“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”          – Confucius 

• the curve of forgetting describes how we retain or get of information we absorb.
• day 1: you go into a lecture knowing 0% and come out knowing 100% of what you know (regardless of whether you know it extremely well or not)
• day 2: you did not do any reviewing of your notes from day 1 therefore you have lost 50%-80%
• and as the days progress we forget less and less
• think about midterms! notice how around midterms when you’re trying to study for something (that you haven’t been reviewing for regularly) it feels like the material is VERY difficult and almost as if you’ve never learned it before

• within 24 hours of your lecture spend 10 minutes reviewing the material
• a week later: it will only take 5 minutes to REACTIVATE the same material
• ultimately, you will reshape the curve  
• day 30: by this day your brain will only need 2-4 minutes to recall
• information on the curve of forgetting was taken from the university of waterloo (x)

• before class: spend 10 minutes PREVIEWING the material. 
• after class: spend 10 minutes REVIEWING the material
• do this regularly. this will be your preview/review system for each class.
• a week later: try to review a week later. i know that school/life can get pretty hectic, but try to make sure you are reviewing regularly.
• maybe record yourself saying some important details/concepts from your notes the night before and on your daily commute to school plug in those earphones and listen to it. i am an auditory learner and i find that listening to my notes before i go to bed and right when i wake up have truly helped me retain information. studies have shown that the best time to study is right before going to bed and right when you wake up.
• a month later: after a month, review what you’ve learned so far in your class. trust me this will be a very very short review. everything will look very familiar to you and it won’t look as difficult as it used to.

• 1 hour before learning the material
• 1 hour after learning the material (or within 24 hours of learning it b/c i know we’re all very busy people)
• 1 day later
• 1 week later
• 1 month later

• active learning > passive learning
• when taking notes use the Cornell method. it forces you to ask questions and summarize what you’ve learned.
• set frequent, short, review sessions
• test yourself constantly! there are so many resources online. 
• people who are under stress have difficulty remembering things so CHILL OUT
• don’t rush, take your time
• repetition is key
• practice MAKES PERFECT
• group items together
• fish, vitamin b12, and green tea can help w/ memory
• don’t give up. like morrissey said “these things take time.”

• Drink water; it feels way better than eating junk food and replaces the munchies.
• Listen to soft music (I’ve been liking the majority of the We’ve Done Something Wonderful album, AKMU, and these two spotify playlists). Then, switch to upbeat music that makes you happy/some jams.
• Drink tea. I like oolong, green, earl grey, and peppermint.
• Take a shower and wash your hair, face, and body. Use ones that smell good to you.
• Do a face mask and moisturize!
• Allow your skin to breathe and take a break from makeup.
• If you want something sweet, eat some fruit. I find it usually satisfies my sweet tooth.
• If you’re tired, take a nap either 20, 60, or 90 minutes long (the latest to start one should be 4 pm to keep from interrupting your sleep schedule much).
• Watch a show that makes you laugh; nothing that gets you too emotionally invested.
• Delete pictures from your phone you don’t need or want; import the ones you want to keep to your laptop, a flash drive, or external hard drive.
• Make a list of tasks you need to complete from easiest/shortest time to completion to most difficult so that you won’t feel so overwhelmed. Finish a few easy tasks first, then work on some of the difficult ones, even if just a little. If you need a break, do some of those easy ones in between.
• Write down your thoughts if your mind feels cluttered.
• Exercise. Whether it’s dance, pilates, running, or otherwise, it helps to relieve stress.
• Go out and enjoy the sun’s warmth. Soak in that Vitamin D (but wear sunscreen!)
• Eat at least two meals a day, one should be breakfast. I got in the habit of one + 2-3 snacks, and I felt awful, hungry most of the day, and gained weight bc of a slowed metabolism even with less food and lots of water, so don’t do it.
• Clean your room. Working in a clean space makes it easier to focus. If your room is clean, just tidy up a bit: make your bed, fold laundry, change your sheets, etc.
• Don’t stress over minimal things. Try to think long term.
• Encourage yourself to do and be better. Don’t be hard on yourself, you’re doing great. Love yourself. You deserve it.

