KatLearnsThings

Hi friends! Sorry it’s been a minute since I last checked in. This semester is an important one for me so I’ve been concentrating on my studies trying to make sure I hit my goals for the semester. It’s been pretty hard to concentrate lately because of all the rumors floating around campus about whether or not our university would close because of cases of COVID-19 that are nearby our county. I received an email last night at 7:00 that my university (like many others in our state) are making the decision to close their doors for the rest of the week and transition to online classes, “at least until March 29th”. 

I’ve had a lot of feelings about this, and even though I’ve had some time to process this a bit I’m still not completely sure how I feel. At first I was kind of excited because, NO SCHOOL- kind of... for the rest of the week anyways. However I am still sort of bummed about the whole online class transition because I know for a fact some of my classes, such as the choir class I was auditing for no credit, will not make the transition to online. It’s going to hurt the music majors considerably and because I have friends in those majors my heart goes out to them as this has to be a completely frustrating time for them. It’s also got to be a lot of pressure on the professors who now have to figure out how to make their class completely online regardless of their technological savviness.

The truth of the matter is regardless how we feel, this is happening, at least until March 29th. We will just have to make the best of a bad situation and just get through it, together. Please remember to rely on the appropriate resources for information about COVID-19 such as the CDC or WHO. I will include links below to each. 

Hang in there everyone, and wash your hands!

“If seeds despaired in their darkest hours, they would never rise to enjoy their brightest days.”

Links: ↴

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

One of my friends who’s a year younger than me and is having to write papers for her college classes for the first time asked me for advice on how to write a quality college paper. There are a lot of ways to do this and obviously I can only speak from personal experience of what works for ME, but here are some tips to help you organize your thoughts and work for that “A” you’ve been after...

1. Write out what you plan to say on a blank piece of paper beforehand. This can look as messy or clean as you need it to be, the creative process isn’t always neat. I like using Goodnotes to draft out my paper because I can rearrange things as I see fit and even add diagrams and pictures that I deem relevant. What we’re looking for is to draw out what your body paragraphs will look like and what kind of information you are wanting them to contain. I utilize bullet points rather than actually write out word for word what I want to note there. 

2. Make it fun! Writing a paper or an essay doesn’t have to be the worst part of your day, it can even be relaxing if you approach it right. I like to find a quiet place to work. In my case it’s my office if I’m home because I feel most comfortable there. I also recommend you utilize your senses. I like lighting candles, putting on something with noise, sipping a special drink like a Bai antioxidant infusion drink (my current obsession is the peach one!) that I can only have while I’m working. If you can’t light a candle (libraries frown on this typically) and need a smell replacement you could try putting on some nice scented lotion or hand sanitizer in place of that. I also highly recommend plugging in some headphones and listening to something. Personally, I can’t listen to music while I write, it distracts me. HOWEVER- I can listen to sounds, like ASMR ambiance tracks, or ocean noises and find them especially helpful on lower volumes to relax me and provide a kind of white noise to help me focus. I’ll link some below.

3. DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST SECOND. Seriously. I’m not sure what else I can say other than don’t put it off until the night before it’s due. You’ll be stressed and that makes everything harder when you need to be creative. If you leave yourself more time and don’t force yourself to do the whole process in one sitting, you’ll find it a lot more feasible and maybe even enjoyable. After all, writing papers in college is your chance to show off your greatest asset- your mind! Show the world what your brilliant brain can do and leave your mark- as prolific writer Sylvia Plath once penned, "Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences." Good luck, you’ve got this!

Links:

Hi friends, it’s been a minute. I apologize for not posting much over winter break but I needed some time to rest and relax from the all consuming dumpster fire that was my finals week. I want to use this post to catch you up on what has happened since and talk about my first week back on campus, so here goes nothing...

GRADE UPDATE: I finished all my classes with B’s which I’ll admit, the perfectionist in me was a little disappointed in because my goal was all A’s, but after Isaiah reminded me I was super sick the last week of the semester and I was taking two very intensive and difficult classes I am a little more proud of my B’s. Also my Middle Eastern Studies prof gave me the grade I had been arguing for on my midterm paper if you all remember that fiasco so I guess it all worked out in the end.

