Tash

Hi guys! So a lot of our classes are starting today, even with the eclipse so I thought I’d share some tips my teacher sent out to help everyone get a better grade in the sciences classes, which may or may not be slightly trickier than others. It’s important to realize that no one can get through all of these, so pick what is most important to you.

1) Put in the time. Using the “three-to-one” rule, three hours of studying outside of class time per one credit hour. If your class is 3 credits, you should be studying independently an additional 9 hours. For 4 credits, 12 hours. Teachers expect you to treat studying as your job (even if you do have an actual job) meaning you should virtually be studying anytime outside of meals, class, sleep, work, etc. > To clarify, this is per week. Not at all per day. You will never be able to shove an appropriate amount of studying per class into one day. Do not try, it is not healthy. 2) NO cramming. It is MUCH more productive to study a little each day rather than 9 hours the day before a test. You will remember virtually nothing if you do and will not be as happy with the grade you recieve. Taking it in little bits stores it in long term memory and you will actually learn it rather than just regurgitating it onto a test. 3) Time management is crucial. Especially if you are someone who works or has kids or other priorities that also need attention. Make a schedule and. Stick. To. It. 4) Be prepared and organized. Do not be the person who lost their pencil and doesn’t have an extra, forgot a notebook or textbook, keys, etc. Give yourself enough time so you’re not rushing and make sure you have what you need! Your college professors are not here to attend to your personal needs when some of them have 800+ students a semester. 5) Use a calender. Write down your assignments, projects, class times, anything you need to remember. Use it religiously because it will be so much easier than trying to keep it all inside your head and that way you will not forget anything. 6) Use the book AND the notes. Most professors write things in a different way than the book and reading something in multiple different ways will better help you remember the concept rather than the sentence word for word. 7) Read ahead. Doing so helps you prepare for and not be lost in lecture and it will benefit you as well as the teacher. 8) Attend all/as many classes as you can and be an active listener. Sit up straight, face forward, don’t pay attention to what others around you are doing (I sit up front whenever possible). Keep an extra piece of paper near you in case you have questions so you can either ask or go back later and look it up yourself. 9) Take detailed notes. With permission, record the lecture so you can hear it again later, abbreviate whatever you are scribbling down, and then as soon as you can after class, rewrite it in a neater, nicer way and don’t be afraid to word things differently. A review shortly after class is proven to help it convert to long term memory. 10) Keep your phone off in class. I know we all love our phones and class is boring, but it’s also crucial information. We’ve all been through that period of regret where we wished we had paid attention. Don’t let that happen anymore. Use it only for emergencies and recording lectures. 11) Even if you don’t rewrite your notes after class, review them. Make sure to pay attention to anything the teacher may have repeated or any learning objectives they would like for you to know. 12) Study early and often! This goes along with no cramming but the sooner and more repetitively you relay information to your brain, the easier it will be to remember it. If you don’t look at the information for 2 weeks and then suddenly need to remember it all, not only will you be too stressed to retain it, you’ll also be wasting valuable time. Make your own study guides and test questions. 13) Make flashcards. Flashcards are only useful when you a) shuffle them occasionally and b) take the ones you’ve memorized out of the pile but still review them every now and then to make sure you still remember. Put any back in the pile that you missed. 14) Use mnemonic devices for lists of related terms. 15) Type or rewrite your notes. I’d recommend writing them again, because physical writing by hand is another way to help remember it. 16) Consolidate your material. This means: tables, lists, figures, concept maps. Reasonable chucks. 17) Teach it to someone else. The best way to tell if you have mastered something is that you are able to explain it to someone else correctly in a way that makes sense. 18) Pick a good place for effective studying. We all love our study groups, but let’s be honest. At most the first 20 minutes is talking, then 10 minutes of studying before half the group is surfing Tumblr and the other half is complaining they’re hungry. I prefer to study by myself for this reason. Find a quiet place with minimal distractions and get prepared to work your fucking ass off. 19) Get decent rest before the exam and be sure to get there early or on time, unpredictable situations included. Exams are important and your teacher will not care if there was a traffic jam. If you miss the exam, you miss the exam. 20) Learn from your mistakes. Review your incorrect exam answers and figure out why it was wrong and why the correct answer was correct. Talk to your teacher, TA, resource lab, anyone who may help you if you’re stuck. 21) Review the midterm and start preparing for finals. Most of the midterm material should be on the final, so it’s one of your best study guides. 22) Keep your textbooks and notes. I know we’re all broke as fuck and would like to sell them back, but you never know when that information will be useful in another class down the road. 23) Do NOT discuss grades, quizzes, tests, or exams with your class mates. Of course they’ll complain that they didn’t study, that chapter 6 was this, or chapter 8 said that and it was confusing. This type of conversation will only make you nervous so steer clear of all of it.

