jess

i want to erase the stigma that studyblrs have no mental or physical illnesses or disabilities.

I want to erase the stigma that studyblrs never fail.

I have a 2.1 gpa because I keep flunking the same two classes and fucked up one of my years in college.

I’ve changed my major SIX TIMES

I had to stop university for a whole year! Because I was so depressed and anxious I couldn’t even get out of bed!

I suffer from anxiety and depression! 

Where are my notes you might asked? most of them are currently under the couch right now lmao!

I CANT READ MY OWN HANDWRITING MOST OF THE TIME. 

- i’ve only read one chapter of my english summer assignment and i haven’t started my history assignment

- i did not pay attention in my french literature class and threw away most of my notes for the class once summer started

- i almost never did my spanish homework

- i didn’t study for my biology final until the morning before!

i’ll tag @stormy-rains @mango-tea @stubborn-studies @acootingly @leafwatrstudy if you guys want to do it

- i don’t pay attention to most of my classes

- like really i just really pay attention to my history classes and that’s all

- i never do my composition or math homework

- i’m always talking in class

- or sleeping lmao (most of the time i’m sleeping)

- i have notes to do and here i am not doing them

- i procrastinate A LOT

- like i’ll be literally listening to lofi and start dancing out of nowhere only bc i don’t want to pay attention to what i’m studying

- i should be reading two astronomy books rn but i am on tumblr lmao

- i’m terrible at multiple choice exams

I was classes because I can’t deal with them cause of mental health stuff

I have Autism

And anxiety

And (undiagnosed) depression

I barely ever take notes

Most of my notes are digital

The ones I do by hand are super messy, unorganised and smudged

My parents of pulled me out of school twice so I didn’t have to repeat the year

I always do my science assignments the night they’re due, basically without fail

But I try

And I care

So I do my best at running a studyblr

So that I can better myself

And help others do the same!!!!

I don’t care that I wasn’t tagged in this

Because it’s important for you to know that no one’s perfect

That we are all human (probably)

And that you can run a studyblr without being an amazing student!!!

i hated my french class. i did not pay attention or anything and now that this class is over i feel like i already forgot everything

i’m super unproductive. like maybe i study a bit / do homework but after that most of the time i lay in bed lmao. 

i have nightmares abt bad grades

i cry when i have to study for subjects i don’t like (like literally crying)

i’m not v good with teachers, they always know if i don’t like them 

smth that i rarely see the studyblr community talking abt: yes my friends and me “cheat”. we do copy sometimes things from each other in tests (#teamwork)

-actually that’s happened three times total: i switched to online halfway through eighth grade, nearly dropped out freshman year, and had to take a sabbatical the last quarter of sophomore year through the end of the first semester of junior year

-i took spanish 1 three times (i’m actually quite grateful for that. i met some of my favorite teachers and classmates while retaking it)

-^^^ and yep about that cheating thing. i was queen of pulling up spark notes during pop quizzes on To Kill a Mockingbird lmao

-it took me ages to finally get an iep because i didn’t outwardly show any of the typical “signs” of autism in the classroom but i was struggling immensely internally (i have always been terrified of getting in trouble and would always do anything the teacher said)

i read a grand total of zero books for my romantic literature class and showed up to the exam having prepared nothing (here’s the post to prove it) 

overall i basically do no readings for literature, if i’m feeling motivated i’ll skim the abstract and that’s it

i dropped ancient greek after one semester and didn’t even go to the exam

i always have a tab with tumblr open during lectures, often also twitter/ao3/whatsapp, you name it 

back when my major was still physics, i failed both theoretical and experimental physics in the first semester 

i’ll get tutoring in maths next semester and it’s my minor. i also had tutoring in high school

i opted out of my algebra one exam last year because i 100% would have failed and had to take it again a semester later

i strategically plan on when to take my allowed absences 

due to changing majors and a year abroad it’ll take me almost five years to get a BA instead of three

things on my desk right now: several half-full water bottles, a huge pile of papers and i’m not sure what they even are, wrapping paper, pretzels, some maths books i haven’t touched in forever, dvds, loads of receipts and other garbage, a mess of cables and USBs, and only one square of space for my laptop

nearly failed my social psychology course & greek 2 course due to medical issues

ended up in the hospital fall 2017 due to poor health

attempted to take notes physically only to give up because it was too painful to write (now i take digital notes)

