trivial pursuits

Hi guys!! I’m super pumped for the new school year, so I decided to make school related posts.

So this is my first post for back to school 2016. 

I decided to do a general one before going in depth to specific classes/subjects.

Saving money:

make a list of all the supplies you have, and then a list of the things you will need to buy

before you buy anything, look for the best deals in various stores/websites. There are probably tons of back to school sales going on

bring your lunch to school instead of buying it on campus (I spent wayyyyyy too much money on food last year, not making the same mistake again!)

pay your bills on time so you don’t have to pay late fees

if you can, walk or use public transportation instead of driving your own car (bus/train passes are cheaper than gas for the whole month, and you’re also being environment friendly)

Textbooks

here is a masterpost with free textbook websites

if you can find the textbooks in pdf format, definitely use them because free 

if you happen to have a tablet or iPad, that’s perfect because you can read the textbook in it.

if you don’t have one, don’t worry! You’re probably only going to work with a few chapters anyway, so you can print them out recto verso and write on them during class

in case your professor actually says you’ll need the whole book, you can go to a photocopy shop to print it out. They usually charge a couple to a few cents for each page.

and of course, if what you pay for printing out the book is almost the same as buying it, it’s not worth printing it out

in that case, try to borrow/rent textbooks instead of buying them (note: if the price for renting a used book is really close to buying a new book, you might as well buy it so you don’t have to worry about writing/underlining)

Pens and pencils

Bic pens are quite cheap (I saw an 8 or 10 pack on the Target website for like a dollar) and they’re my favorite!

if you like wooden pencils, good for you because they’re cheap as hell

if you prefer mechanical pencils, there are tons you can get for all kinds of prices. I like the Uni-ball ones, and am currently using a Kokuyo one, but honestly you can’t really go wrong with any mechanical pencil

Other stationery

if you live in the US, or anywhere that has Target stores, you are in luck. 

go to the Target dollar tree/section and you will find the cutest stationery ever for sooooo cheap (yes, I’m extremely envious)

go to a dollar store or anything similar to that where you live, and you will surely find cheap stationery

AliExpress has incredibly cute stuff and, most importantly, cheap and with free shipping most of the time (obs.: check the little “free shipping” box, and select “price low to high”, to make your job easier)

Organization

We all love the idea of being organized, but how do we actually get there?

Desk

before starting the new school year, it’s very important to clean our study area (I will post a video about this soon, when I clean out mine)

take everything out and off your desk and clean it

clean each object before placing it on your desk again, so you don’t get it dirty after having just cleaned it

get organizers for your drawers: I use a flatware/silverware tray from IKEA, it cost me like 2,99$ and it’s great because it’s plastic, so you can just wash it in the sink

you can also make an organizer with little boxes you have lying around, or even with cardboard

use cups (any kind) for your most used pens and pencils, so they’re always on hand

use the organizers for storing all your stationery, such as post its, paper clips, washi and scotch tape, stickers, etc

if you want, maybe get a bulletin board where you can pin a calendar or anything you want to be visible (you don’t have to nail it to the wall, you can just set it on your desk so it stands!)

Before class

5 things to do every Sunday night post by a fellow studyblr

skim through the chapter you’ll be working on, so that you’re not hearing the material for the first time in class

if you have extra time, maybe you can even make a little summary of what you read

eat a good breakfast!!!! It’s very important because if you don’t eat well, you won’t be as focused and productive in class as you could be 

After class

store any papers you were given in class in your binder/folder

eat something when you get home if you’re gonna start studying, etc so your brain is “fed”

do your homework as soon as you can

some people work better after relaxing a little when they get home, and others work better if they do all their work right when they get home, and only relax later - figure out which method works best for you

if you have a planner/journal, get to planning and writing down any tasks you need to get done and, if possible, do them right away

Studying

There are tons of different methods out there, and I will soon make a post about different study methods. As for now, here are some posts on different methods:

how to study

how to do well on tests

tips to learn a new language

ENFP study methods

exam tips

how to study 

Time management

have a planner/bullet journal/a weekly or monthly calendar printed out where you can see exactly what you have to do each day + what is coming up

break everything down and organize what you have to do into tasks

avoid procrastination with all of your strength

here’s a post about it

this post introduces an app that organizes your time for you

in case you have multiple activities, such as work or a sport, you will want to make your study sessions more productive to save time, so use the Pomodoro method when studying, and eat some good snacks while you’re at it (post coming soon *wink wink*)

