Studyblr

15.07.20 ~ studying and healthy breakfast at 12 because I sleep until 3 am and I can’t get up early 😅

(August 6 2020)

**credit to my research advisor, she’s an amazing mentor and I aspire to be just like her someday :)

Read the abstract. Write down what the paper says it is going to be about.

Read the introduction. Write down what the paper says it is looking to accomplish and how.

Read the conclusion. Write down what the paper actually did accomplish.

Go through and find all the pictures, graphs, or diagrams. Write notes explaining these images to yourself.

Read the whole paper start to finish. Write a summary of the paper as though you are explaining it to a layperson, and then another summary as though you are explaining it to a colleague.

Throughout all of the above steps:

If there are words you don’t know google them and write down the definitions

If the paper defines a formula, law, variable, etc in a certain way write that down

Here are some tips that will make your school year a lot more easier when it comes to organisation,studying and it might help you when its time for exams!

*Organisation Tips*

Make to-do lists. Prepare your to-do list the night before. In doing so, you will know exactly what tasks you have to accomplish the next day.

Pack your bag the night before and ensure that you have everything you need for the following day.

Write the date next to any notes you take and title them so they are easy to identify. Putting page numbers on your notes is a good way to keep track of them.

Check your to-do list daily and cross off completed tasks.

Make sure your notes are complete. If you have incomplete notes it will be hard for you to learn from them when you are studying.

When you know you’ll have an upcoming exam,test,event or anything you must prepare for to attend, record it in your planner straight away. Don’t wait for later, you might forget it. 

Break up your study time. Work out how many study hours you will need and schedule the study time in your planner accordingly.

Set certain times of the day for studying,homework and other school-related activities and stick to it.

Work on the most important assignments with the closest deadlines and set aside time to work on longer-term projects.

Divide big assignments into smaller, more workable tasks.

Focus on the goals you’ve set for yourself and follow them up.

Never allow the work to build up. Always try to stay on top of everything and keep ahead of deadlines.

Use a wall calendar for each term. List all projects and exam dates for each subject as well as any other important commitments you have.

Label desk drawers with their contents.

*Study Tips*

Ask for copies of past exam papers. It’s always good to find out what kind of questions are included in exams and the best way to do this is to look through old exam papers.

The key to learning something well is repetition; the more time you go over the material the better chance you have of storing it permanently. 

Explain your work to others. Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic and teach it to them. This will help you to get it clear in your head. If you are unable to explain something clearly then more study is required.

Take short breaks during your study time. Eat nutritious food that helps your brain to focus and make sure you drink plenty of water.

Attend all review classes whenever possible.

Study in a well lit place with no distractions and have all the things you will need ready, such as paper, pens or a calculator. 

Create your own study aids to help you. Create an outline from your notes of the main points or create a timeline of important dates. Make up your own flash cards or quiz and have someone test you.

Study more difficult subjects first and do the easier, more fun ones after.

If there is anything you are unsure of ask your teacher for guidance. 

Set yourself a goal. Know what you want to accomplish before you begin to study.

Discuss topics with other students and arrange study groups to help each other.

Challenge yourself. A task thought of as too hard can slow you down. The same task thought of as a challenge can spur you on.

Time spent working on understanding issues saves time because you will then know what you are doing.

Find a study method that suits you. Make notes,use diagrams,flow charts and mind maps. Experiment and find what works for you.

Use any spare time you have to rewrite your notes and summarise your work.

*Exam/Tests Tips*

Read over the entire test and calculate how much time you will spend on each question.

Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand what you have to do before you attempt to do it.

Answer questions directly. If you get stuck on a question, move on to the next one and come back to it later.

Leave time at the end to look over your work. Make sure you have answered every question and check your mistakes.

Eliminate obvious false answers first when doing multiple choice questions.

Good handwriting is essential. Train yourself to write quickly and neatly.

Don’t leave studying to the last minute. Cramming can cause you to panic and leave you too tired to think clearly the next day.

Read all assigned material well in advance of the exam date.

Over learn material for you exams. Continue to study past the point at which you think you know it well.

Always read the instructions and answer easy questions first.

Ensure your grammar, punctuation and spelling are correct. You may receive lower marks if your answer is poorly written or grammatically incorrect.

*Reading Tips*

Know what your purpose is for reading. How do you need to use this information? What do you expect to learn from reading this document?

Try skimming over the document first to get a sense of the general theme before you read it in more detail.

Make sure you understand what you are reading. If something doesn’t make sense then re-read it from where you became confused.

It may be helpful to read the words out loud or to form a picture in your mind of what you are reading to gain a deeper understanding.

