Let's Do Something Productive!

new people are coming your way with love

a huge success may be waiting around the corner

the possibilities are endless

You are never as awkward as you think you are

You are never as annoying as you think you are

You are never as boring as you think you are

Your compliments are never as creepy as you think they are

You are way more wanted than you give yourself credit for

GOOD STUDYING

Use recall. When you look at a passage and try to study it,  look away and recall the main ideas. Try recalling concepts when you are walking to class or in a different room from where you originally learned it. An ability to recall—to generate the ideas from inside yourself—is one of the key indicators of good learning.

Test yourself. On everything. All the time. Flashcards are your best friend. Use quizlet if you don’t want to hand-make flashcards. Get somebody to test you on your notes.

Space your repetition. Spread out your learning in any subject a little every day, just like an athlete. Don’t sit and study one subject for 2 hours, do half an hour every day.

Take breaks. It is common to be unable to solve problems or figure out concepts in math or science the first time you encounter them. This is why a little study every day is much better than a lot of studying all at once. When you get frustrated, take a break so that another part of your mind can take over and work in the background. You need breaks in order for your brain to retain the information. Try the Pomodoro method if you have trouble timing breaks!

Use simple analogies. Whenever you are struggling with a concept, think to yourself, How can I explain this so that a ten-year-old could understand it? Using an analogy really helps. Say it out loud, like you’re teaching it, whether it’s to an imaginary class or your sister who couldn’t care less.  The additional effort of teaching out loud allows you to more deeply encode.

Focus. Turn off your phone / iPad / any distractions and clear your desk of everything you do not need. Use apps like Forest if you can’t stay off them!

Do the hardest thing earliest in the day, when you’re wide awake and less likely to push it aside.

BAD STUDYING

Avoid these techniques—they can waste your time even while they fool you into thinking you’re learning!

Passive rereading—sitting passively and running your eyes back over a page. This is a waste of time, frankly, and doesn’t do anything to help information pass into your brain without recall.

Over-highlighting. Colouring a passage of text in highlighter isn’t helpful at all. It’s good for flagging up key points to trigger concepts and information, but make sure what you highlight goes in.

Waiting until the last minute to study. DON’T CRAM!!!

Doing what you know. This isn’t studying! This is like learning how to juggle but only throwing one ball. 

Neglecting the textbook. Would you dive into a pool before you knew how to swim? The textbook is your swimming instructor—it guides you toward the answers. 

Not asking your teachers for help. They are used to lost students coming in for guidance—it’s their job to help you. 

12.14.19 | keep your goals where you can see them! I’m getting back into bullet journalling and I’m trying to find a new layout that works for my needs. 

So I’ve been trying digital notes for my review in Pharma, and I’m liking it so far!

App: OneNote

🌼  don’t hate yourself for relationships and friendships you lost or sabotaged - accept that you built walls or adopted some coping mechanisms. be gentle with this and acknowledge that this has happened, but you are able to grow into a wiser person and have meaningful relationships in the future because of this. don’t mind-read others and think they hate you - that’s a lie. you can still make genuine friendships, you’re still a loveable, valuable person.

🌺 you will find something else you love, new friendships, new hobbies, new music, new obsessions, new things that give u meaning. when one thing ends another one begins, so  don’t dwell on people who aren’t in your life anymore or things you don’t enjoy anymore. those might be in the past, but don’t give up on searching for new things that could be even better. 

🌷bad days and bad weeks always end. there are good things ahead. please don’t conclude anything about yourself or your life from a temporary time. it won’t always be like this. 

☘️  there is always a chance of success and there is no one path to happiness. you’ve already come so far from where you started and you should take a moment to be proud of yourself. you never know what great things can happen. don’t lose hope 💛

🌸 keep going through tiredness and there will be something beautiful and new that will fill the emptiness you feel right now. document and romanticise your life. you’ve had days where the world is bright and soft and kind and you will have those days again. 

🌱take your time. it’s ok to rest. stay in bed, drink water, take plentiful breaks, do nothing but breathe. when you’re ready, pick yourself up and piece things back together. there is no pressure.

🍄 pay attention to influences that make you feel bad and try to remove those from your life and thoughts. sometimes things like too much social media, untidy room, too little sleep, too much time in your room, or spending time with someone who doesn’t appreciate you can wear you down. make sure your environment helps you thrive.

🌻 you’re not invisible or forgotten, even if you feel alone. someone appreciates your smile, someone wanted to speak to you but was too shy, someone remembers you fondly even though you haven’t spoken to them for a while. you’re not  insignificant and alone. maybe you can reach out first and you’ll see that you were loved all along. remember, if you’re alone for a long time you will think you’re unloveable, and this is the biggest lie in the world, so try to force yourself to interact with others in a nice and fulfilling way even when you feel scared of embarrassing yourself. people who matter won’t judge you.