What to keep in your locker aka first aid kit

deodorant (trust me it’ll come in handy)

gum (very important)

band-aids

pads/ tampons (at least 2 or 3, and if you use one, replace it asap)

chapstick

tissues (trust me you will need them. carry a pack in your purse/bag with you as well)

TISSUES!! I can’t tell you how many times they’re saved me. If you buy food to take away and forget to bring napkins, tissues. If you go to the bathroom and only realize there’s no toilet paper when you go reach for it, tissues. If it’s hot as balls and your forehead is looking oily, tissues. I could go on…

moisturizer (Nivea has small little versions of theirs, they’re perfect for this)

nail filer

razor (in case you missed a spot when you shaved; totally optional)

a toothbrush and some toothpaste (what I do is when a tube of toothpaste at home is close to being empty, I throw it in my bag - not too heavy, still enough for a few uses)

a clean pair of underwear (you probably know what for)

a clean t-shirt (in case you spill something all over yours)

if you’re a makeup user, maybe a concealer, powder and a colored lip balm, like a BabyLips or something along those lines

dry shampoo or baby powder (they do the same)

Some of these are not as essential as others, but you can probably fit all of them in a makeup bag! Except for the t-shirt probably :/

You might want to also have a hoodie and a tiny umbrella in your locker, in case you dress totally inappropriately for the weather one day and need to protect yourself from the cold and rain. Don’t forget to put both back in your locker the next day!!

Extra tip (feat. tissues): if you forget to put on deodorant before you leave the house, and you’re feeling smelly, try quickly washing your armpits in the bathroom when no one’s around, then gently dab a tissue on them to dry (because sensitive skin and toilet paper in schools can be rough surfaced) and then put on some deodorant. Fresh again!!

Where to get all the studyblr supplies

all of the MUJI supplies can be bought at MUJI stores, on the MUJI website or on Amazon

washi tape: Amazon, office supply stores, grocery stores, AliExpress (where I get mine)

Staedtler and Stabilo fineliners: pretty much every store that sells office supplies, Amazon or Jetpens

Zebra mildliners are a bit tricky to find in physical stores, especially in Europe (at least in Portugal), but you can buy them on Amazon (reasonably priced), or on Jetpens (nice price, but shipping is kind of expensive for European countries)

Pilot G2 pens: office supply stores, Amazon or Jetpens

Pilot Juice pens: office supply stores, Amazon or Jetpens

Moleskine and Leuchtturm1917 notebooks can also be bought on office supplies stores, on Amazon, or on BookDepository (Moleskines)

if you have El Corte Inglés in your country, they sell Moleskines as well!!

here is a masterpost with some supplies

here is another one

if you want cheaper alternatives to all of these, this masterpost and this masterpost will help you

Alright guys, I think that’s all of my general tips for school. I’m planning and working on a few other posts, so be on the lookout for them! 

If you’d like, you can inbox me suggestions for posts you’d like me to make (e.g. how I study; how to organize your desk; etc). You can also leave me feedback!

If you have a choice between a morning quickie & some last-minute cramming for an exam (we’re talking like 5 minutes here), only choose the cramming if you haven’t already studied. Arousal of any kind boosts recall; sex relieves stress; stress depletes recall. You do the math.

If you find yourself losing focus in lecture, hold your pencil between your teeth. Facial feedback yields a more alert state. Plus, it makes you happier.

Always carry a toothbrush & travel toothpaste in your backpack. Nothing is worse than sitting through a long lecture with morning breath, and whether you were up all night studying in the library’s 24 hour room, crashing at a friend’s place, or simply running ridiculously late, this toothbrush will be your lifesaver.

If you get periods, consider investing in a diva cup. They’re more cost-effective than pads or tampons after 2-5 cycles (great for students who can’t afford to buy supplies every month or so); they can last you an entire day if necessary; you can put them in ahead of time, which means no more panicking about washing your sheets/pants/favorite underwear/favorite chair in the library; you’ll never be late to class because of an emergency tampon change again.

