Fill a BLANK journal by Paris and Roxy

12 Ways to Fill Your Notebooks by Siena Mirabella

20 Ways to Fill Your Notebooks by Overall Adventures

How to Set Up a NEW Journal by Overall Adventures

Empty Journal? by Nicole Coenen

Ways to Fill Your Journals by Ashleigh George

HOW TO WRITE 20 PAGES (from one girl w/mental illness 2 the rest of u, but please keep in mind all of this is just personal Stuff That Worked for me n u might be different):

March 14: Wilfred Owen analysis and a huge mug of coffee☕️

Wednesday, 1:55 pm

Hello! Update on current post-exam mood: relieved, most of all happy, but also empty.

From going full super saiyan the past few weeks with lectures and clinicals (as well as part-time jobs on the weekends) in addition to eight hours a day of self study in preparation for the exams, I have voluntarily gone all potato mode and become an ingrown part of my bed. And have been quite happy with it.

I hope everyone’s exams went well. I just got my results back yesterday, and am happy to say that life goes forward. Done with neurology for now, psychiatry next. To everyone else still in limbo: this is your chance to enjoy life. You’ve done your best, and there’s nothing more anyone in the universe can demand of you. Remember that no matter the outcome, you’ve already overcome the challenge of surviving the exam period, and that alone is worthy of a celebration. Most things go well, and if they don’t, time will smooth things over. ✌️

As for that feeling of emptiness I mentioned earlier, I might have spoken too soon. There’s allllways some kind of work to do for us students. Bye-bye, exams. Hello, thesis work.

PS. I should also probably rearrange my study space.

Finally back in the Bullet Journal game! Can’t wait to share more of my new set up (as soon as it’s done lol at me) with you! 

Check out my instagram xstudying ✨

how to be a minimalist student

a lot of minimalism blogs/youtube channels are directed at older people with houses and jobs, rather than students living with their parents going to and from school; but that doesn’t mean minimalism can’t be for students/teenagers too!

I thought I would write some tips and tricks for being a student minimalist and why it’s worth a shot:

how to:

1. cook with friends rather than buying takeaways or go for walks instead of sitting inside watching films. make the most of the time you spend with friends (and spend less money while you’re at it)

2. stop scrolling and turn off notifications. I’ve switch off all notifications on my lock screen (except for essentials like text) and have muted all non-essential chats so I only have to know about them if I have chosen to go on my phone for that purpose. this is a really easy way to get rid of distractions

3. practicality > aesthetic. I agree that colourful beautiful notes are lovely but they aren’t necessarily worth your time. use your time effectively and don’t rewrite pages of notes just because you had to cross something out and now it’s ‘ruined’. 

3. trade your busy life for a full one by doing one thing at once. learn to focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. this isn’t just about studying, but also about social events. if you’re meeting a friend, spend the time with your friend, not on your phone. devote yourself to each thing you’re doing and plan your time

4. remember: just because its on sale doesn’t mean you need to buy it. just because you have money doesn’t mean you need to spend it. 

5. say no. its easier to take back a no than it is to take back a yes. don’t feel obliged to sign up for everything and do everything for everyone. put yourself first and don’t feel guilty

6. try the hanger trick. hang all your clothes on hangers facing the same direction. twist the hanger around after you wear something. after a month, donate everything that hasn’t been twisted round to charity 

7. cleanse your social media: unfriend people you don’t know anymore. unfriend people who are negative. delete the apps you don’t use. unsubscribe from channels/newsletters that no longer interest you. declutter your online life

8. cleanse your real life relationships: stop spending time with people who put you down. end your unhealthy relationships. be honest with people you care about. put yourself first

9. record your favourite show or watch netflix. avoiding adverts frees you from the endless cycle of always wanting to have the next big thing

why it’s worth a try:

1. teaching yourself to switch off from social media and learning to spend more quality time with people face-to-face is liberating

2. everything is easier when you have a clear(er) head. having less means you have less to worry about