I’m headed into my 3rd year of uni, so I thought I’d make a post sharing my tips on how to do well in school, not burn out, and keep your mental health relatively stable.

1. Snacks - seriously, don’t leave home without at least 2 substantial snacks in your bag. If you’re go-go-going all day and suddenly your sitting in a lecture about to crash cause you haven’t eaten anything all day, you’re gonna want snacks. Some suggestions: Cashews (they’re not super loud/crunchy, so they’re perfect for lecture snackin’), a granola bar, an apple, cherry tomatoes, trail mix.

2. Don’t buy the textbook before you go to your first class - I’ve worked at a university bookstore for 2 years, and every year, people end up buying 700$ worth of first year text books, and then they don’t even use them. Wait. and then wait some more. If there are required readings, then get the textbook, if your prof says there will be questions from the textbook on the exam, then get the textbook, but trust me, for 90% of first year classes (and a lot of other ones) you don’t need the textbook. SAVE YOUR WALLETS

3. Take notes efficiently - honestly the best way to take notes, is type up the lecture notes that are provided, BEFOREHAND, and then during lecture, fill in the blanks/add information/take down any important things your prof is saying as you go through the lecture on your laptop in a different color. This way you’re much less likely to miss any important information, you won’t be confused about what to take down, and you won’t fall into the trap of taking down notes that are already being provided to you. After class, or while making study notes, copy these notes out by hand to remember what you learned.

4. Keep it simple - pretty notes are GREAT if you have the time, but once you get to upper level uni, and you have 100 slides of notes to turn into study notes, you will not have the time to make your notes look aesthetically pleasing. Just get the info down so you can focus on learning it.

5. Have a designated study space - i did all of my highschool homework and studying in my bed, and 90% of the time, I ended up falling asleep. My bed wasn’t going to cut it for uni, so I got a cheap ikea desk, and it’s made me so much more organized and productive.

6. Take as much ‘you time’ as possible - take a bath. light candles. binge watch a tv show. veg out with a book for 4 hours if you have the time. do your makeup super special one day. get yourself that venti pumpkin spice latte with extra whip whenever you feel like it. Uni is a shitty time I’m not gonna lie. It’s stressful as f*ck, and whenever you can spare a couple hours or a couple dollars to TREAT YO SELF, do it.

7.  If you have anxiety, CUT THE COFFEE. caffeine is a huge trigger for anxiety. Caffeine takes away from your sleep, messes with your adrenalin systems, and can make you super paranoid and anxious all the time. 

8. If you think your in the wrong major, change it - I started in geology, and I HATED IT. Now I’m in psych and I love it. It is never too late for a change of program. If you think you’re doing something you don’t wanna do, or your not enjoying it, don’t do it.

9. For mornings you have to be ready and out the door, or if you’re a person who always runs late, have a getting-ready routine and get it down pat. Have a mental list of things you need to do, and things you need to remember, and find out how much time it takes you. Get up at 8am, shower, wash face/brush teeth, get dressed, do makeup, pack bag, remember keys, wallet, laptop, notebook, pen and train pass, have breakfast, put on shoes, leave by 9am.

10. Utilize your time in transit. - finish a reading, go over flashcards, read study notes, listen to an album you’ve been meaning to listen to, read a book, read some fanfic, idk but don’t just sit there unless just sitting there is what you need.

instead of making high stress levels a competition, brag about feeling whole and at peace.

make it cool as hell to take 2pm naps and go on mindful walks by yourself.

talk about mental health and normalize visits to counselors or support systems

teach kids that being different is beautiful and that it’s healthy to love what makes us who we are.

earth + life science notes were my fave to write tbh (mainly because i got to draw a lot LOL) 

It’s been a while since I’ve made a post, and I figured that these tips might be extra helpful with exam season approaching. As someone who struggles a lot with procrastination, I do everything I can to fight the urge to put assignments off until the last minute (even though I’m not always successful). 

ʚ 5th apr 2017 ɞ

a little playlist of some of the songs i’ve been listening to most lately!