Morning classes are not the devil. Mid-afternoon classes are the devil. There’s a reason why many cultures have a designated siesta at that time of day! Yes, you’ll have to go to bed a bit earlier in order to get enough sleep, but overall you’ll be far more alert if you schedule your classes early in the day. 

If you have a mountain of work to do between 9pm and 9am the next day and you know you won’t have time to sleep, begin by alternating between readings and problem sets, then move on to writing, then move on to aesthetic tasks (finishing the setup of a presentation, sketching a design for a lab, etc). Frustration is often the largest impedance to getting work done when you’re exhausted, so if you get the big frustration-inducing tasks out of the way before you really start to get sleepy you’re good to go. Writing can be frustrating for sure, but it’s more of a “dammit why doesn’t this sound right” type of frustration than a “dammit why don’t I understand this” type of frustration, and in my opinion that’s way better.

If you’re feeling adventurous, don’t bring your phone to class. At all.

If you’re going to drink, stop studying a little while beforehand. Alcohol impairs memory retention; taking shots immediately after reading 100 pages of your textbook is basically shooting yourself in the foot.

Napping as a study break is actually a great idea, especially if you’re trying to memorize things.

I think we’ve all been there - the class is important and you know you need to study but when you sit down you end up feeling grOSS AND YOU don’t want to. So here are some tips to overcoming that:

 Take a deep breath and reevaluate why you need to study. Try to stay positive.

When I’m not motivated I keep saying things like “what if I just don’t do it?” And then - surprise! - I end up not studying and suffer/regret it later. When coming up with reasons to study, try to keep it positive. Don’t say things like “if I don’t study I’ll fail the class.” Instead, say things like “if I study, I have a better chance at doing well on the exam. Future-me will be so proud of current-me.”

If you truly cannot find a single reason to study, set your studying aside for later and do another productive activity or take a long break.

Drill it into your mind that you really don’t need motivation to do well.

Even if you find the reason to study, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are very motivated. Sometimes we feel like no motivation = unable to study. This isn’t true.

Make a deal with yourself. Try studying for ten minutes. And actually try to study. If by the end of ten minutes you feel like you can continue studying, great! Keep going! If not, then you can take a break and do something else.

Choose a study scheduling method that works for you.

Some people feel great studying for hours on end once they get in “the zone.” Others feel the need to take quick breaks every half hour. Studying and scheduling methods are different for everybody! Play around with scheduling to find out what works for you.

In high-stress times, work (studying, assignments, etc.) can feel pretty overwhelming. To organize all the stuff you have to do, write it down! This takes some of the stress of remembering tasks off from your brain, so that your brain can focus on the more crucial things.

If you’re making a to-do list, keep the general list short. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed by too many tasks. (You can keep sub-lists on separate paper/sticky notes to break down each task.)

If you’re making a time-table, keep your schedule loose. Give yourself buffer time to complete each task, just in case you overestimated your efficiency.

It’s totally okay to overestimate efficiency! - ifyou do, you learn more about yourself and how you study best.

Small (pomodoro) breaks

Pomodoro technique in a nutshell: 25 minute blocks of working with 5 minute breaks in between. Feel free to change the length of the blocks according to your preferences! During your breaks, you can

Get more water

Get snacks

Make tea/coffee

Stretch

Do a tiny bit of yoga

Walk around the room/building

Stretch

Five-minute meditation

Head massage

Try to avoid looking at a screen. When you look at a screen, you stimulate your brain and it won’t get its rest. Also, the internet might suck you in and your break could last longer than intended. (cough tumblr)

Long breaks

Sometimes I really really really really reALLY don’t want to study. Or do anything. And I feel kind of gross and am on the verge of a mental breakdown. If you feel this way, stop.

Take a hella deep breath. And another one. One more. Aaaaand one more just for good measure.

Get away from your desk. I associate desk with studying, so getting away from it helps me relax. Lie down on a bed, or move to a different room if you can. If you can get near a window, try looking into the distance to relax your brain and eyes.

Breathe for a couple of minutes, then evaluate how you feel. Again, try to stay positive. Instead of “I feel shitty and I don’t want to do anything,” try “I feel tired right now and resting can help me feel better.”

