a² + b² = c²

during the standardized test, we were allowed to keep a post-test book on our desk. i diligently got started on part 1: english. at the time, all of the answers went on the same sheet, but all of the questions were in different booklets. so i finish all my english questions, read in my extra time, and then it’s part 2: math.

i realize i have answered all of my english questions on the math portion of the answer sheet. at first, annoyed but undeterred, i’m like. okay great i gotta erase every bubble. but i get bored around question 5 of doing this because… like… harry potter is sitting on my desk and i could just give them the wrong answers. so i answer maybe 10 whole questions in the math portion, copy the english answers over to where they actually belong, and then crack open the book and call it a day.

i obviously failed. this is the real life, not a movie. my parents were called in. i had scored in the lowest percentile. i was bad at math. i was concerningly bad at math. i could have done better just guessing than how i did with the english answers. 

if this was just a funny story, someone would ask me “why did you do so badly when you usually get fairly average grades” and i would have said “i wanted to read harry potter, not take this stupid test.” but it’s the real life, and nobody asked. instead, i was branded stupid and bad at math. i got placed in a lower math than i needed to be in; got bored, stopped paying attention. knew i was in the “worst at math” group, started saying “i’m bad at math” and 100% stopped trying because the further i fell behind, the worse i got. through the rest of my academic career - until senior year in high school, i never got above a c on a math test, because i was “just bad” at math.

i had undiagnosed adhd. the only reason i know now i have adhd is because at 22 years old, i finally went to a therapist, who effectively said, “are you kidding me you have the most obvious case of attention deficit i’ve ever seen.”

but nobody had been looking. my one test grade had given teachers permission to not look, because, obviously, i was bad at math. the one time i got 100% on a math test - that one time in senior year - i remember my math teacher looking at it and saying “it’s clear that if you just focused, you could do the work.”

in college i’d take a math class and i actually “just focused” for the first time in my life - meaning i treated math as a challenge, but one i could overcome with the skills i’d learned all on my own, through constant work and practice. i got the highest grade in my class. i still think i’m bad at math. 

1. Become aware of how and when you tearing yourself down.

2. Now that you can catch yourself doing it. Offer counters to the negative self talk. A really useful thing I read was to talk to yourself almost the way you would child. Gentle and patient. Even when they fuck up.

3. Take time to celebrate your small accomplishments. You’ve been attacking yourself for every little mistake. Apply that same fervor to the positive things in your life. Did the dishes even though you didn’t want to? Fuck yeah! Got up and took shower? YES!!! You are taking positive steps to feeling better. Celebrate it.

4. Make lists of things you’re good at/ like about yourself. The first time I did this the only two things in my list we’re that I liked my hair and I had good friends. It was start.

5. Don’t beat yourself up if you screw up steps 1-4. It’s counter productive. When I catch myself calling my self stupid for some mistake or other my response now is,“We don’t talk to ourselves like that anymore. What’s something constructive that could actually help solve the problem.”

Most of the time that seems to work. Not always. But more and more Everytime.

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.

aokay so i havent seen that many resources and guides for maths tbh, and i know its a topic lots of people struggle with, so i thought id compile some <3

resources

tiger algebra - equation solvers and explanations on techniques

mathway - question solver with explanations

webmath - solver and explanations

desmos - graphs and calculates answers

iruler - online ruler

numberworld - solver and number tables

freemathhelp - text and video lessons

examsolutions - loads of video tutorials and practice questions for different exams (gcse, a level, SAT, IB)

maths notes - loads of online cheat sheets and maths notes

khanacademy - literally amazing, interactive lessons that teach and monitor your progress as you go

cymath - another problem solver

symbolab - another, really good problem solver

tips for studying it

solving word problems

taking good notes

general tips

really good tips

general overview of studying it

my tips

do past papers/practice questions - this is the most important one tbh. do them, then look at answers and correct any mistakes in a different colour pen, and make sure you understand why you made the mistake

