Goodluckcollege

Japanese for Total Beginners || How and Where to Start Studying Hey guys, I’m going to try and answer my most commonly asked questions that I continuously receive in the next following weeks so if there’s anything you’d like answered feel free to submit your questions. I’m also going to try and find a new theme as a lot of you guys have mentioned that you’re unable to view my FAQ page while on your mobile devices so once I’ve found a good theme I’ll ask you guys to check it out so that you can let me know if it works or not! This post is going to be regarding how to study Japanese as a total beginner. The single most commonly asked question that I receive (and I get asked this at least once a week since starting my blog back in 2016) is something along the lines of “I’ve never studied Japanese before but I really want to, but I have no idea where to start.” so I’m going to try and answer this question today to the best of my abilities. WHAT SHOULD I LEARN FIRST? I recommend starting off with learning the kana system (hiragana and then katakana). While learning how to read, write, and recognise kana, you should also spend time learning how to properly pronunciate the kana. Learning Japanese pronunciation at this step will help you a great deal as you start progressing into learning the language. Once you’ve learnt kana you can move onto introducing basic grammar structures and basic vocabulary together. If you’re self-teaching I really recommend getting a textbook because most textbooks introduce grammar and vocabulary together in easy to understand ways. If you cannot afford to purchase a textbook there are PDFs floating around online and many websites that offer free Japanese lessons. Once you can use kana, understand some basic grammar and vocabulary, and are able to produce your own basic sentences, I would then introduce simple kanji. This would include numbers, days of the week, months, and the kanji version of some vocabulary you’ve learnt (such as 私・わたし／食べ・たべ). After that it’s just a matter of introducing new grammar, vocab, and kanji which will gradually increase in difficulty as you continue to progress through the language. SHOULD I LEARN GRAMMAR OR VOCABULARY FIRST? Vocabulary for me is mostly memorisation - memorising the meaning and the word/characters - and then simply applying the vocabulary to the grammar structure, which is why I like learning them together because I think that they tend to go hand-in-hand. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I STUDY JAPANESE? This really comes down to the individual as it depends on your own personal schedule and abilities. Some people ate able to study every single day and others can only do it a couple times, or just once a week. The key is finding a routine that works for you and keeping at it to the best of your abilities. They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. What works best for me is studying early in the morning after waking up and then I feel I can go about my day without any concerns. I have an entire tag dedicated to immersing yourself into the Japanese language so feel free to check it out.  WHAT’S A GOOD STUDY ROUTINE? I often get asked to provide specific details or give study routines regarding where to begin with studying Japanese so below is my recommendations on where to start. Hiragana:

Begin with learning the 5 vowels in Japanese (A, I, U, E, O) - learn how to read, write, pronounce, and recognise them.

Continue with learning vowels + consonants (K, S, T, N, H, M, R, Y, W) - learn how to read, write, pronounce, and recognise them.

Study the exceptions (SHI, CHI, TSU, FU) - Try to memorise these in particular as they can confuse beginners quite easily.

Katakana:

Study katakana similarly to how you studied hiragana beginning with vowels, and then moving onto consonants and focusing on the exceptions.

Try to create your own flashcards in order to memorise the characters.

There are also a number of apps designed to help you recognise and memorise hiragana and katakana characters as well as to test your knowledge on them.

Vocabulary + Grammar:

I would begin with learning basic expressions such as greetings and self-introductions. I’d use the information from this website to find basic expressions and greetings.

Once you’ve memorised some basic expressions you should move onto basic grammar and vocab. 

I learnt by using the Genki textbook so I recommend following their order of lessons, otherwise you can search on google for Japanese lessons to follow.

Make sure to study Japanese particles very seriously as they can often stump Japanese learners! Don’t be afraid to spend a long time studying them.

Kanji:

Once you’ve mastered kana and are comfortable with creating basic sentences in Japanese, I would start introducing kanji. As I mentioned before I would start with numbers, days of the week, months, and then kanji versions of vocabulary that you’ve already learned.