Based on this evaluation, estimate the amount of time you need to rest. If you have a lot of studying to do, try to keep it under an hour. Set a timer for the amount of time you have decided on. (remember to include buffer time!) Getting back to work on time can make you feel more productive, which conduct better productivity!

During a long break, do an activity that makes you feel good and takes your mind off studying. You can

Take a long walk. If you live near a park or a trail, try strolling around in it.

Eat healthy food. Junky comfort food can make you feel groggy, especially foods that are fried. Instead, try eating some fruits or nuts.

Take a shower/bath

Talk with a friend

Make some art

Enjoy a long coffee break. (avoid caffeine if you feel anxious/panicky, though)

Play with a pet

Take a power nap

Longer meditation/yoga

Again, try to avoid looking at screens. Also, avoid thinking about studying. Let yourself have the luxury of NOT THINKING ABOUT STUDYING for a while, so you can return to it with a fresh mind.

Mental health days

Sometimes everything is just too much and you might feel the need to stop everything for a day. If so, take a mental health day!

Think of mental health days as physical health days. If your body isn’t feeling well, you are allowed to stay in bed and sleep/not do anything for a day. Similarly, if your mind isn’t feeling well, you are also allowed to stay in bed and sleep/not do anything for a day.

Let your parents and teachers know that you don’t feel well and can’t go to school. From my experience, most teachers are pretty understanding and will let you have the day off. (You might have some work to make up later, though.)

Do not study on mental health days. Don’t even think about studying on mental health days. Instead, just focus on getting better. You can

Sleep in

Clean your room

Take a super long bath, complete with bath bombs and candles

Watch a good movie

Read a good book

Sing your favorite songs really loudly

Literally anything that (IS HEALTHY and) makes you feel good about yourself.

Study groups can keep you going, even when you kind of don’t want to

Setting up a time (like a date!) can keep you on track

Study with someone you trust to keep you accountable. Don’t study with someone you know you’re going to gossip or watch cat videos with.

If you really feel the need to cancel a study date, it’s ok! Just like canceling any kind of date, it’s 100% okay to back out if you feel uncomfortable.

Hey everyone! A lovely man named Mike Strangstalien, MA, MFT, LPC, NCC decided to compile a list of 8 things successful people do. He has been working on this list since 1994 and continues to update this list as he does more research. I decided to share some of his amazing work here with you all by summarizing his main points. Enjoy and good luck!

1. They raise their hand in class.

Now, this may seem trivial and sometimes you’re left with the question, “How can I speak up in class if I don’t even know what I don’t know?”. However, its been proven that people who raise their hand and ask questions tend to do better. If you are unsure of a question to ask, a good technique is to go home and review the material and the next day at the beginning of class, ask your question. This not only gets you to actively participate in class, but you begin to think about the information you learned and are able to commit it to long term memory.

2. They establish routine and structure.

During the day you should try to complete your homework so that at night you can spend your time studying, reviewing and consolidating. Its been proven that studying something before bed can commit it to long term memory. Doing work at night when you’re tired can lead to poor performance and may not commit things to memory if its the first time you’re seeing the information. 

Also, try to go to bed BEFORE 1:30 am! Why is this important? Your serotonin is used up during the day (about 90%)  and is reassembled if you get to bed by 1:30. If you go to bed past 1:30 twice in a row, you miss your key opportunity to replace it and you’re left with only 10%! Do this again and you’re down to only 1%. This affects your concentration, focus, attention, motivation and memory. 

3. They go to office hours.

Those who go to office hours at least 8 times during the semester yield, on average, 0.5-1.2 grade points HIGHER than their non-attending counter parts. The main reason people don’t go to office hours is a fear of looking “dumb”. However, if you just admit to your professor or TA that you’re completely lost, they can help re-teach. Remember to be honest about your confusion because otherwise they may start their explanation off the assumption that you already know something and you’ll have wasted your time and your professor’s. This can be the difference between a C and an A! 