• Written Kitten: get a kitten/puppy/bunny pic every 100 words
• Quizlet: play fun games with your flashcards
• Memrise: add custom mnemonics to your vocab terms
• Clozemaster: pretend your language learning is a video game
• GoConqr: go and make those online mindmaps
• Khan Academy: make your learning totally interactive
• Online Resources: a masterpost from youtube to history!

• 101 Study Snacks: (mostly) healthy, fun & easy snacks
• Study Foods: a fun & healthy guide to what you should eat
• Feed Yo’ Brain: sweet, savoury, or a drink? all covered!
• 5 Recipes That Make Life Easier: simple & necessary
• 5 Cheap, Tasty, & Healthy Snacks
• Buzzfeed Tasty: simple & delicious video recipes

• Study Playlists Masterpost: everything you ever need
• Study Playlist Masterpost: aaaand some more! in categories!
• Soundtracks for Study: to help you get through that study sesh 
• & shoutouts to my favourite playlists:
• calm down & work
• rose redux
• mildliners playlists
• study nonstop
• Study Sounds: not quite playlists, but calm and great for studying
• Coffitivity: pretend you’re studying in a coffee shop
• Noisli: study in nature rather than your room

• How to Stay Organized: oodles of helpful tips!
• Organization: advice both physical and digital
• Organization Methods: a bunch of different strategies
• The Organization Guide for Lazy Students
• Staying Organized in College: a seven step guide
• How to Keep Binders Organized For School

• Study Break Ideas: bet you hadn’t thought of doing yoga
• Energizing Study Break Ideas & What To Avoid
• Online Pomodoro Timer: work, break, repeat: all timed
• Study Breaks: ideas for those 5 minutes of downtime
• Studying 101: The Pomodoro Technique
• Non-Studying Things To Do During Your Free Period

• How To Illustrate Your Notes: perfect for visual learners
• Guide to Pretty Notes: spice up your dull note-taking habits
• Fundamentals of Visual Notetaking
• Doodle Ideas: an adorable guide from studypetals!
• Tumblr’s Bullet Journal Explore Page: for ultimate doodliness

figure out what triggered you. when I have a bad day I sit down and list down what exactly provocated the bad day. these were my reasons -

• someone said I was being annoying
• I didn’t get much done that day
• I felt gross and untidy

then, find solutions to those problems.

• hey, everyone don’t have to like you. you are proud of yourself and that’s enough.
• Make a list. Do those things. I don’t care if you’re tired, do those things. If you don’t do them, you’ll feel guilty and that’s never fun.
• god, just go take a shower again. (taylor, you stink.)

as you see, the problems were really petty and solutions are pretty simple. but remember that these problems aren’t negligible. this method works bc once you figure out solutions to them, you figure out a method how to fight them so that the same problems to affect you again. Now I know that when I feel gross I need to take a shower and not roam around like a stinky animal. See what I mean?

lastly, realize that these things are not worth you losing control of yourself and walking around like a dead zombie #rip.

• understanding why

• take yourself out on dates

• positive energy, check.
• more smiles and hugs, check.
• a happy mindset, check.
• and how about a list of things that you can do for yourself?

• task one: when you are having a bad day, sit down. list down the reasons why it was a bad day and why are you feel down. it can be as simple as not getting enough sleep and feeling grumpy.
• task two: list down the solutions that you can use to overcome those problems.
• task three: remind yourself that these petty problems cannot cost you your valuable time and that you are a badass bitch and you can handle everything.
• task four: make a to-do list. I know you haven’t done no shit today so now is the time to shine. don’t put like a thousand things on the list tho lmao. three - four would do enough for the moment.
• task five: do those things. seriously, do them.
• task six: (and this is the nicest one) treat yo'self!! you have literally turned around a bad day and done so much shit! you have successfully conquered this day, a day which would have been spent lamenting and getting nothing done. maybe go treat yourself to some delicious pumpkin pie from a bakery (share with me pls); you really do deserve it!! I’m so proud of you :^)