If you search “Kanji lessons” on google you’ll come across some useful websites like this one.

After this you just have to continue building up your grammar, vocab, and kanji knowledge. Resources: PDFs -

Genki I Textbook

Genki I Workbook

Genki I Answer Key

Genki II Textbook

Genki II Workbook

Genki II Answer Key

Genki I + II and MP3 files

Japanese For Busy People 1

Japanese For Busy People 2

Japanese For Busy People 3

Japanese For Busy People Workbook

Japanese Pronunciation -

Learn Japanese Pronunciation in 14 Minutes

Introduction to Japanese Pronunciation

Top 5 Japanese Pronunciation Mistakes to Avoid

Charts -

Hiragana Chart

Katakana Chart

Hiragana + Katakana Chart Combined

Apps -

Anki (flashcard app)

Memrise (learn Japanese)

imiwa? (dictionary app)

Learn Japanese (introduces phrases and vocab)

Learn Japanese by Mindsnacks (increases vocab)

Hello Talk (talk with native speakers)

TenguGo Kana Hiragana Katakana (introduces kana system)

Kana Quiz (test your kana knowledge)

Website -

Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese (Study Guide + Lessons)

Jisho (online dictionary)

JapanesePod101 (Japanese lessons)

I was watching TED talks, as you do, and thought ha I wonder how many languages they have and I stumbled across this language heaven! They have over 100 languages and subtitles are available in various languages which is honestly terrific! I think the scope and depth of topics offered by TED talks could be a great way to broaden your vocabulary in areas which you wouldn’t otherwise be able to particularly for intermediate and advanced learners. Anyway happy watching and learning! (Links down below, click read-more link.)

watch netflix in your target language - cartoons and disney films are always a good starting point

start a podcast about your favourite topic (tv shows, films, games etc.) 

start a video blog/diary - record yourself on how your day went (don’t worry - you don’t have to post it online!)

start a journal in your target language

set your favourite video game to your target language (e.g. animal crossing)

write tv and film reviews 

listen to free audiobooks on youtube in the background

fall asleep to whispered ASMR videos in your target language (search on youtube ASMR + the language you’re learning)

use apps like duolingo, memrise and quizlet (you could even create your own vocab course)

This one is for all ex-toppers, “gifted” students, child prodigies, straight A kids who are now extremely perfectionist, under creative paralysis, now in college/high school and having never learnt to study, don’t know how it’s done.

● Studying is absorbing knowledge. It is not “only for the less intelligent.” Studying all year doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It means you’re willing to learn.

● If you have never learnt how to study, you should now. Feynman technique, Cornell notes, pomodoro, whatever works for you.

● Chances are you have attention deficits. Sitting down to study for an hour must seem frightening. It’s okay. Don’t aim for hours. 25 mins.

● It is okay to ask for help. Meet your teachers. Ask how you can improve your grades. Try to analyse what you’re getting wrong.

● Offer to help. Once you learn your material, help friends understand. Let them quiz you. See, you’re still as smart as ever.

● You will still be good at the things you were. You will still be good at applying what you learn. For which, you should sit down and learn.

● You’re not expected to be born knowning the avogadro number and Cattel’s theories of Intelligence. You can learn. It’s okay if you didn’t get it right the first time.

● Your younger Hermione self had a lot less to deal with. This is honestly okay. You can learn.

It’s been a while since I’ve made a post, and I figured that these tips might be extra helpful with exam season approaching. As someone who struggles a lot with procrastination, I do everything I can to fight the urge to put assignments off until the last minute (even though I’m not always successful). 

Hello :)

I must say that it is a real shame that the people in your life seem to be so dismissive of your interests, especially when their reasons appear very much unfounded.