3. you’ll save money surprisingly easily. the money you spent on takeaways or shoes you thought you needed because everyone else had them can be put towards bigger things that will make you happier e.g. travelling or can be saved for the future

4. you can focus on your mental and physical health more when you aren’t distracted by your phone buzzing all the time and aren’t basing your happiness on keeping up with the latest trends

N.B. don’t expect to ‘get’ minimalism overnight. I definitely still haven’t cracked it. start small and slowly implement minimalism into different areas of your life. figure out what works and what doesn’t. minimalism is personal so there is no ‘right’ way of doing things.

just because minimalism can be about having less, doesn’t mean you have to throw away your beloved book collection. if it makes you happy, keep it; if it doesn’t, let it go.

it is very important to have a good study environment and i haven’t seen a post about this so here we go

Do’s and Do not’s

now go on and study!

july 22nd, 8:09 pm i just finished the second (& last!) day of my philosophy course and it was V Fun but only glossier got me through the jet lag :( in other news, i got a new moleskine !

(find me on ig at acataemic)

i’m just about to go into my third year of university and there’s a lot of things about the non-academic side of the whole university situation that i wish i had known so i’m going to let you in on a few tips!

1. it can get lonely 

i moved into student accommodation when i went to university and i lived with 5 other girls. we were all doing different courses so it was rare that we were all i the flat at the same time and i found myself on my own most days. because i didn’t see my flatmates i started to feel lonely and isolated pretty quickly - i now know that this is super normal! moving to university with a bunch of strangers is a massive change and everyone feels as lonely as each other. i struggled with the loneliness mostly during meal times and at night. i quickly found a solution that made meal times enjoyable.. MUKBANGS!!! yep thats right, youtube videos of other people eating. it might sound silly but it really makes you feel like you’re just hanging out with some friends and eating food together. some of my favourite people to watch are: jenna and julien, the ballingers and trisha paytas

2. dealing with your own finances can be difficult at times

here in the uk, student finance provide us with what’s called a “maintenance loan” to help us pay rent and buy food and student bank accounts are often required to have a hefty overdraft which makes it very easy to think you’re rich all of a sudden. first semester consisted of me blowing my money on things i didn’t need just because i thought i could afford to, i wasn’t budgeting properly and i’m still paying the price for it now a year later. if i have to give any money advice it would be to work out a budget (that includes nice things!! like trips to the movies and some nice take out coffees) and stick! to! it! i now stick to a budget of £30 a week of essentials such as food, drinks and clothes (not including rent or bills) and it’s helping me save a lot of money

3. home cooked meals and meal plans are absolutely vital (and packed lunches too)

when you’re trying to stick to a budget, the easy food option is often fast food cause it’s cheap and it’s bloody everywhere. so the best thing to stop yourself bingeing on everything that’s not good for you, is meal planning! i sit down every two weeks and plan what meals i’m going to have on what days. this way i can buy things in bulk, pre-make meals and freeze them and my time isn’t wasted in supermarkets because i’m unsure of what to buy. i also plan packed lunches into my meals because long days at uni are only made worse if you haven’t got food to hand. personally i recommend buying lots and lots of frozen veg, fresh meat that you can freeze (if you eat meat), LOTS of pasta and LOTS of rice.

4. exercise is super important

if you’re indulging in the above (being on your own, overspending and eating crap) then you’re going to start feeling pretty low, very quickly, so you need to learn to invest time in the little things that can boost a day. exercise is perfect for this! i’m not talking about buying a gym membership and pumping weights for 3 hours a day but setting time aside in the morning or evening to go for a run or walk, do some yoga or even meditation (i know meditating isn’t physical exercise but it’s mental exercise, right?) will make a massive difference to your day and it’ll boost your mood.

