oh god exams

Drinking water

No longer making self deprecating jokes

Making sure to take time out of the day to relax and take a breather

Lighting candles

Counting ur breaths in and out if ur having a panic attack

use a good playlist that doesn’t distract u but also doesn’t bore u

get some notecards, loose leaf, computer paper, literally anything u can scribble on

write vocab first

write down only the stuff u can’t remember; if u don’t have to look it up the night before the test, u probably won’t forget it

take breaks only when you’re at ur absolute limit

if you’re studying math, some kind of applied science, or anything that requires actual doing instead of remembering, do practice problems from the textbook, use practice problems online, or redo some worksheets if u have them

if you’re straight up memorizing, it’s all about repetition and mnemonics. find smth that works for u

drink water throughout this whole process; keeps u awake and breaks up the time if u don’t take actual breaks like me 

if u have already written out the vocab and don’t want to do it again, quizlet is pretty good for memorizing and they have pictures!

Since my classes begin tomorrow and it is mostly online I thought I'd share some simple study/self care tips that I will be sticking to.

Decide where you will work - even if it is at your kitchen table, having a designated work spot is so important for online classes and study. I understand that for some people this can be difficult, so you could break up your day instead of sitting down for a few hours straight.

Get enough sleep - Summer is over, it's time to settle back into a semi-normal sleeping pattern. Being tired can be a terribly difficult roadblock for concentration.

Get up early - by this I don't mean "get up at 6am every day". I mean don't stay in bed until five minutes before your class starts. Get up maybe an hour or so beforehand, which leads me to my next point-

Eat breakfast! - it will help you concentrate on your study. Plus, now you're at home you can snack throughout the day as well!

Hydrate! - It is SO important to drink water regularly. Try to keep a tall glass or a bottle nearby when you're working.

Wash and Dress - if you don't have the time or energy to shower, you can brush your teeth and wash your face. Trust me, it will makes a world of difference. It also might be tempting to throw a sweater on over your pyjamas for lectures, but you will feel a lot more alert and ready to work if you change out of the clothes you slept in. A change of underwear and even clean joggers and a shirt can freshen you up a lot.

Take your breaks! - even a 15 minute break for you to stretch your legs and grab some air will help so much!

Stay in touch with your friends and classmates - working alone can feel very daunting, so it might be a good idea to reach out to friends and organise a study session on a group call or video chat. You needn't be lonely just because you're alone.

Keep any medication you take close to where you work - I started doing this not long ago. It can be frustrating to have to break the flow of work to get up and take it, so it may be tempting to leave it until later. If you have it within arms reach you can take it without disruption. It also might help to set an alarm if it is time sensitive.