NEW SEMESTER NEW GOALS: This semester I am taking a few more credits than I did last semester but I think it’ll be fine. Last semester I took 6 credits and this semester I am technically taking 8 although the last 1 credit class I’m auditing so it kinda counts kinda doesn’t. I’m super excited about my audited class though because I get the opportunity to sing in university choirs again and I forgot how much I loved choir class at my old university and in high school. The first day of class I almost teared up during warm ups because I had forgotten how good it felt to sing with other people. That’s right, I’m a proud choir nerd and that’s all I have to say about that. As far as goals go for the semester I’d love to have all A’s and to raise my GPA as well as make some new friends. Being a transfer student is especially hard in that regard so I’m hoping to make some lasting connections with people and find my place here a little more everyday.

My other classes are not quite as interesting but still fun. I have to take a Strategies In Writing course because it’s a prerequisite to almost all of my social work research classes I need to take yet so I’m braving up and knocking this one out of the park now so I can move on with my life. I’m not the most confident writer so I’m a little bit nervous but my prof seems really cool so hopefully that will help.

My other class I’m taking is an ONLINE class which will either be awesome or totally flop. It’s called Intro to Jazz History and I think once I get over my irrational rage over having to buy a physical book for an online class I’ll like it a lot. I used to sing in a Vocal Jazz ensemble at my previous university and loved it and my Dad loves jazz and makes us listen to it a lot so I think this class will be pretty fun once I get into it. I did mess up already and tried to take a quiz on a reading I haven’t read because I don’t have my book yet and did not do well so I’m hoping if I email my prof and explain I didn’t have the book and want to retake it he will let me but if he doesn’t it’s okay. There are lots of other grades coming and if this is my one little dumb moment then it’s fine. It shouldn’t make or break me.

One little announcement I’m excited to make is that I will be getting an iPad this semester and trying out some digital note taking through an app called good notes! I am super excited to try this as I’ve been always curious about the idea of digital notes and going paper free to the best of my abilities so come refund week, I will be purchasing the new iPad and an Apple Pencil and posting my notes here! So there’s that to look forward to as well. If you currently use an iPad to take notes and use an app other than good notes let me know what it’s called and I would love to hear the pros and cons of it!

HOLY PETE! Time really flies when you’re stressed doesn’t it?

I am pleased to announce I have successfully made it through finals week somewhat unscathed, although my brain is still recovering. Today I accidentally said, “Okay, love you, bye!” to the libraries information desk when I called. Never going to live that down I’m afraid...

I was debating on what to post for finals week because I could go several different directions with this posting but I decided ultimately to go with my top 3 most helpful finals week tips to help you through the worst part of the semester.

May the finals gods look down upon you in favor...

#1- Study in 30 minute blocks.

There’s actually a lot of data that supports the idea that after a certain amount of time your brain cannot process any more information at the same frequency as it has been so the longer you study on without a break, the worse your retention will be. Instead, try setting a timer for 30 mins and giving yourself 15 minute breaks to walk around, stretch, eat a snack, or get some water. Just make sure you’re actively working the whole 30 minutes! My favorite break activity is YouTube yoga tutorial breaks, it’s a great way to sneak workouts in and stretch! You’ll thank yourself later.

#2- Get plenty of sleep!

I know how tempting it can be to pull an all nighter to get things done but even with tip number one, you still need sleep to survive and fifteen minutes every half hour won’t cut it. Instead try making a study schedule and include a reasonable bedtime and wake up time and use a pomodoro timer the next morning to make sure you make the most of your time. Just like being overworked, your brain loses retention when it’s overly sleep deprived and you’ll likely do worse on your test than if you’d gone to bed for a bit than pulling an all-nighter. Just trust me on this one, it comes from personal experience.

#3- HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!

I like coffee as much as the next person but those exam cram breakouts you may be experiencing might not just be from the copious amounts of chocolate you’re craving. Water is your best friend this week and here’s why: Your body is 70% water. We all know this, sure. But what we forget is coffee and caffeinated teas are diuretics which means they dehydrate you! A quick way to figure out how much water you should be drinking is by taking your body weight and dividing it in half. That number is the amount of ounces you should ideally be drinking. Another way to figure it out is by your exercise level. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise. Either way you calculate it- don’t expect to get to your daily water intake goal overnight. It will take time for your bladder to adjust but rest assured your body will pick up the cue soon enough and you’ll find the habit a lot less tiresome to keep up. Your skin will thank you too! PS: if you’re having a hard time drinking water for the taste of it, I recommend investing in a fruit infuser water bottle! I got this one from target and I love it! (Not sponsored lol)

It’s officially panic time! I’ve been assigned the last chapter of my textbook and there’s only a little over two weeks of classes left if you exclude thanksgiving break! As the kids say, “big yike”.

I’ve been hanging in there but man am I exhausted. Yesterday I went to bed at 10 o’clock at night. (For comparison I get home from work at 8:30ish and have to cook dinner so I pretty much passed out as soon as I had finished eating.)

One really cool thing I wanted to share that’s been really helping me is these YouTube videos I found that are a Harry Potter addict’s dream come true. If you go open up YouTube and type in “Harry Potter Ambiance” or “Hogwarts Ambiance” thousands of these videos will pop up that you can listen to while meditating, studying, reading (I’m listening to a Ravenclaw Common Room one in the photo), or falling asleep! They are seriously magical and they make you feel like you’re really at Hogwarts. 10 out of 10 katlearnsthings would recommend.

Check out the playlist I compiled of my favorite Hogwarts ambiance videos- all houses are represented as well as favorite classrooms and more! -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJH4ibbqHks7AiwQ8HyG-q6hx1uB13G3s

29 days, 5 weeks, and 8 classes left before the dreaded final examinations. This is officially countdown to the very end and everyone is getting sick, sick, or feels like they’re dying in general. Today wasn’t a bad day per say, I did have to present a dumpster fire of a group project and for some reason I forgot to bring my notes with me up to the front of the room and so I spewed BS about of my kisser for 20 minutes and I was sure I was about to keel over from a heart attack. I feel like it’s partially my fault, one of our classmates in our group dropped the class and although I did pick up some of the lost work, I probably could have done more. I just hate group projects (and projects in general) and was juggling another class project at the same time that is also demanding. Then again, isn’t everyone around this time of the semester?

Either way, this led to an interesting conversational debate with Isaiah who was pushing the “Sometimes it’s best to survive than thrive” narrative. I can see his point, how sometimes all you can do is make peace with the past and focus on the present, BUT I still can’t escape the feeling of guilt like I should have done more. Student remorse is a real thing I swear. Anyways, I suppose it’s over and done with and I shouldn’t be complaining- I have an 80% in the class so far, and that isn’t factoring in other upcoming big grades like the final paper, my cultural presentation, and final exam.

 I got back my midterm paper today and I was given a 96% overall. The only thing that blows is that she deducted 10 points because it was 6 minutes late which is kinda crap in my opinion because the reason it was 6 minutes late was because I had started a new anxiety med that was making me throw up all the time (like 5-6 times a day) and I had emailed her while I was on my way to class (ON TIME) because I realized I had to stop to run into the nearest building’s bathroom to be sick and because of THAT I was 6 minutes late. I tried talking to her about it after class today but she was in a hurry to rush off somewhere and only said she’d “consider it” which I’m pretty sure is professor for “not happening bucko.”

However angry and disappointed I am it’s still awesome the grade I earned academically was a 96%! I think that’s an A in my University’s grading book and this particular class is really tough and the paper’s prompt wasn’t easy either. AND I got it done despite having to take breaks to empty the contents of my stomach periodically. Maybe if you get all A’s every time this isn’t so impressive to you, but as someone who struggles with her mental health, getting an A on something hard like that despite the difficult life stuff happening simultaneously and having the courage to go to class when I felt like death is something I am going to try to be proud of even if she turns down my grade appeal. I know I earned that A and no one can take that away from me. Especially not some stupid red ink.