listen in class - i promise, this will make your life SO much easier. even if you find it difficult, dont zone out, try to follow and write as good as notes as possible in class

look up things you dont get - you might not get your teacher’s teaching style, or you might just not get it, but look things up! use the resources available to you: the internet, youtube, your textbooks, revision guides etc

make sure you understand everything before the test - you dont want to get to the week before the test and realise you havent understood anything, look up and learn stuff you dont get as you go along, to save yourself from massive study sessions at the end

talk to your friends and people in your class - i do this so much. if you dont get something, have a friend explain it to you, normally other students explain things in a much easier and more student friendly way than the teachers

dont stress too much - maths is difficult and you probably wont get everything first time round. its alright to ask for help, and if you need something explained in a different way, ask your teacher/a different teacher! they do want to help you learn, promise

other maths masterposts

maths resources and links by @ashleigh-studies 

math by @areistotle

maths masterpost by @acadehmic

maths masterpost by @highlightcrs

avoiding carelessness in calculations by @studeyh

how to study math by @bohmyichoi

how to succeed in maths without really trying by @studylicous

math by @pythgaoras

how to study for math by @baccalaureating

how to study for math by @enfpfocustudyblr

how to ace your next maths test by @enfpfocustudyblr

precalculus by @enfpfocustudyblr

algebra by @enfpfocustudyblr

geometry by @enfpfocustudyblr

10 tips to excel in maths by @enfpfocustudyblr

how to study for mathematics by @enfpfocustudyblr

my other masterposts

setting goals

french

Hello everybody!

my poll (still running!) showed me that you all wanted more og content from me so I’ll be posting some stuff in the next few days. Here’s my study playlist. 

51 hours of movie scores, game soundtracks, classical music and more instrumental songs! Including the whole Harry Potter score as well as a lot of Ghibli soundtracks (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Listen here !

other great study playlists:

soundtrack for study

reading soundtrack

ultimate revision playlist BBC1

epic gaming

deep focus

favourite coffeehouse

your coffee break

relaxing classic

nature sounds

music for studying

beats to think to

cinematic chillout

Favourite artists and soundtracks:

pride and prejudice score

Halsey

Hayley Kiyoko

Troye Sivan

Twenty One pilots

Chocolat score

BTS

illion

AJR

Harry Potter Score

Pirates of the Caribbean score

8 tracks study playlist

failure

stress

disappointing results

procrastination

problems finding a work, life and study balance

nervousness

not always great or consistent grades

varying degrees of mental health issues

situations out of our control

that ‘i’m not good enough’ feeling

anxiousness

lazy days

regret

tiredness

burning out 

low confidence

sickness

and many more

welcome to may masterpost mondays! this monday, the topic is discipline. for more “3 steps to an A” tips, check this out 

first of all, yes, motivation does not equal discipline, BUT you really do need some motivation in order to start building up discipline

check out this motivation masterpost!

oh look here’s another one

15 things to tell yourself when you don’t want to work/study

motivation for “harvard students”

@ another motivation masterpost

motivational videos

planning is SUCH an important part of being disciplined!

here is one way to make a schedule

a way to make a study plan

things to do when you don’t want to study

how to plan properly

make sure to STICK to this plan! it’s important to remember that you have to make sure that it isn’t too difficult to follow. DO NOT push too much into one day!

the pomodoro technique works!! after 25 minutes of studying take a break. give yourself a reward!

another example would be if you finished everything on your to-do list for the day, then you could give yourself a reward! read a chapter of a book, watch an episode of a tv show, etc.

do not forget to take a break! this is so important to make sure that you don’t get burnt out! all work and no play makes jack a dull boy remember?

lil list of stuff i like to do!!

