idk what this is tbh

hey guys!! so, quite a few of you seem to have liked my other masterpost about notes and studying and i recently received an anonymous question asking me for a masterpost particularly about self-study resources. so, this is it!! :]

languages

duolingo

memrise

languages masterpost

another language learning masterpost

check out my tags

spanish

spanish essay phrases

spanish checker

best online spanish dictionary and translator!!!!

japanese

korean!!!

annotating

gradesaver [english lit]

cliffsnotes

synonyms!!!

french checker

french grammar

french resources!!!!!!

another proof reading program

more language stuff ft. a lot of languages

arts and humanities

3 minute philosophy

mythology!!!!

psychology!!

world history

european history

art history

human geography

sciences + math

science glossary

best math website!!!

MATH CHEAT SHEETS

calculus cheat sheets

mathway

symbolab

iformulas

physics

HUGE BIO MASTERPOST!!!

studying biology!!!

balance chemical equations

periodic table of elements

CHEMISTRY RESOURCES

a lot of courses and other websites on various subjects!!!

masterpost

sparknotes

khan academy + on youtube

crash course videos!!!

the school of life yaaaas

google scholar

howstuffworks

vsauce

more free resources

An Overview of Note-Taking Styles

How to communicate quickly in game

Another chapter is coming to a close, woot woot! I am finally done with junior year! In celebration and disbelief at how I survived. So in no particular order, here are some things I’ve learned this year:  

1. Your friends in high-school are not necessarily going to be your friends       forever

High school is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s the time where everyone is trying to figure themselves out and figure everyone else out. You are going to get into fights with your friends, and that is ok. It is all part of the process of growing up and maturing. If these fights help your friendship become stronger, great! If they don’t, well then you don’t need them. I have gotten into so much drama this year- all of which could not have been avoided, but could have been lessened. So, yes; continue to be friends but please also remember that these friends may not necessarily continue to be your friends for the rest of your life. It is A-OK to drift apart, especially if they behave in a manner that is not worthy of your friendship. Ya don’t gotta be all cynical, but keep an open mind

2. Put yourself first

Continuing on that same line of thought, you gotta put yourself first homeslice. I don’t want to pat my own butt, but I am a pretty nice person that likes to help other people. This year, I became more aware of how much I was taken advantage of and I don’t want that to be you! There is nothing wrong with helping other people, I advocate strongly for it, but save yourself the pain and suffering that I put myself through and think about yourself too. Do things for yourself and value yourself, because you are the only you :)

3. Take Breaks

It’s very very very easy to tell yourself you don’t have time to hang out with friends or go out, and very very very very easy to succumb to locking yourself up in your room all day. Continue to study and work hard, but also learn to take a break and have fun every once in awhile. Work hard and play hard- it keeps you sane and alive. It doesn’t always have to be going out to party, but it can be small breaks like watching some vines, stretching, updating your tumblr, watching some netflix, or taking a quick nap. It’s important to let your brain take a break and let your body take a break so you can attack your studying with new fervor.

4. It is ok to cry

You are going to feel overwhelmed and feel like everything is falling to pieces. It is completely normal and your emotions are completely valid because Junior Year is rough!

5. No one has any idea what they are doing

Honestly people will try and talk a big game, but no one really knows what they’re doing. People will seem like they have everything together, but everyone is just as confused about everything as much as you are.

6. Talk to your teachers

Teachers understand that you are dying. They went through the same process and they see hundreds of them dying in their classes. There will be teachers that are completely rude and obviously hate children. It’s terrible that there are teachers who really can’t teach or don’t even try, but sadly it exists. You don’t need to be best friends with those kinds, but still be civil. Most of the time teachers are more than willing to help you and love that you are taking the time to talk to them  It is so important, especially Junior year, to find a couple of teachers that you can talk to. They

7. Start early

It’s incredibly hard not to procrastinate, and I have definitely, 100%, done my fair share of it (and I am still doing it as I am putting off studying for the SAT right now, oops). But even if you have no motivation, no energy, and you just want to surf the internet, it is much better to do even a little bit of it, than none at all. I can’t tell you how many times I have regretted not starting on something, and having everything pile in all at once. It’s not just homework, this is the time to also get ready for Standardized Tests and College. Practice, practice, practice for SAT/ACTS (I have a post about the [ACT here]) Get started researching about colleges so that you have an idea of what college visits at your school to go to and which colleges to visit. Also start planning your summer plans early so that instead of lazing around all day (do do some lazing and relax), get involved in volunteering, interning, working, and planning for college apps.