lost my old job & got a new job in a span of 2 weeks two summers ago

had several break downs while at my job due to the stress

took me 12 years to get diagnosed with axial spondylitis & rheumatoid arthritis as the cause of my physical problems

nearly dropped out of college due to mental health issues stemming from assaults & physical disabilities & panic disorders

hardly read any of my textbooks throughout my years in uni

failed several times in biology & managed to scrape a passing grade thanks to my kind professor

always watch youtube videos while studying

my room gets cleaned like once a week & it just looks like absolute trash right now because of finals & my graduation & moving apartments

i barely keep up with my bullet journal

i struggle with eating healthy/eating at all due to gaining so much weight my freshman year & then losing it drastically due to an eating disorder

i can’t read my handwriting sometimes because it hurts so much to write

have to constantly go to doctors due to my poor health/blood problems

- I was failing my AP Calculus class so I had to drop it

- I have situational depression/anxiety which is caused and triggered by school (hence the failing class^)

- I waste time on Netflix and YouTube when I should be doing homework

- I haven’t been consistent with my SAT prep lately, and I really need to get my score up

- I compare my grades/career and college aspirations to others’

- 80% of my notes are not pretty

- I’m not going to be a medical doctor, even though my family is literally full of doctors and I’m expected to be

- Sometimes, I just “wing” quizzes when I’m too tired to study lol

… and there are many more, believe me.

- freshman year was the worst i’ve done in classes overall ever

- started freshman yr as an engineering student but i had to take statics this summer and literally failed the course

- was my first F in a course ever so i had a mental breakdown (am still in it tbh)

-am in calculus now: haven’t done my homework all summer

-basically have no idea what i want to do with my life now!

I’ve gotten an insane amount of C’s on my gen chem labs and I’m premed

I can’t focus in class at all, so I’m studying twice as much at home (thus my lack of social life lol)

I’ve gotten rejected/dubbed by so many film related internships, even from a student startup 

First semester of freshmen year writing made me lose sight of my writing ability after having unclear arguments

I’m an overall horrible test taker, especially standardized exams like the ACT and SAT 

I have anxiety

I’ve had a breakdown in front of my roommate because I wasn’t sure if premed was the way to go (even after being STEM literally my whole life)

i have failed multiple assignments in a row in the same class

i procrastinate at pretty much everything 

i am an awful test taker, even if i study super hard

my mental health always plummets in the winter and even after years and years of dealing with it I still let it take over me 

i lack motivation to do school work most of the time

i never did my spanish hw until the period before class 

my notes are not pretty as I am taking them (most of the things I post are done after the fact for the aesthetic) 

I have no idea what I want to do with my life after college 

- I have maladaptive daydreaming which makes it hard to focus during class or when I’m reading material (#procrastination) 

- I’ve been studying Spanish for years and living in Spanish speaking countries for 7 months but I’m still not fluent

- I haven’t actively studied Italian in weeks

i’ve compiled a masterpost of tips that i have reblogged over the past few months and i thought it would be easier to have it all in one place. none of these posts are by me! huge thanks to everyone that has created these tips.

exams

finals: survival guide for the brave

pennyfynotes’ guide to exam season

study tips for exams

tips for doing well on exams

how to

how to accept and grow from failure

how to avoid education burnout

how to be an efficient test-taker

how to cope with exams

how to get straight a’s

how to get straight a’s 2

how to overcome failure

how to study effectively

how to study as a busy student

how to study when you don’t want to

how to utilise your studyblr

how to do well in a class taught by a crappy teacher

improve your handwriting

improve your life

productivity

5 easy productivity tips

7 productivity tips

productivity 101

the no bullshit guide to getting your shit together

school

4 tips for delivering a perfect presentation

a self care masterpost to help you get through school

school cheat sheet

back to school

back to school advice

habits of successful students

search google like a pro

useful things for those going back 2 school

study tips

6 things people don’t always tell you about studying

effective note taking

memory tips

my 3 steps in studying

memorisation tips for different types of learners

random study tips

study habits

study methods

study smarter

study tips

strategies for writing good conclusions

things not to do when studying

tips + tricks for learning a language

types of study breaks for every situation

unconventional study tips

when to use

work smarter, not harder

misc.