5. it’s okay if you don’t love university

i hated my first year of university, i won’t lie to you, and i felt like i was the only one in the world and that i was just throwing money down the drain (£17k to be precise). believe it or not, it’s super normal to not enjoy university at first. university, as a whole, is a massive lifestyle change and it does take a long time to adjust, for me it took a year. you’re spending a lot of money and investing a lot of time in one subject that you’re just hoping is the subject for you! it’s normal to have doubts about your course, if you’re doubting your choice speak to your tutor and they’ll be able to give you some personal tips about how to adjust to the different teaching styles, the more intense content and the emphasis on individual learning. 

if you’re going through a hard time at university then i’m so sorry you’re not feeling the best but it will get better, i promise! university isn’t meant to be easy but it will be so worth it in the end. persevere, believe and most importantly, look after yourself x

How to Deal with Study Burnout

As students in this day and age, it’s quite common for us to juggle rigorous academic responsibilities and overwhelming extracurricular activities. As a result, we might feel burnt out. But what exactly is burnout? 

Burnout is when you feel physically and mentally exhausted as a result of constantly lacking the energy required to fulfill the demands of your studying.

Burnout can be broken down into three parts:

Exhaustion is what causes you to feel tired all the time and unable to concentrate. You could also get sick or have trouble sleeping.

Cynicism or depersonalization is when you feel disconnected from those around you, e.g. your friends and family.

Inefficacy is a decrease in productivity, efficiency, or quality of your work.

How do you know if you have burnout?

Symptoms may vary, but they include:

What can I do to fix it?

Here are some short term solutions for dealing with burnout.

1. Take a power nap Power naps are life changing. They help you recharge your energy and get you ready to start working again. They also improve learning, memory, creativity, alertness, and mood. I would recommend napping for 30 minutes at most, because anything more will lead to a longer sleep session.

Optional: drink coffee before your nap - something that takes a short while to consume like a shot of espresso - so that you’ll feel alert and revitalized afterwards!

2. Take a shower A cold one will wake you up, but a warm one will calm you down. I suggest starting with warm water, then ending with cold water.

3. Exercise Whether it’s playing soccer or doing yoga, the important thing is to get moving! Exercise releases endorphins or happy hormones that help you combat stress.

4. Run a quick errand This will help take your mind off things while also getting something done! You’ll also end up walking, which is technically a form of exercise.

5. Call or visit a friend Sometimes what we’re lacking is social interaction, and hanging out with a friend definitely helps. Whether it’s providing you with a distraction or giving emotional support, your friends are always there to help you. Plus, science has shown that being with friends reduces your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

6. Eat a snack Preferably a healthy one. Eat something with proteins, vitamins, and fibers to boost your mood. Here’s a list of mood boosting foods.

7. Surf the web This requires A TON of discipline, but it’s definitely a game changer. Surfing the web is one of the most relaxing things you could do. I personally look for a good laugh during my study breaks, so I’d watch a comedy or scroll through memes to get those happy hormones up and running.

8. Do an activity you find interesting, e.g. a hobby We all need happiness in our lives, and our hobbies are perhaps the best way to find that joy. You could sit down with a page turning adventure, or go outside and shoot hoops, or listen to a podcast, or even bullet journal, as long as you’re having a good time.

9. Listen to music Music is one of the ways we gain energy, so I always make time for it during the day. However, you should choose the right music, because not all the music you love is going to make you feel energized. For me, it’s pop punk with hard hitting beats, thundering guitars, and really upbeat, enthusiastic vocals. Some of you might be energized by mellow music with dreamy vocals that make you feel like you’re floating in the clouds. If you choose the wrong music, you might just end up feeling sluggish and drained.

10. Get some fresh air Your brain needs 20% of the oxygen in your body. Fresh air brings more oxygen to your brain so that you can think more clearly, feel less tired, and concentrate more easily.

How do I make sure I don’t get it in the future?

Avoiding study burnout in the long term has a lot to do with our study habits - as well as our daily habits. We need to make sure that our bodies and minds receive the things they need, and that we aren’t overworking them.

