elementary, my dear watson

dailies

make your bed. (no, really.)

set your top 3 to-dos for the day.

do your top 3 to-dos for the day. (heh)

stretch.

unpack your bag when you get home.

prepare your things for the next day before sleeping.

skincare. (your basic cleanse and moisturize)

sweep the floor of your bedroom.

talk to your plants. (if you have plants)

update your financial report/expense tracker.

take a good photo.

meditate.

hug at least three people. (seriously.)

weeklies

polish your school shoes.

mop your bedroom floor.

dare i say, laundry. (don’t put it off!)

exfoliate.

take a leisure walk.

review your past week and plan your next week accordingly. (a part of your routine may not be working–try something new)

make a piece of art. (a sketch, a collage, a quote in pretty lettering, a god-awful poem..)

sanitize your gadgets. (whip out the wet tissue and wipe away at your phone, your laptop, your mouse, your earphones–just don’t forget to IMMEDIATELY follow that up with a dry cloth to prevent fogging and short circuits)

watch a TED Talk.

make a new playlist.

monthlies

wash your bag.

wash your shoes.

change the sheets of your bed and your pillows.

clip your nails. (honestly)

wax/shave. (if you want. i just really like how fresh my skin feels after i torture it with razors and wax strips)

wipe your shelves/the tops of your furniture clean. (try to avoid dusting. it just scatters the dirt everywhere. use a damp cloth instead)

see if there’s anything in your storage that you don’t need/want anymore and give stuff away or sell them.

review your month and plan the next one accordingly. (just like your weeks. remember to refer to your Life Goal/Year’s Goals page)

finish reading at least one book. (and review it!)

discover new songs.

- get dressed and style your hair as if you’re going to school/work - even use the same perfume/ cologne as you normally do  (trick your mind into being motivated)

- plan things out - everything (plan out your week, day, meal, etc. you can make these as specific as you’d like. this will help you stay on top of your work as well as stay healthy, especially if you live alone.)

- make studying/ working the first thing you do each day - best if you can start in the morning (minimize the tendency to procrastinate)

- just start - don’t worry too much about perfecting or finishing anything yet (if you don’t start then there’s nothing for you to perfect or get done. and it will never get done)

- listen to old and simple (aka non-distracting) podcasts, Youtube videos, or café/ chattering white-noise, etc. simply leave them as background noise to create an illusion of being outside your room (bring the presence of people to you. my favorites lately have been slam poems from 2016, Mae Martin’s stages, and Awsten Knight’s crackhead podcasts)

- set timers, for both study sessions and breaks (so that you don’t overwork, burn out, or procrastinate. the Pomodoro technique works great here)

- take advantage of the comfort of your own home (light a candle, have crunchy snacks, play loud music, review notes out loud while pacing around, wrap yourself in a blanket burrito, study on your bed if you can focus there like me, etc. basically anything you can’t do in a classroom, office, or the library)

- if you miss your friends, call/ text/ facetime them, make a study group chat with them, etc. (that is what technology is for)

- choose recreational activities/ self-care for your breaks instead of going on social media (go on walks, make small art, play an instrument, stretch, take a nap, etc. I usually reach for my guitar, brainstorm writing ideas, or sketch very simple line art.)

- if you want to go on social media, do it during meal times - or the 15 minutes after your meals that you can’t work just yet (it also doesn’t make you feel like you’re wasting time)

- study in different rooms for a change of scenery (dining room, living room, the patio, etc. I have an armchair next to the window that I study in whenever I need some sunlight and don’t have to write anything down. however, if you need a designated place to focus on your work, you can also use these alternative spaces as designated “relax” or “creative” place for your breaks)

- use this as an opportunity to take care of yourself (get enough sleep, drink water, exercise, talk to your family, take your meds, be mindful of your mental health, etc.)

Feel free to add your tips. The current situation sure is unpleasant but it is unavoidable. All we can really do now is take care of ourselves, others, and try to make the best out of this.

This is a longer-than-usual post with tips for the 3 stages of online classes: focusing during an online class session, reviewing/studying for online classes, and preparing for online exams/ quizzes. So I decided to insert the “Read More” link to (a) not take up too much space on your dash, and (b) feel more confident in adding more tips as time goes on.

These are tips that I’ve compiled from my experience of taking online classes during my last 1.5 years at university. But having all of your courses moved online is so much more complicated. Since I’m currently doing an internship, I have tried my best to produce this post based on the comments of my friends IRL and on Tumblr (hence the “my”). However, I hope it can still be useful for you and many who were all abruptly put in this same situation.

So feel free to share your own tips and experience! I will probably go back to this once in a while to make some changes to it and add your tips. Good luck to everyone who is currently/ about to take online classes. You are almost there! 🍀 I believe in every single one of you!