• Make sure you know exactly what to study.
• Learn one topic and then take a five to ten minute break. Don’t cram. Let that information settle in your brain.
• Munch on your favorite snacks. You deserve it.
• Take a shower after you’re done revising. I don’t why it helps but it helps.
• When you’re done with a certain chapter or topic it always helps to make a small summary of it.
• Cramming before an exam is a bad idea but a necessity sometimes. So when you do cram make a cup of coffee or tea, eat and study.
• Listening to upbeat songs when I study helps me a lot
• Start with anything you find hard. Chances are the things you find easy you’ve already studied before.
• What I’ve noticed that while I study, if I write down what I’m studying, it helps me to remember it properly. So write everything down!
• Never practice maths the day before an exam. Math is the most difficult subject for me so I used to try to solve several problems and just panic the night before. So nowadays I just look through the material.
• Try to help a friend who doesn’t have any idea about the subject (do this only if you have studied before properly). So if you teach someone else you will understand something WAYYYYY better.
• Definitely don’t make a tips for exams before the day of your exam.

• Co-Editor: I need someone to help me with organisation, deadlines etc. BUT I’d also want them to be a contributor in one of the other described ways.
• Send in your art! I will take anything, from photography (series), paintings to sculptures or many more.
• Texts! Whether it’s a report, a poem, a short story or whatever. It doesn’t have to be in English either (but if you write in an language other than German, French, Spanish, English or Polish I require a short summary and a guarantee that it’s orthographically correct pls)
• Basically just send in whatever. I want the first issue to be as diverse as it’s topic!

november 25, 2017 - the living room sessions, 6/?

1. Get up: make the firm decision that you are going to study and move towards you desk.
2. Get tea: or coffee. The preference of beverage is up to you. You just need to believe that it will help, even if its only for a little bit. 
3. Set goals: if you are very exhausted setting mini goals like studying for an hour will be much more motivating.
4. Get going: once you hit your stride, you will start to feel less exhausted. The key is too push through and put tiredness at the back of your head.  

1. Read. A lot. Whenever you see a text that’s at least a paragraph or two long, take time to practice skimming. If you’re bored and have a little time, take something, for example a food wrapper, and try to find occurrences of a word (for example “Acid” for food) as quickly as possible. Hard mode: look for synonyms.
2. Practice filling out the answer sheet. This is a massive time-sink for a lot of people, so you should practice to eliminate it. Print out an example answer sheet and try filling out the circles quickly and accurately without distracting yourself a lot. Hard mode:Try doing it while not focusing only on the circles - look away or start thinking about the next question.
3. Check. A lot. The main goal of this strategy is to leave yourself enough time when you’ve filled out an answer for each question when you’re calm, know the questions and can focus on checking. Try and go through the questions, thinking, “This question tests this and that.” If you have the time, look at each answer and identify the error in it (harder for the math questions, but loads of fun if you can do it).
4. Think in patterns: Whenever you’re stuck on an example question, don’t just check the answer. Try and understand how the person found it, if this question is similar to others you have seen. The SAT only uses a few different types of questions, there will rarely be something to surprise you if you know the common patterns.
5. Rest: The SAT is a very demanding exam. Give your brain time to relax - my advice would be not to do anything mentally strenuous the day before the test. Also, something I found out from competitions - bring chocolate. The sugar in it helps your brain work better and shrug off tiredness and eating it will draw blood away from your brain, effectively hibernating it for the break to conserve energy. Also, it’s just a really tasty snack!