doodles

lettering/quotes

kraft paper/torn paper bag pieces

washi tape

pics printed off internet

receipts

mini playlists

small notes to urself

stickers

watercolorings

pages torn out of old books

business cards

shopping lists

short recipes/list of ingredients

color 

patterns

magazine clippings

clothing tags

pressed flowers/leaves

welcome to may masterpost mondays! this monday, the topic is discipline. for more “3 steps to an A” tips, check this out 

first of all, yes, motivation does not equal discipline, BUT you really do need some motivation in order to start building up discipline

check out this motivation masterpost!

oh look here’s another one

15 things to tell yourself when you don’t want to work/study

motivation for “harvard students”

@ another motivation masterpost

motivational videos

planning is SUCH an important part of being disciplined!

here is one way to make a schedule

a way to make a study plan

things to do when you don’t want to study

how to plan properly

make sure to STICK to this plan! it’s important to remember that you have to make sure that it isn’t too difficult to follow. DO NOT push too much into one day!

the pomodoro technique works!! after 25 minutes of studying take a break. give yourself a reward!

another example would be if you finished everything on your to-do list for the day, then you could give yourself a reward! read a chapter of a book, watch an episode of a tv show, etc.

do not forget to take a break! this is so important to make sure that you don’t get burnt out! all work and no play makes jack a dull boy remember?

welcome to may masterpost mondays! this monday, the topic is discipline. for more “3 steps to an A” tips, check this out 

first of all, yes, motivation does not equal discipline, BUT you really do need some motivation in order to start building up discipline

check out this motivation masterpost!

oh look here’s another one

15 things to tell yourself when you don’t want to work/study

motivation for “harvard students”

@ another motivation masterpost

motivational videos

planning is SUCH an important part of being disciplined!

here is one way to make a schedule

a way to make a study plan

things to do when you don’t want to study

how to plan properly

make sure to STICK to this plan! it’s important to remember that you have to make sure that it isn’t too difficult to follow. DO NOT push too much into one day!

the pomodoro technique works!! after 25 minutes of studying take a break. give yourself a reward!

another example would be if you finished everything on your to-do list for the day, then you could give yourself a reward! read a chapter of a book, watch an episode of a tv show, etc.

do not forget to take a break! this is so important to make sure that you don’t get burnt out! all work and no play makes jack a dull boy remember?

so here goes!!

for yr cellular device (i have apple im sorry to all yall androids):

- my study life: omg it’s like a bujo for school in your phone. organize all your stuff, plan studying/exams, it’s perf and I love

- duolingo: SO I KNOW IT SUCKED BEFORE but there’s an UPDATE and everything is magical and perfect it’s such a good resource now so download it and learn some languages yaaaaa

- Daily Practice SAT: ok so it’s by SAT/College Board and u can do an SAT practice question per day, view scores, etc. good 2 have on hand.

- CamScanner: so when you need a pdf of something you can just take a pic w your phone. plus it’s freeee and p accurate

- Hablitica: i cannot stress how much this app improved my LIFE omg like fr it’s sooo cool so u have this lil avatar and u can set good/abd habits, to dos, dailies, and more!! and when u do good things u can get like coins to buy lil stuff and if u do bad things u lose health points and its motivating and I love it

- UBC Radiology: for u medical Nerds UBC Radiology has anatomy/radiology quizzes that are long and available offline so when yr on a trip and bored u can Quiz Yourself!! it’s fun and u look smart and also learn a lot

- Noisli: (the pc version is free, mobile is not :(( ) vvvv good customizable rain/other sounds for getting u study groove on but w no words so u dont wind up singing like me

- Rain, Rain: like noisli, but free. less custom fun times but still really good! plus u can set timers for it to stop playing and bedtime reminders so that’s super helpful for me personally lol

- Read: another one for Medical Geeks! ! its just a ton of peer edited journal articles in every specialty you could dream of and it’s sooo interesting !!! would def recommend

- BeFocused: simple Pomodoro timer to get your Productive on!!