Authors often include context clues to the meaning of words. The clue usually appears in the sentence or paragraph in which the word occurs.

*Listening Tips*

Listen out for key phrases from the teacher such as “this is important”, “you need to know this” and “it is essential”. 

Don’t confuse listening with hearing. Listening is an active activity, you must be thinking in order to listen.

Think about the reason why you are listening and set yourself a goal.This will help you focus on important information.

hey guys, here are some pictures of today’s morning study session. this year (for my degree in chinese studies) we haven’t done much written chinese, we focused ourselves more on chinese history, literature, oral and classic chinese, that’s why I’ve decided to study it on my own during my holidays! I’m planning to study 2 lessons every day (text, vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and listening). so far, I’m doing an amazing job, I learnt 85 words today! I’m now going to read a chinese contemporary mini-story using my book “graded chinese reader 500 words” ☕ have a nice productive day! 

The early bird gets organized

Start 2 days before the beginning of the next month . If you’re scrambling to organize everything you have to do for that month the day the month starts, you’re already behind.

PICK A LOCATION

It can be your planner, your bullet journal, or your bedroom/ dorm room wall. But pick a location where you will use your monthly plan, and see it often so that you’re acclimated with it.

COPIES???

What if the only monthly plan you made suffers severe water damage? Then you’re screwed for an entire month. I i m p l o r e you to please PLEASE make a copy of your plan. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days. Don’t let that DAY ruin your MONTH.

Start with your academics

Starting with academics not only keeps your priorities in line with where they should be, but it permits you to get all your ducks in a row for your classes. Find out when they are, if you don’t have the same courses every day, so you know what to be prepared for on which day

Follow up with assessments

Academics and assessments go hand in hand. Now that you know what day everything is for this month, and when you will be having your classes, find out what assignments you have in those classes. Knowing your assignments in advance allows for more preparation, and more consequent success

Prioritize those assessments!

If one assessment is your final grade for a mandatory course, and one assessment is a vocabulary quiz, the final grade assessment needs to be prioritized over the vocabulary quiz. Make sure you are highlighting the more important assessments, so you know their value!

Do the same with homework!!!

Homework is often seen as less important that assessments, but you still need to get it done. If you know in advance what assignments you will have, put those in!

Got projects?

Projects are the bane of every individual’s existence because you think you have all the time in the world to get it done, and then they due date sneaks up on you like the plague. Not only should you WRITE IN THAT DUE DATE but separate the tasks that you have to do for that assignment and assign it to yourself as homework.

Make your appointments!

Figure out what appointments you have that entire month, and preferably before the month starts. That way, you can ensure there are no conflicts and go in with ease.

Extracurricular obligations!

Find out what obligations you have for your extracurriculars before they sneak up on you. No one wants to be out of compliance for an extracurricular, but you don’t want it to conflict with your life either.

Fit in some F U N.

Don’t make your monthly plan just boring this, and plain old that. Incorporate some hang-out sessions with friends, or a personal day (maybe two). Everyone needs that R & R.

DO IT AGAIN

30 things that you can add to your habit tracker if you are a student

The end of the month is for many of us the perfect time to take out our planners and bullet journals to plan the upcoming month.

Today I want to provide you with ideas for every student’s habit tracker.

You don’t have a habit tracker yet? I highly recommend this productivity tool for you. It can help you to track your current habits and it will help you to establish new habits more easily. Just check Tumblr, Pinterest or Google for some inspiration.

HABIT TRACKER IDEAS FOR STUDENTS

Do homework

Go to library

Digital detox during study session and lecture

Successful Pomodoro study session

Write essay

Accomplish reading assignment

Do research

Go to class

Arrived in class on time

Number of questions asked in a lecture (easier: participation at class y/n)

Review notes after class

Rewrite notes

Prepare a presentation

Prepare presentation speech

Organize folders/binders

Write a paragraph for essay

Write a summary

Write flashcards

Save written assignments on external memory/USB/cloud

Meetings with study buddy or study group

Learn something new

Declutter desk space

Study to-do list accomplished

Do some exercises to test new study material

Prepare backpack/bag the night before

Number of study breaks taken

8 hours of sleep

Go to bed by a certain time

Water intake

Exercise/sport

Yes, even if you’re taking the maximum credit load. Because if I can do it, you can do it too. Note: My credit load also included a handful of honors courses. 