1. Use the right format for the essay. There are a lot of easy points for using the four/five paragraph system. Introduction, Reason 1, Reason 2, Conclusion. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence and follow up with a story from your life or a book/movie to illustrate it. This way, even without using fancy vocab or grammar, you can get the points for structure and critical thought. Now just try not to make any obvious spelling mistakes and call it a day!
2. Try to quickly find an argument for the essay. They don’t actually rate how intelligent your argument is. So, take a minute or two, breathe deeply, and no matter how stupid your idea is, write it out. (You might still want to take caution with sensitive topics, especially if you’re an international. A dumb mistake I made in my first sitting was bashing on American charity - that definitely did not endear me to the proctors.)
3. Paragraphs: You have to have experience reading - look at how the topic never changes abruptly. Insert sentences that link what’s written before and after the gap. Final sentences of paragraphs shouldn’t raise more questions.
4. Sentence questions: Skim through the questions. Try to answer most of them, the first thing that comes to mind, and fill out the answer sheet immediately. Chances are, if it sounds good to you, it’s the correct choice. Do this quickly, then try and do the paragraphs. After you’ve done this, go back to the questions and start checking.
5. They usually test for a few broad topics. Identify if each sentence fits one of the patterns and answer accordingly. For the others, try and think what error they might want you to make. If you know you have the time, look at each answer in turn and identify the mistake in it. The most common ways for you to change a sentence would be:

• Fragments: Try and see if each clause has a subject and a verb. Example: “In the dim light, making his way through the cave.” -> “In the dim light, he makes his way through the cave.”
• Subject-verb agreement: Make sure that the subject is the one actually doing the action and singular/plural match. Example: “Gathering stones, the river was blocked by the men.” Did the river gather stones? No.
• Consistency: Make sure that something introduced one way is always referred to like that (don’t switch out ‘one’ for ‘you’ or ‘they’). Make sure there are no extra linkers (”Since I was there, but he went too.”). Check if any verbs change tense when they shouldn’t. Don’t compare apples to oranges (”His homework was as good as John.” -> “As good as John’s”).
• Adverb or adjective? If it describes a verb, it has a ‘ly’. Example: “She winked playful.” -> “She winked playfully.”
• Singular or plural? Make sure not to refer to a plural object in singular. “Pandas, numbering in the hundreds now, is an endangered species.”
• Prepositions, linkers, all the small words Sadly, you’ll have to know how they’re used.

1. Word fill: Note the answers that obviously don’t make sense. Mark the one of the others that sounds best to you (in the answer sheet, too!). If you don’t know one or more of the words, aim for simplicity. After you’ve quickly answered all of the reading questions, come back to these. Look at the relationships between the gap and the sentence - are you looking for a positive or negative word? Antonyms or synonyms to something before? Try and guess what unknown words mean. This way, you will probably be able to eliminate all the wrong answers.
2. Reading comprehension: You are not tested for understanding the text. Keep this in mind. What you are actually trying to do here is quickly find synonyms. If the question asks for “Was Anna’s family a) warm b) cold c) the spawn of Cthulhu?”, chances are that the text contains “Anna’s relatives acted chilly.” or something like that. Read the first question. Skim the text until it comes to that topic, then look for synonyms of the answers. Don’t make deductions! If you come across a ‘general message’ or ‘tone of the author’ question, skip it and answer it at the end of the text. The other questions will be in the same order as the answers are mentioned in the text. Checking: If you have time, look at each answer and try to see what in the text could mislead somebody to make that mistake.

1. Calculator use: My advice would be to not bring a complex graphing calculator. They just slow you down. Try and do most operations by hand, then use the calculator only for, well, calculations.
2. Basic topics to know: You are expected to be familiar with how to rearrange equations (ab=1 is the same as a=1/b) and solve linear and quadratics; cosine and Pythagorean theorems; number representations of lines and their intersections; median, mean and mode.
3. Solve like a crab! One of the best things I learnt in “Fun Math” classes was that problems are solved more easily if you work from the answer back. Try and see what you would need (in terms of information) to find the answer. Then look back to the text of the problem - is what you need there? In most SAT problems, it is, or you can easily find it.
4. Visualise: Especially for distance or geometry problems, make a small chart of what’s happening. Make lines for the distances the cars traveled or draw that pesky cylinder. Try and see in your mind how different elements move and which stay the same.