8. Make a resume and update it as needed

Seriously. Build a resume. I have so many friends that did not/still do not have resumes that were scramming in the end when they needed it. It’s something that is helpful to have even if you aren’t applying for a job or internship. For example, when running for BPA state officer, I needed to submit a resume and used that resume to meet new people and convince them to vote for me. I also gave my resume to my counselor so she would have a better understanding of my experience thus far. It’s good to make/update it when it’s still fresh in your mind so it’s easier to write about, instead of wracking your brain months later and forgetting important details. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but make one!

9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

It’s so easy to pretend like you understand everything and so hard to actually come terms with the fact that you need help. People in high school and even your friends might come off as obnoxious and rude, and even sneer at people asking for help. Asking though, in turn gives them an opportunity to show off their “immense knowledge” and clears up confusion for you. Even if you’re afraid of being judged, the worst that can happen is someone can say “I don’t know”. Which is perfectly fine because you can always ask someone else. Asking teachers can also be incredibly hard. I always had this thing where I was afraid to approach teachers because I was afraid of wasting their time and asking stupid things, but teachers are there to help- it is their job, to teach. It doesn’t even have to be about academics, if you need help for any reason- there are so many great resources at school that will be there- resource officers, nurses, coaches, counselors, deans, etc. School is a place of learning and if in the environment you cannot do your best for whatever reason, seek out the help that you need and do not be afraid to do it.

10. If it doesn’t make you happy, ditch it

That applies to everything. If there are people in your life that treat you terribly and don’t make you happy, you don’t need them. If there is a significant other, class, activity, whatever, that don’t make you happy, you don’t need it. High school is too short to waste on insignificant events that eat you up emotionally and physically. Do things for yourself.

Junior year has been a roller coaster ride in terms of academics and emotions. Were there things I wish I did differently? Of course. But there is no need to dwell in the past. I am so thankful for all the support I’ve gotten thus far on my blog. I started Junior year with no idea what a “studyblr” was, and went into it with no idea what was going to happen. There is still a lot I can improve on and more ways I want to help people on their personal journeys. All 500+ of my followers, I am forever thankful of you and your belief in me. I truly never thought I would see the day.

Organisation and Planning

Have a planner or some area where you can write your plans for the day so you can easily see when you have a class or event.

Update your planner/ calendar every day

Have weekly to do lists. I taped mine in each week of my planner so i can see all tasks and events in the one glance.

Clean your desk or work space every night or after a session, this way it’s so much easier to get started the next day.

Have a post it note near you to jot down important things you remember for you to do later that way you don’t get sidetracked. 

Get out any power cords, pens, food etc. that you need for a study sesh before you start.

Stick on your wall a list of upcoming assignments or class work due dates and tick of as you do them, or post it note them and remove when done.

Break down tasks on lists so it seems more achievable. 

Always make a plan before starting an assignment, maybe a mind map of what needs to be done and where you’ll get what info. I love doing this for essays.

Make sure you know what things you need to do before each class whether its reading or printing slides, come prepared.

Keep all notes for a subject together whether in a folder or digitally, this will help in exam season and don’t leave papers in your bag to be forgotten about.

Empty your bag everyday and put handouts or information in its appropriate place.

Studying

Pomodoro! Most people i know do the 30 mins study 5 min break but this has always been too short of time for me to accomplish something with too little of a break so i tend to do 45 or 60 minutes with a 10 minute break which is pretty much the same time it just works better for me.