I certainly won’t believe for a second that you are stupid. Your questions conveys a level of humility and passion to pursue your interests, which I admire greatly. Those few who try to destroy our lives are outnumbered by the many who will encourage and enrich it, if only we muster up the courage to ask :)

Now, discrimination has no place in society (and science, of course). Discrimination is also a word not known to maths [insert discriminant pun here]. Saying women cannot do maths should only ever be dignified with a chuckle and the knowledge that, in fact, women have time-and-again proven that they belong in the upper echelons of academia. Of course women have found it hard to make any substantial impact in mathematics, due mainly to the social stigma attached to women in STEM, but you try telling that to the likes of Sophie Germain, Ada Lovelace, Florence Nightingale, Sofia Kovalevskaya, Emmy Noether, Mary Cartwright, Marie Curie, Ceclilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Rosalind Franklin, the wonderful ‘hidden figures’ mathematicians working behind the scenes for NASA during the 60’s, Julia Robinson, Maryam Mirzakhani, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Maggie Aderin-Pocock (trust me, I have forgotten hundreds of other women worthy of a mention!) and so on…

Mathematics doesn’t care what your gender identification is, or what your sexual orientation is. It does not give a damn what you had for breakfast nor does it concern itself with that life choice you made 4 years ago which you regret and have spent every moment lying in bed thinking about. Maths is hard and it will make you feel like you know nothing. But sometimes, with some work and patience, one might understand a little piece of it. Then, with a little more work and patience, one might understand a little more. Even to the most naturally gifted, mathematics holds its cards close to its chest, and it is only with the enthusiasm and perseverance of both individual and collaborative work that we might uncover its most beautiful secrets. Moreover, when you look deeper into the history of the development of mathematics and other sciences, you WILL find that women have made countless important discoveries. Imagine what we might achieve if more women are encouraged to learn the sciences :)

Anyway, regarding how to go about studying maths yourself, the best advice I have is to just get stuck in. Of course, this is easier said than done, and the level of maths one feels comfortable with depends on the individual. Below are a couple of maths-related general reading books that I have enjoyed reading, that provide some context to some history/a dash of psychology behind mathematics in general, or regarding a particular famous problem:

The Music of the Primes - Marcus du SautoyFermat’s Last Theorem - Simon SinghAlex’s Adventure in Numberland - Alex BellosHow Not to be Wong - Jordan Ellenberg

and some more physics/astronomy related books that I will happily recommend on the off chance anyone wants to read into them:

A Brief History of Time - Stephen HawkingQuantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum - Art Friedman and Leonard SusskindThe Particle at the End of the Universe - Sean CarrollWhy Does E = m(c^2)? - Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw.

For something more academic, an often-used resource/website/app is called ‘Khan Academy’, which covers a range of subjects, including mathematics, over a range of skill/ability levels. This is a very good resource to help get your hands dirty with learning mathematics, rather than just reading books. Also, it appears that Khan Academy is FREE. Another fun website is ‘Brilliant.org’, but I believe that not everything on this platform is free.

After a bit more digging around for some free PDFs of textbooks, I stumbled across ‘www.gceguide.xyz/e-books’, which describes itself as ‘a vast reserve of free, downloadable E-books for IGCSE/AS/O/A Level subjects’. Among these e-books are mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry. It certainly seems worth checking out, as it seems legitimate and I have downloaded a couple of them to make sure it works.

Lastly, I shall suggest a couple of fun, popular YouTube channels that I have enjoyed learning from over the last couple of years, covering many science subjects: Vsauce, Veritasium, 3Blue1Brown, Minutephysics, standupmaths, Steve Mould, Numberphile, Periodic Videos, Sixty Symbols, Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell. Again, I may have forgotten some other great channels.

I may have wasted enough of your time now, but take from this that YOU CAN DO MATHS, and that there are people around who are willing to help you along the way. I hope the above has gone some way to convincing you of this.

