Study inspiration

By “not-so-popular languages” I mean languages that not many people in the langblr community are learning. Albanian Memrise Loecsen Goethe Verlang Digital Dialects BABADADA Basque  Memrise Digital Dialects BABADADA

Belarusian Memrise Goethe Verlang Internet Polyglot BABADADA Bosnian Memrise Goethe Verlang Digital Dialects BABADADA Breton Memrise Loecsen Bulgarian Memrise Mondly Loecsen Innovative Language Goethe Verlang Internet Polyglot Digital Dialects BABADADA Catalan Memrise Loecsen Goethe Verlang Digital Dialects BABADADA Croatian Memrise Mango Languages Mondly Loecsen Goethe Verlang Internet Polyglot Digital Dialects BABADADA Easy Languages Czech Memrise Duolingo Mango Languages Mondly Innovative Language Loecsen Goethe Verlang Internet Polyglot Digital Dialects BaBaDum BABADADA Danish Memrise Duolingo Mango Languages Mondly Innovative Language Loecsen Goethe Verlang Internet Polyglot Digital Dialects BaBaDum BABADADA Estonian Memrise Loecsen Goethe Verlang Oneness City Digital Dialects BABADADA Galician Memrise BABADADA Greek Memrise Duolingo Mango Languages Mondly Innovative Language Loecsen Goethe Verlang Linguti Internet Polyglot Digital Dialects BaBaDum BABADADA Easy Languages

Anki is such a useful study tool! It’s perfect for people learning how to study (i.e. new college students) because it is most effective when used on a daily basis and can help form good studying habits. It’s also very popular among med/vet students because it can help you learn a ton of information in an quick, efficient manner. 

I’m by no means an Anki expert - this program is extremely customizable and can be tailored to fit any purpose. I used it consistently this semester, a little bit each day, and found that I barely had to study for my tests the night before! 

This post will outline my personal favorite Anki uses, add-ons and studying techniques. 

What is Anki?

“Anki is a program which makes remembering things easy. Because it’s a lot more efficient than traditional study methods, you can either greatly decrease your time spent studying, or greatly increase the amount you learn.”  (from Anki’s website)

Essentially, it’s a flashcard app. Think Quizlet on steroids. 

Installation

Anki is very simple to install - visit their website and follow the directions. The program is free with Windows, Mac and Android! 

Card Types 

I use three different card types: Basic (used rarely), Cloze, and Image Occlusion. 

Cloze Cards 

These are essentially fill in the blank cards. The program will add brackets around around the word or phrase you are trying to omit. 

Shortcut to create brackets (Mac): Command + Shift + C 

For example:

{{c1:: phrase}} 

If you add multiple brackets, they will appear as {{c2:: }}, {{c3::  }} and so on. This means that three cards will be created when you press “Add.” This is useful if you think that you need three or more cards to memorize the concept - but often it’s too repetitive. To put multiple phrases on one card, you can replace the number each number with {{c1:  }}. See below for an add-on that does this automatically. 

The golden rule of Anki: Less is more. It’s very easy to make a ton of cards, but it makes your studying less efficient. 

See the gif below to watch me create and study a Cloze card. 

Image Occlusion

This card type lets you create cards that hide parts of an image. Super useful for memorizing tables or learning anatomy. 

You can save images to your computer and then upload them OR copy them to your clipboard and it will select them automatically. 

Creating an Image Occlusion card: 

There are several options for adding the card(s). At this point, you have made three fields, so clicking any of the add options at the bottom will generate three separate cards. However, If you use the select tool to select all the cards and press the letter “G” it will group the fields so only one card is created. This is what I usually do - but it definitely depends on what the card is. 

In the gif below you’ll see me group the fields and study the Image Occlusion cards.

Add-Ons 

Anki has a ton of user created add-ons that enhance the program and make it more customizable! You can browse them here. 

How to add them: 

These are just the add-ons I use. I’ll list them below with a description from their download page - you can click the link to view pictures. 

Image Occlusion (Described above) 

CODE: 1111933094

Frozen Fields: Frozen Fields allows you to conveniently sticky and unsticky a field right from the note editor. 

CODE: 516643804

Cloze Deletion Single Card: Whenever you add a cloze deletion in a card, you always will get a tag using “c1” instead of c2, 3, 4, etc. 

CODE: 1392166854

PDF Glossary Exporter: Allows you to download a deck in PDF form

CODE: 1334168683

Review Heatmap: Adds a heatmap graph to Anki’s main window which visualizes past and future card review activity. 

CODE: 1771074083

Organization

How you set up your decks is completely up to you! 

I have my classes as major decks, and then separate my chapter flashcards by exam. 

I’ve seen people do this with topics or lectures as sub-decks as well. It all depends on your personal preference, but I would definitely recommend making smaller decks to keep you more organized. 

An alternative to this would be using Anki’s tagging feature. I’m not an expert on this, but I’ll link you to a video that explains it pretty well. Here’s another from a med student! 

Studying Methods/Tips

Directly after a lecture, I take my notes and create cards right away. In the ‘extra’ section or on the back of cards, I add supplemental information or diagrams from the internet or book. I make sure that I completely finish the cards that Anki assigns me every single day. I also bought the app on my iPad, which has a scratch pad feature. It helps me learn faster if I write or draw out the answer to a card as I answer them. (Before I had the app I used a whiteboard or scratch paper to do this!) 

You can go in and change the amount of cards they assign you if you need a lighter/heavier workload. I recommend setting the New and Review card limits very high - you only have a short amount of time to learn the cards between now and your next test.  Anki’s program is set up for learning over a longer period of time. However - this is up to you! 

Here’s how to change the limit: 

General tips: 

Anki is best used on a daily basis. Study a little bit each day!

Make your cards directly after lecture (or reading a chapter). DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! The earlier you make them, the more effective they will be. 

Add pictures to your cards, and lots of information on the back or in the extra sections. You will want to know why you got a card wrong - this is how you learn!

LESS IS MORE. It’s so easy to make a ton of cards - focus on having a small amount of high yield cards. 

Do your research! The more you learn about Anki, the more effective it will be. 

Use this as a supplement to your other studying methods

More Resources

Below are my favorite Anki tutorials! 

How to Add “Type In The Answer” fields to Cloze cards 

How to Use Anki Effectively 

My Memorization Technique in Med School  

Anki for Med School: Using Cloze Deletion Cards 

Image Occlusion and Cram Studying 

How I make my Study Note cards in Medical School 

So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.

Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.

Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.

Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.

Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.

Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.

Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.

Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.

Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!

Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.

Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.

Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.

Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.

Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.

If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.

Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.

It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.

Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.

You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.

Here’s an easy resolution: This stuff is all free as long as you have access to a computer, and the skills you learn will be invaluable in your career, and/or life in general. 

1. Become awesome at Excel.

Chandoo is one of many gracious Excel experts who wants to share their knowledge with the world. Excel excellence is one of those skills that will improve your chances of getting a good job instantly, and it will continue to prove invaluable over the course of your career. What are you waiting for?

2. Learn how to code.

littleanimalgifs.tumblr.com

Perhaps no other skill you can learn for free online has as much potential to lead to a lucrative career. Want to build a site for your startup? Want to build the next big app? Want to get hired at a place like BuzzFeed? You should learn to code. There are a lot of places that offer free or cheap online coding tutorials, but I recommend Code Academy for their breadth and innovative program. If you want to try a more traditional route, Harvard offers its excellent Introduction to Computer Science course online for free.

3. Make a dynamic website.

You could use a pre-existing template or blogging service, or you could learn Ruby on Rails and probably change your life forever. Here’s an extremely helpful long list of free Ruby learning tools that includes everything from Rails for Zombies to Learn Ruby The Hard Way. Go! Ruby! Some basic programming experience, like one of the courses above, might be helpful (but not necessarily required if you’re patient with yourself).

4. Learn to make a mobile game.

If you’re not interested in coding anything other than fun game apps, you could trythis course from the University of Reading. It promises to teach you how to build a game in Java, even if you don’t have programming experience! If you want to make a truly great game, you might want to read/listen up on Game Theory first.

5. Start reading faster.

Spreeder is a free online program that will improve your reading skill and comprehension no matter how old you are. With enough practice, you could learn to double, triple, or even quadruple the speed at which you read passages currently, which is basically like adding years to your life.

6. Learn a language!

With Duolingo, you can learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, or English (from any of the above or more). There’s a mobile app and a website, and the extensive courses are completely free.

Full disclosure: BuzzFeed and other websites are in a partnership with DuoLingo, but they did not pay or ask for this placement.

7. Pickle your own vegetables.

Tired of your farmer’s market haul going bad before you use it all? Or do you just love tangy pickled veggies? You too can pickle like a pro thanks to SkillShare and Travis Grillo.

8. Improve your public speaking skills.

You can take the University of Washington’s Intro to Public Speaking for free online. Once you learn a few tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to go into situations like being asked to present at a company meeting or giving a presentation in class without nearly as much fear and loathing.

9. Get a basic handle of statistics.

UC Berkeley put a stats intro class on iTunes. Once you know how to understand the numbers yourself, you’ll never read a biased “news” article the same way again — 100% of authors of this post agree!

10. Understand basic psychology.

Knowing the basics of psych will bring context to your understanding of yourself, the dynamics of your family and friendships, what’s really going on with your coworkers, and the woes and wonders of society in general. Yale University has its Intro to Psychology lectures online for free.

11. Make your own music.

Step one: Learn how to play guitar: Justin Guitar is a fine and free place to start learning chords and the basic skills you’ll need to be able to play guitar — from there, it’s up to you, but once you know the basics, just looking up tabs for your favorite songs and learning them on your own is how many young guitar players get their start (plus it’s an excellent party trick).