ASMR! i know this sounds cringe or cliche but asmr can be super relaxing and provides that white noise that we like without listening to music which may prove distracting. I suggest the Harry potter common room ones they are beautiful.

Attitude. This is so important because if you go into studying pessimistically you will end up annoyed, go in with the mindset of getting a lot done and reaching your goals.

A pretty work space is a used work space, well at least for me. When my walls are covered with artwork and my desk is neat i feel most motivated, cleaning your desk is a small task that might inspire you to get working. 

Candles, see above. 

Watch YouTube videos on the subject you’re studying, for visual and auditory learners this is especially helpful. 

Make summaries after your notes, mainly focusing on explicit points in the syllabus.

Make sure your summaries are done as you complete the course work so you are prepared for exam season.

A few weeks before exams make a list of all you want to get done before then and start working!

If you have your textbook on your device get a program that will read the text to you, save your eyes and this is normally a quicker way to digest material.

Find the study space that works for you, e.g. home, the library etc. 

As much as i love it, coffee makes you peak and come down so if you can water and good snacks can be better for sustained energy.

DO PRACTICE QUESTIONS! For some reason i thought it was okay to think about a practice question and then just look at the answer? No, this did not work, you need to actually see what you know and write a response. 

When possible work under exam conditions, it’s going to be stressful to be put under those circumstances but you need to actually get used to working that way.

Set a time and write down all you know about a small topic on a page, what you miss is what you need to go over.

Most textbooks are a base resource that can help you if you don’t understand a concept but there shouldn’t be too many notes to gather that you shouldn’t have already gotten in class, this is obviously different for each class but for me this has been the case. Don’t waste good revision time relearning what you know.

Highlighting allows us to tune out of the actual reading so avoid when possible and take notes as you go if you need to as this makes you focus more.

Flashcards are fun to make and they are proven to work, just make sure if you make question cards you don’t cheat when using them and look at the answers. 

Making your notes is pretty but time consuming, don’t feel pressured to have that aesthetic all the time, the work is more important.

Find online quizzes on the topics you are studying. Many people have done your course before and already put in the hard yards, take advantage of this.

As above there are many resources for topics online, find these before you start a new section to be extra prepared. 

Rereading notes before bed makes sure it stays in your head as your brain will be processing it overnight or some science but it does work.

When studying put your phone in another room to relieve the urge to check it all the time.

Stationery 

Have a good trusty pen. Mine is the uniball signo. We have a friendship, it’s good.

I’ve learned recently you don’t need 100 coloured pens and the entire fine-liner collection because i only like a few colours and often don’t have enough time to use a brush pen, markers, highlighters and pens all in the one page of notes.

Don’t feel pressured to have pretty equipment, functional equipment is 100 times more important

Small dot or grid notebooks to do summaries in or mind maps really has helped me feel motivated because they do look really pretty and gets me focused in exam times.

There is a movement towards digitising notes but i think it is still good to have a binder for handouts and articles etc.

Only take to college/school/university the essentials and save your back.

Keep a few bad ballpoints in your bag to save giving friends your nice pens and never getting them back.

Don’t buy stationery that doesn’t work, yes the New York post its i got were beautiful, did they stick at all, no. This clutters your work space and steals your money.

Personal Care

Don’t feel guilty for taking breaks, realistically know your limits and think of it as refuelling.

Try to eat healthy not for weight or looking good but because your body will hate you when you are always giving it takeaway and then asking it to do 14 hour study sessions.

When struggling to focus of a morning, get up and have a shower. This will wake you up and get you feeling motivated.

Have a support person. Mine is my boyfriend and is the person i can just let out all the stress onto, have a cry and then get back to work. You just need to let it out sometimes.

A more relaxed study method is to group up with friends and test each other, create little games etc.

Make sure you still socialise and go to events during crazy stressful periods because you need an outlet and a break.

write out your goals for a term, semester, class or year and refer back to them when you get your results, this will make sure you are judging yourself by your own standards and not compared to anyone else’s.

