No one is instantly a perfect student. It’s well known that ‘’perfect’’ studying requires some practice. Fortunately, there is a bunch of information available on this topic on the internet. In this way everyone can become a professional student.

1. Choosing the right study spot

2. Being well equipped

3. Getting focused

4. Improve your handwriting

5. Taking useful notes

6. Creating an efficient study routine in your life

7. Planning your studies

8. Study strategies

My other masterposts

adhdscholar reblogged

patchworkstudies

gabryellastudies

15 academic things I’ve learned in the first month of college

1. it’s really easy to get behind on your textbook reading, and it’s really easy to not catch back up, just read it

2. sometimes you will start to nod off in class and your notes become illegible, when this happens, voice record the lecture on your phone, but do not do this all the time

3. do not skip class to study for another class, it will just come to bite you in the butt later

4. online assignments are really hard to keep up with, therefore having some type of journal, agenda, or list is crucial

5. you either benefit from studying with other people or you get absolutely nothing done, figure this out as soon as possible

6. a quiz in high school may have meant 5-10 questions, but in college a lot of the times it’s just one

7. reading your notes right after class allows you to review quickly what you learned, so you don’t immediately forget

8. you cannot study the day before an exam and get the results you want, it doesn’t work like that

9. making friends in your classes is crucial especially if your notes aren’t as detailed as needed or you want a study partner

10. do not waste time between classes, it is usually the most productive parts of my day and most of the time prevents me from staying up all night doing homework

11. keep your laptop with you all the time, along with anything you might even plan on studying

12. learn how you like to take notes, and learn it quickly, drop/add week is the best time for this

13. do not underestimate a class or it will no doubt overwhelm you

14. GO TO OFFICE HOURS

15. remember that your academic goals are self-defined and that you need not compete or compare to others

-gab

AND go dawgs! sic ‘em!

adhdscholar reblogged

jaisontodd

engineering school gothic

you are in three classes that use bernoulli’s equation. none of the equations are the same. your teachers do not know who bernoulli is. did bernoulli even exist?
there is a problem set. it is not on the syllabus. the first question is a blank page. you look through the whole set. it is all blank, except for the last page. you think it says “run”. you do not know. it is not written in binary.
this is an ethics class. you are not sure why you are here. you do not need ethics. you have never needed ethics. “it’s a joke class,” whispers an upperclassman. you do not understand why it is funny.
abet. the name echoes through the halls of the mechanical engineering building. no one knows what it means.
you are studying the tacoma narrows bridge for the fifth time. your differential equations professor tells you it is not an example of resonance. your engineering professor tells you it is. you are not sure who to trust.
there are six bernoullis. only four of them are related. they all look the same.
the environmental science majors have to take a class to learn excel. you do not understand. you have always known excel, haven’t you? you do not remember learning it.
you solve a triple integral and stop, confused. it has become a ricotti equation. you have forgotten ohm’s law.
euler has done everything. there is a portrait of euler in the english building. when you look into its eyes, something disturbs you on a visceral level.
you know so many languages: java, javascript, doubt, python, c++, R, matlab, uncertainty, ruby, html, confusion, terror,
your professor cancels class. you suspect a trick. when you arrive to the classroom, your entire class is there, watching the empty space where the professor should be. no one speaks. no one leaves.
the problem set is optional. the problem set is not optional. the problem set is about schrodinger’s law.
three different people have explained mechatronics to you. nobody knows what it is.
your friend says they have essays to write. essays? you cannot remember what a word document looks like. you have not written a paragraph in two years. words are abstract concepts without meaning.
“you’re an engineer?” someone asks. “you must be smart.” you begin to laugh. you have them all fooled. you cannot stop laughing.
no one is sure what systems engineering is. the lights in the systems building are always on. you have never seen someone come out.
your professors all do research. there are bloodstains on their lecture notes. you do not ask what they research. the last person to ask vanished at the start of the semester. your computer science professor hasn’t stopped smiling since.
when you attend career fairs, you are surrounded by students you have never seen and companies you have never heard of. “we’re an innovative start-up,” someone says. “we’re an innovative start-up,” you hear echoed down the hall three weeks later. the words have not stopped. you cannot sleep. you are an innovative start-up.