Step two: A delightful free voice lesson from Berklee College Of Music.

Step three: Have you always thought you had an inner TSwift? Berklee College of Music offers an Introduction to Songwriting course completely for free online. The course is six weeks long, and by the end of the lesson you’ll have at least one completed song.

Step four: Lifehacker’s basics of music production will help you put it all together once you have the skills down! You’ll be recording your own music, ready to share with your valentine or the entire world, in no time!

12. Learn to negotiate.

Let Stanford’s Stan Christensen explain how to negotiate in business and your personal life, managing relationships for your personal gain and not letting yourself be steamrolled. There are a lot of football metaphors and it’s great.

13. Stop hating math.

If you struggled with math throughout school and now have trouble applying it in real-world situations when it crops up, try Saylor.org’s Real World Math course. It will reteach you basic math skills as they apply IRL. Very helpful!

14. Start drawing!

All kids draw — so why do we become so afraid of it as adults? Everyone should feel comfortable with a sketchbook and pencil, and sketching is a wonderful way to express your creativity. DrawSpace is a great place to start. (I also highly recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain if you can drop a few dollars for a used copy.)

15. Make your own animated GIF.

BuzzFeed’s own Katie Notopoulos has a great, simple guide to making an animated GIF without Photoshop. This is all you need to be the king or queen of Tumblr or your favorite email chains.

16. Appreciate jazz.

reddit.com

Have you never really “gotten” jazz? If you want to be able to participate in conversations at fancy parties and/or just add some context to your appreciation of all music, try this free online course from UT Austin.

17. Write well.

Macalester College’s lecture series is excellent. If you’re more interested in journalism, try Wikiversity’s course selection.

18. Get better at using Photoshop.

Another invaluable skill that will get you places in your career, learning Photoshop can be as fun as watching the hilarious videos on You Suck At Photoshop or as serious as this extensive Udemy training course (focused on photo retouching).

19. Take decent pictures.

Lifehacker’s basics of photography might be a good place to start. Learn how your camera works, the basic of composition, and editing images in post-production. If you finish that and you’re not sure what to do next, here’s a short course on displaying and sharing your digital photographs.

20. Learn to knit.

Instructables has a great course by a woman who is herself an online-taught knitter. You’ll be making baby hats and cute scarves before this winter’s over!

21. Get started with investing in stocks.

If you are lucky enough to have a regular income, you should start learning about savings and investment now. Investopedia has a ton of online resources, including this free stocks basics course. Invest away!

22. Clean your house in a short amount of time.

Unf$#k Your Habitat has a great emergency cleaning guide for when your mother-in-law springs a surprise visit on you. While you’re over there, the entire blog is good for getting organized and clean in the long term, not just in “emergencies.” You’ll be happier for it.

23. Start practicing yoga.

Most cities have free community classes (try just searching Google or inquiring at your local yoga studio), or if you’re more comfortable trying yoga at home, YogaGlohas a great 15-day trial and Yome is a compendium of 100% free yoga videos. If you’re already familiar with basic yoga positions but you need an easy way to practice at home, I recommend YogaTailor’s free trial as well.

24. Tie your shoelaces more efficiently.

In addition to the link above, statisticshell.com is a FANTASTIC intro stats site, which is course material and links to lectures from Andy Field, who wrote the most understandable stats textbook ever! The book itself is fantastic, but unfortunately, the opposite of free. :)

Absolutely! Doing laundry on your own can be super stressful the first few times, but after you’ve gotten use to it, the routine becomes easy.

Washing Clothes 101

1. Don’t separate. In a perfect world, you would be color sorting your clothes to perserve the crispness of their colors. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and doing laundry is expensive! I don’t know a single college student who actually separates their whites from their colors, and I would advise you to follow our example and to wash everything together. If you have any pieces of clothing that are very fragile or delicate, set them aside in a bag. Wait until this bag is full, and do a separate wash for them on a delicate cycle.

2. Detergent. Buy whatever detergent is on sale at your local dollar store. Generally speaking, liquid detergent has more washes in it than pods do. 

3. Making detergent. I’ve read some interesting arguments on Tumblr about how making your own detergent is more worthwhile than purchasing product. I actually found a post that broke down the pricing of everything. Based off of how much time/money they spent to put everything together and how many loads they got out of it, my fancy smancy 3-in-1 Tide Pods were 3x as cost effective. I would avoid making your own detergent, unless you know what you’re doing and really want to.

4. Cold vs Hot wash. Cold washes get stains out better and are more eco-friendly than hot washes. Period the end.

5. Do I need fabric softener? Fabric softener is not necessary at all! Its main purpose is supposedly to perserve the softness of your clothing’s fabric during its time in the washing/drying machines. And maybe it does, but not in a very noticeable way. What it does do is smell strongly, a smell that I happen to really enjoy, but not everyone does. That said, fabric softener is super inexpensive, and a bottle of it will last you a year because you only use a small amount per wash. So if you like the smell of it, absolutely- go for it!