1. Study a little at a time Break up your notes into smaller, more easily digestible pieces and learn a little at a time. This way, you’re not overwhelming your brain, and you have time to let that new knowledge settle in.

2. Time management Having a good study schedule is crucial in preventing burnout. You don’t want to force yourself to work at your slow hours. Aside from that, you definitely shouldn’t leave things until the last minute, and sticking to a schdule will help you pace yourself. Here’s a post I wrote on How to Make an Efficient Revision Schedule and How to Beat Procrastination.

3. Get enough rest I cannot stress enough that sleep is so important for you. It improves your cognitive functioning and also enhances your mood, making it less likely that you’ll get burnt out. Make sure to take power naps, too, if you feel like you need them. 

You also really shouldn’t pull all-nighters. Sleep is also involved in cementing memories in your brain, so if you study a little before you sleep, you’re bound to remember more than if you studied a chapter during an all nighter.

Having trouble sleeping? Here’s a post I made about my night routine and how to get better sleep.

4. Cycle your study environments Your body and mind are bound to get tired from being in the same location for prolonged periods of time. The best way to fix that is to study in different places: at your desk, your backyard, the dining table, a cafe, a friend’s house, the library, etc.You should find a frequency that works for you. I like to switch it up every 2-3 days; some people change locations every week.

5. Eat well As I’ve mentioned before, healthy foods with protein, vitamins, and fiber greatly improve your mood and your physical health. Proper nutrition will give your brain the power it needs to push through. Also make sure not to skip meals; honestly you’ll just end up feeling terrible afterwards.

6. Take frequent breaks Let’s face it, we’re human, we’re bound to get tired from studying for a long time. Taking breaks enables our brains to digest the information we just learned in a pace that works for it. Breaks also help us focus on something other than studying, so that when we do get back to it, we’ll be ready to digest even more information.

7. Set realistic study goals You’re gonna memorize all 500 pages of your biology textbook in one day? Good luck with that. Some of you might be compulsive studiers, but this kind of habit isn’t very good for your brain or your physical health. Studies have shown that excess studying can lead to lower productivity, fatigue, and - you guessed it - burnout. In the end, this will result in lower academic performance, perhaps even in the long run. So instead of trying to study so much in one sitting or one day, break up your material into chunks.

8. Maintain your social life Wherever you lie on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, everyone needs social interaction once in a while. It keeps you sane and healthy. Go out with your friends, have a sleepover, or maybe even a study date.

9. Start the day right What we do in the morning can significantly affect our mood for the rest of the day. Sometimes we don’t even feel like getting up in the morning, or doing anything that day. One thing you should do is create a morning routine you enjoy to jumpstart your day. Here are 8 Morning Habits for Productivity.

10. Think positive When we’re feeling burnt out, it’s hard to not think negatively about everything. In reality, that just makes our condition worse. So think positively! Start small, like congratulating yourself for getting out of bed today, and then work your way up to bigger accomplishments, like finishing 2 chapters of your textbook.

11. Keep a stress diary This is kind of a new concept for me, but it’s really great. How it works is that each day, you would write down all the things that made you stressed and how they made you stressed. This will help you identify the things you’re doing that’s causing your burnout, e.g.

And that’s all I have for you guys this time. Hope these tips will help you manage your stress and study burnout whenever you have them. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop an ask!

P.S. if any of you want to see the images in this post in better quality, click here (link to google drive)

i need this tattooed to me

08.17.17  Hung up the bulletin board, let’s hope I stay on top of things lol

printables by @emmastudies and @thearialligraphyproject

[ 27.04.16 • 2/100 DAYS OF PRODUCTIVITY ] It’s not that I’ve only been productive for 2 days but it’s just that I’ve only had time to post for 2 days :’) my exams are in a week so I’ll probably only post around that time :0

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how do you NOT reblog free textbook sites????

