an ember at a time

6/10/2016 // 3:10 pm

october bullet journal 🍂 🍃

mar. 5 // my roommate and I studied at the cutest pie shop today! incoming finals = messy notes 😅 

So, I’ve been a studyblr actively for a couple of weeks now, and I’ve been lurking in the background for a while. So I thought I’d compile a list of things I’ve learnt about being a member of the studyblr community! 

1. Aesthetic isn’t everything.  Yeah, having pretty notes is great, but when the majority of your time is spent making your notes look pretty instead of actually retaining the information, then it’s not a very productive use of your time. 

2. Don’t compare yourself to others. Okay, so you see other people in the community with immaculate handwriting or perfect notes. Or you see people with thousands of notes on their posts. Don’t beat yourself up if your handwriting isn’t the neatest, or your notes aren’t perfect, do the best you can and as I said before, aesthetic isn’t everything.

3. Use what you have, it’s not all about fancy supplies.  So, mildliners look cool, and muji notebooks are pretty. But, if you’re like me and live somewhere where these things aren’t easily accessible, it’s not the end of the world. They may photograph nicely, but it’s not all about how nicely things photograph. If they don’t function and don’t work for you, then you’re not getting the most from your studies.

4. Don’t be afraid to talk to other members of the community.  We’re all here to help! We all started out somewhere, so I can almost guarantee that there’s someone out there who’s been in a similar position to where you are now. And if you can’t find someone? Be that someone for someone else, because you won’t be the last person to be in that position. 

5. Set reasonable goals.  Not everyone is able to get consistent A+’s, we’ve all got subjects that we’re not good at (mine’s anything maths based). Focus on your strengths and set small, achievable goals to help you reach your bigger goals.

6. Do your best!  At the end of the day, the reason the studyblr community is around is to help each other and to motivate each other to strive for the best. Because at the end of the day, we all just want each other to succeed and the only way you’ll do that is by doing your best!

I hope this post managed to help at least one person, because I know when I first joined the studyblr, I got quite disheartened because my notes weren’t the prettiest or my handwriting wasn’t the neatest, but after being active for even just a couple of weeks, I’ve already learnt so much.

- Emma x 

I’m back, I’m back !! After two weeks of vacation I’m home and it kinda feels great ?? It might have something to do with the fact that I finally get to throw away my entrance exam notes and that I have received my official uni acceptance letter 🍾🍾 + look at the super cute sushi washi i got 🍣

yesterday & today; tea & coffee; lydia davis & mary wollstonecraft

[27.09.16] • Today I reviewed the day’s lectures and worked through tomorrow’s slides. Research Skills is my enemy📊

9.20 einstein bros, social problems notes, and weird shadows

29/09/16: green vibes 🍃 and a cup of peppermint tea 🍵 taken from my ig: s.tudiyng!

Constantly feeding one side or the other will strengthen it in the long term. Give your positive side some happy thoughts today! :D

01.06.16 | Studying at my usual cafe but sitting somewhere different for a change! First day of the month, lets make June a good one 🍃💻☕️

i know that waking up in the morning can be such a chore ;; it’s always so tempting to sleep til noon and constantly press “snooze.” however, mornings are a nice and quiet bit of the day to enjoy!! here are a few tips to maximize your mornings.

benefits:

go to sleep earlier

getting adequate sleep will help you wake up early for the next day! i know, it seems like a better idea to stay up really late to finish that one last assignment. but!! i’d recommend that you sleep earlier and wake up earlier to finish it in the morning. you’ll feel less tired and stressed!

wake up earlier than you normally do

idk about you, but if i wake up after 8 or 9 am, i just feel so so sluggish and feel like i lost some precious hours of the morning. i personally like waking up around 6 to 6:30, but other people like waking up around 7.

open up your blinds / curtains

let all the natural light fill your room!! it makes your room brighter and i swear, almost everything looks prettier with natural light. also, natural light is fantastic for taking those studyspo pictures :-))))

drink a glass of water

your body hasn’t had any water for the past 8 or so hours that you’ve been asleep!! drinking a large glass of water after you wake up will fire up your metabolism, rehydrate your brain, help your body flush out toxins, and help you feel refreshed as well.

wash your face with cold water

idk about you but i literally feel half-asleep on my feet when i wake up and i just want to crawl back into my bed and never see the morning light again. washing my face with cold water really wakes me up and makes me feel super refreshed and ready to tackle the day! i also like to brush my teeth too bc morning breath is gross ;;

eat breakfast

eating a healthy breakfast gives you energy to use for the day, improves your memory and mood, improves concentration and productivity, and is good for your overall health bc it reduces risk of type 2 diabetes + obesity (reduces chances of excessive, unhealthy snacking).

lately, i’ve been eating a small bowl of oatmeal with honey, peanut butter, and a little bit of fruit on the side. it’s so so good omg :’) i also make myself a cup of tea to give me a little “kick” in the morning.

turn on some music

idk why but turning on some nice music in the morning instantly sets a nice sort of atmosphere? i like playing studio ghibli music bc it’s calming and happy!

plan out your day

figure out what you’re going to do with all of the time that you have now! i like jotting down my tasks in my bullet journal, but you can just write up a to-do list, use an app, a planner, or your own bullet journal.

get to work!

take advantage of the time you have now to get started on your assignments + projects + studying!

you can also check out my morning routine video to see how i usually spend my mornings!

hope this helped and good luck! if you’d like to request a post, go here and if you’d like to see more helpful posts, go here!! thanks :)

17 . 08 . 2016 // from a couple days ago: reviewing and drawing for a bit (I missed watercolor so much) ✨

How To Take Lecture Notes

The professors sometimes ask for students to print out lecture slides or take notes before class, so here are some ideas on what to do before, during, and after the lecture. Of course, these don’t have to be followed exactly as written, so you can use what works best for you. :)