6. Do I need dryer sheets? Once again, no you do not! Dryer sheets help keep your clothing from sticking together and getting staticky, which is something you will notice occasionally as you start doing laundry. That said, they are very similar to fabric softener in the way that they mostly act as a scenting agent. Unlike softener, they aren’t super inexpensive, but are supposedly reusable. 

7. Card vs. Coins. Both of these are payment methods for washing machines. Some laundromats have both, most only offer one method. I personally prefer the card because it means that I don’t have to walk around with pockets full of quarters. But some laundromats will charge a small fee for the card and a larger fee if you loose it and need a new one. 

Identifying Washing Machine Types

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a “once size fits all” method for operating washing machines. There are so many different brands of washing machines, all of them varying in age and efficiency. The best I can do is to break the machines into two different categories (pictured above). 

The washing machine on the left is a newer model, the sort of machine that you will find in most laundromats. These machines are generally larger capacity, and are fully automatic. 

On the right, we have the older model. These machines require more legwork and caution then their counterparts because they can overflow easily.

The Method (Washing)

How to Wash Clothes Using an Older Model

1. If you have liquid detergent, start by pouring it into the bottom of the washer. Generally one cap is enough for one full washer. If you’re using pods, see step 4.

2. Pile smaller items towards the bottom of the washer to avoid clogging the machine. If you have to place larger items like blankets on the bottom, make sure that they are situated loosely. 

3. Be careful not to overload the machine! These machines are finicky and do not like to be overworked. Load clothes up to the top of the plastic tube that juts out from the center of the machine. 

4. If you are using pods, now is the time to add them. Two detergent pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle. 

5. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

6. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine. 

7. If you want to add softener, you will need to wait until the “add softener” light turns on. This is about midway through your wash. You’ll pour the softener directly into the machine. You’ll notice how the machine stops running when you open the lid. It’s crazy what technology can do nowadays!

8. Wait until the washing machine finishes its cycle, otherwise the bottom will be filled with water and your clothes will be drenched.

9. Start moving your laundry into dryers. 

How to Wash Clothes Using an Newer Model

1. Fill the machine with clothes, taking extra care to ensure that they aren’t packed tightly.

2. Locate and open the soap compartment located on either the side or top of the washer. Pour your detergent in the one marked “detergent”. If you are using pods, see step 5.

3. Add any softener you may wish to use into the compartment marked “fabric softener”.

4. Remember to close alls compartment, or else you might get hit with some water.

5. If you are using laundry pods, add them directly to the machine, dispersing them throughout the clothes. Two pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle.

6. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

7. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine. 

8. This type of laundry machine has a security lock that activates after you have started the wash cycle. Nobody, not even you, will be able to access what is inside this washer until after it completes its cycle. Feel free to leave the laundromat and get some chores done in the meantime!

9. You will hear a distinct “click” after the washing machine has finished working. Start moving your wash into dryers!

The Method (Drying)

Unlike washers, all drying machines are essentially the same. They will all be oriented like the newer washer model. 

1. Clean on the lint traps in the dryer before you even begin loading your clothing in. Find the lint trap and slide it open, use your hands to scrape the lint off the screen. Put this lint in the nearest receptacle. 

2. Place the lint trap back in- the dryer will not run until it is fully secured.

3. Start loading clothes! It’s impossible to gage how powerful or efficient a dryer is until you try it. I recommend dividing your clothes between two dryers and running them for 30-45 minutes. If you want a more involved but faster method, divide your clothes between as many dryers as possible, and run them for the shortest amount of time. 

4. Add your dryer sheets. The rule of thumb is two sheets per normal sized load.

5. Some machines have a one-size fits all cycle, which could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Other machines (most public machines) have a pricing system. My local laundromat has 15 minutes for 25¢, so I’ll put in a 75¢ for 45 minutes. 

6. Select the cycle you would like to use on your machine. I aways recommend the hottest cycle to save money.

7. The first few times you do a load of laundry, you’ll have to keep checking your clothes for doneness. Dryers do not lock, so you can open them at any time to check your clothes. So can the creepy guy in the laundromat- so it’s best to keep an eye on them.

8. After your clothes are done, load them back into your laundry bin.

If you don’t already know I am a really anxious person. Most of the time I tend to create huge amounts of worries, literally out of nowhere and, most of the time, for nothing.

This behavior of mine costs me tons of energy, an energy I could use to actually create new things and be more proactive in my everyday life. I tend to think too much about the near future, and I really struggle to do one thing at a time. Do you recognize yourself in what I’m saying?

