SOS

12|06|2018 -  Well, I’m sorry the apocalypse isn’t convenient for you. Now go to bed.

A class aims to teach students certain skills. Homework is a *presentation* about your understanding of those skills. I really want to emphasize the presentation part of that: homework is more than getting answers to some questions–it’s a way to demonstrate that you’ve internalized an understanding of how to answer questions. Like most presentations (and things you stick your name on, really), it’s worth putting effort not only into a homework’s content, but also… well, its presentation.

This post lists some tips & tricks for making your homework look great… and maybe help your grader out too. I wrote this guide assuming you’re writing by hand, but similar design principles apply to electronic writing too. I took mostly STEM classes, so my wording is biased towards homework from those sorts of classes.

The usual caveats apply: pick and choose what works for you, toss what doesn’t. Remix to your heart’s desire!

⦿ MATERIALS: Like an artist choosing their tools, the materials you work with will significantly impact your end product’s appearance. I recommend…

Primary Writing Tool: A mechanical pencil or a dark-inked pen (e.g., black or blue). If using a pen, I recommend also getting correction tape to make your life easier and keep your homework pretty.

Light-Colored Pen: A secondary writing utensil to emphasize important statements and results. These sorts of touch-ups make your work easier to read. I recommend using a cyan, magenta, light green, or orange pen. AVOID RED! Chances are your grader has called dibs on that.

Straightedge Tool: A six-inch ruler or other straightedge, which allows for crisp lines when boxing results or underlining statements.

Lined Notebook Paper: This might sound silly to list, but use of lined paper provides a natural organization for your homework, so leaning into it is a good idea. Unless you’re extremely comfortable with line-less paper, lined paper is the way to go.

⦿ STRATEGY: Perhaps the most useful suggestion I can provide you is the following:

ROUGH DRAFT YOUR SOLUTIONS FIRST: Solving a problem often involves a lot of guesswork and–consequently–a lot of wrong turns. You might set up machinery that you never use, or your notation might be more cluttered than it had to be, and so-on. By solving a problem before writing up the version you’ll turn in, you have an opportunity to clean up your argument and organize your thoughts. You also ensure…

It’s at least the second time you look at your solutions, so you can catch mistakes.

You learn the material. Looking at your work more than once helps reinforce what you’ve learned, so that you may more easily recall those skills at a later time.

Like I said: homework is a kind of presentation. Turning in your first draft is like giving a speech without first giving a practice talk. Of course, that being said, sometimes you might be low on time or energy, in which case turning in something is better than nothing. Do what you need to do, my friend. In any case, I hope my remaining advice is still useful to you.

I recommend keeping all of your homework-relevant work in one place, like a dedicated folder. By getting in the habit of bringing that folder to class, you lessen the chance of forgetting your homework at home.

⦿ ORGANIZATION: A lot of what makes a good-looking homework is intentional placement of information. If a grader can reliably find information, then they can accurately assess you on that information. Organization also helps if you want to later use your homework to study for an exam. Here’s suggestions on what info to include and where/how to include it:

Your Name - Top Right of Front Page: You need to write your name on the assignment to get credit.

Due Date - Top Right of Front Page: This is good for you in the present (to ensure you remember when the assignment is due) and the future (so you know for sure when in the semester you worked on it).

Title - Top Line of Each Page: e.g. “Class Title - Homework #N”, with maybe even a subtitle on the first page describing that homework’s theme. This let’s the grader know they’re grading the right assignment, and allows you to keep records more easily.

Page Number - Bottom Right Corner of Each Page: e.g. “1 of M” or “1/M”. This way you remember to staple pages in the right order AND don’t accidentally forget to include a page before turning it in.

Write on only One Side of Each Page: It’s easier to read a homework (and harder to miss part of a solution) if all your writing sticks to one side of the page.

Number Your Solutions: If you’re working on a problem set, then you should very clearly indicate which of your solutions correspond to which problems. In fact…

Give Each Solution its own Page(s): It’s a good rule of thumb (unless otherwise specified by your instructor or grader) to give each problem its own pages rather than writing each problem immediately after another. This makes it easier to find specific problems. Plus, if you discover a terrible error in what you thought was an okay solution, then you can start from scratch on that problem without jeopardizing parts of other problems.

Include Solutions in the Same Order the Problems are Assigned: So include the solution to problem #1 first, then the solution to problem #2, etc. This ensures you can be confident you’re not forgetting a solution when you turn in your work. For the grader, this means actually finding each problem they want to grade.

⦿ YOUR FINAL DRAFT: If you followed my earlier strategy, then you’ve already solved your homework problems, and you’re rewriting and reorganizing at this stage. Here’s some guiding principles about presenting your solutions.

Double-Check You Actually Answered the Problems: It’s easy to miss a small question in the problem statement, or go into auto-pilot and accidentally solve a different-but-related problem. Reread the problem statements and make sure you don’t lose points due to accidental omissions. Additionally, make certain you’re clear about what you’re answering: if a problem says “Explain why [such-and-such]”, then write your answer as “[Such-and-such] because…”

Show Your Work: Unless otherwise stated, a homework’s purpose is NOT to get an answer, but to establish that you personally have a means of obtaining the answer. So explain what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Show your steps. Lead the reader down the mental road you took in solving the problem.