Why I nearly failed my first year of college/university - and what to do instead

Hey everyone. I haven’t written a studyblr post in ages but I had the idea for this post in the car and I thought it couldn’t hurt to share it. As some of you may know, I graduated from uni last year and I’m going to start my Masters next year! But, a couple of years ago, I was failing my first year of university and things were dire. So I thought I’d write about the reasons I ended up in that situation, and how to avoid it.

1) I couldn’t make it in time for my 8 a.m. calculus class. 

I commuted every day to university with my sisters and some of my cousins. Which meant that - every morning - somebody was running late and the earliest I’d get to class was often a good fifteen minutes in. Which was often the most important part of the lesson, and I’d struggle to find a seat at all (thanks to the commerce kids attending the science calc class -____-). This ended up being so demoralising I sometimes didn’t even bother attending the class or watching the lecture recordings because I was so far behind.

What to do instead: if you miss a class, watch the lecture recording on the same day. If there’s no lecture recording, find out what topics were covered and self-study from the textbook on the same day.

2) I didn’t know how to catch up on work.

I was one of those annoying students in high school. I’d go to school about three-four days a week (thankfully my mom was very lenient) and still keep up with all my classes with barely any effort. So when I got to university and missing a class meant that I missed a whole lot of work, I had no clue how to catch up. I didn’t know how to check the syllabus for the topics I needed to study, how to ask my friends what we did or how to find the material in the textbook or online notes. I had all the resources but I didn’t know how to use them.

What to do instead: learn how to study. The studyblr community has great advice on this! You can also ask your friends for help, or even other students who are a year or two ahead of you!

3) I didn’t do my homework properly.

The biggest trap at university is homework that you’re assigned but won’t be graded on. For calculus and maths-related courses in particular. Because you don’t have to hand anything in…it’s super easy to just not do the work. I spend all our tutorial classes chatting to my friends and not even asking for help - because I didn’t do the homework in the first place. It meant that I didn’t get any practice at using calculus until I crammed for my first test and was promptly handed back at 23% (yes…23%). My grades only really improved once I started doing the homework problems we were assigned. For my physics class, where our homework problems were graded so I actually worked on them every week -  I passed without a problem (though my grades were just average)

4) My mindset was all wrong.

This is something that I’m still working on. In high school, my natural “intelligence” got me straight As with zero effort. But at university, that “natural intelligence” wasn’t enough and I was failing HARD. I thought there was something wrong with me. That I somehow wasn’t intelligent at all and that’s why I was failing - because I wasn’t smart enough. I can now confidently say that I was completely wrong. I was failing because I wasn’t doing my work (see Step 3). It wasn’t until I overcame this mindset (known as a fixed mindset) did I start improving (around the time I actually started doing my homework). Natural intelligence can only take you so far. Eventually, you need to do the work. So don’t pay attention to anyone else who seems to be just breezing through university without effort - they’re either cheating or working hard when you don’t see them. 

What to do instead: research the “growth mindset”. If you have time, the Coursera course “Learning How to Learn”, as well as the ethos of Khan Academy, concentrate on developing a growth mindset.

Also: Do the work. 

5) I didn’t know where to study.

Finding *your* study spot is something that really takes time. When I tried to study at first, I couldn’t settle on a good spot. I’d try to find somewhere I could hang out with my friends at the same time (bad idea) or I’d go to parts of the main library that were dull and uninspiring. At home, I could do some work, but I also got distracted easily. I only really found my ideal study spot in my 2nd year of uni - a small, quiet, botany library with ancient-but-beautiful books, natural light, overlooking the street without being distracting and most importantly fairly secret and quiet. I could study undisturbed there and the surroundings helped me feel calm and comfortable.

What to do instead: ask around for good study spots and try them out. Older students especially! They know all the good spots because they’ve been around for a while! 

I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me an ask or a message. If you’d like to see more of my postgrad life, please give me a follow. I also have a bookstagram account where I occassionally share some of my planning and artwork as well.

Happy studying

xx Munira