four rules for a disciplined life

self discipline tips

self soothing techniques

small gestures of self-love

Colorful Key Ring Memo Pad / Slim Unicolor Washi Tape / Notes and Ideas Marble Notepad / 2018 Ardium Pastel Journal / Yume Gel Ink Pen

It’s easy to find study tips on Tumblr for almost any core subject, but music tips can be few and far between. These may help you a bit!

when studying music that you have to play, it is a lot easier to tap out the rhythm of the piece first, then focus on notes. Rhythm is often times very precise, so it helps to get down a concrete element before working on more musical notes

While tapping the rhythm, work on articulations/dynamics/etc, it helps to work on those in the beginning and incorporate it into the piece rather than leave it to the end and simply stack it on

Now it’s time to focus on notes. Play it once, play it again, then again and again. Circle notes you have trouble with. You should be familiar with this routine

Now it’s time to shadow! That means play your instrument without having sound come out. For wind instruments it means fingering without blowing, for percussionists it means fingering/beating on a flat surface. This way, you can get your muscle memory down without being too worried about how it sounds

IF YOU ARE PLAYING WITH TWO HANDS (pianists, percussionists, etc) play your instrument with one hand and shadow with the other. Alternate hands. This is especially helpful for pianists

Now you just need to practice! Use metronomes, segment your music, play from the end to the beginning, do whatever you need to do to get this piece down!

While practicing, it’s always good to keep a practice chart. Record the time you begin practicing and the time you finish. Record what you practiced and if you get stuck on anything. This will be really beneficial to see exactly how much time you need to spend to see results.

Remember! You love music! This is not a chore, this is art, and you are an artist! Have fun and make mistakes, and most importantly learn and grow from every song you get to play.

please don’t feel like you can’t be part of this community due to unrealistic misconceptions :( 

1. you don’t need to (and shouldn’t)  study 24/7

2. you don’t need neat and aesthetic notes

3. you don’t need to be productive everyday

4. you don’t need to own the most expensive stationery brands

5. you don’t need to know how to do calligraphy and not all of us own brush pens and thats ok

6. you don’t need to be part of extra curricular activities 

7. you definitely do not need to be an A-grade student

8. you don’t need to go to the top school/college/uni 

9. you don’t need to spend time making your notes look aesthetic (unless it motivates you to study then go for it!)

10. you don’t need a perfect sleep routine/diet/health :)

You heard me. Perfect. Pronunciation.

Drumroll….

Boom.

[Retrieved from wikipedia]

I present the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). ( IPA website)

Basically this here is the cheat code for all pronunciation of every language

E v e r y.  L a n g u a g e.

How?? Well, each symbol corresponds to one sound.

The table shows you where the sound is located and what your tongue has to do to pronounce that sound.

Example:

æ is said at the back of your throat while your throat is around halfway closed (indicated by its location relative to the words “open” and “front). This sound is found in “back“ (in the Standard/General American dialect).

ŋ is said by touching the base of your tongue to where the roof of your mouth gets soft (the velum) and exhaling through your noise while making noise (indicated by “velar” and “nasal”). This sound is found “song”.

As you can see, “ng” in “song” is made up of two letters that have different sounds while separate, but together they make a different sound. And English has some letters that correspond to several sounds all on their own! This is the case on many other languages, and trips up a lot of foreign language learners.

IPA ELIMINATES THIS DIFFICULTY BECAUSE EACH SYMBOL = 1 SOUND

lol sorry for all caps but im excited and this is important so

But how will this actually help you? Because dictionaries are amazing.

See that? That’s the entry for “language” in Merriam-Webster.

It shows two ways of pronouncing the word: ‘laŋ-gwij\, and \’laŋ-wij\, and indicates which syllable is stressed by putting a ‘ in front of the stressed syllable.

Pretty cool, right?

Here are some examples of IPA in action in different languages:

French: deux -> /dø/

Korean: 내가 -> /nɛ-ɡa/ or /ne-ga/

Afrikaans: seun -> /sɪøn/

Standard Arabic:  عَيْن‎ -> /ʕajn/

Ready to try this out for your own?