Notetaking

Sound Note - take notes while you record audio

Evernote - notetaking that syncs across platforms

Paper 53 - minimal notetaking that syncs

Microsoft OneNote - collaboration and syncing, best for Office users

Google Keep - jot things down, best for Google suite users

Notability - take notes and annotate PDFs

Mindly - create mind maps

Day One - a digital journal

Flash Cards

Quizlet - the quintessential flash card app

StudyBlue - another commonly used app

Cram - best for its “cram mode”

Eidetic - uses spaced repetition for effective memorization

Planner 

My Study Life - schedules, tasks, reminders, and more

StudyCal - keeps track of tasks, exams, and grades

24me - automated reminders and event planning

iStudiez - schedule and prioritized task list

Google Calendar - a calendar, best for Google users

Glass Planner - a calendar and to do list with incredible functionality

To Do List

Clear - organized to-do and reminders

MinimaList - simple to-do and focus timer

Trello - collaborative project organizer

Todoist - clean and functional task manager

Default notes app on your phone

Time Management

Forest - plant trees by staying focused

Pomotodo - pomodoro timer with to-do list

Timeglass - custom timers

Tide - pomodoro with white noise

Alarmy - forces you out of bed 

Pillow - smart alarm that tracks sleep cycles

Productivity

Workflow - automate tasks

Habitica - turn your habits into an RPG

Continuo - simple, colorful activity tracking

Freedom - block distracting apps

Free Learning

Coursera - free MOOCs

TED - listen to Ted Talks

Duolingo - language learning

Memrise - spaced repetition language vocabulary

Khan Academy - free video lessons

Ambient Noise

8tracks - curated playlists

Spotify - online music streaming

Coffitivity - cafe ambience

Noisli - background sound generator

Rain Rain - rain sounds

Binaural - binaural beats

Health

Rockin Ramen - recipes based on ramen

MealBoard - meal planning

Lifesum - healthy eating

Stop Breath And Think - mindfulness meditation

Pacifica - mental health management

Sworkit - personalized video workouts

Waterlogged - hydration tracker

Reference

WolframAlpha - Google on steroids

Oxford Dictionary - all of English at your fingertips

RefMe - citation generator

PhotoMath - solve math problems by taking a photo

Mathway - step by step math help

Desmos - free graphing calculator

Wikipedia - not the best source, but it’s handy

Miscellaneous 

Companion - stay safe when walking alone

Mint - money management

Toshl - finance manager

just a collection of all the reblogs and posts i have and enjoy on study tips, life hacks, and everything on my studyblr. this is always being updated, so tune in for more! (most are not mine, i mainly just want to save these for later use, so credit goes to the studyblr! if you’re a creator and you’re reading this, i really enjoy your content, and obviously that’s why i like quick access to your great posts!) 

ap course help:

that ap life: friendly advice, having been there and done that - @hollohat

ap english lit: is so lit and so are you - @hollohat 

ap calculus: finding the limits of expressions and not of endurance - @hollohat 

math (it needs its own section):

maths shortcuts - @trigonometrv

math: study and exam tips - @studymelody

tumblr math resources: masterpost - @apricot-studies

public speaking:

tips for writing speeches and talks - @stu-tea

public speaking - @universi-tea 

general studying tips / tricks:

websites for school / studying - @spud-studies 

study habits: in and out of school - @firereine 

masterpost on essay help - @studyblrjess

tips for timed essays? (anon response) - @fuckstudy 

work smarter, not harder: study tips psychology taught me - @wherefunsurvives

an honest study guide - @prodessostudies

study less, study smart - @marias-studyblr

rare study tips - @studybllog

tips on getting shit done a few days before the exam - @morgai-study 

how to deal with a concept you do not understand - @berkeleyandbiscuits

how to get stuff done - @minimaliststudy 

3 study methods you should use more often - @eintsein 

self-learning:

how to learn a new language - @studiyng 

life hacks / self-care tips: 