Side-note: I’m going to be a junior (how??) and an RA (!!!) in the fall. Life moves fast. College moves faster. Anyways, 

Here are my top tips: 

1. LOOK AT THE SYLLABUS AND WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. This is step number one, and it’s not up for debate. If you do this, there’ll be no surprises, and if there are: point it out to the professor (a simple, ??? this wasn’t on the syllabus ??, usually works). Also, you have to check and see what constitutes as an A in that class. Sometimes it’s a 90, sometimes it’s not. (a 96 was an A- in one of my classes last semester. I’m so serious.)

2. Get a calendar. Not a planner. One of those giant calendars with puppies or something on it and write down everything you have to do for the month. Put it above your desk. This helps A LOT because you can see everything you have coming up for the next few weeks, instead of jus playing it day-by-day. 

3. It is OK to use ratemyprofessor. Sometimes it can be really helpful, but pay attention to the more in depth reviews that talk about what the homework, tests, quizzes and projects are like (instead of “her lectures are boring :///) 

4. Sit in the front of your class. You’ll be more likely to pay attention and less likely to scroll through instagram. (by the way, mine is @parissdb :) It also grabs your professors attention, so even if you’re shy, they’ll at least know your face.

5. Do that extra credit. A lot of professors offer it in the beginning of the semester, and hardly anyone does it because no one’s thinking past tomorrow. It may be what saves you in the long run. 

6. Figure out your best method of note-taking. For me, it’s good ol pen and paper. It helps me remember everything. Some people prefer typing it out. This is beneficial bc it makes it easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. (Thank you, command + F)

7. Put your effort into the percentages. If an assignment is worth 1% of your grade, do it well, but don’t exhaust yourself. It’s 1%!!!! If it comes down to it, spend more time studying for that exam that’s worth 30% than the group project worth 20. 

8. Please. Stop studying what you already know. We’re all guilty of it. It makes you feel better knowing you have chapters 1-3 down, even if you don’t know 4-7. The key to studying is to learn what you don’t know. 

9. Learn how to study. (Yes, it’s actually a skill that has to be learned.) I’m the biggest procrastinator I know, especially when it comes to studying. But I’ve found that studying 2 days before an exam usually does the trick for me. I create a master study guide during day 1 and study it all on day 2. Depending on what time the exam is, I may review on the morning of day 3. 

10. SAVE SOME TIME FOR FUN ffs. Seriously. You don’t have to study 24/7, and I don’t know about y’all but my attention span was not built for that.

I might add more to this later, or make another post because I could give these tips for ever and ever. But hopefully this helps someone out there. 

Step 1: be present, be mindful.

Understand what you want, what is worth the fight.

And what I mean by that is finding your true motive (whether it is passion for what you’re learning or passing a class), because often we strive towards this perception of success that doesn’t feel like success. It feels like you are constantly under a spotlight and constantly having to prove yourself to others.

High grades make you feel good but that’s nothing compared to being happy with yourself and with what you’re doing. So make that distinguishment.

Step 2: be very practical and realistic.

What do you have to do and in how much time? Divide tasks by the period of time, without letting stress blur out that mindfulness, through method and simplicity.

Step 3: Be disciplined the following days until the exam without getting too strict with yourself.

“What is soft is strong.” (Lao Tzu)

Strive to create softness and ease throughout the days, get your tasks done but find time for play, rest, presence of mind.

Avoid overworking by starting early or as soon as you can and by working smartly and doing the most important things first, even if you’ve been dreading them.

Bonus Step:

Hello, people! The time has come: I will teach you the secret to study for three days and remember everything for your test. This is a hardcore studying session so I would recommend to only do it when you are truly freaking the fuck out. Now, I must tell you: It’s gonna involve some hard work, so sit comfortably because we’re about to start:

REMINDER: YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS IN A ROLL. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE DURING THE  COURSE OF THE DAY. 

REMINDER 2: REMEMBER TO EAT, DRINK WATER AND GET ENOUGH REST. YOU DON’T NEED TO FORGET ABOUT YOUR HEALTH IN ORDER TO GET BETTER GRADES. 

DAY 1

First reading of your main textbook

Second reading + highlighting 

Research more about the topic (internet, other books, talk to your friends, etc)

Resume everything (notes)

Do a mind map of main points 

If what you’re studying needs something to be memorized “word by word” (such as: meanings, processes, references, chemical reactions, etc), write it down and put it on your wall. You’re gonna read it several times during the day. 

Write down the topics and key words on a reference paper (you’re gonna take this paper everywhere, forcing your memory to expand from those simple key words) 

Review your notes 

Do ten exercises (questions)

Review your notes + exercises 

Watch a video class 

You’re done for today. Good job. Now rest, tomorrow is a new day. 

DAY 2

Review your notes

Read them out loud

Read them again, but this time record yourself

Listen to it. Twice. 