Emphasize Final Results: This means boxing or underlining the end product of your solution, preferably in a light-colored pen that is easily distinguished from the rest of your writing. You worked for these results, so show them off. This also helps with making sure you didn’t forget to answer part of a problem.

That’s that! Thank you for taking time to read my tips & tricks on writing up homeworks. I hope they’re as useful to you in your academic life as they’ve been in mine.

Did I miss any tips & tricks that you absolutely swear by?  Let me know on a reblog or send me an ask!

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.

Because I struggle bussed too hard to come up with a solid 10. Regardless, I made it this far, so I must have done something right(ish), or not completely wrong. 

Set the scene. Not necessarily in the Tumblr studying aesthetic kinda way. They’re definitely #deskgoals, but let me tell you, my desk never looked like any of the pictures you see here. What I mean, make your space a productive place to study for you. I preferred my study space to be separate from my sleep place, so my desk wasn’t in my bedroom. Not being locked up in a cave was important to me, so I put my desk by a window. Light a candle, Bath and Body Works got all my loan money. Get a natural sunlight lamp. Play some music, preferably without lyrics – classical, EDM, whatever keeps you focused without being distracting. Just make an optimal space for you. 

Stay hydrated (and caffeinated). I’m 100% a coffee addict, but water is so incredibly important. It helps you to not feel like shit, both physically and mentally, or look like shit #skincare.  Drink your morning coffee, but chug water throughout the day. Your mind and body will love you. I discovered flavoring packets that contained caffeine (Crystal Light, Mio, etc) at the beginning of MS2, and let me tell you, life-changing for those mid-afternoon slumps. And all those pee breaks you have to take? Much needed and well-deserved! You don’t want a DVT from studying all day. 

Sleep! I honestly cannot stress this enough. I don’t know how I ever pulled all nighters in college and I don’t know how my friends did it in medical school. It’s important for your mental health and physical health. Studies have shown sleep enhances memory retention and you’ll study more productively. I became a “my brain doesn’t function after 10pm” person in medical school, so I went to sleep early-ish and woke up early, but if you’re a night owl, then let yourself sleep in! You’re not taking away precious study time if you’re sleeping, I promise. And for that night before the test, that extra hour of sleep is way better than staying up an extra hour to read your notes one more time, I pinky promise. 

Move, stretch, dance, anything not hunched over a desk. Sitting for 12 hours straight is simply not sustainable. Take a couple minute break every hour to give your brain a rest. A lot of people use the Pomodoro technique with success but I never got into it. I downloaded the Forest app and timed myself for an hour, then took a 5-10 minute break between study sessions. You’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated for another round of studying! 

Repetition, repetition, repetition. Repetition is key when it comes to learning and memorizing. Figure out your best way of learning and stick with it. Whether it be reading, re-writing notes, listening or watching lectures, recording yourself reading the notes, flashcards, etc. Find it and stick with it. Repeat it until you can do it in your sleep. I would literally wake up sometimes reciting notes in my head and I it was annoying, but it meant I had studied effectively. 

Questions. Always reinforce your knowledge with questions. You can memorize every page of a textbook but it doesn’t mean much unless you can apply it. And the more questions you do, the faster you get at test-taking, which is key once you get into 8 hour board exams. But I digress. Take practice tests, buy review books, invest in question banks. Some professors provide old exam questions for review. Do as many as you can. And if explanations are provided, read them! They’re just as much of a learning tool as any other resource! As I reviewed the questions, I’d take notes, simple one-liner facts, for review later. 

One pagers. This one may not be for everyone, but they came in clutch for me. My study method was a combination of re-writing notes and reciting things out loud as if I’m teaching it to a class. I talk to myself a lot. The more comfortable I got with the material, the more I condensed my notes until I had whole lectures or topics down to one page. This page would contain things that I thought were super important that I needed to make sure I knew, or those pesky facts that would not commit themselves to my memory. Because I’m a firm believe in not re-reading something you know you already know. This also held me accountable to always be actively studying. Then I would review these pages the day before and the morning of exams. 

Above all else, remember to trust yourself. Don’t panic. You put in the time and work, you will do great. If you have anxiety issues, don’t be afraid to seek help so you can learn how to get your anxiety under control because school is hard enough without that added obstacle. 

I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS GET THE SAME FEEDBACK WHEN THEY GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME

Neither of my supervisors had never gotten it before either. They had to think for a while, and then it turned into them telling me how great I am and what they love about me.

This stuff is real. I would also say: none of it is lying. This is taking experience that you normally downplay and write off, and putting it in accurate words they’ll understand.

It’s hacking the capitalist system. Why ISN’T helping a kid with homework “tutoring”, when the only thing missing is a paycheck?

It’s especially important for anyone who isn’t a cis white man, because many of us are so thoroughly trained to feel like we are not good enough.