Just completed and submitted the final version of my Extended Essay !!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° 

So I compiled lists of words that I found super super useful in making it easier for me to finish any essay !! Here is a masterpost of some sort with transition words + key vocabs grouped together for easy access as well as an IB IOC ‘cheat sheet’ I used for my english LAL orals last year (though most commentaries follow a similar structure so its generalisable) ~

Good luck with your essays !!!

On daily routine:

- As soon as your alarm goes off, sit up in your bed and turn it off. Don’t press snooze, it will only become harder to get up. -Always have a glass of water next to your bed, so when you wake up, you can drink as soon as you are up. If you like, you can put cucumber in it, it will be even more refreshing.  -Put on your socks and a pullover or sweater or nightrobe or whatever you like, and go to the bathroom. -Wash your face, then use your face creme if you like. -Have breakfast if you have time and appetite for that. -Then wash your teeth, and use some lipbalm if you like. -Dress up in an outfit THAT YOU FEEL GOOD IN. (Also don’t forget about the weather… take care of yourself.) -Pack your lunch, check if you have everything important (keys, phone, money, ID, etc.) -On the road, do something that puts you in a good mood, or prepares you for the day. For example, you could catch up on your reading, revise the things you’ll do that day, run through your notes if you have a test that day, listen to music, etc. -DON’T TAKE LOOOOONG NAPS IN THE AFTERNOON. It may feel as the most refleshing thing, but you will regret it: you lose a lot of time, and the worst is, that you won’t sleep thight that night. MY TIP is to rest for 1- 1 and a half hours when you get home. You could eat something, or rest your head for a good half hour. Then start studying. If you really can’t focus on studying after a long day, that’s totally fine. Go to bed a bit earlier, and wake up earlier as well! You’ll see that in the morning, you will be more efficient, which will keep you moving all day long. -DON’T DRINK CAFFEINE IN THE AFTERNOON- it’s the same as naps, but (for me) it’s totally worse!!!!

On self-care:

-drink water -eat when you are hungry -go to bed in time -every Sunday, make your night a self-care night (long bath, hairwashing, face hydratating, manicure, pedicure, anything you like…) -use face scrub twice a week -wash your face twice a day -don’t sleep with your make up on -wash you hair 3 times a week

On studying:

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. 

Before I begin: sorry for my long break. I’m back and changed my profile picture (in case you have no idea who on earth you are following here) and my template… and also my header for my posts so… you know… everything. But now let’s start. :)

This time I want to make it short, so here are 26 study tips for learning a foreign language.

Study every day. Even if you just study 5 minutes, that’s important for your progress. 17 minutes every day is FAR BETTER than two hours on one day of the week.

Learn the most important 100-300 words.

Use good apps/websites for your target language. Take the time to find out which apps and websites work best for you.

Watch movies, series and videos in your target language. If needed turn on subtitles.

Write a little text every day. For example a diary entry.

IMPORTANT: Practice speaking right from the BEGINNING!

Try to live your language as much as you can. You should do everything you can in your target language. Think about what you do in your native language and then try to do it in the language you want to learn.

Change the language on your social media websites.

Change the language on your smartphone.

Read books for children if normal books are too difficult for you.

Study vocabs you just can’t keep in mind with apps extra for this problem.

Find a chat group in your target language. More people, more fun.

Try to think in your target language, even if you’re quite new to it. For example learn the numbers and use your target language for counting.

Make a plan for learning. (Yeah that came a little bit late lol)

Find out which learning type you are. Seriously don’t skip this. You really, really, really should know that! It will make things so much easier!

Use new words as soon as you can. For example when chatting with your language exchange partner: replace every word you can with your new vocab.

Write a list with big and (IMPORTANT) small goals (!!!)

Listen to music while reading the lyrics, even if you don’t understand it.

Read a book and listen to the audio version of it.

Write a diary in your target language.

Talk to yourself. Who could be more interesting? :p

Write a list with rewards for reaching your goals.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS! You will need this when hitting a plateau.