how to get your life together - @studeebean 

fitness and health for the busy student - @abby-studies-art 

how to have a good morning - @sstudys 

5 easy productivity tips - @hufflepuffwannabe

a real ass guide to life - @sprintingstudies

dealing with the worst case scenarios - @lilypotterr 

self-care masterpost - @castillos-co

time management plan masterpost - @universtudy

foods to eat (for different occasions) - @eintsein 

life cleansing tips - @sleepbby 

what to do when you really don’t want to study - @tae-studies 

back to school:

mental preparation for school - @whenstudyblooms

high school in review (so far!) + some tips - @scholarish 

your guide to having the best first day of class - @universi-tea 

before school checklist - @ladyhannahjane 

bts (back to school) series - @studyessie 

the road to good grades - @sherlockian-studies

how to prepare for the new school year - @nightystudying

note-taking:

how to take notes - @elkstudies 

study organization: notebooks - @studiousbees

test-taking: 

act masterpost - @printerpress 

how to get a 30+ on the act - @collegerefs 

stress management techniques for reducing test anxiety - @study-studymore-studyhard

college / university: 

college applications - @universi-tea

adapting to uni studying - @optomstudies

law school 101 - @deepfriedjupiter

advice for university freshman - @juniorincollege

college comparison and application checklists - @science-is-golden 

a masterpost for applying to college - @science-is-golden

legit anything else:

big subject masterpost!! - @chemlstry 

have a blank notebook but don’t know what to use it for? here’s some ideas! - @pridebulletjournal

summer productivity - @anateamy

4 tips for getting ahead after falling behind - @passwithclassandaniceass 

dealing with lazy group members - @optomstudies 

since my last masterpost on mind maps was successful i thought i’d make a masterpost about general studying! this way i get to share with you guys what i’ve found out over the years with my personal experience! 

your study space

the space you choose to study is really important! it can be in your bedroom, another place in ur house, library, cafe, a park, etc

it should be somewhere u can focus + concentrate without distractions

have more than one place to pick from in case u ever need to change a little or can’t use one

lighting is really important. good natural lighting is always best; try to find a place where the light comes from your left if you’re a righty or from the right if you’re a lefty – you’ll thank me when ur writing and u can see everything perfectly

if ur in ur room, figure out whether having motivational quotes/pics on your walls help u or distract u – for me, i like to have a couple but not many, and mostly motivational quotes + sticky notes with the stuff i need to get done

keep it organised! u can use drawers to keep ur suplies so that they aren’t all laying around when ur studying if u don’t need them

lay out everything u need when ur about to start studying so that u don’t have to get up to get this or that all the time

study methods

it’s great to try out many different ones!

you’ll always have a couple u prefer but don’t be afraid to experiment

masterpost by @heystudy

masterpost by @etudiance

flashcards are awesome for memorizing + testing yourself! here are some tips for making them by @tbhstudying

here’s a great alternative for flashcards by @studyign!

mind maps are great for linking information + understanding + condensing. here’s a link to my masterpost!

rewriting notes is an awesome way to revise! 

when u rewrite ur notes, u can color code them + add lil drawings + diagrams, make them more visual overall

great masterpost on visual/aesthetically pleasing notes by @areistotle

if they’re available, always try to find old exams and take them to practice! u can take them under exam conditions or not, whatever helps u the most

background music

first of all, u need to figure out whether u work better with or without background music, because it may end up distacting u

if u don’t want music but still need background noise, u can listen to white noise or ambient noise!

classical music is awesome; studies have shown that it benefits the brain, sleep patterns + stress levels

u can listen from playlists on 8tracks, spotify or youtube vids [i prefer 8tracks]

check out my #music tag for great playlists + masterposts!!

pomodoro method

you’ve probably heard of it all over the studyblr community and that’s because it’s awesome

here’s a link to the official site!

it’s great for helping u focus; i work better like this because i couldn’t study for an hour straight if my life depended on it, + i still get everything done!

however, don’t adapt yourself to the times it sets for u but the other way around – if you’re working and the 25 minutes are done but u still feel like u can continue, you’re motivated and focused, go on! 