Review your notes before bed

DAY 3

Review your notes + listen to your recordings from yesterday

Do 30 exercises (questions)

Review notes + exercises 

Listen to your recordings again

Review your notes one more time.

FANTASTIC JOB! Now it’s your time to rest. If you’re feeling like it, read your notes one more time before bed. 

One more time, this is a heavy studying session, and not supposed to be done all the time. Remember to take care of your health and take several breaks during the day. If you don’t need, there is no need to do everything listed here. 

As I am usually a straight A student, I thought I’d share some of my favourite study “hacks”, but be warned: i will not be gentle with you. I am going to tell you the brutal truth about getting great marks, because it is no use sugarcoating the fact that school is actually super hard work! 

discipline beats motivation

to be honest no matter how perfect your/any studyblr might be, looking at a blog will unfortunately never ever motivate you to study as hard as you will have to to get an A. Studyblrs may inspire you, but the one thing which will really get you studying is discipline. So, as cruel as it may sound, force yourself to be productive and you will get some serious work done.

have no social life

… at least on some days. if you find it difficult to fit your studies into your social life, try reversing the whole thing. Don’t make plans with your friends on days during which you want/need to study. This definitely isn’t fun, I know, but for me, I often find it difficult to get work done when I have plans later that day as firstly, getting a certain amount of work done within a strict time limit stresses me out and secondly, you should definitely use all the time you can get - especially shortly before the upcoming exam.

all-nighters equal bad time management

truth be told good students normally won’t have to pull all nighters as sleep is very important for not only your concentration but also for your health. To make sure that you get enough rest you should start studying as early as possible, for me that is normally one week before the particular exam, and plan what you will do on which day without trying to fit everything into the last minute. That will leave you relaxed, well rested and concentrated on the day of your exam.

find something that keeps you going

i usually drink a lot of coffee when i am studying, because during a hard study session i need to stay focused and awake. If you don’t like coffee, you could also go for black tea or green tea or simply some fruit as it is very important to get some vitamins (or in my case caffeine) in your system to not fall asleep while working.

ask for help

whether you swap notes with your colleagues or you mail the professor some questions doesn’t matter at all. It’s only important that you accept that you probably won’t be able to do everything on your own, so find yourself a study partner, ask questions when something seems unclear to you or even get a tutor. And definitely don’t be embarrassed about asking questions! Nobody knows everything.

no distractions

studying is boring and you might find that music makes it a little more exciting, but often listening to music or taking a lot of breaks is only keeping you from getting work done. So suck it up and study either silently, to classical music or to relaxing noises you can find on the internet. Also try not to take too many breaks. Don’t overwork yourself, of course, but also try to stay focused for longer than 15 minutes as this will allow you to be more productive and don’t study with friends if you end up chit-chatting to each other instead of working.

write everything down

even if you have a good memory, you won’t be able to remember a thing after class, so suck it up, don’t talk to your desk mate and focus on writing everything important down what the teacher says. even if you get handed enough material there will still be things which you should write down such as explanations, examples and additional information. that will help you later on to understand what you are actually studying.

you absolutely need to study

don’t ever think, no matter how much attention you’ve paid in class or how good you are at a certain subject, that you won’t have to study. there is always work to get done and if you are already good at something work on being better to excel at academics. 

(i added fun gifs, because it seemed a little too harsh - good luck, babes, you are going to pass your exams) 

Preparing study plans is one of my favourite ways of planning my work.

They allow me to know the exact amount of work I have to do and the exact amount of time it will take meyou to get everything done. 

I suppose we all have a personal way of doing a study plan, so here’s an easy, step-by-step post about how I prepare a study plan !

1. Take 10 pages out of your study material

Whether your study material is a book or notes you took in class, choose 10 pages out of it.

Do not pick the easiest ones ! This would ruin the whole experience.

2. Start studying and time yourself

Start studying those 10 pages, and time yourself while doing it.

Study normally, like you would do on any particular day of studying : you can highlight passages, annotate your notes/textbook, draw a mind-map, make a short flashcard,… Anything work-related that you would normally do.

3. Check the time it took and don’t worry if it seems like a lot

At the end of the 10 pages, stop the timer and check the time it took you to go through your work. Write that result down.

Do not feel like rubbish if it took you a lot of time to get through 10 pages : you might have made flashcards or mind-maps, or wrote some things down… There are subjects that might be tricky to study (like anatomy or other horrible things that med students have to go through - they are the bravest after law students ;-) ). There are subjects you’ll hate and those will take an awful lot of time… In short, some things will be hard and it’s better to know exactly how much time they take than just roughly estimate it… and get it all wrong !