Search for apps/websites that are only available in your target language and use them.

Use a calendar with your goals and progress on it.

i’m going into my junior year of high school, the time when many students are getting ready to apply for college. many of my friends and peers have been concerned about what, exactly, they should be doing to prepare this year, and when. so, we held a college information session. this may be geared towards my specific area/region, but hopefully everyone can take something out of this. here are some tips that we learned:

ON COLLEGE VISITS

questions to ask:

what is your freshman retention rate?

what is the percentage of students that graduate in 4 years? (new statistic: ¾ of students don’t; the average student takes 5 ½ years to graduate)

make sure there is written documentation of your visit

when reviewing applications, colleges note “touch points”– these include things like taking an official tour, sending in those cards you get in the mail, or something as easy as emailing one of their admissions counselors with a simple question. they’ll keep your information, and it may give you an advantage over other students because you showed you’re seriously interested in their school. so, even if you’re taking an informal campus tour, make sure to stop in the admissions office and fill out one of those cards with your information. it’ll be added into their system as a touch point– and you’re already one step ahead!

TESTING

some things to remember:

the SAT and ACT are, for the most part, equally accepted by colleges.

certain schools may require an SAT subject test. make sure to check out programs you’re interested in so that you can prepare all of its requirements.

the SAT is a test of aptitude, while the ACT is more knowledge-based and straightforward. 

if you’re bright and a good test taker but maybe you don’t get the best grades, the SAT may be more fit for you.

if you’re more studious and focused on grades and retaining information you’ve learned in class, the ACT may be a better match. 

a guidance counselor recommends: take both tests once, and whichever you feel you performed better on, take it again. 

many colleges like to see growth in scores because it shows you’re really working towards something. this may change depending on the selectivity of the school, but consider this before only sending your best score. 

if you know what colleges you’re interested in, check and see what they prefer/require before taking the tests. most likely, you’ll save yourself a lot of time, effort, and money in the long run.

SO, WHEN SHOULD I BE DOING ALL OF THIS?

here’s a timeline of what was recommended for your junior year

October: 

take the PSAT again (this is the year that you can qualify for NMSQT). i’m not sure if this applies everywhere but i know where i live, this is a requirement.

if your school uses Naviance, make sure you have your login information. you should be using the tools it provides to research colleges and find out more about jobs you may be suited for.

November/December

take the ACT or SAT. if you’ve already taken the SAT, i suggest taking the ACT before doing the SAT again. 

this is around the time you should start visiting colleges if you haven’t already. if you can’t go to schools, look for information sessions and college fairs near you. if you’re on a college’s email list, they’ve likely sent you dates that they offer tours or perhaps are even hosting information sessions closer to you.

April/May/June

start asking for letters of recommendation!! many teachers give letters on a first-come-first-serve basis, so get ahead. usually you want to have 2-4 of these. think about programs and schools you may apply for, and think about what subject teachers may be most helpful in your application. also, check schools’ websites and see what they recommend/require. outside letters are also okay, if they’re from someone who knows you and your work ethic well. 

consider taking the SAT or ACT again. 

schedule your senior year. it’s no longer a time to slack off; colleges now look at your grades as late as third marking period. continue to challenge yourself, but also take electives that interest you to get a better idea of what careers you may want to pursue.

get the Common App essays from your guidance counselor. you should at least think about these over the summer to get an idea of what you’ll say in your application essays.

August

this is when the Common App is available for that year. many, but not all schools, use this. do your own research to decide if it’s a necessity for you.

MISC. TIPS

very few students partake in college interviews anymore. requesting and interview may set you apart from other students (touch point!), but it is definitely not required or even recommended by the vast majority of schools.

if you know you will be going to grad school or a higher ed program, think about where you want to concentrate your money. a cheaper but respected undergraduate school may be a great idea to save money for a great graduate school. (you probably don’t care where your doctor went for their undergrad, but where’d they go to med school?)

MAKE SURE YOU’RE MEETING YOUR SCHOOL’S GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.