That’s why today I wanted to talk about how I deal with stress and anxiety since I realized I’m always trying to relax as much as I can to keep myself in control and I’m proud to say that it helped me :)

So here we go : 

Accept the fact that anxiety will never leave you. Yes, I know, this one sounds desperate but listen to me : wanting to get rid of anxiety forever and thus becoming the most relaxed-hippie person is impossible. What you should do instead, is to acknowledge whenever you’re feeling anxious and looking for the reasons that make you feel that way.

Once you’ve done that, don’t try to keep it away because it’ll come back bigger and bigger! Just contemplate it instead and tell yourself « I know I’m feeling anxious because of X reason, and I decide to embrace it with love instead of fear ».

I know maybe this sounds silly to you, but stress is actually bad for you ONLY if you think it’s bad. Let me show you an example : if you tell yourself «omg, I feel so anxious, I feel terrible I’m gonna fail at my test if I don’t calm down NOW! » well, not only you’ll fail your test, but you’ll end up feeling 10 times more anxious. If you tell yourself instead : « Ok, I know I’m feeling anxious because I have a test tomorrow but this stress will keep me focused and give me that rush of adrenaline that will get me through this study session! ». See the difference? If you still think this is weird I can only show you this TED talk :)

Breathing. YES. BREATHE. Sometimes we just feel overwhelmed by everything and we actually forget to breathe in an adequate way! And what’s worst than a short breath to increase your heart rate and make you feel sicker and dizzy? Do this instead : put one hand on your chest, and the other one on your belly. If the hand on your chest raises higher than the one on your belly, you’re breathing abnormally and not deep enough. To change that, use this breathing method :

Sit tall in your chair or lay down on your back

Inhale with your mouth closed for 4 seconds

Hold your breath for 7 seconds

Exhale for 8 seconds

Repeat at least 4-5 times

You’ll instantly feel lighter :) 

Do one thing at a time. This one is hard for me but I’m working on it! Start by doing and focusing all your attention on only one task and then switch to the next and do the same job. You won’t be as productive if you do a task whilst thinking about another one AND your memory will improve :) 

Meditation. I don’t meditate every day but I’m planning on reading more books about it because this one is a powerful tool, especially if you do it on a regular basis. The more you do it, the better you get at it ! If you’re unfamiliar with this, start with guided meditations (Headspace or 10% Happier are good apps for beginners). 

Sweat it out. This one saved me so many times. Go for a walk, go to the gym, or whatever till you’re sweating a bit. Moving has a really powerful effect on your body AND your mood! Exercise has been proven to reduce stress and depression and it helps a lot to motivate you! It also improves your memory so this one wins on everything. 

Do something simple that you really enjoy. For me, it was preparing a nice breakfast and eating it on my balcony when it was sunny. For you it might be reading a good book, putting on a face mask or anything! The most important thing about this point is that you have to do something for YOU.

Seek help. Talk to your friends, your parents or your therapist. Sometimes the only way to feel better is to share what’s keeping you from being calm and more carefree. Don’t keep all that pressure for yourself, it’s not healthy and it will only make things worse. 

Hope it helped, 

I think it’s time to share with you what I actually do when I study. Here’s a list (non-exhaustive) of the main tools I use before an exam. Enjoy! 

I read my notes consciously, then I hide them and try to write down everything I remember. Then I’ll take my notes again, and look for what’s missing. Not only it permits me to see what I still don’t know, but it also consolidates what I already know. This one really works if you have to learn pathways, key concepts, etc. Re-write as it comes to your mind, make a mind-map, use arrows, etc.

Once I identified what I don’t know, I’ll just put a mark on my notes, so I know that this specific part needs to be more reviewed.

When I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to review, I’ll just divide it into sections and create a study plan! 99% of the time, this makes me realize that it’s not that terrible and I can get through this! I feel much better then!

The Forest App. I don’t use it systematically but it really helps me keeping distractions away (AKA my phone) and in the end, I can have a little peek view of my study session!

Whenever I’m reading something important that I know I won’t automatically remember, I write it down on a piece of paper. Indeed, I always use a bloc-notes when studying, so I just write down important points. By doing this, I become more active when learning and actually remember better! And sometimes I keep those pieces of paper so I can re-read them just before the exam.

I try to stick to a memorization routine. For example, if it’s the first time I read a specific topic that I have to memorize, I’ll re-read it 3 days after, then again a week after, then 10 days after, etc. This is the best way to memorize: « repetitio est mater studiorum » as my anatomy teacher says.

When reading your notes, always try to think about what could be the possible questions that are “exam askable”.

If you have any specific topics to learn about the same main subject, try to summarize each topic on only one paper sheet. It’s been proven that we tend to memorize more when we see the information only on one paper than many. For example, I’m currently preparing my microbiology exam, so I did a sheet for each virus or bacteria and put them in plastic sleeves and store them in a binder. By doing this, I’ll be able to re-read them all the days before the exam and retain the most important information! 