4. They prepare for each lecture.

Preparation for each lecture is essential. Begin by reviewing any information from the last lecture within 24 hours of first receiving this information, otherwise you lose valuable time to commit it to long term memory. Additionally, quick read assigned readings so that the lecture can consolidate what you read. After the lecture, spend about 5 minutes summarizing the major points and look up any vocabulary you didn’t recognize. This all compiles into the three-read principle. 1. Read the textbook (or other materials) beforehand. 2. Reread after the lecture and try to find the main points in the reading. 3. Reread a third time and write notes as though you plan to teach the information. This means simplifying and not writing down unnecessary information. 

5. They remain actively involved when learning, attending lecture, and while studying. 

I have a post about active studying techniques which you can find here. Active learning requires not only that you consciously try to pay attention, but also that you maintain your motivation to learn the material, the willingness to complete the tasks at hand needed to learn it, and saying to yourself, “I am excited to learn something new and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to do it”. Remember, there are kids in other countries literally dying for the right to an education. Your education is luxury, not a right. Additionally, every 15 minutes, stop and ask yourself, “how does this fit into the main idea,” and “what is it that I just read and how can I form study questions from it?”. 

6. They take responsibility for their learning.

Although your professor is there to provide you with the information, it is not their job to make sure you learn it. Often times students fail because they expect the professor to try hard to help them. This is a harmful way of thinking and it can lead to failed exams. Those who take responsibility will make sure they seek help when they need it and they will make sure they search for resources outside of what is provided. If you’re really struggling with a concept, try Kahn Academy, YouTube or asking a TA. Its up to you to earn the A, not your professor. Also, keep track of your own grades and assignments that you turn in. This way if you need to see someone for help, you’re not disadvantaged because you waited until the grades were updated online after you threw away graded papers. 

7. They understand the work load and are prepared to study 7 days a week.

Not everyone can study for hours on end every day. For this reason, those who are successful make sure they break down their studying into 25 minute intervals. Additionally, make sure you touch on this information every single day to keep your brain ready for the class when it comes time and you can avoid procrastination. You also need to be prepared for repeated exposure. This means reviewing the same material 3-7 times. This highly increases your likelihood to not only learn the information for exam, but not become guilty of the “pump-and-dump”. This is especially helpful for anyone pursuing medical school or graduate school. 

8. They have no use for negative self-talk and they are honest with themselves.

       | Back to School Series II/IV | Timeline 2/2 | Before Edition Here

a small guide on how i battle my essays! (click on an image to view it clearer) 

(keep in mind: i’m an english major so a majority of my essays are literature-focused!)

Take advantage of that lower workload in between exam periods to make good notes, clean your house, get work experience and do the things then rather than when you’re busier

Use Highlighters instead of pens to save time. Or vice versa depending on you

Change the timing in the pomodoro technique to suit you rather than the other way round

Use a planner to 

Work out what time of day you study best. You could get up and study in the morning if you’re that sort of person

Attend your tutor or form sessions. Even if you don’t do much in them, you can

Keep your planner small and carry it everywhere

Even better, put your planner on your phone

 Don’t sulk if you fail, look back at why you failed and try to improve

If you get distracted by wanting to do something when you should be focusing, write it down. It gives you a checklist of things to do later

Do these things on the checklist in your study breaks

Answer questions without your teaching asking you to

Read about your subjects outside of your classes, especially in high school

Sit at the front of the class room

Don’t sit by yourself in class

Get an early nights sleep

Or at least use sleepytime to get a good time frame

On school days when you wake up, get up straight away, it stops you lazing about

Work hard from the start of the year. There isn’t a time to slack off

Try spaced repititon for learning key facts or a revision schedule

Have snacks and a drink during study sessions. Preferably water.

Summarise and make all your notes onto smaller bits of paper for revision, it helps you cognise what the important facts are

To avoid study stress, take breaks and avoid studying for more than two hours a day

It’s also good to have a day where you don’t study at all once a week

Don’t schedule too far in advance, you’ll just get busy in the meantime or change your methods

When you’re feeling too stressed to work properly but not studying stresses you out, do easier tasks like reviewing flashcards or watching videos on your course

Do as much of your work in school as possible

Prioritise your classes. Especially if you have loads

Make any big habit changes you’ve been thinking of at the start of a term or new year

Study a little before bed, you’ve probably seen that study that says you remember more just before bed

Only make flashcards of the things that you don’t get or are important, not everything