don’t know what to do in those breaks? here’s the list for u!

i use forest to time myself! it’s great cause it also keeps u from checking ur phone. focusnow is a free alternative for ios

general tips

start revising early, even if u know u can cram and get good results. i used to do the last thing and even though i got really good grades i was always super stressed the day before and it made studying suck even more

avoid checking social media while studying, even tumblr for “motivation”, because you’ll inevitably get sucked into it

form a study group or find a study buddy because they’ll help u focus, u can explain to each other when u don’t understand something, etc

know everything u need to get done and prioritize

make ur notes pretty only if u have the time + it helps u

if u don’t have the time to make ur notes pretty but are a visual learner, grab a highlighter and colour code them – e.g. green for terms, yellow for definitions, pink for dates/people

figure out whether u work best in the morning, afternoon or evening. try not to study at night unless necessary + get good rest bc it helps ur brain work better

+ masterposts

studyblr-ing 101

apps for ur life

how to mind map

i hope you found this masterpost helpful!! if u have any questions or request for a masterpost, send me a message!

if you had to take time off school you are not a failure

if you had to leave school for good you are not a failure

Staying on top of all your to-dos, errands, tasks and due dates can get complicated but luckily there is an app for everything! If you’re looking for app to wake you up in a morning, manage your priorities or soothe your anxiety, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a list of all the top apps that students are using:

Organisation

Wunderlist

Planner Pro

24me

Remember The Milk

Google Calendar

Pocket Schedule - Class Schedule, Homework Planner

AwesomeNote2 - All in One Organiser

AnyList

The Homework App - Your Class Assignment & Timetable Schedule Planner

My Study Life

Calendars by Readdle - Event and Task Manager

Class Timetable

Countdown+

Due - Reminders, Countdown Timers

Do! - The Best of Simple To Do Lists

Workflow: Powerful Automation Made Simple

Glass Planner

Day One Journal

iStudiez Pro

Awesome Note 2

Grammarly

Konmari

Productivity

RescueTime

Streaks

Forest

ToDoIst

Tide - Stay focused, be peaceful

Focus Keeper

Habitica

Productive habits and daily goal tracker

HabitBull (recommend by @ravn-studies)

BrainFocus (recommend by @ravn-studies)

Toggle Time Tracker (recommend by @ravn-studies)

Self Control

Jot - Notes Widget

Swipes - To Do List

ClearFocus: Productivity Timer

Noisli

Binaural beats

Lanes

Note taking

Microsoft OneNote

Evernote

Quizlet

Notability

Byword

Flashcards+

Goodnotes

Outline

Boximize - Structured notetaking, personal database, form builder, manager and organiser

INKredible (recommend by @lottestudiesphysics)

RefME - Referencing Made Easy

Bear (recommended by @revisionsandcoffee​)

InkFlow Visual Notebook

Studying

Quizlet

Flashcards+

Duolingo

Khan Academy

Xmind

Writer

Studyblue

Coffitivity

Prezi

MindMeister

Hemingway Editor

StudyStack

Crashcourse

Shmoop

Beelinguapp

Brightstorm

Coggle mindmaps

Mindly

AnkiApp

Sleeping

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

Sleep Genius

Rain Rain

Pillow: The sleep cycle alarm clock for sleep tracking

Sleepytime Sleep Scheduler

Mental health and self care

Headspace

Stop, Breathe & Think: Meditation and Mindfulness

Pacifica - Anxiety, Stress, & Depression relief

Centered

Buddhify

Calm: Meditation techniques for stress reduction

Moodnotes - Thought Journal/Mood Diary

Colorfy

7 Cups Anxiety, Stress & Depression Chat & Therapy

Companion 

Smiling Mind

Bsafe

Circle of 6

Health and fitness

Sweat with Kayla - Fitness & Bikini Body Workouts

Yoga Work Out

Freeletics

7-minutes workout

Waterlogged - Drink More Water, Daily Water Intake Tracker and Hydration Reminders

Sworkit (recommend by @leviosa-studies)

Medisafe pill reminder

Plant Nanny Water Reminder

Mealboard

Finance

UNiDAYS

Pocketbook Personal Finance Expense Tracker

Splitwise - Split bills and expenses the easy way

Pocket Expense - Personal Finance Assistant

Daily Budget Original Pro - Saving Is Fun!

