c'est la vie

“one day or day one?” start learning a new language and try to stick with it. better to do less regularly than big study sessions once per week! 

buy yourself an art notebook and fill it during the year with doodles and drawings

meet with old friends and acquaintances who might become friends

keep a journal and regularly write about your day

appreciate the little things in life: the snow lying outside, the scent of flowers, the little smiles on people’s faces

make it a habit to start your assignment as soon as you get it; it saves you from so much stress!!

more cozy study dates in cafes

don’t buy too many books while still having to read all the ones you bought last time, otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed soon enough

reach out to people online and make more friends, a lot of people on here are extremely nice and welcoming!!

look at the sky more often

don’t dwell on the past too much, what’s done is done, try to grow from it

buy more little things that make you happy, such as candles, bath bombs or stationery

go for a walk at least once a week, especially if you live in the city

Nostalgic memories from when I felt overwhelmed by our Earth.

This photograph is a composition of 10 separate photos.

ap classes can be super stressful, especially if you’re taking multiple. here’s the best advice i have on being successful in them after surviving high school! also, please feel free to add any advice in the reblogs or comments<3 thank you! 

• read your textbook (and take notes!!) i quickly learned that i did so much better in a class when i had done the textbook readings for each chapter. usually teachers go about a chapter a week, which isn’t super tough to keep up with if you divide it into chunks (i’ll make a post soon on how i took notes from the textbook) 

• do your homework, and do it well. some nights, your homework will be a lot. but you really should do as much of it as you can. (i’m emphasizing this for math classes because math homework is usually super similar to what you’ll see on the test, but it is important review for every class). Work with the book next to you, use khan academy, mark questions that you need help with (and get help), and do it on time. your grades will thank you, and so will your teacher!! 

• my strategy to review for in class tests: 

1.) review vocabulary using flash cards or quizlet (i’d actually recommend making quizlets for each chapter so u can use it to review for the ap test later)

2.) use your notes or textbook summaries to create your own summaries of the current chapter(s) on blank pieces of paper (take notes on your notes, explain important concepts/main ideas, write down important dates/people/equations, include practice problems for math/science courses) (keep these summary pages in a folder & organized for when you’re reviewing for the ap test) 

3.) know how to explain all of the concepts (either out loud or in writing) without looking at the textbook for answers. (i usually try to answer the textbook’s essential questions/ section questions using as much concrete evidence as possible to prove the answer)  

(do this over 3 separate days AT LEAST for in class tests (day one vocab, day two create summaries of chapters, day three explain chapters outloud), and over several weeks for the ap test) 

• DO! NOT! PROCRASTINATE!

literally everyone says this, but seriously do not procrastinate and high school won’t be as miserable for you as it is for other people. do your homework on time, divide your note taking into different days, plan ahead, do work right as you get home or during class. 

• talk to your teacher if you’re seriously struggling with the work load, and let them know if you’re going through a hard time in life and it’s affecting your school work. this can be scary, but usually they don’t want you to want to die! so just let them know, and they’ll give you advice / help with it and will support you. communication is so important. 

possible structure for an email to communicate an issue with them: 

“hi _____(teachers name)_____, 

i’m having a hard time completing my work recently because of (reason why, be honest). is it okay if i can have an extension until (date in the near future that you can turn it in and please stick to this date btw) (please)? 

thank you, __(your name)__” 

(just for more explanation: my dog died in march during my senior year. i emailed my ap environmental science teacher, my ap statistics teacher, and my ap lit teacher the same email: “hi, my dog died today and i’m having a hard time concentrating on my work, so i won’t be able to finish it today. may i have an extension for my work this week until (day i knew i could turn it in abt a week later)? thank you! -jillian” they all were understanding and gave me an extension. i said the same thing when my aunt died, and the same thing when i was in the hospital after a long boarding accident. i also let teachers know during junior year when i was having anxiety, or during first sem senior year when i was working heavy hours) 

Some of these may help you, some of them may not, so use them however you feel comfortable. However, while studying, you should ask yourself if your study space is truly healthy or not. You should ask yourself if you are able to study with complete focus and no distractions.

What is a healthy study space?   This means a physical place in which you study, where you can completely focus on your studies with zero distractions. It ensures you can remember what you are learning completely, and understand everything. The study space could be different for different people. It could be your desk, your bed, or even a café or a library. It’s where you are comfortable, but not too comfortable (you still need to be able to focus).

1. clear your desk   If you are studying at a desk (which I highly recommend. Studying on the bed tends to make you a little sleepy), then declutter the entire place. That doesn’t mean you start cleaning everything up and putting them where they were. That work is for another day. Just take all the piles of paper and books from your desk and keep them elsewhere (your bed, outside, etc). Basically, somewhere you can’t see it because that only means distractions and other ideas. 

2. don’t forget to stay hydrated  Get a bottle of water. That way, you don’t have to keep moving around every time you are thirsty (which btw for me, is always). 

3. don’t eat snacks while studying   Eating and studying don’t go together. You might drop something on your study material, or end up focusing on just your food. If you eat, then do just that. Don’t study along. You’ll end up paying attention to nothing you read. 

4. music  If listening to music helps you, then go ahead. But only listen to instrumentals or basically songs with no lyrics in them. I have made a playlist that I use sometimes on soundcloud over here. 

5. Lighting  Don’t study in a place with dim lighting. It ends up making you feel sleepy and makes it hard to read your material. Natural lighting is obviously the best, but having a lamp is also preferable. 

6. Noise  Make sure you shut all the windows, and close all the doors. If you live in a city, you are familiar with the sounds of traffic and construction. If it distracts you, make sure you can’t hear any of it. I recommend using ear plugs. 

7. Unnecessary distractions  Make sure you keep your phone away from wherever you are studying. Give it to your parents. Don’t get it at all. Put it on silent. Just make sure you don’t see it, or else it will tempt you into taking a break.