If you just want to only know how to pronounce your target language’s sounds:

Have a dictionary that uses IPA

When you want to look up a sound, go to the interactive IPA chart here

Learn how to say the sounds in your TL by understanding the column/row titles that they are in on the IPA chart (consonants here and vowels here)

Optional (or if you don’t have a dictionary):

Get the IPA charts for your target language (usually on its wikipedia page at “_target language_ Phonology”. If it’s not there then look up “_target language_ IPA transcription”) 

Example of an IPA chart (Afrikaans):

[Retrieved from Wikipedia]

It’s a lot less intimidating when it’s the sounds for only one language, right?

REMEMBER: you don’t need to be able to pronounce every sound in IPA to make use of this chart, just know

how

to make them and what these symbols sound like (more or less) and your life of learning pronunciation will be so much easier

So there you have it:

The Secret to Perfect Pronunication in Any Language

Go, be free my language-learning friends, go pronounce things like natives!

and get rid of that nasty romanization for all my fellow korean learners

(oh and if anyone has any questions about this, send em my way! i know there are a couple linguistics blogs that follow me so if any of yall wanna add smth, plz do!)

1) On the road, by Jack Kerouac: this is my favorite book ever. It talks about travel, adventure, poetry and the life of the beat generation. I love how it’s written, really simply, like a diary. You enter in the life of this group of friends and you can’t put the book down. 

2) Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac: I’m a big fan of Jack Kerouac so I wanted to include this one too. Just like on the road the book is fille of adventures, a lot of hiking, some philosophy…  

3) The mother, by Pearl Buck: this is a very difficult book, very sad, very heartbreaking but at the same time very interesting and captivating. It tells the story of a poor Chinese family in rural china, just before the birth of communism

4) The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck: John Steinbeck is my second favorite author after Jack Kerouac. I love all of his books but this one has a special place in my heart because it’s the first one I read and an amazing story about a family who lives (more like survives) in the times of the great depression. This book is a classic so I guess I don’t really have to present it honestly if you haven’t read it yet, do it 

5) Roots, by Alex Haley: this is a very beautiful book, which tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a man from Gambia who was captured by white men and became a slave in the United States, and then the story of all his descendants on 8 generations. The author is actually the descendant of Kounta and travelled to Gambia to know more about his ancestors, which history has been preserved thanks to the oral tradition 

6) Evolution man or how I ate my father by Roy Lewis: It’s been so long since I last read but I love this book, it’s hilarious and an easy and fun read 

7) The story of my experiments with truth, by Gandhi: this book can change your life. Gandhi tells his story, it’s basically an autobiography and I love how it portrays him like a normal man, who was far from perfect and who made mistakes, but you can still see that he was an incredible man and that he really did his best to help people, and India and elesewhere 

8) Takes of the Otori, by Lian Hearn: this was my favorite series when I was a kid (even though I wouldn’t recommend it for kids younger than 12-13 because some scenes shocked me). I haven’t read the books for years but I still felt like including it in my list because I loved the books so much and it’s a big part of my early teenage years. It takes place in a fictional medevial Japan, there’s a lot of battles, treasons, ninjas, adventures… everything it takes to make a good book ;) Everytime sometimes say that there are so many deaths in Games of thrones I just think about this series and I’m like lol. I have actually never met someone who has read this book so if you have please tell me what you thought about it because I don’t know if I’m the only who was (is?) obsessed with this book

9) The kite runner, by Khaled Hoseini: I first discovered the movie, and loved it so much that I read the book and I really didn’t regret it 

10) Las venas abiertas de América de Latina by Eduardo Galaneo: this is not a novel and does not tell the story of a character, but the story of Latin America through the last five centuries. Before the colonisation, the horrors fo the colonisation and until this day how the richest countries abused and still abuse of the resources and the people of Latin America. I promise it’s not boring at all, it’s very well written by a passionate Uruguayan autor and in my opinion it’s a must read 

Based on the Finnish list by @languagesandshootingstars (I couldn’t find a Hungarian one, so hope it doesn’t exist yet!)

mood: forever missing paris.

the book on the left is, fittingly, les liaisons dangereuses

currently listening to: easy, mac ayres (go!! listen!! now!!)

09/04/18 reviewing old notes in an effort to help me with a current assignment + a study break that turned into a cake-baking break!✨

before i knew it, i can’t stop thinkin’ about u.

i have been q bad at updating here every since i got my instagram. work is tiring but i’m hanging there bc of a cutie

double study date at one of my favorite coffee shops

working on critical analysis of research homework and wishing I was reading in my hammock