The textbook is cool, but sometimes I’m in a rush and summaries made from previous years students will do the job. Of course, I make sure there’re no mistakes inside. And it can actually help with difficult subjects. 

I only use flash cards for vocabulary (my dear Spanish!) or pharmacology. They are the PERFECT way to memorize some things by heart!

I multitask intelligently. For example, when I workout I listen to audiobooks or watch medical-related videos on youtube while walking on the treadmill 

I test myself. I take online quizzes, I ask some friends or my boyfriend to interrogate me so I train my brain to see the problems differently and learn more! 

the curve of forgetting describes how we retain or get of information we absorb.

day 1: you go into a lecture knowing 0% and come out knowing 100% of what you know (regardless of whether you know it extremely well or not)

day 2: you did not do any reviewing of your notes from day 1 therefore you have lost 50%-80%

and as the days progress we forget less and less

think about midterms! notice how around midterms when you’re trying to study for something (that you haven’t been reviewing for regularly) it feels like the material is VERY difficult and almost as if you’ve never learned it before

formula to reshape the curve

within 24 hours of your lecture spend 10 minutes reviewing the material

a week later: it will only take 5 minutes to REACTIVATE the same material

ultimately, you will reshape the curve  

day 30: by this day your brain will only need 2-4 minutes to recall

information on the curve of forgetting was taken from the university of waterloo (x)

my formula to reshape the curve using the information above

before class: spend 10 minutes PREVIEWING the material. 

after class: spend 10 minutes REVIEWING the material

do this regularly. this will be your preview/review system for each class.

a week later: try to review a week later. i know that school/life can get pretty hectic, but try to make sure you are reviewing regularly.

maybe record yourself saying some important details/concepts from your notes the night before and on your daily commute to school plug in those earphones and listen to it. i am an auditory learner and i find that listening to my notes before i go to bed and right when i wake up have truly helped me retain information. studies have shown that the best time to study is right before going to bed and right when you wake up.

a month later: after a month, review what you’ve learned so far in your class. trust me this will be a very very short review. everything will look very familiar to you and it won’t look as difficult as it used to.

basically your review schedule should be the following: 

1 hour before learning the material

1 hour after learning the material (or within 24 hours of learning it b/c i know we’re all very busy people)

1 day later

1 week later

1 month later

remember everyone learns, studies, and retains information differently!! my personal belief is that your technique is what matters most. it is not about your innate ability/talent. find a technique that works for you.

more suggestions:

active learning > passive learning

when taking notes use the Cornell method. it forces you to ask questions and summarize what you’ve learned.

set frequent, short, review sessions

test yourself constantly! there are so many resources online. 

people who are under stress have difficulty remembering things so CHILL OUT

don’t rush, take your time

repetition is key

practice MAKES PERFECT

group items together

fish, vitamin b12, and green tea can help w/ memory

Hi! For the 5th day of Spring Break Marathon, I’ve created a tutorial on how I make my review sheets. If you haven’t seen them, they look like:

Review sheets (or revision material) are special notes that I take to summarize a chapter/large concept. They legit save me a ton of time reviewing notes and other material because everything that I need to know is in one paper. Every time I write them, I feel confident whenever there’s a large exam. Plus, it’s pretty, so I feel more motivated to review! :D If you’re wondering how I make them, then please read further. ^^

Step 1: Gather your stationery! I regularly use two markers, two highlighters, a colored pen, and a black pen. For my style, it’s an essential to use washi tape, but it’s not necessary. Sticky notes and page flags are also suggested~ All the colors are going to fit a certain color scheme. Oh, and of course one sheet of paper!

Step 2: Get extra with your title LOL. I write the chapter/concept in fancy calligraphy that should stand out the most. Then, I stick some washi tape at its sides to create a block.

Step 3: Write down only the IMPORTANT information (and I stress the term “important”). I begin by writing a subtopic in calligraphy, because I want it to pop out more. (Fun fact: This review sheet is all about making more important info pop out, so this style can be really effective for visual learners!) Below, I jot down key terms with a one or two bullet point description. Significant words are highlighted, written in a different color, or written in marker. Diagrams are also super helpful and aid your comprehension. Sticky notes are mostly for questions that I should further explore.To divide subtopics, I use washi tape or highlighter blocks/lines. And finally, (being extra) I like to doodle between gaps to make it look more finished and dazzling~ ;3

Below is a visual of explaining this in depth~ ^^

Step 4: On the top of the page, I put a small “remember” section, where I write quick reminders to prevent myself from making usual mistakes, such as keeping track of signage in math. This is the first and last thing I look at when reviewing this sheet.

I hope that this tutorial can be helpful in a way, and can get you inspired to take more interesting notes haha~ Thank you for reading through, and I hope you have a productive day!