• boy howdy there folks welcome to my essay here’s a hook that relates to the topic of this essay
• allow to me to give you some background info on the topic that i’m about to write about
• by the way, the side that i’m arguing for in this essay is _____
• please enjoy this thesis statement that lists 2-3 reasons why i’m right

• the first reason why i’m right is ____
• here’s a quote that illustrates this reason (don’t forget to introduce the quote!)
• let me explain why this quote illustrates the reason
• now i’m gonna give you at least one more quote that illustrates the reason and im gonna explain that shit
• in conclusion im fucking right because of this reason
• now i’m gonna repeat that process with all of the other reasons why i’m right

• some critics may argue that i’m wrong because _____
• however
• they are wrong because _____
• therefore i am right

• let me repeat what side i took in this argument
• here’s a one to two sentence summary of each paragraph
• therefore i am right
• because i am right, we should definitely do/start/make _____ because it’ll make the world better or bring about world peace or some shit
• congratulations you just 1000% bullshitted an argumentative/persuasive essay enjoy your a

• have 3 achievable goals a day: having a laundry list of things to do everyday is super unrealistic, and you just end up feeling bad about yourself because you didn’t accomplish your goals for the day.
• leave your sundays open: i love sundays because they’re my day to chill out and catch up on school work that i wasn’t able to finish during the week.
• recognize when you’re at your emotional limits: forcing yourself to get work done when you are unable to comprehend your study material does not benefit anyone.
• learn how to say no: people will ask you for your time and it will stretch you to the limit, whether it be at your job, in your extracurriculars, or in your personal life. know when to step back and say no.
• take care of yourself physically: take breaks, go for walks, shower regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy, see your friends
• celebrate your accomplishments: go out to eat with friends after a big exam, indulge in a night off after a busy week with some netflix and wine
• make a study plan beforehand: it can be daunting to see how much work you need to put in to a class or task beforehand, but this allows you to spread your work evenly so you don’t become overwhelmed.
• learn how to ask for help: it is very rare that people make it through school, whether it be high school or university or any graduate program, without needing the advice of others or just a kind soul to vent to. find that person.
• never forget your hobbies: you will need things that keep you sane. if you love to play music, write, play volleyball, or cook, make you sure you don’t lose these things. they will become your escape when times get tough.
• log off from time to time: it is exhausting to be constantly connected to social media and your email. just physically disconnecting from these for a night to take care of yourself can really help you clear your mind.

• there will be a day where you need a Very Small Thing (socks, necklace, That One Homework Assignment, a paperclip, an earring) and you won’t be able to find it
• how do you avoid this? easy. stay organized
• have pillows/blankets if you can. they’re nice to sit on if your desk chair is hard and wooden. also you can be cozy and turn yourself into a burrito if it’s cold, 10/10 would recommend
• be nice to your roommates and/or suitemates if you have any
• on that note, set rules right away
• possible things to consider when making room rules:
• whether or not you’re okay w having alcohol/substances in the room
• if you wanna know when your roommate’s friends are hanging out in the room (i personally have to mentally prepare myself to walk into my room and see 8 people hanging out)
• if visitors are allowed to sleep over, and if so, how many days in advance do you wanna know
• snack policy. shared? individual? ask before you eat?
• what time is “quiet time”
• if you’re gonna sleep and i have hw, is it okay if i stay in the room or is that distracting?
• who takes out the trash/cleans the bathroom/vacuums (switch off every week? one person does each thing? do it if you see it needs to be done?)
• sometimes you will have to compromise and that’s okay

• eat. eat 3 meals. eat 4 if you want. just please please eat
• don’t skip meals. it’s not healthy and you should treat your body nicely bc it’s the only one you have
• get a water bottle and bring it with you to class
• have snacks. have ones that come in little containers or smaller packets. put them in your backpack. pull those bad boys out when it’s 3pm and you still have 2 more classes and you need a little pick-me-up
• fruit is good. apples, oranges, bananas, plums, etc.
• my food tag has lots of easy things to make
• or just google “easy college food” and you’ll find stuff too
• freshman fifteen doesn’t have to be a thing if you are mindful of what you’re eating and how much you’re exercising and all of that
• also a little weight never hurt anybody so calm down and be nice to yourself and know that it’s okay