adhdscholar reblogged

academla

Simple tips for success

My social psych syllabus has a section which says:

How to succeed in this course: In theory, it’s simple! Your grade is based on assignments, exams, and the final project. I will be available to help explain any concepts that you don’t understand, prepare for quizzes (or the final exam), and answer questions about assignments. If you study ahead of time, attend and prepare for class, and seek my advice (or your classmates’) when needed, you can succeed.

I honestly think that (for humanities/lecture classes at least) this is spot on. I’m shocked at students in my sociology class who come in late every class, don’t take notes, don’t attend the study group (where he basically reads us questions off the test and thoroughly prepares us), don’t do well, and then act surprised. My poor prof finds it so stressful too bc he’s like “I WANT YOU TO SUCCEED AND I AM DOING EVERYTHING I CAN! But you guys have to make the choice to show up!”

If you show up, take notes, meet with the teacher when you need help, and study, you’re going to succeed. You might not get an A if the class is really difficult, but you sure as hell won’t fail - and more importantly you’ll actually get something out of your education.

For both my sociology and psych classes, this has been my study method:

1. Go to class 2. Take and highlight notes 3. ASK QUESTIONS 4. A couple days before the exam, start reviewing my notes - just a onceover, to identify areas of confusion 6. Go to study group (this also helps with identifying what you need to know an what you don’t need to waste time studying for) 7. Answer all the questions/check off all the stuff on the study guide 8. The night before the test, review the writeup I usually do based on the study guide and read through the textbook chapter once 9. Go kill it!!!!

It seems a lot of steps, but it really isn’t. Most of it is intuitive - show up, take notes, attend study groups. The rest is pretty minimal studying compared to what I used to do, making flashcards AND study guides and rewriting notes.

I’m not saying this will automatically get you an A, but for those people who feel incredibly overwhelmed and like you have to be this superhero studier to succeed, please bear this in mind! In theory (of course there are exceptions) it isn’t as overwhelming or difficult to do well as it may feel - it really isn’t. You got this!

adhdscholar

If, like me, you find these instructions intuitive but not achievable, please spend some spoons arranging to speak with your advisor, doctor, or psychologist. If you are neurodivergent, disabled, mentally ill, and/or have any kind of learning disability, it’s understandable that something as simple as “go to class” can be overwhelming.

Nobody chooses to fail or do poorly. If you aren’t meeting your goals, and you can’t seem to succeed no matter how hard you try, it may be time to review your accommodations or class schedule. You deserve the support you need to do well!

adhdscholar reblogged

attentiondeficithyperactivedude

intellectys

Time management is always a struggle, but that’s okay! Hopefully some of these tips, apps, and printables will make your day a little easier.

Tips

Planning ahead: put together a schedule before you start your work. Start by writing out a list of all the tasks you need to complete and allotting times to them, and finish by putting them into a schedule of everything you need to complete.

Leave time for the little things: if you need to do it, make sure you schedule some time for it. For instance, if you need to sweep the floor, or tidy up your workspace, make sure you schedule in fifteen minutes to make sure you get it done.

Most important first: schedule the most important assignments first and leave the least important to last. This will ensure that you put your best work into the most significant tasks, and don’t procrastinate.

Use your downtime: fifteen minutes on the bus? In the waiting room before an appointment? Make the most of any time you have, and start to chip away at little tasks, like annotating a book or practicing flashcards.

Plan long term tasks: make sure you have a calendar or planner to look ahead. When you have large projects, look ahead so you can start to break them down into smaller segments. Planning ahead is also useful so that you can avoid piling too much work onto a busy day.