Final product of review sheet:

Previous post: Original Studyblr Icons Pt. 1 (spring theme)

I have had a lot of you asking for tips on writing essays, so here is a post that I hope answers all you questions :)

ANSWER THE QUESTION: There are so many cases where people write essays that don’t actually answer the question posed to them. Here are a few tips to make sure you fully understand what the question is asking:

Highlight any key words in the question and look up any words you aren’t familiar with

Identify the command words in the title - such as compare, explain etc. as these tell you what skills you should be using when writing

Establish if there’s any limits or specifics set on what the essay explores e.g. characters or certain chapters of the novel

PLANNING: It is incredibly important to plan your essay before you start writing, even more in exam situations when you are time pressured - you want to know exactly what you will write.

Start to think about and develop a statement/thesis which answers and responds to all parts of the original question

Order your points/argument in a logical order - depending on the subject this could be: chronologically through the novel, pros and cons, structured by theme or character, alternative points on two texts being compared etc.

Make sure each paragraph/point you plan is relevant and contributes to answering the question

STRUCTURE:

- Introduction:

This is the first thing the reader will read so it must be engaging, and ‘hook’ the reader straight from the begging.

Introduce your thesis and state what you will be discussing/arguing in the body of the essay.

Make sure you name the texts to be discussed if there are any.

- Main body of essay:

This is the main section of the essay, in which you expand on the points you outlined in the introduction. 

Make sure every point has a new paragraph and that you begin each paragraph with a linking word (moreover, however, furthermore etc.) and a sentence that refers back to the question.

If it required make sure you use evidence (quotes/stats) to back up you points, and if it literature based, that you explain the quotes effect on the reader. At the end of paragraphs always link back to the question.

Many people use the PEEL (Point-Evidence-Explain-Link) paragraphs as a guide when writing essays

- Conclusion:

Summarise the points you have put forward

State and reinforce your point of view on the argument (if appropriate)

Never introduce a new argument - but it can be effective to add in a though-provoking comment or a new expression

End on a powerful note - ensuring the reader finishes knowing exactly where you stand/your main point of view

EDIT/DRAFT: In an exam situation there’s really only time to read through once/twice and check for spelling mistakes. In different situations it is very important to go through your essay multiple times in detail:

Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

Ensure you have varied your use of vocabulary - especially when starting new paragraphs (words like however and in addition can’t be overused)

Get other people to read it and gives their criticisms and suggestions

If there’s a word limit I always think it’s easier to go over it with an extra point and then condense and cut out words if you need to, rather than struggling to add in phrases here and there at the end

GENERAL TIPS:

Do any extra reading or research around the essay subject that may help you when writing the essay

Remember to put any references in the footnotes or in a bibliography at the end of the essay

(inspired by this post)

this is a mix of prompts to reflect on 2015 and prompts to look forward to and plan for 2016. feel free to add more to the list! here’s to another year of journaling. happy new year!

biggest events in your life in 2015

things to look forward to in 2016

things you learned in 2015

things you learned about yourself in 2015

health goals and health plan for 2016

a bucket list of things you want to learn

things to leave in 2015 - e.g. attitudes, habits, mindsets

things to adopt in 2016 - e.g. habits, mindsets, hobbies, self-improvement

2016 personal goals & philosophy

mental, physical, social, financial, academic, spiritual

2016 goals action plan

things you love about yourself

favorite pictures you took in 2015

favorite drawings of 2015

little things worth getting out of bed for

things worth staying alive for

beautiful moments of 2015 in pics, descriptions, and mementos

list of self-care regimens

places you want to go in 2016

parks, cafes, book stores, stationary stores, art stores, thrift stores, hiking trails, beaches, road trips, museums

review 2015 like a restaurant review - give it a rating out of 5 stars, review the experiences, moods, culture, aesthetic, etc

rate everything from 2015 on a scale of 1 to 10

mental health, physical health, spirituality, social life, sleep, grades, finances, work, relationships, etc

reflect on each rating

events you want to attend in 2016 (concerts, festivals, conventions, etc)

favorite songs of 2015

favorite bands/singers of 2015

new music for 2016

favorite art you discovered in 2015

foods you loved in 2015

foods you want to try in 2016

hobbies you want to try in 2016

activities you want to try in 2016

DIYs you want to try in 2016

list of things to reward yourself with when you’re feeling sad

favorite places you went to in 2015

don’t break the chain habit chart

stationary shopping list

clothes shopping list

room decoration shopping list

things you like to do outside of school and work

songs that make you happy

things worth your time and money

best and worst purchases of 2015

future plans from 2016 onward

news headlines that affected you the most in 2015

things that annoyed you in 2015

things you hope to see happen in the world in 2016

Monthly practice:

1. Make a monthly review of study habits I find this really helps with understanding what’s working and what’s not

2. Invest in a good book A good book can nourish your mind and soul

3. Create a season based wardrobe capsule I got this idea from Lucy Moon, a favourite creator of mine, here’s her youtube channel essentially I try and have as minimal of a selection of clothes I could choose from each morning to avoid decision fatigue and focus on things that would put my time to better use while looking nice and feeling confident.