Fudget: Budget planner and personal finance tracker

MoneyBrilliant - Personal Finance

Mvelopes

PocketGuard

Mint

The Coupons App

Groupon

Ebates

If you skip a topic or don’t study it thoroughly enough because you think it won’t be on the exam, it will be. Study that in particular so you won’t be surprised when it shows up as the first question. Unless your professor explicitly states that it won’t be on the exam, don’t skip any topics.

Put aside the content you’re comfortable and familiar with and start studying the things you don’t know. It’s hard and time consuming but that’s where the actual learning happens.

Start studying at least 4 days in advance. I always regret not starting earlier when I’m at the library 24 hours before the exam and not even close to being done. When I’m having trouble focusing, I’ll sit there and imagine myself an hour before the exam scrambling to finish up a topic, wishing that I had these extra few minutes, hours, or days that I have now. Take advantage of the time you have right now.

Changing up my location helps a lot when I’m studying. If I study in the same corner at the library, eventually my brain will start associating that spot with everything I do in that chair, including wasting time. For me, new location + new material = focus. A few location ideas: a quiet corner in the library, a noisy floor in the library, at your desk at home, a room with a view of the outdoors from high up, a bench/table outside, a cafe or brunch place.

Stay on top of studying and homework from day 1, not after syllabus week and not a month into the semester. When you submit a homework assignment, make it a point to 100% understand everything you just handed in. Homework is assigned for a reason; they’re meant as practice exercises for the material you learned and exams often mimic them. Once you hand in homework, you should know and understand the material. This saves you time when it’s finals week and you have old and new material to study.

‘You must include a cover letter’ does not mean ‘write a single line about why you want this position’. If you can’t be bothered to write at least one actual paragraphs about why you want this job, I can’t be bothered to read your CV.

Don’t bother including a list of your interests if all you can think of is ‘socialising with friends’ and ‘listening to music’. Everyone likes those things. Unless you can explain why the stuff you do enriches you as a person and a candidate (e.g. playing an instrument or a sport shows dedication and discipline) then I honestly don’t care how you spend your time. I won’t be looking at your CV thinking ‘huh, they haven’t included their interests, they must have none’, I’m just looking for what you have included.

Even if you apply online, I can see the filename you used for your CV. Filenames that don’t include YOUR name are annoying. Filenames like ‘CV - media’ tell me that you’ve got several CVs you send off depending on the kind of job advertised and that you probably didn’t tailor it for this position. ‘[Full name] CV’ is best.

USE. A. PDF. All the meta information, including how long you worked on it, when you created it, times, etc, is right there in a Word doc. PDFs are far more professional looking and clean and mean that I can’t make any (unconscious or not) decisions about you based on information about the file.

I don’t care what the duties in your previous unrelated jobs were unless you can tell me why they’re useful to this job. If you worked in a shop, and you’re applying for an office job which involves talking to lots of people, don’t give me a list of stuff you did, write a sentence about how much you enjoyed working in a team to help everyone you interacted with and did your best to make them leave the shop with a smile. I want to know what makes you happy in a job, because I want you to be happy within the job I’m advertising.

Does the application pack say who you’ll be reporting to? Can you find their name on the company website? Address your application to them. It’s super easy and shows that you give enough of a shit to google something. 95% of people don’t do this.

Tell me who you are. Tell me what makes you want to get up in the morning and go to work and feel fulfilled. Tell me what you’re looking for, not just what you think I’m looking for.