- Plant Nanny: so u don’t Die Of Dehydration (glares pointedly at one person in particular)

- Netflix: so on your 5 minute and 30 minute pomodoro breaks u can stream grey’s anatomy to your heart’s conent

for your computadora

- chrome extension of forest: It’s like the mobile version but freeeee so u plant a lil tree and blacklist certain Distracting sites and if u visit those sites your tree dies. it’s very emotional.

- chrome extension Kami: a FIRE pdf viewer that just makes life so much easier

- chrome extension Lanes: for your new tabs!!! has todo lists, goals, bookmarks, productivity sequences, and pretty colors!! it’s v nice and everytime I open a new tab and see something I havent done staring me in the face I feel bad and do it so that’s a plus

- welovelmc.com: so many frickin medical resources (there’s even free textbooks holy mackerel)

- coolors.co: color palette generator! fun when making infographics r something or just to pass the time

- khan academy: okay i know it gets talked abt a lot but this website is a godsend. like actually. 

- xtremepapers.com: ATTENTION AN GCSE/IGCSE/A LEVEL STUDENTS: HERE IS YOUR HOLY GRAIL. IT HAS PAST PAPERS AND MARK SCHEMES YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN SAVED

- savemyexams.com: also good cause papers are organized by subject which is nice

FOOD

Find your nearest food bank or mission, for food

grocery stores with free samples, bakeries + stores with day-old bread

different fast food outlets have cheaper food and will generally let you hang out for a while.

some dollar stores carry food like cans of beans or fruit

SHELTER

Sleeping at beaches during the day is a good way to avoid suspicion and harassment

sleep with your bag strapped to you, so someone can’t steal it

Some churches offer short term residence

Find your nearest homeless shelter

Look for places that are open to the public

A large dumpster near a wall can often be moved so that flipping up the lids creates an angled shelter to stay dry

HYGIENE

A membership to the YMCA is usually only 10$, which has a shower, and sometimes laundry machines and lockers.

Public libraries have bathrooms you can use

Dollar stores carry low-end soaps and deodorant etc.

Wet wipes are all purpose and a life saver

Local beaches, go for a quick swim

Some truck stops have showers you can pay for

Staying clean is the best way to prevent disease, and potentially get a job to get back on your feet

Pack 7 pairs of socks/undies, 2 outfits, and one hooded rain jacket

OTHER

first aid kit

 sunscreen

 a travel alarm clock or watch

 mylar emergency blanket

 a backpack is a must

 downgrade your cellphone to a pay as you go with top-up cards

 sleeping bag

 travel kit of toothbrush, hair brush/comb, mirror

 swiss army knife

This one is for all ex-toppers, “gifted” students, child prodigies, straight A kids who are now extremely perfectionist, under creative paralysis, now in college/high school and having never learnt to study, don’t know how it’s done.

● Studying is absorbing knowledge. It is not “only for the less intelligent.” Studying all year doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It means you’re willing to learn.

● If you have never learnt how to study, you should now. Feynman technique, Cornell notes, pomodoro, whatever works for you.

● Chances are you have attention deficits. Sitting down to study for an hour must seem frightening. It’s okay. Don’t aim for hours. 25 mins.

● It is okay to ask for help. Meet your teachers. Ask how you can improve your grades. Try to analyse what you’re getting wrong.

● Offer to help. Once you learn your material, help friends understand. Let them quiz you. See, you’re still as smart as ever.

● You will still be good at the things you were. You will still be good at applying what you learn. For which, you should sit down and learn.

● You’re not expected to be born knowning the avogadro number and Cattel’s theories of Intelligence. You can learn. It’s okay if you didn’t get it right the first time.

● Your younger Hermione self had a lot less to deal with. This is honestly okay. You can learn.

We usually care way too much about the opinions of others, when your own opinion is the one that should matter the most! 💛 Judgmental people will always judge, so If you like yourself and try to be a good person, that’s what really matters. ^^ It’s so freeing when you don’t have to worry about if others like your outfit or a certain way you act.