Weekly practice:

1. Room clean A clean room sets you up for a good workspace and less likely to lose things.

2. Practice an outlet whether it be music, drawing or sport, find a release. Focusing on just school will lead you to burnout

Daily Practice:

1. Assess why you’re stressed Especially if you have anxiety. Pin-pointing where your stress lies will help you both overcome this stress and resolve it by working on exactly what’s stressing you.

2. Practice mindfulness I don’t meditate. I practice mindfulness to draw me back to the moment so that I don’t get too caught up in everything that’s going on. I count 5 things that I hear, see and feel then I work my way down, counting 3 things i hear, see and feel, to 1.

3. Have a shower and prepare for bed 1 hour before you want to be asleep This means I can take my time and relax before bed and avoid screens to get great sleep.

Hi friends! This masterpost is sort of a best-of-the-best kinda thing. All of these posts/articles are ones that I’ve found to be ridiculously helpful and/or inspiring. If you’re a new or old studyblr (or maybe not even a studyblr at all) , who doesn’t really know where to begin in regards to studying, taking notes, doing assignments, etc., then this is the masterpost for you!

I.   STUDYING

first, prepare your study zone!

which study mood are you in today?

some great studying tips n’ tricks

try out some new study methods

these index cards are fabulous

time for a break (go you!)

II.   NOTE-TAKING

write your notes hella efficiently

make the most out of your lectures

guide to pretty notes

a great note-taking masterpost!

III.   BULLET JOURNALING

everything you need is literally here

but still, here are some prompts to get you started

bullet journal inspo (1) (2)

i have a bullet journal tag!

IV.   PROJECTS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND EXAMS

write a bomb-ass essay

make a rockin’ powerpoint

some exam advice, tips, and whatnot

study guides are a good idea

V.   MISCELLANEOUS AWESOME STUFF

dominate your next semester

learn some new stuff

everyone should learn how to code!

a masterpost of study playlists/sounds

So you wanna study, but somehow the mood just isn’t right. Maybe try these? Pick your favorite, or do one each day of the week!

The Classy: Green tea, classical string quartets, reading articles in a park.

Great for when you need to read 120 pages of something. It’s way nicer to read when you’re in a nice place!

The Hipster: Coffee, jazz, writing summaries of the material in a coffee shop.

You’ll look very cosmopolitan, with all your notes in front of you. Make sure your summaries are coherent though, and you’re not too busy looking great to study well.

The Grad Student: Wine/sparkling cider, Adele, writing papers, curled up in blankets in bed.

Papers are easiest for me to write when I’m comfortable. If I feel a little fancy at the same time, so much the better.

The Focuser: Cold water, nature sounds, taking practice tests in a sunlight place.

The best way to study for a test is to take a test. The best way to kill test-anxiety is to take a practice test and feel calm while you do it. This is a great way to feel calm and prepared when you do a practice test, and that leads to a better actual test.

The Party-er: Energy drink, dubstep, drilling flashcards on the floor.

Flashcards for me are a speed thing. If I’m drilling them, my goal is to know those definitions as fast as possible. Caffeine and fast music raise my heart rate, and sitting on the floor gives me room to spread out the cards however I need to.

The Morning Person: Orange juice, early American hymns, transcribing notes at your desk.

Not necessarily done during the morning! Orange juice helps keep you alert without making you open to distraction, and old American hymns just make me feel happy, so putting them together helps make transcribing a better time.

The Finals Prepper: Black tea, folk music, interleaving any/all of the above, at the library.

This can be done whenever, and is especially useful for just keeping yourself up to speed.

Don’t worry about doing any of these exactly, these are just moods! Mix and match parts of them, make your own, whatever. I’d recommend choosing one or two moods that work really well for you and then doing them consistently, just to really get in the habit.

Good luck!

Seven more study moods

How To Take Notes

Annotations and Note Taking

Annotations and Colour-Coding

College Note Taking 101

Guide to Note Taking

How to Maintain Good Notes

How to Take Lecture Notes

How to Take Notes if you Hate Taking Notes

How to Take Notes

How to Take Notes |2|

How to Take Notes From a Textbook

Note Taking Post

Take Effective Lecture Notes

Taking Lecture Notes

Typing Your Notes

Note Taking Methods

Cornell Note Taking Method

Note Taking Methods

Note Taking System

Study Methods

Visual Note Taking

How To Make Notes Look Pretty

Guide to Pretty Notes

How to Illustrate Your Notes

How to Make Your Notes Look Pretty

Sketchnote Tips

Visual Guide to Illustrated Notes

How To Make Notes Using One Note

Cornell Note Taking Method on One Note

How to Take Notes Using One Note

Note Taking Printables

Note Outline Printable

posting a series of my favourite human bio notecards that i did last year, starting off with types of cartilage :))