For instance, it takes me an hour to get through 10 pages of Family law. This is because I highlight my notes and my statute book, I add post-its to my statute book and I quiz myself with the little exercises that the teacher gave us in class. All this takes a lot of time.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3

And do this for every subject you are studying during the semester.

5. Estimate the time it will take to study the entire material for each subject

After having gone through 10 pages for every subject, divide each of your study material by 10. It will give you the amount of time (in hours, days or even weeks) that you need to cover all the material for every subject.

For instance, I have 279 pages to study to master Family law. Since I need one hour to study 10 pages of it, I’ll need 27.9 hours to get through all of it. One again, write the result down for every subject.

6. Prepare your pens and write your chapters down !

This is when things get funnier !

Take back your study material and write the headings down. By headings, I mean the subdivisions of your material. Depending on the subject you’re studying, it could be “parts”, “chapters”, “sections”,… Whatever the name, write that down and do not forget to note how many pages are included in each headings.

7. You can make step 6 funnier but do not lose too much time !

When preparing your study plan, you can unleash your creativity and end up with really good-looking things.

A really cute study plan can motivate you to study.

You can also use bullet points and check them when you’ve finished a heading. This is what I do and let me tell you something : it’s extremely rewarding to check headings. You feel accopmlished, serious and hard-working !

However do not lose too much time working on your study plan. It is there to help you going through the real work you need to do, and should not distract you too much from all the stuff that needs to be done in order to be ready for finals.

8. Prepare a weekly planner

If you already have a weekly planner, use it.If you do not, prepare one. There are cute ones available here on Tumblr (check @emmastudies : her printables are awesome).

Use it to write down your classes, your commuting time, your meals, the time it takes to wash your hair… everything you have to do in a week. This is what I call “Group 1”.

Do not forget to plan some “mental-health” time = activities that allow you to forget about college : sport, reading, meeting up with friends, shopping, family time,… This is what I call “Group 2”.

Group 1 activities are compulsory : you cannot cancel them and have to build your schedule around them.

Group 2 activities are not compulsory : you can move them around in your schedule.

9. With that weekly planner, draw a plan of action ! 

Using your weekly planner, check how many free hours you have. By free hours I mean the periods of time when you have absolutely nothing to do : no classes, no commuting, no essay writing, no laundry to wash.

Compare this result with the time you need to get through the study material of your different subjects. 

Fill the blanks in your schedule with the headings of your different subjects. For instance, every Monday, I have a three-hour free period between two classes (Family law and European and Comparative Law of Torts, just so you know - we’re getting intimate, don’t you think ?). I’m staying at uni during those three hours and usually go to the library. So, if a chapter from my Corporate law class takes three hours of studying, I will write this down on my weekly planner and plan to study this chapter during that period.

Alternate the subjects ! It is no use studying one single subject for a whole week : you’d end up studying things that were not covered in class (this is difficult). Plus, studying the same subject for a week is just boring.

10. If you end up not having enough time, cancel a “Group 2” activity

If you realize that you won’t have the time to cover everything you need to cover during a week, move a Group 2 activity (from Monday to Friday night, for instance) or cancel it(apologize to your friends of family if they were involved and agree to meet them later).

This is an extreme solution, but you might need to resort to doing it if your week is really busy with Group 1 activities. Here’s my method for a perfect study plan. I hope it will be useful.

put your phone on silent and put it across the room

listen to classical/soundtrack music without lyrics

make index cards for important vocab

wear pajamas

make diagrams and pictures. they don’t have to look pretty, as long as you understand it

make timelines for historical events

have a light snack

drink coffee or tea to keep you going

take a break every hour or so

have one pencil/black pen and one colored pen or highlighter. anything more will just distract you. the aesthetics aren’t important, your knowledge is

don’t be afraid to email/message your teacher or a classmate if you don’t understand something. the last thing you want to do is learn the incorrect information

know that sleep and health is more important than your grade. you cannot perform as well on a test if you are tired or sick. take care of yourself

it’s not a race. it’s not about who can learn something in the quickest time, it’s about learning

take a deep breath 

prioritize your homework by how long it will take you and when it’s due

plan some you time in between studying and school

if you’re mentally exhausted, set a timer for 30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll wake up even more tired

don’t understand something? that’s perfectly fine, don’t stress over it. ask for help rather than complaining

have a goal in mind and write them down. say things like “i am getting an education so i can get the job of my dreams. the life that i want. the happiness that i deserve”

be thankful. it is a privilege that you get to go to school and get an education.