~  Click away for them tips   ~

I know a lot of us have had our schools switched to an online format so here are some tips to succeed in online classes! I’ve taken a few courses online before all of this but I’m still figuring things out, so if you have any more tips please comment them so I can add them to the list!

Use a system to keep track of due dates and other important info

I would keep using your planner or bullet journal if you already use one, and if you don’t already have a system now is the perfect time to set something up! There are a lot of tutorials and ideas out there on how to turn a simple notebook into a useful productivity system that could save your grades

Check your email (and any sites where class info would be updated) regularly

If you need have a hard time remembering to check, you could try setting reminders on your phone. I recommend checking email 2x per day (more often on important days where there might be more updates, like around finals and such) since then you’ll get all the info you need without constantly worrying about it

Don’t be afraid to reach out and email your professor for help. Just because you’re not physically in the same room as them doesn’t mean they aren’t there for you!

Work at a specific “school” space if possible

For example, working at a desk or table instead of in bed can be really helpful in being productive and feeling more normal

If you’re the kind of person —like me— who thrives with a bit more structure, create a daily routine for yourself

This could be as detailed or vague as you want it to be, but just having a general plan can be really useful in keeping yourself on track and getting everything done each day. I’ll make some more posts about this soon if you need help with this! 

Figure out if you work best with taking notes online or on paper, and keep doing that even for the online classes

If you know you like taking notes in a physical notebook, then keep doing that! It can feel like you should just take notes online since the classes are online, but you really don’t have to! Stick with whatever systems work best for you. This also goes for other things like physical books vs. ebooks, Quizlet flashcard sets vs. paper flashcards, etc.

Work on school-related tasks for a minimum amount of time per day

I like setting 3 hours as the daily minimum for me to work on schoolwork, since it’s not an intimidating amount of time for me but also doesn’t feel overwhelming. Plus you can always keep working if needed! This can also vary depending on how old you are, since people who are in middle school or high school might need less time to work on schoolwork than college students, it all just depends on you and your workload

While working on schoolwork (especially while watching video lectures) put your phone away and stay off social media on your computer

There are a bunch of apps and browser extensions to help you block certain sites while on your computer (I use the Chrome extension StayFocusd or the app SelfControl) and I definitely recommend using an app like Forest for your phone if you have a hard time staying off of it

Try to do submit of your assignments and exams at least an hour ahead of time (ideally more, give yourself as much time as possible!) in case you have tech issues

If you’re having a hard time understanding a concept, try to find other resources to help you (online tutor, Khan Academy, YouTube, etc.)

Make time to take care of your mental health (meditate, journal, etc.) as well as your physical health (yoga, dancing, go for walks, etc.)

Ensure that both of these important aspects of health are addressed every day, even if it’s something small

Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of these for a future post! I’d love to make more content about online classes since so many of us are in similar situations

the fall semester is coming up and a lot of people will be taking their classes online. online classes can be nearly impossible for people who aren’t used to them or struggle with the format. it can be even harder if you have difficulty focusing and self-motivation. here’s some tips i picked up from my online classes if you’re intimidated!

Hello, lovelies! I’ve gotten a couple of asks about studying so I decided to condense them into one post for you guys! I’m trying to hit a bunch of different topics so if you need an even more specific post you can send an ask! Without any further ado, have some tips! My studyblr is @spacey-scholar​

Prep

First, you always need a good base for your day! Especially if you’re studying a lot.

Make a good full breakfast! Ex. Eggs and Toast, Smoothie and fruit, Pancakes and a cup of juice. 

How’s your hygiene? Do you need to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, condition your hair? Do it! You’ll be distracted if you feel messy!

Get dressed like it’s a normal day. Staying in PJ’s is okay! But being ready for the day seriously helps focus!

Likewise, your space should be clean. A clean space is a clean mind! Remove dishes, trash, scrap paper, and extra items. Wide down your desk, organize your pens and books. Your space should feel like your space!

Now make a list of what you need to get done! What needs to be done Now, what needs to be done Soon, and what needs to be done Later? 

Order your list how you want your day to go, and don’t put super-tough subjects back to back, or subjects that are similar exercises i.e. reading thirty pages of two different books back to back is no fun.

The Studying

It’s important to buckle down with No Distractions! If you find yourself distracted put your phone away! If you need your phone, put it on Do Not Disturb until you’re done. I also do this at night for better sleep. 

Pick the best technique for you, Pomodoro, reward-based, group studying, etc.

Play music but only if it will not distract you! If you sing along or daydream it’s the wrong music! Classical, Lo-fi, and White noise are all good! My Spotify Here has some good ones.

Use a nice journal (I don’t mean expensive!) and pens/pencils you enjoy using. I like to have a specific journal and color dedicated to each subject. 