Schedule in time buffers: even if you’ve planned to the best of your ability, don’t schedule your time too tightly. Make sure that you leave a little time on each task— five to fifteen minutes, depending on the size of the assignment— so that if you go a little over, it doesn’t cause a domino effect by spilling into your next task. It also helps alleviate a little stress, as your schedule will be less rigid.

Apps and Websites

Toggl: lets you track how much time you spend on each task and project/class, and see a graphical breakdown by day, task, and week.
Trello: helpful for planning, and lets you sort tasks into lists. MaryPlethora has a great video here on how to use both as planning tools!
Pomello: a pomodoro timer which works alongside Trello to help you plan and time your tasks
Lanes.io: an excellent website which includes task lists, a to-do list, and a built-in pomodoro timer, along with gorgeous and customizable backgrounds
Google calendar: versatile online calendar for planning events and projects, with a to-do list and shareable calendars
Time Tracker: records your browsing and lets you know how much time you spend on each website to help manage procrastination

Printables

Schedule printables

To-do list printables

adhdscholar reblogged

finally-a-realistic-studyblr

I've noticed something...

There doesn’t seem to be any lists of ADHD studyblrs out there, and I’ve had some people ask me if I know of any. So I’ve decided to create a list of all ADHD studyblrs! Along with a list of blogs that are help and give advice on coping with ADHD. This list is just the ones I know of, so if you have one and are not on this list please reblog it with your studyblr!

ADHD STUDYBLRS: @adhdstudying @adhdstudy @adhdstudyblr @adhdscholar @studyadhd @adhdstudytips @finally-a-realistic-studyblr (me!!)

ADHD BLOGS: @actuallyadhd @adultadhdlifehacks @attentiondeficithyperactivedude @hey-look-a-squirrel @lifewithadhd @mentalillnessmouse (not ADHD specific but still a good resource to find help for coping with ADHD) @adhd-community @adhighdefinition @adhd-is

Again I’m sure there are way more blogs than the ones I listed, so if you have one please reblog this!!

adhdscholar

Yay! Thanks for including me on such a great list!

adhdscholar reblogged

livingthatlibrarylifestyle

6 HABITS FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY

These are the 6 habits that I try to practice in order to be my most productive self.

✔️1. Healthy Habit Tracker

The best way to be healthy, both mentally and physically, is to track your habits. This will help you to monitor when you complete the daily tasks you have set out to do. For example how much water you have drunk, if you got enough sleep and whether you have done exercise. This can also be extended to things like reading or doing certain daily school tasks which are pretty routine.

✔️2. Write It ALL Down

It helps to have everything written down that you need to do, and how much you need to get done in a day. Being able to see all of your to-do’s in one place each day will help you keep tabs on what you still have to do and the time frame in which you should be doing it.

✔️3. Plan Ahead  Make sure you aren’t leaving things for the last minute. In my opinion, if you want to be the most efficient version of yourself, you need to plan in advance. Set aside time each day to plan the next few days or week ahead. Try as much as you can to diarise certain tasks and then plan how you are going to stick to them. By having deadlines you will motivate yourself to stick to them, and can get so much more done in a day than if you play it by ear. Trust me. [tip: reward yourself for particularly difficult tasks — like getting some new washi tapes]

✔️4. Keep Your Journal on You  Always remember to keep your journal in the same place. I always leave mine on my desk next to my bag, so if I’m in a hurry I can never forget it. This may sound silly but making a habit of always having your journal on you is important as you never know when you will need to add something to your list, or to reference your journal. theres no point having an organised planner but you never have it on you to reference, which means you may forget half of whats in it.

✔️5. One Hour of Admin

No one likes to do admin. But its a necessity and putting it off will only make it worse. Set aside one hour of your day, without any distractions, to get all your admin done. Be it making calls and getting small things at home sorted that have been nagging you, or filing notes, and even getting things in your room in order. This would be the time to get your life in order, without doing anything that really ticks off big items.

✔️6. Treat Yo Self.