I will skim your CV. If you have a bunch of bullet points, make every one of them count. Make the first one the best one. If it’s not interesting to you, it’s probably not interesting to me. I’m overworked and tired. Make my job easy.

“I work well in a team or individually” okay cool, you and everyone else. If the job means you’ll be part of a big team, talk about how much you love teamwork and how collaborating with people is the best way to solve problems. If the job requires lots of independence, talk about how you are great at taking direction and running with it, and how you have the confidence to follow your own ideas and seek out the insight of others when necessary. I am profoundly uninterested in cookie-cutter statements. I want to know how you actually work, not how a teacher once told you you should work.

For an entry-level role, tell me how you’re looking forward to growing and developing and learning as much as you can. I will hire genuine enthusiasm and drive over cherry-picked skills any day. You can teach someone to use Excel, but you can’t teach someone to give a shit. It makes a real difference.

This is my advice for small, independent orgs like charities, etc. We usually don’t go through agencies, and the person reading through the applications is usually the person who will manage you, so it helps if you can give them a real sense of who you are and how you’ll grab hold of that entry level position and give it all you’ve got. This stuff might not apply to big companies with actual HR departments - it’s up to you to figure out the culture and what they’re looking for and mirror it. Do they use buzzwords? Use the same buzzwords! Do they write in a friendly, informal way? Do the same! And remember, 95% of job hunting (beyond who you know and flat-out nepotism, ugh) is luck. If you keep getting rejected, it’s not because you suck. You might just need a different approach, or it might just take the right pair of eyes landing on your CV.

And if you get rejected, it’s worthwhile asking why. You’ve already been rejected, the worst has already happened, there’s really nothing bad that can come out of you asking them for some constructive feedback (politely, informally, “if it isn’t too much trouble”). Pretty much all of us have been hopeless jobseekers at one point or another. We know it’s shitty and hard and soul-crushing. Friendliness goes a long way. Even if it’s just one line like “your cover letter wasn’t inspiring" at least you know where to start.

watch this youtube video to let yourself wallow, but also discuss and maybe even feel better

read this article

stick this quote up somewhere

read, here’s the rory gilmore reading challenge

on that note, read milk and honey, or if you’ve already read it, give it a reread 

read this if you don’t know what to do with your life pt. 1

read this if you don’t know what to do with your life pt. 2

make this quote your wallpaper or something.

keep these gifs very close to your heart

write a small to do list, here are some nice little things you can do: wash your hair, do your nails, watch a movie, read a book, run a bath, organise your notes etc

here’s a nice little list of things you can do to pick yourself up in general

Conquering the Why School? Essay

From a student who got into MIT & the Ivy League

I’ve read many Why School? essays. These often come across as generic, with no real indication of interest. I’m here to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes in your essays.

-Look up their course catalog. Don’t simply write, “I’m interested in your stellar economics program.” Great, so are hundreds of other applicants. Name-drop a couple of classes and explain why those specific courses appeal to you. It’ll show you’ve done your homework.

-Discuss a few clubs. Colleges want students who will contribute to their campus outside of the classroom. Are you interested in journalism? Talk about joining the school newspaper. Are you a violin virtuoso? Indicate your interest in the orchestra. Or are you into something that isn’t yet available? Say you’ll start a new group!

-Latch onto research opportunities. Schools love students who can contribute to their published papers. Look up ongoing research projects in whatever department you’re interested in (and no, research isn’t only for STEM fields!) and talk about how you’ll get involved.

-Talk about what makes a school unique. Columbia has a Core Curriculum; Princeton has a yearlong bridge program in Bolivia. Why do you want to attend this specific school?

-Touch upon your long-term goals. How will this university help you achieve your goals of becoming a lawyer? How do you want to make the world a better place? Colleges are looking for people who will contribute meaningfully to society.

-Don’t mention rankings or prestige. Harvard already knows it’s world-renowned, it doesn’t need you to stroke its ego. You should be choosing the best school for you, not the best school according to US World & News Report.