Use online sites like Brainscape, Memrise, Anki or Quizlet for flashcards between devices

Print off your powerpoint slides before a lesson

If you can’t do that, read ahead in the textbook

The syllabus is your guide, so use that as a framework for your revision notes

Your stress and nerves are normal, don’t worry

Aim to finish your revision a week before your exams, it makes you start earlier and finish earlier, you also can rest before your exam

When you pick your subjects, choose the subjects you love

Don’t drink alcohol when you’re studying or any type of drug

Don’t listen to how much everyone is studying. A lot of people big it up or say they do none, usually both aren’t being truthful

Take messy notes in class and neaten them up later

Or take your notes online or on a computer

Have a folder to put your loose sheets and handouts in

Keep your to do list and schedule all in one place, whether that’s a book, app or phone

If you fall behind or are ill a lot, your classmates are your friends for a realistic description of what you’ve missed

When at school, know all the places you’d like to study in case one of them is busy

Don’t work in your bed if it makes you tired

Or work in your bed if all your seats are uncomfortable and it’s distracting

Don’t have too much coffee! And energy drinks are just terrible for you so maybe not have those either

You don’t have to be truthful to your actual opinion in essays, just go for what option has the most points

Listen to your teacher

Have your window open, the fresh air helps

Use practice papers and questions, they really help

Try to teach others as well or if you can’t, explain it in your own words to yourself

Combine more than one technique, so that the weaknesses of each method gets covered by another

Seriously just listen to your teachers

Check your emails every day

Set realistic goals and try not to be too harsh and unrealistic about the time you’ll spend achieving these as well

Use loud and annoying alarms to get you to do things

If you have to read, read out loud rather than in your head

Use a hair tie if you have long hair to keep it out of your face

Keep clean and get dressed for studying

Don’t waste your term making your notes pretty, if it helps, make sure the benefits outweigh the time problems

Study when you can. Don’t study if you’re too exhausted to do so.

Keep your desk as clean as you can

Know your sources of motivation. Possibly find a way to put that in your study space.

Attend as many classes as possible and don’t skip

Keep yourself busy with stuff that isn’t studying

Reward yourself for your hard work

Before you go back to school, start to wake up earlier so you’re ready

Wear comfortable clothes to school

Or wear whatever makes you feel good, feeling bad can be pretty distracting

Always think about the next step early, whether thats getting work experience, choosing subjects, finding a job or picking a thesis

Always eat breakfast

And always eat lunch too! Especially at school

Do whatever is best for you. Don’t follow a studyblr trend, do what’s best for you.

Make your studying a habit. Do it nearly every day for a long time and it’ll begin to feel more like second nature

Get to know your teachers if you can

And don’t be afraid to ask them for help outside of a lesson, either by email or afterwards, it helps a lot 

Look at the types of questions you often get wrong as well as the topics you keep missing out on 

Keep a spare bit of food in your bag, I usually have some sesame snaps in my bag as a small snack so I don’t have to get up to get food

Make productive friends and people with similar goals to you

When revising, revise everything and then focus on your weak points

Don’t spend too long on tumblr, and if you are right now, then this is your reminder to log off!

Don’t panic when you don’t know all the answers in a test, do you really need 100%?

Break your studying into smaller bits and spread it out over time to avoid headaches, burnout and all the problems that come with it

Eat better. Get enough fruit and vegetables

Don’t forget about Protein, from meats, nuts, etc. it helps a lot

If you’re falling asleep in class, I usually drink water, pinch myself, take lots of notes and fidget to keep myself up

Regularly clear out your bag, because a lot of stuff builds up

If you’re a more artistic person, use drawings like visual notes, mindmaps, timelines and literal drawings to help you study

If you study with a friend, quiz each other

Study on public transport if you can, notes and flashcards on phones are good for this

Don’t neglect any of your subjects, make sure they all get some time spent on them

Also focus beyond your first exam, it’s easy to overprepare for the first test and then not be ready for the rest

When taking a test look through it quickly before hand

Remember you don’t have to take the test in order

Review your notes all the time, review helps the memory

If you want to pull an all-nighter see if you can do it in the morning or day instead, and don’t do it the night before anything important

Always look at the details, especially if you get a mark-scheme or guide for your assignments

Hello class of 2021!