Im a solid believer in treating yourself. Long afternoon naps and strong cups of coffee, my two favourites. While treating yourself may not increase your productivity directly, and if taken too far could counter it, but by taking some tim to look after yourself you will feel less stressed and will be able to function at a higher level. I know that when I get too stressed I become forgetful and worry more about not getting things done than actually spending time on getting those things done, which is just plain counterproductive. So I invest a couple minutes a day to treat myself. It can even be a nice facial and doing my eyebrows, to having coffee with a friend at my favourite cafe. By looking after your own mental health you will be doing so much more for yourself than just having a few minutes a day of treating yourself, you will foster a healthier and happier mindset that can help you excel.

adhdscholar reblogged

studyhards

muststudy

How do I stop procrastinating?

close this tab, turn off your phone, pause netflix, put your distractions in another room if possible
get up and jump around a little, stretch your muscles!!
write a to do list (quick and concise- no messing around!)
change your environment if you can
take your earphones out unless they’re absolutely necessary (music is great but it is a distraction!!! this sucks, i know!)
go have a pee, wash your hands with cool water, splash some on your face (cold water, not pee)
get a glass of water, eat a fucking apple
gET OUT YOUR BOOKS
GET A PEN AND SOME PAPER
DO YOUR FUCKING WORK!!!
nobody can stop you from procrastinating except yourself
be PROACTIVE and do it yourself!!
you can stop procrastinating by stopping procrastinating!
rip off the band aid and just do your fucking work
YOU HAVE TO FORCE YOURSELF
you can chill later- you’ll feel 6000000% better about letting yourself relax once you’ve actually done some work
seriously, you just have to do it
stop now!!!!

adhdscholar reblogged

legallychic

Since I consider myself a big sis to all of you, I have made a small list of academic and misc. tips to make college/university not suck as bad.

Academic

If you get distracted in large lecture halls, sit in the front row. I discovered in large classes that I was sometimes more focused on the girl in front of me being on facebook, than I was on the actual lecture. Sitting in the front is always a good idea. It is honestly the easiest tip I have for you.
RECORD YOUR LECTURES! How ever you decide to take notes, you can also record your lectures. I use notability to take notes and to record my lectures with. When reviewing before an exam, recordings are a lifesaver. Also just reviewing after class, it deff helps to clear up anything that was slightly unclear in your notes.
Dress comfy for class. Literally no one care what you wear to class. Don’t feel like you haaaave to look cute, I understand wanting to look good to feel good for yourself but sometimes nike shorts are gonna be your best option.
Book group study rooms in the library. If your libraries on campus are anything like mine, they’re always packed. BUUUUUT it is very likely that your library has a way to reserve library rooms, thus guaranteeing you a silent study place on campus. Book ahead for finals week!!
GOOGLE DOCS. Once you make a good study group, condense all of your notes together on a google doc shared between you all. Google docs and slides are also amazing for group projects and presentations. Become familiar with both, they are your new best friends.

Misc.

Starbucks has a loyalty program, get on it. I worked as a barista and literally the gold card program starbucks has will safe you a ton. There are literally 10 Starbucks on my campus, you will become familiar with yours. Download the app and start collecting points now! Also a pro-tip, skip the lattes and frappuccinos. Drip coffee is the best option for you, it is cheaper, better for you, and has the most caffeine besides the iced coffee. Also, once you’re a loyalty member at starbucks, refills on all coffee and tea is FREE.
Keep snacks in your bag, it’s not rocket science. You get hungry, eat. The more protein, the better.
Easy way to talk to someone in class. Pull out a pack of gum. Has not changed from high school. Having “class friends” is needed. They’re great for getting notes from if you miss class and for getting together to study with!

adhdscholar reblogged

luciaastudies

universtudy

Overrated First Year Advice

Disclaimer: I don’t mean to discredit the posts that have these suggestions in them… However, I know that for people going into first year university, it can be stressful seeing pages and pages of “must-dos” and feeling like you have to do them all. As always, different things work for different people!

