English Lit Studying Motivation

Prague: inside a cafe, pages upon pages of readings left, a warm mug of hot chocolate, the sound of chatter and soft acoustic music

London: serious Sunday studying, papers strewn across a desk, flipping from subject to subject, a steaming cup of tea, dedication

Barcelona: study groups, quizzing each other, laughter amongst friends, comparing answers, textbooks all across the table

Vienna: early morning studying, a cool glass of water and fresh fruit, flipping through flash cards, feeling prepared for the day

Berlin: late night cram session, a strong pot of coffee, hair tied back, the middle of exam season, ink smears on fingertips

Venice: preparing for a presentation, public speaking jitters, bullet points on index cards, cappuccino and a pastry

Dublin: snow outside of frosted windows, the glow of street lamps, reading warm and indoors, getting lost in a book, oversized sweaters

Monday, September 5 (2016)

Goodbye June, Hello July! 🤗🎉

You know what that means…It’s time for your monthly reflection! 📝

FEED YOUR BRAIN

You can’t expect to get the best out of yourself if you don’t nourish your body properly. Adding these foods to your diet will benefit your study and lifestyle in general, trust me

HEALTHY OILS olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil etc. — Healthy oils are high in antioxidants such as vitamin E and they boost your memory. FISH sardines, salmon etc. — Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which improve memory and focusing! COFFEE — Caffeine wakes you up but don’t overdo it: 60 ml per day (the equivalent of two espresso) or less is enough to keep you alert, too much caffeine causes insomnia and anxiety and we don’t want that. Don’t like coffee? Try apples instead! EGGS — A source of energy, they contain proteins and choline (also called “memory vitamin”… the name speaks for itself!) CHERRIES — By adding cherries into your diet, you’ll get better sleep, since they’re high in melatonin BANANAS — I’m not kidding when I say I eat a banana a day. They contain magnesium, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6 and more. What are you waiting for? Go eat a banana, your brain will thank you! NUTS & SEEDS walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds etc. — Their nutrients reduce stress, boost memory and help your cognitive functions in general DARK CHOCOLATE — Contains antioxidants, magnesium and flavonoids. It stimulates blood to flow to your brain and lowers blood pressure AVOCADO — Avocadoes are filled with healthy fats, magnesium and lots of vitamin E. it regulates blood pressure and improves blood flowing resulting in general brain developement and stress to decrease. BERRIES blueberries, strawberries, acai berries — another food that should never miss in your diet: being high in antioxidants and flavonoids, berries actually do improve your memory and focusing a lot! LEAFY GREENS lettuce, spinach, kale etc. — these are loaded with magnesium, vitamins, iron… force yourself to eat at least one serving per day (but if you can eat more, then go for it!) BROCCOLI & ASPARAGUS — these guys are full of folic acid (1 cup = 2/3 of your daily value). Be sure to have your daily dose of folic acid, as it helps relieve stress and depression. ORANGES — full of vitamin C which is good for your immune system and also helps relieving stress OATS — oats will boost your serotonin levels, consequently boosting your mood. i personally recommend whole-grains TEA — green tea is good for focusing and stress relief, but you know what’s even better? black tea!

tips

1. eating colorful is the easiest way to a more healthy diet (same-color foods often share same nutrients) 2. if you’re a picky eater, try disguising tastes with seasonings, spices (and everything nice) or by combining them with foods you like 3. drink water!!! at least 1 L per day!! carrying a bottle of water wherever you go is the trick! 4. plan ahead + prep your meals!! thereby you will avoid that unpleasant “i don’t know what to eat” situation (which often leads to eating junk food :// ) 5. make your grocery list before going to the supermarket!!! pros: less time wasted, won’t get distracted by other things you don’t need to buy, know ahead how much $$ you’re gonna spend 6. ALWAYS check the expiration date of products you buy + know when to consume your fruits&veggies

RECIPES

Tbh, when it comes to study snacks im a very lazy person (plus in my world time is money and i hate wasting precious study time) so i usually eat rather simple dishes. Then, what do i prep when i feel more creative?

FRUIT SALAD (easiest snack ever tbh everyone can do this no matter how bad u are at cooking)

all you need is

love

fruit of your choice

(optional) cocoa powder / cinnamon / lemon juice

what u gonna do now

wash the fruit, peel it (if needed) and then slice it

put everything in a bowl and it’s good to go

BUT if you want, you can add cocoa powder, cinnamon or lemon juice for extra flavor. use your creativity, (almost) anything can work!

i love fruit salads bc they’re healthy, easy + quick to make (not to mention super delicious)!! here you can see one i made w/ strawberries and cocoa powder

FRUIT PARFAIT (another easy option, but a more creative one *sunglasses emoji*)

all you need is

fruit (u don’t say)

oat bran

yogurt

what u gonna do now

wash, peel and slice the fruit

grab a tall glass/mug/whatever and make the first layer with fruit

then add the yogurt for the second layer

third layer is going to be the oat bran

depending on the height of the glass/mug, you may go on w/ the layers

this is optional but you can add toppings if you want to make it look even cuter (and yummier)

what i like about this big bad boy here is that it’s SO fulfilling!!

BAKED PUMPKIN SEEDS (for my savory lovers out there)

all you need is

pumpkin seeds

thats it. thats all u need

what u gonna do now

take a pan and cover it with baking paper

place the seeds on the paper and cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C

done!! B)

super simple, isn’t it? and guess what? they actually taste like popcorn!! no lie!!!

BAKED ZUCCHINIS

all you need is

zucchinis!

lemon juice

pepper

what u gonna do now

wash and slice the zucchinis french fry style

put them in a bowl, add lemon juice + pepper and mix all well together

cover a pan with a sheet of baking paper and place the seasoned slices

cook in the oven for 20-30 mins at 200°C, flipping them over when they’re half done

now you have a more healthy and tasty version of french fries to eat while studying!

(on a side note: you can’t even imagine how painful typing ‘zucchinis’ was to me)

OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES (my fave!!)

all you need is

oatmeals

a banana

cinnamon or cocoa powder

what u gonna do

peel and slice the banana

smash the banana w/ a fork in a bowl, then add the oatmeals + cinnamon/cocoa powder and mix

cover the pan w/ your trusted baking paper. using a spoon, place the mixture on the paper forming little circular shapes (they don’t have to be perfect)

cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C (remember to flip them over at the 10mins mark)

let them cool off for 30-40 mins and they’re ready to eat!

these take quite a bit but you can prep them before starting to study, then you do your revision/practice while you wait for them to cool off and finally you can take a break + enjoy them!

more recipes

10 smoothie recipes healthy study snacks 22 healthy snack ideas 10 healthy snack ideas (vegan) snacks for students 1 2 (!!!!) frushi (fruit sushi!!) recipe muffin recipes 1 2 black bean wrap caramel cashew chocolate cookies (gluten-free) 10 healthy pancake recipes 2 ingredients pancakes (!!!!) easy cheesecake (vegan) avocado + tomato toast w/ balsamic drizzle

more links

my food tag staying healthy in college minimalist baker the domestic geek fablunch cheap lazy vegan food masterpost by @studiyng stay sated whilst you’re motivated by @areistotle how to save money on food by @studybudyblr 10 study snacks by @saturdaystudying

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.   At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne ( from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook. At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.  At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.  At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42. Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first movie role at age 52. Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57. Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78. Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow. Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it. 

Never tell yourself you missed your chance. 

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough.