moniquesstudies

• One step at a time.

• Let's just get through today.

• The wins along the way make up for the losses.

• When I look back in five years, this won't seem as daunting.

Haven’t you noticed that it’s easy to write something that you’re emotionally engaged in? So, make yourself emotionally engaged in your essay by making the first draft Bullshit No.1 and being totally, completely honest about what you think of the subject.

You know that essay schools want you to write, basically marketing yourself as the perfect balanced of “tortured but learned soul”? 

Well, time to bring out that sassy side of yours and write your heart out about who the hell you are.

Example:

“I am Ari, and you’re about to read the most dull thing ever and you’re gonna enjoy it! I am 5′2″, built like a dwarf, and the most overambitious, absent-minded INFJ you’ll ever have the misfortune of meeting.”

Essay on history?

“Listen up, this is the story of how humans once again proved themselves to be idiots.”

Essay on biology?

“Guess who won the prize for most boring lectures ever? Professor of Biology! And now to delight y’all with just the facts.”

Be emotional about what you’re writing. Be venomous about how much you detest what you’re writing.

It’s easy and fast to write when you’re emotional. It’s easy and fast to edit when you know what an actual essay should look like. Which you do know, otherwise you wouldn’t have such a hard time writing the first draft. Don’t try to edit and write at the same time: write the shit then polish the turd. Don’t polish and shit at the same time, it’ll just create a mess.

making a post because I see a lot of “if you don’t understand a concept, note taking, studying” stuff but i’m well into an English lit degree and it’s not so much understanding a concept, or taking exams as much as it is dividing your time to read 700 pages in a week and writing essays, I’m writing this so I follow my own advice

reading will take longer than you think it will, schedule accordingly

even if you read fast, reading will, and should take longer than when you’re reading for fun. you’re analyzing bb

write in your books

no one will care i promise. underline patterns, highlight writing idiosyncrasies

if you’re reading theory, read out loud

idk if this is an adhd thing, but I cannot read a giant hunk of critical theory. it’s like i’ve suddenly become illiterate. reading out loud helps a lot.

you don’t need to understand every reference of obscure writers in the 1800s

the hardest writing to read is when a famous author rattles off a bunch of names of authors you’ve never read. ignore them. 

try finding an audiobook of the book you’re reading to listen to while reading

once again, reading comprehension can be difficult if you just stare at the page like me. a lot of old books have audiobooks available on youtube for free, plus you can speed it up. listening to it helps hammer it in. (libraries typically have audiobook sources as well)

google words you don’t know

and whip em out at parties to look smart and accomplished

every professor is different when grading essays, especially for different kinds of essays

forget everything you learned in high school about essays. none of it is true. in fact, forget everything you learned about essays every time you take a new class. every professor has their own made up rules. figure out what your prof wants, don’t take bad feedback personally. 

read something you want to read in between

when you’re constantly reading stuff you’re forced to read, even if you enjoy it (and you won’t always) it can be hard to remember why you love books in the first place. read some wonderfully stupid YA novel and that’ll get you back on track

YOU ARE SMART. 

GOD, reading stuff you don’t understand over and over with professors telling you you’re analysis is wrong, sometimes it makes you feel DUMB. I PROMISE YOU ARE NOT. just because you’re not a tenured professor doesn’t make your analysis wrong, and it doesn’t make that professor right. and you’re in school for a reason! if you knew about it then you wouldn’t be in school. 

I cannot stress this enough: TALK TO YOUR CLASSMATES