Take notes on recorded lectures and classes, if you’re doing online classes right now try to screen record or record the audio! That way if you space out you can play it later and take notes, and you can absorb the lesson better instead of being distracted.

Don’t worry about your notes, stationary, pictures, being beautiful and your grades being perfect. Life doesn’t always look the way it does on Instagram. And the people who spend hours trying to get a good photo of their coffee are not studying! 

Use flashcards! Quizlet is good if you need premade ones! If you can save up and buy them, Barrons AP Flash Cards are the best in my opinion. Very clean, not too long, very durable, and cover all subjects.

Feeling Distracted 

If you catch yourself drifting off and getting into your head, get up and take a quick walk, stretch, or energizer. 

It’s okay if this happens, don’t guilt yourself! practice affirmation. The best and smartest still get distracted. 

If you are drifting, why? Are you hungry? Tired? Thirsty? Bored? Get a snack and some water, take a break and rest, find a way to make your studying more enjoyable. 

Remember that Motivation and Discipline are different things. Sometimes we just won’t be motivated, we won’t want to do it and it will be rather frustrating. But the cure to this is not shaming its discipline. Remind yourself “This may be hard, and I may not want to do this, but I want to reach my goals and If this is what It takes I will make it happen. 

Always do just one more page of you’re tired. One at a time and oh you did it! Maybe just one more? One more? Eh, one more just to finish the train of thought, Oh just- I’m done? Nice!

If you really can’t focus just move on and come back to this subject, you can always ask for help.

Supplementary Things

There are so many apps you can use to study, for free! My favorites are Tide, Quizlet, Focus Keeper, Forest, Flora, Egenda, SpanishDict, Photomath, and Kahn Academy. 

You can also join a study group! You may know one, but if you don’t, there are a lot of online ones! I’m in a study Discord and have been for a while! it helps a lot and motivates me to finish my work!

You can make a studyblr, but don’t do it just for the aesthetics! It’s about studying, and sometimes that gets messy! Sometimes we fail a test, we spill our tea on our notes, we cry because we don’t understand the formula. That’s the part you don’t see!

Having cute stationery can really help, as well as nice organizers and decorations for your space! I don’t have much money so I get a lot of stuff on Amazon or FB Marketplace.

Health

Remember that no matter what you are good enough. It’s okay if you fail, it’s okay if you struggle.

It’s also okay if your path doesn’t go the way you expected! Maybe you go to a different school than expected! Or choose a trade instead! Maybe you take a gap year! Maybe your passion changes! Maybe it changes six times!

Your health is always more important than your school. If you are in pain, mentally or physically, if you are anxious, exhausted, burnt out, talk to your teachers about it! You matter more than a grade.

Your best is good enough! And your best doesn’t look the same as someone else’s best! Don’t compare!

how to be productive after school

how to have a productive year

how to be as productive as Hermione Granger

how to study for longer

how to increase productivity and get stuff done

how to stay focused, motivated and on track

planning apps

what to do when you’re super distracted

top 10 productivity tips

productivity hack ft google cal

my current take on goal setting with value checks, milestones, and habits!

some other posts that might interest you: 12 block time management in notion | my holistic notion setup

hope this is helpful! 💛🌸💖🧠 i feel like what I’m doing is more related to what I want now :) text under the cut!

for the remainder of our term, we will be taking online classes; however, unlike others, our professors refrained from requiring us to have synchronous online meetings, so many of the things i have to do, i have to do on my own time. with this, i have been using notion to plan, organize, and manage my time, and i thought it would be nice to share how i do so!!

back at it again with another notion post! this one’s about what I use every day in my personal workspace. hopefully this gives you all a bit of inspiration!

my other notion posts: goal setting and tracking | notion for time management and prioritization

hope you enjoy :) 💖💛🌻 full post below:

I know that I mostly post studyblr contents, but the situation in Thailand has been getting worse and worse. Last night (August 12, 2020), police officers were seen around the dorm of Thai democracy activists, and they were (and still are) likely to be arrested because of speaking the truth. They are safe for now (August 13, 2020), but we are not certain about the future. And there’re many more democracy activists targeted by the authority.

There have been a lot of protests calling for political changes in the past few months. But almost all of the Thai media are corrupted and told not to broadcast anything about them. I myself have only seen the news about the protests from foreign news’ Twitter accounts.

Since almost all of my followers are from many countries, I’m begging you to please spread and reblog this post about the news about the current situation in my country. Here, we can be targeted just by criticizing the government or the royal family.

resources and news:

freedomforthai-en.carrd.co/

In Thailand, Students Take on the Military (and ‘Death Eaters’)

Thailand protesters ‘cross the Rubicon’ and risk all to criticise the monarchy

Thousands in Bangkok Rally Against Thai Government

Infographics about what’s been happening (Google Drive)