I know a lot of you are probably in your beginning stages of shopping for college, as a sophomore who is about to start her second year of dorm life (This time as a RA!) I thought I would throw together a list of things that people don’t realize that they need while they’re away from home.

Air Freshener, chances are your dorm has been closed up since the last person left it in the spring, opening a window and spraying some febreze works wonders for a stuffy room

Clorox Wipes, it never hurts to wipe down door handles and flat surfaces, especially during cold and flu season.

409/Comet Spray, Guys seriously. Clean your shower tiles. 

Dust Ruffle, seriously. Your room WILL collect dust, I know its easy to ignore. But just set aside 1 day a month to dust all the furniture in your dorm room

Laundry Scent Boosters (Like Downy Unstoppables) The washers and dryers are used by hundreds of different people, chances are they may have a funky smell to them, scent boosters are a great way to make sure your laundry comes out fresh, no matter how old the washing machines are

Pepper Spray, whether you’re living on an urban or rural campus, pepper spray is a great (and legal) way to protect yourself. Remember, knives are NOT allowed on any college campus. I would recommend a pepper spray with UV dye, it reflects light and makes it easier for the attacker to get caught by the police

Flashlight, no, not just the one on your phone! You may never know when the power will go out in your dorm room.

Epsom Salts, if your dorm room has a bath, Epsom salts are an awesome (and cheap!) way to relax. If your dorm only has a shower, put a few drops of lavender, melaluca, or lemongrass essential oil on the tiles before you start your shower.

First-aid-kit, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just a pack of band-aids, neosporin, some gauze, and a pair of tweezers

Emergency kit, hopefully you’ll never have to use this, but last year I was trapped in my college town after a hurricane caused more damage than originally expected. A reflective blanket (you can get these at sports stores for $10), glow sticks, an extra flashlight, and a highway map are great things to start you out. 

Cash, Always have at least $10 in cash wherever you go. Chances are you’ll find an adorable bakery off campus that only takes cash, or you’ll need to tip a waitress. 

They knew they were being badly exploited—that the garments they were making were being sold for more than they would make in a month. One 17-year-old said to me: “We make computers, but we don’t know how to use them.”

So one thing I found slightly jarring was that some of these same workers wore clothing festooned with knockoff trademarks of the very multinationals that were responsible for these conditions: Disney characters or Nike check marks. At one point, I asked a local labor organizer about this. Wasn’t it strange—a contradiction?

It took a very long time for him to understand the question. When he finally did, he looked at me like I was nuts. You see, for him and his colleagues, individual consumption wasn’t considered to be in the realm of politics at all. Power rested not in what you did as one person, but what you did as many people, as one part of a large, organized, and focused movement. For him, this meant organizing workers to go on strike for better conditions, and eventually it meant winning the right to unionize. What you ate for lunch or happened to be wearing was of absolutely no concern whatsoever.

This was striking to me, because it was the mirror opposite of my culture back home in Canada. Where I came from, you expressed your political beliefs—firstly and very often lastly—through personal lifestyle choices. By loudly proclaiming your vegetarianism. By shopping fair trade and local and boycotting big, evil brands.

These very different understandings of social change came up again and again a couple of years later, once my book came out. I would give talks about the need for international protections for the right to unionize. About the need to change our global trading system so it didn’t encourage a race to the bottom. And yet at the end of those talks, the first question from the audience was: “What kind of sneakers are OK to buy?” “What brands are ethical?” “Where do you buy your clothes?” “What can I do, as an individual, to change the world?”

Fifteen years after I published No Logo, I still find myself facing very similar questions. These days, I give talks about how the same economic model that superpowered multinationals to seek out cheap labor in Indonesia and China also supercharged global greenhouse-gas emissions. And, invariably, the hand goes up: “Tell me what I can do as an individual.” Or maybe “as a business owner.”

The hard truth is that the answer to the question “What can I, as an individual, do to stop climate change?” is: nothing. You can’t do anything. In fact, the very idea that we—as atomized individuals, even lots of atomized individuals—could play a significant part in stabilizing the planet’s climate system, or changing the global economy, is objectively nuts. We can only meet this tremendous challenge together. As part of a massive and organized global movement.