Privilege tells people they can fake it, and that they’re good enough just as people and can learn the skills on the job. Abuse and oppression tell people they aren’t good enough as people and that even their high skills are probably below average, and that unless they had the specific job title or were using certain skills officially, nobody will think it counts.

Smiling and being polite are good, so is trying to be charismatic. 

Don’t swear, don’t comment on ‘bad’ things in you’re old job unless you’re doing a “there were issues with the system/computers but we adapted well and managed to make a good thing out of a bad situation” in order to enhance your skills and employability.

Don’t slouch in your seat, but also don’t sit ramrod straight. Aim for something more casual, but don’t go too casual. 

Try and keep your shoulders from raising up. Hunching up and sitting tensely mark you out as nervous and unable to hide it. Sometimes this can work badly for you if you’re looking for a customer service role.

If they ask if you have reliable transport, or “how will you make it to work?” the answer you always give, even if it isn’t true, is “personal transport” or “car”. Doesn’t matter if you carpool or get the bus or walk. If you say you have your own transport they’re more likely to consider you for next step.

Another thing, sometimes they call you and you’re busy doing stuff and you have to stop and answer their questions. I had a call from a place I’d applied to, one of many, and none of them had called me back so, naturally, I forgot all about this other place. That meant that I had no recollection of anything they asked me about their company and such. 

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stare at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

Hi everyone!! I decided to do a little doodles masterpost since there are so many talented people in this community. These are the ones that i like/reblogged or use as a reference when i wanna doodle. I tried to check and correctly credit everyone, but if you notice a problem please let me know. Hope you like this post, and if you have any other masterpost ideas that you would like me to do, you can message me or send an ask!

Doodle Ideas

Florals

Floral by @journalsanctuary

Plants/Florals by @merakinotes

Plants

Plants by @journalsanctuary

Plants by @architstudy

Plants by @grumpybeesexual

Plants by @miennstudies

Plants by @tinaillustration

Plants by @studywithinspo

Succulents by @architstudy

Space

Space Doodles by I Love Doodle

Space Doodles by @merakinotes

Space Doodles by @languagedarling

Misc

Misc by @soycake

Misc by @matissie

Misc by @studie-s

Misc by @studyrose

Misc II by @studyrose

Misc by @journalsanctuary

Misc by @soymilkstudies

Other

Tips by @journalsanctuary

How to Draw Better by @studywithinspo

October Doodles by @journalsanctuary

Easy Doodles by @studypetals

Weather and Seasons Doodles by @studyquill

Foods and Animals by @idlestudy

Plant + Food + Space + Autumn Doodles by @studywithinspo

Pen Doodles by @productiveflower

Doodles for Bullet Journal

Doodles for your Bullet Journal by @studywithinspo

Doodles by @studyrose

Doodles by @stvdybuddies

Banner Ideas by @studyinginstyle

Monthly Spread Inspo by @thatsmycue-card

Misc by @qdgardens

Monthly Spread Inspo by @studywithinspo

Banner and Heading Ideas by @haleystudies

Doodle  Inspo for Notes by @grangerscorner

Youtube Channels

Doodles by Sarah : tbh definitely check this one out, you can find doodles for every theme!!!!

AmandaRachLee : one of my favorites! she has amazing bullet journal and doodle videos!!

Pic Candle

Vexx2

Google Doodles : a good place to get some inspo!

KiraKiraDoodles : very cute kawai and doodles

I was once told that physics is like being a mathematician except with more ego and concepts. Being in my second semester of physics, I decide to create a collection of study strategies for my subjects.

1. Study about a week in advance. Reduce the amount of cramming and stress. 

2. Make a study guide… this was a slightly issue I had earlier in the semester, I believed that I only had to understand problems… but that is not physics… it is understanding concepts and acing problems. So I made a Cornell note summary packet. For example

I will be tested on chapter 20-23, that is 4 chapters, so I forced myself to condense my notes for each chapter to one page of notes, condensing notes, and putting it in my own words is the best!

Redo most homework problems, using the equation sheet from the exam

Taking the practice exam, early enough to meet with the professor, and pin point my errors.

Other methods I have heard of is:

Section off by chapter/lecture//Cornell//Draw figures/ diagrams, color coding is your friend

3. Color coding, Equations in one color and concepts in other. Use different fonts: bold, all capital letters.

4. Physics is math mixed with information. I recommend taking it with Calculus. I wish I did. The subjects go hand and hand.

5. Be familiar with equation sheet, use it for your homework and practice problems. Understand the concept- when/why to use equations as well as - helping you ace the exam.

6. It is easy to get intimated by problems. First break it down

Preform all of the lecture notes problems. That is core, the foundation from the professor himself. You want to understand these

Do all the homework once and check answers. Then do it again, then circle and make note of the problems you cannot solve by yourself. It is important to preform the step of redoing. If you miss a minus sign or even a slight error, is the difference between the strong and weak students. 

Write the formulas you may need when preforming your homework. It will help you memorize. A blogger by the name hexaneheels, recommends learning over time (best tip!)

Units are so important! 

My advice can be used for “Technical science - courses” like Physics and Chemistry