I looked up from studying tonight and was greeted by an incredible sunset. No filter needed indeed! It struck me how little I look up at the sky nowadays, and how little I commune with nature besides when necessary for my daily commutes to class and work. We’ve only got a few more weeks left before snowfall hits where I live so I’m vowing to make the most of those weeks and try to get outside just for the sake of being outside more until then! Tonight I went for a walk and listened to some chill music and took in all of the sensations around me. The chilly fall air against my cheeks, the rustling of the fall leaves as they skittered across the road in front of me, the gentle stillness that encompassed the sidewalk, disturbed only by my footsteps and the occasional passerby. I came home from a half hour stroll and felt very peaceful and calm and decided then to crack open some of my notebooks. Moral of the story: take advantage of nature while it’s still here. This planet of ours is ever changing and the same moment will never strike twice.

It’s official. Midterms are OVER and that means we’ve passed the halfway mark. This is usually the part of the semester I feel like I’m drowning by but I’m actually doing pretty well so far! Nevertheless I made sure to block off time to comb through my syllabi’s carefully again to update my planner of any changes to assignments, exams, or projects, as well as add in a few new appointments. I was kept company by an epic ABBA playlist and my new candle from Fly Paper! This one is called “Book Lover” which I felt was entirely appropriate. I also wanted to walk you through what I use to stay organized.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a weird Studyblr. Not only am I not-so-subtly Harry Potter themed but I also do other things differently than other blogs might. Personally I see this as a bonus. I am all about beauty and perfection, believe me- but I know myself and what I am capable of handwriting-wise. This is why I type 90% of my notes in google docs and only take handwritten notes in some classes and usually over readings only. The reason why is if my handwriting is messy the perfectionist in me can’t stop obsessing over that and I can’t focus on my words. I know there’s a lot of controversy over laptop notes vs handwritten ones but for me it’s faster and I can even add in photos of my professor’s diagrams and other whiteboard write ups in later as a photo.

Secondly, I keep multiple “planners” instead of a mullet journal. No shade to anyone who bullet journals, I actually think it looks really cool and pretty, but again the bad handwriting kinda inhibits my abilities there. Instead I use google calendar on my phone and laptop to keep track of my assignments, group projects, exams, work schedule, and personal appointments. It’s all color coded and fabulous and easy to tell what’s happening next and where. Another planner I use is more traditional, a good old fashioned paper planner. This year’s edition is from Mead and I’m quite liking it. I always go through and fill out the monthly calendar parts first, then I go in as needed and write all the things I need to remember down in it in between classes.

The last “planner” I use is less traditional and more of a to-do list really which is why I’m giving it its own bullet point all the way over here. It’s a free extension (although you can pay for premium should you desire to) on google chrome called Momentum. It gives you breathtakingly beautiful nature stills complete with inspirational quotes that you can save to your personal library for later reflection.  It works as a to-do list where you can keep track of all the things you need to get done today and the best part is even if you close the window, once you’ve written down a goal momentum saves your lists so you don’t have to worry about losing them. It works on IOS, Mac, and Android OS (really anything you can run google chrome on) and is ESSENTIAL to me getting anything done. I don’t know about you but I open my google chrome more than my planner, especially when I’m procrastinating from finishing my homework and looking up sims 4 cheats to try later when I get home.

As far as paper storage goes I am a big fan of simplicity in case you haven’t noticed. One or two folders will usually do it for me, I try to designate some order within them where each class sticks to a side of the folder to discourage intermingling. This is where I stash all my syllabi, in class handouts, handed back graded homework, and also where I’ll stick any papers I need to turn in later to avoid getting them wrinkled on my commute to class. I liked this one from Meijer because of the quote which says: “If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you”. I wanted that to be my model for the school year so this was the obvious pick. It’s also three hole punched in case I ever need to throw it in a binder (which I hate but we’ll get to that another time) and has pretty sturdy pockets which also contributed to why I chose this one.