• i don’t ever skip class. maybe you will have an easy class and you will want to skip it. it’s up to you.
• however, you will not be able to skip class all semester and teach yourself everything about an unfamiliar subject
• make friends in your classes. text them. eat lunch with them once in a while so they know who you are when it’s halfway through the semester and you’re sick and miss two lectures and need their notes
• know when the tests are. study for them. even if it’s a subject you know well, study anyway and get a 100%
• sometimes professors change exam dates. or they assign extra homework.
•  they might post it online or email you or something
• or they might announce it in class. and if you’re not in class then you won’t know. so maybe go to class
• stay on the cautious side your first semester. don’t overwhelm yourself with 5 difficult courses. after that, tailor your schedule times and difficulty to suit you

• do it, and do it asap
• i’m not kidding, it will save you so much trouble later on
• start studying for tests at least a week in advance
• prioritize things. yeah that discussion post is really interesting but if your professor just checks it for participation, then maybe spend less time on that and instead prioritize the project that’s 20% of your grade
• if a prof’s office hours don’t work then email them, usually they’re nice and will find a time that works for both of you
• i’m not kidding you should really do your hw asap

• stick with what you like. stop what you don’t like.
• go to club meetings, they’re usually not longer than like an hour (mine are only 30mins) and the club heads will notice you and appreciate you
• it’s a nice way to meet people who are interested in similar things 

• ask people to eat lunch with you. 90% of the time they will say yes.
• the other 10%, they either already ate or are in class, but they would if they could. don’t take it personally if they’re busy
• seriously ask people to eat with you. it’s a nice way to get to know people
• do things off-campus once in a while. go to museums, the beach, shopping, laser tag, escape rooms, etc
• do things on-campus too. there are usually cool events and sometimes they end up being a lot of fun
•  don’t go to parties if you don’t want to. it’s okay.
• don’t drink if you don’t want to. seriously. it’s okay. people will understand. and if they don’t, then they’re not a good friend

• if you live close to home, visit your family, but also spend time with people/friends. they want to get to know you
• if you live far from home, hang out with your friends, but also take time to call your family (+ pets) and update them on your life. they miss you
• have some cash on you if you can. i keep ~$20 on me
• things get stolen on campus. don’t leave your stuff lying around. bring your backpack into the bathroom if you need to
• get a stapler. professors like it when you staple things
• headphones/earbuds. you will use them at some point
• find time to read for fun, it’s a nice way to get away from screens and think about something else

• productivity and time management apps
• 10 small ways to improve your productivity
• how to avoid distractions
• extensions and programs to block websites
• how to stay awake
• how to write faster
• productivity tips
• dealing with terrible time management and no motivation
• tips on time management
• chrome new tab extensions

• how to start a bullet journal
• my note-taking method
• organisation and note-taking tips
• how to stay focused in class or lectures
• how to create a study schedule
• how to make a colour code
• catching up on missed classes
• weekly study schedule printable
• 2017 monthly calendar printables

• how to study (my method)
• step-by-step guide to writing a five paragraph essay
• how to take notes from a textbook
• how to take effective in class or lecture notes
• how to set-up and use microsoft onenote
• studying and note-taking methods
• how I prepare to study
• how I format my notes
• mindmapping chrome extensions
• how to memorise information
• my colour code
• how to revise from written notes
• a few tips on identifying where you’re losing marks
• how to make a mind map
• how to write an essay in a short amount of time
• memorising quotes
• how to summarise information
• how to annotate books
• how I memorise essays
• tips for essay writing 
• how I reduce narrative/description in essays
• how to use flashcards

• how to gain back motivation
• types of procrastination and dealing with them
• motivational monday printables
• how to stop avoiding studying
• what to do when you feel exhausted before studying
• how I stay focused and motivated

• a list of school related movies and tv shows
• dealing with anxiety
• how to study when sick
• dealing with self-doubt
• a couple of things to do as a reward
• dealing with stress
• my favourite tv shows!!!
• how to improve your sleep schedule

• a list of apps for students
• my favourite pens and highlighters
• how to start a studyblr
• how to set up a studygram
• how to improve your handwriting
• my arc notebook system