Talking to Profs

Getting to know profs personally. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to profs personally, don’t feel like you have to. In upper years, it can be really valuable to know profs for recommendations, etc. but in first year this is less important. Profs also don’t usually mark your work in first year, so you don’t need to suck up to them for good grades.
Going to office hours every week. Going to office hours can be very valuable if you have questions about the course or an assignments. However, I see a lot of posts telling students to go every week even if they don’t have a question. You don’t need to do this unless you want to! Often times, profs will even request that you talk to your TA before them.
Emailing the prof if you miss class. Unless you go to a very small school, the prof is not going to notice if you miss class. You don’t need to email them telling them why you were absent, you can just go to a different section of the lecture or get the notes from someone. (If you have labs/tutorials/seminars, the same does not apply!! Email your TA.)

Studying and Grades

Starting to study for tests six weeks in advance. This is one piece of advice that always baffles me. The semester is only 12 weeks long (usually), so if you have a quiz in week 6, you can’t start studying for it much before week 4 or 5. Also, there is no way you will retain the finer details of things if you learned them 6 weeks before writing the test.
Guaranteeing a 4.0. I see a ton of posts telling students how to guarantee a 4.0 average or straight As. But honestly, as much as you do all of the readings and go to lectures and follow all of the studyblr advice out there, you can still get a TA who won’t give any mark higher than an 80. Just try your best and know that even though getting high marks is great, it is not the only indicator of success in uni.
Sitting in the front of the class. This is not a necessity. A lot of people post that if the prof can see your face and remember you, you will get better grades. However, in first year, the prof doesn’t mark your papers usually and even if they did, your paper doesn’t have a photo of you on it. Also, they teach so many classes I doubt they just naturally remember the first three rows of each one and no one else. Just sit where you are comfortable and can pay attention and see, and you will do fine.
Choosing your major in high school or based on what job you think you will get. If you think you want to major in something and then it turns out you hate it, that is fine! Your major should be a subject you are passionate about and can get good grades in, not something that you chose in high school or will “guarantee” you a good job (although, its also okay if your major is all of the above).
Taking full notes on a topic before the lecture. If you are going to the lecture with a ton of info already, it is easier to get distracted or to feel like you don’t need the lectures at all. Instead, take notes in the lecture and then supplement them with notes from readings or bonus material rather than the opposite way.

Textbooks

Buying textbooks online. I definitely think that buying textbooks online can be a good idea, but sometimes it is just easier to buy them from the bookstore. For example, if you are not sure if a site is legit/the book will come in time/its the right edition, etc. it might just be safer to get it in person or buy it used on campus from an upper year. (Remember, you can probably sell it next year!)
Buying old editions of textbooks. If you have the two books side by side and can tell that they are very similar, go for it. But often times, two different editions are totally different and can just mess you up. Science and math books often have different practice questions, and even in social sciences and humanities, the content can change drastically in one edition.

Lifestyle/Personal

Buying extra storage and furnishing for your dorm. Make sure you do a virtual room tour or talk to someone about the layout before you buy a ton of storage. Most dorm rooms that I have been in have a ton of storage (mine has a closet, a huge desk, shelves to the ceiling, a dresser, and cabinets for extra storage). You don’t want to show up with way too much stuff.
Keeping 1000 things in your backpack. If you live on campus, you don’t actually need to carry every single thing on earth in your bag. It will get annoying carrying around a heavy backpack while walking. Unless you are going to the library for a huge study sesh or can’t make it back to your room all day, pack lightly!
Avoiding wearing “freshman clothes”. No one cares what you are wearing. People often wear pajamas or just track pants and a baggy t-shirt to class or the caf. If you like dressing up, that’s great! But don’t feel like certain clothes are off limits.
Living at home meaning you aren’t independent. Posts that look down upon living at home or going to your home university are garbage posts in my opinion. Being able to live away from home is a privilege, and many people are not financially, physically, or emotionally able to do that. If you are living at home, do not feel bad about it. You are still an adult and you are still independent.