Study Notes

The Art of Highlighting @studygene​

How to Avoid Vomiting a Rainbow a.k.a. Colour Coding Your Notes @fuckstudy​

Guide to Study Guides @etudiantt​

How I make study guides @coffeesforstudiers​

Make Accessible PowerPoints @gojikas​

Guide to: Mind Maps @study-well​

How to Mind Map @study-nsp​

10 Mistakes when Studying @howtostudyquick​

How I Take Notes @acollegegirlsays​

Note Taking System @theorganisedstudent​

How to Annotate @tbhstudying​

How I Make Notecards! @cw0630​

How I Format and Use Flashcards @illolita​

Tips for Flashcards @tbhstudying​

Studying

Effective Studying @studybudyblr​

Apiarianbelljar’s Guide to Studying in Bed @apiarianbelljar​

How to Stay Focused @elkstudies​

101 Study Tips @study-early​

Study Tips for Lazy People @riseandstudy​

Studying For the Lazy @areistotle​

A Stash of Tiny Study Tips @justagirltryingtostudy​

How to Study Like a Harvard Student @yhbgk​

How to Earn More A’s: Tips From an Honours Student @abs-studies​

How to Focus @studyocracy​

Study Tips From: an MIT Student with a 5.0 @academicheaux​

Study and Exam Tips @workhardlikegranger​

Textbook Studying

How to Take Notes: from a Textbook @staticsandstationery

Studying from textbooks with PsychedAboutStudying Part 1 @psychedaboutstudying

Studying from textbooks with PsychedAboutStudying Part 2 @psychedaboutstudying​

Studying from textbooks with PsychedAboutStudying Part 3 @psychedaboutstudying​

Studying from textbooks with PsychedAboutStudying Part 4 @psychedaboutstudying​

A Visual Learner’s Guide to Textbook Note Taking @stxdybug​

At School

How to do Well in a Class Taught by a Crappy Teacher @coffeeandstationery​

Annotating Effectively @hideandstudy​

How to Take Effective Notes in Class @emmastudies​

Staying Awake/Focused in Class @mathbrain​

Class Presentations and Speaking in Public @nerdytravelingstudent​

Public Speaking Tips @inkdippedquills​

Study Tips for the New Semester @studyingandlattes​

Homework and Essays

Clichés to Avoid for Essays @appblrgirl

How to: Write a Killer English Essay @izzystudies

The Discursive/ Argumentative Essay @areistotle 

The Narrative Essay + The Descriptive Essay @areistotle

How to Write a Strong Essay @collegemania​

How to Write the Perfect College Essay @sara-laughed​

How to Tackle Big Projects @study-studymore-studyhard​

Research Tips @studyingiscool​

Who Needs Wikipedia @procrastinatioff​

Exams

How to: Remember Everything for a Test @getstudyblr​

Emergency Study Plan: My Test is Tomorrow and I Haven’t Started Studying @getstudyblr​

How to Mentally Prep Yourself for a Test @eruditicn​

How to Study for a Test @tbhstudying​

How to Improve Bad Grades @tbhstudying​

The Ultimate Guide to Final Exams @sara-laughed​

How to Make a Study Plan for Finals @sara-laughed​

How to Stay Calm and Reduce Stress During Finals @sara-laughed​

Organisation and Motivation

Minimalist School Organisation @deinterlacing​

How to Catch Up on Missed Work @munirastudies​

How to Make the Best Use of Your Time @tbhstudying​

Productivity Resource List @lifting-books​

16 Pieces of Real Advice for 2016 @azumeryl​

How to Start Working When You Really Don’t Feel Like It? @strive-for-da-best​

Beating Procrastination @to-work-or-not-to-work​

Tips for Getting Your Motivation Back @liveandstudy​

How to Make a Great, Simple Google Docs Agenda @saturdaystudying​

Concentration Masterpost @study-star​

Focus & Motivation @coffeeandrevision​

3 Ways to Set Study Goals + Goal Setting Tips @abs-studies​

Breaks/ Holidays

How to Make the Most Out of the Christmas Holidays @studysophical​

Planning for Breaks/ Holidays @studybuzz​

Saturday Study Tips @alexandraleighc​

Study Breaks @makingmyselfstudy​

Avoiding Burnout @studybuzz​

Online

Online Courses: A Guide @gracelearns​

9 Free Online Courses You Should Take @johnnylist​

My Favourite Productive Chrome Extensions @living-the-ib-life​

Subject Specific

Math Studying Technique @lunastudy

How to Study a Mathematics Textbook @collegegirlbyday

Tips for Studying Chemistry @chemistrynerd2020

Biology Help @abs-studies

Studying Biology @joolshallie

Guide to Reading Literature @eggnotes

Annotating (English) @areistotle

Health

Dealing with Failure @fuckstudy

Study Guide- for Health @jwstudying

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others @gryhffindors

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do @nyctophiliaccarly

What to Do on a Bad Day @maryplethora

How to Stay Productive During Sick Days @studysophical

Overstudies Tips #1 For Getting Better Rest @overstudies

How to Take Constructive Criticism @howtomusicmajor