The irony is that people with relatively little power tend to understand this far better than those with a great deal more power. The workers I met in Indonesia and the Philippines knew all too well that governments and corporations did not value their voice or even their lives as individuals. And because of this, they were driven to act not only together, but to act on a rather large political canvas. To try to change the policies in factories that employ thousands of workers, or in export zones that employ tens of thousands. Or the labor laws in an entire country of millions. Their sense of individual powerlessness pushed them to be politically ambitious, to demand structural changes.

In contrast, here in wealthy countries, we are told how powerful we are as individuals all the time. As consumers. Even individual activists. And the result is that, despite our power and privilege, we often end up acting on canvases that are unnecessarily small—the canvas of our own lifestyle, or maybe our neighborhood or town. Meanwhile, we abandon the structural changes—the policy and legal work— to others.”

Organisation

how to set up a bullet journal

setting up a digital bullet journal

mossery co planner review

planner brand recommendations

bullet journal spread ideas

bullet journal decoration hacks

whats in my bag

my favourite stationery

back to school basic supplies

how to improve your handwriting

balancing study and work

2017 monthly planner printables

2018 monthly planner printables

Productivity

productivity and time management applications

how to remove distractions

types of procrastination and how to deal with them

google chrome new tab options for improved productivity

10 small ways to improve your productivity

applications to block websites

no distraction writing applications

100 days of productivity challenge 

how to focus in class

how to stick to a schedule

how to stay alert

how to build self-discipline

how to organise for exams

Motivation

what to do when you’ve tried everything

how to gain back motivation

motivational monday printables

how to stop avoiding studying

what to do when you feel exhausted before studying

how I stay motivated

tips on maintaining motivation

how to start a studyblr

how to set up a studygram

dealing with competitive people

how to bounce back from ‘failure’

Studying

applications for students

how to take effective class or lecture notes

how to take notes from a textbook

studying printable pack 

my note-taking method

my notebook system

how to write faster

how I organise my binders

good habits to implement

how to study (my method)

how to organise a colour code

how to memorise information effectively

how to memorise quotes

how to use flashcards

how I reduce waffle and narration in essays

tips for essay writing

how to find out where you’re going wrong

how I prepare to study

different ways to study

how to annotate a book/novel/etc

how to get ahead in school

studying as a visual learner

how to practice and present a speech

mindmapping apps and extensions

how to deal with online classes

how to study a language

apps to write without distraction

Self Care

how to improve your sleep schedule

how to study when sick

over-coming self doubt

dealing with stress

how to balance studying and anxiety

how to balance studying and depression

apps that help with depression

ways to reward your productivity

my favourite tv shows

ways to use empty notebooks

how to be more sociable

Printables

weekly study schedule

note-taking printables (dotted, grid, lined, cornell method)

exam revision printable pack (revision checklist, formulas + definitions sheet, essay + project planner, weekly schedule)

week at a glance

organic chemistry printable

100 days of productivity tracker

literary techniques 

Masterpost 4 out of 50: The Motivation  Self-Discipline Masterpost

At the end of each day, write down the six things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks and they can be anything. You choose.

Prioritise those six items in order of their true importance.

Tomorrow when you wake up and are fed and ready concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.

Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.

1. You are very lucky and privileged to have access to almost unlimited knowledge and you should appreciate that. 

2. Be one of those rare people who step over their insecurities and succeed. 

3. Only 5 minutes. Only today. (Repeat it 5 minutes later and every day). 

4. You will know what to do as soon as you start. Ideas never appear from inactivity. 

5. Make yourself proud. 

6. One hour every day doesn’t feel much but it’s 365 hours a year. You can’t not succeed after so much work. 

7. It’s not supposed to be easy. Nothing good is easy. 

8. If you had a child to look after, you’d make them study because you want them to accomplish something. Don’t you love yourself? 

9. “Everything you want is on the other side of fear” George Adair 

10. Every mistake increases our chance to make progress. 

11. If you give up now, you’ll have to return to this later anyway but from the very beginning. 

12. Let the process be your result. 

13. Every moment you thought your fears would suppress you has become the time you made it. 

14. Maybe you think you can never find something to use your skills and mindset for. But if you continue investing in what matters to you, it will find its way out there.