Hope this helps reduce some rising freshman anxiety! And remember, f you do want to follow any of the original tips, that is okay too. :)

adhdscholar reblogged

the-unabridged-journals

Some Tips on Managing Research Projects

As some of you may know, I’ve been working on two research projects for this year - some astronomy undergrad research, and my physics final-year project. Although I’ve been struggling to manage these projects alongside my coursework, I decided to compile a list of things that make life easier. These tips are for big projects that typically last over a couple of months, rather than smaller assignments.

1) Get a notebook for your project. It doesn’t have to be fancy (though if that’s what you prefer, go for it by all means), it just has to be functional. Whenever you’re working on your project, write down the date and whatever you’re doing that day. It helps a LOT to be organised in this way, especially if you have to write up a report of some sort later.

2) Set up a plan. Often, with big projects, it’s difficult to see where you’re headed with the project and what you need to do. Having an action plan or an outline of your project helps get you focused and breaks the Big, Overwhelming Project into smaller tasks and steps that can be accomplished. This plan may require adaptions and refinement as you go along, but that’s okay.

3) Timelines. This is easier if you have a looming deadline ~~can the universe slow down so that I have enough time to finish everything before 9 September pls~~ but, if you don’t, try and set up some kind of long-term schedule. Maybe you want to have all your background research done by the end of the week, have your first draft written in a month’s time. Having mini-deadlines is a great way to convince yourself to make progress and stop procrastinating.

4) Google sh*t! Seriously. If you don’t know how to do something, Google it. You’ll find a lot of answers out there. And you’ll figure out how to do a LOT of things on your own.

5) Ask for help. If you’re stuck on something and just can’t make any more progress, even after tip no. 4, ask someone for help. If you have a project supervisor, they’re your first port of call. If not, find someone doing a similar type of project and ask them.

6) Have the right software/equipment. If you have your own laptop, and can get the software you need for your project, get it! I did this for my astro project and it’s so easy to work on it now that I have ALADIN on my own computer and don’t have to work from uni. I’m stuck using the computers at my uni for my physics project and it is very inconvenient. If your project requires equipment, try to get the equipment ASAP.

7) Schedule time to work on your project. When I set up my week in my bullet journal, I make sure to schedule in project time. I’m also trying to work in my “down time” when I have a cancelled tutorial or something similar that leads to unexpected free time.

8) Dowload Mendeley if you’re doing a lot of research. It autocites your papers for you (you literally just drag and drop and BOOM - all the references), generates a bibliography in whatever form you prefer. It makes it so easy to organise research papers. Use it. It’s free.

9) Accept that it’s going to be tough and that you will mess up. Maybe you procrastinate a little more than necessary. Maybe you delete an article or forget to name your files something sensible. It happens, it wastes time, but it’s okay. You’ll get everything done properly eventually. Take a break if you need to. You’ll get back on track.

I hope these help! I am in no way, an expert in this. I’m still figuring things out for myself. Projects can be overwhelming, but they are also one of my favourite things to do. There’s so much that you can learn from doing a research project - far more than what you learn in class - and I highly recommend it as something that Science undergrads in particular should do.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I also have a study instagram @ munirastudies if you’re keen on following me there. Happy studying!

xx Munira

#adhd things #adhd study tips #adult adhd #adhd #add #academia #studyspiration #studyspo #study tips #studying #student #stemblr #adhd student #sciblr #uniblr #university #college #research #science #scientist

adhdscholar reblogged

busybby

shout out to anyone out there with comprehension issues. the ones who need things broken down in a clear, concise manner, who need things repeated, explained over and over again.

shout out to the ones who find themselves in constant frustration because they just dont understand, and in turn, others dont understand them.

the ones who find reading multiple paragraphs exhausting, overstimulating. shout out to the ones that have to read things several times to understand something.

shout out to the people who fear others will think them ignorant.

you’re not ignorant. you matter, and you are loved. so much.

#adhd study tips #adult adhd #adhd #add #attention deficit hyperactivity disorder #attention deficit disorder #studyspiration #studying #student #studyblr #studyspo #learning disabilities #university #uniblr #college