Ethereal

faux calligraphy guide!  made with an ohto graphic liner and zebra sarasa gray pen

Hi, guys! Whilst planning my next few months to do well on my final exams, I started researching and found a few great study techniques that are a bit underrated. Thus, I compiled a post with information about each one and all the materials you need to put them to use. These are most useful if you’ve already studied the material and are now starting to revise.

A. Feynman Technique

This method was coined by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman. This system works by writing down everything you remember about the topic you’re currently revising in a blank piece of paper. When you get stuck, go back to your study materials. The gaps in your knowledge should be blatant after you finish. Review and simplify. Keep repeating until you know for certain that there’s nothing left out and you’ve successfully learned the topic. :-)

For this method you will need:

Blank piece of paper

Pen/Pencil

B. Spaced Repetition

This method has been gaining traction for the past few years but it still doesn’t get the recognition it should. It’s fairly simple. It consists of time intervals between study sessions, which allows you store information better in your long-term memory. While there aren’t set times for when to do your next revision session, I’d recommend the one by Piotr Wozniak:

First repetition: 1 day

Second repetition: 7 days

Third repetition: 16 days

Fourth repetition: 35 days

This method can be used both through an analog system and a digital one. 

One of the simplest techniques to implement spaced repetition while using paper flashcards is the Leitner system. First, you decide how many boxes you need for your system. Each of your boxes represents a different study time interval:

Every flashcard starts out in Box 1. When you get a flashcard right, it passes to the next box. If you get a card wrong, it goes back to Box 1 – even if it was on Box 4. This makes sure you are constantly reviewing the materials. Remember to devise a calendar with the dates and boxes you need to revise each day. 

For this method you will need:

Boxes or simply different colored rubbers to differentiate the piles

Flashcards

Pen/Pencil

If however, you prefer a digital method, Anki is the best option for you. It is available online, on both Windows & Mac and there’s also an incredible practical app. It uses the spaced repetition method while taking the trouble of having to hand write hundreds of flashcards and remembering when to study each one.

Simply create an account, then a deck in which you’ll add your flashcards. The app and website allow you to add images and/or sounds to the flashcards. Customize them all you want. Once you’ve finished, save them and check the app every day to revise the flashcards of the day.

For this method you will need:

Anki app (iOS, Android) and/or website

C. Past Papers

I’ve been guilty in the past for not using this method. I got so caught up in my perfectionism that I didn’t even want to try. I learned, though, that getting things wrong is not a sign of failure and that persisting until you get it right is the real strength (and discipline) you ought to have. Do not let your procrastination and/or perfectionism prevent you from learning your weaknesses on a topic and not reach the grade you were hoping for.

Time yourself while taking the test and then correct your answers with a different colored pencil/pen so you can differentiate between correct and wrong answers.

For this method you will need:

Past papers

Pen/Pencil

D. Teach someone

This method is really helpful if you have oral assessments and/or your professor uses the Socratic method in class. You can practice your speech and knowledge all at the same time. Find someone who’s willing to listen to you talk about the topic you’re studying. Even if no one’s willing, you can still explain the matter to an object in the house. Don’t get embarrassed by this! While speaking, you’re organising your thoughts and only when explaining to someone else can you really assess your knowledge.

For this method you will need:

Your voice

Someone/Something who loves you very much

E. Proper sleep & exercise

Yes, I know, these aren’t revisions methods. But as helpful as the previous systems were, they won’t work if you aren’t sane in body and spirit. It’s incredibly important that you rest. Teenagers (13 to 17 years old) ought to sleep from 8 to 10 hours every day, while young adults (18 to 25) only need 7 to 9. You should also get fresh air and exercise. This helps with mental alertness, concentration, an efficient memory and a positive mood. Stay hydrated throughout the day. & please, don’t skip meals! 

For this method you will need:

Proper sleep (x, x, x, x, x)

Exercise (x, x, x)

this is just a quick list of study habits that work for me, as a straight a’s student

1. even if it’s not in your teacher’s presentation written on a slide, if you hear your teacher mention a fact, WRITE IT DOWN. you might need it later for a test.

2. when you’re rewriting your notes/compiling a study guide, pretend you’re making it for someone else. include everything, even if you think you know it. (unless you’re low on time, in which case, just write what you don’t know)

3. when you’re trying to learn a new concept, pretend you’re teaching it to someone else. this is a form of active learning, and the act of breaking the concept down into steps that you can teach will improve your understanding of the concept. (for the longest time, i actually didn’t even know this was an actual study technique, because i’ve always done it subconsciously!)

4. don’t over color your notes!! if you really need a key for all the colors, then you’re using way too many. try to stick with 2-3 pens/pencils. for me, i write most of my notes in black ink or pencil and i write the important concepts i might need to find quickly later (such as vocabulary) in red or blue pen.

5. have your water bottle next to you (so you remember to stay hydrated; this makes focusing easier as well), as well as any other things you might need during a study session so you don’t have to keep getting up to get stuff (which is pretty distracting for me as i’m easily sidetracked).

6. make it a habit to write lists of everything you need to do by the end of the weekend (or the end of that day, depending on how much work you have). this’ll help you familiarize yourself with your tasks so you have a clear plan of what needs to get done.

7. (not really necessary, just something i like to do!) learn to eat with your non-dominant hand so you can eat and take notes and turn pages w/out ripping them instead of scrolling through social media. keep in mind that sometimes, meal times are for taking your mind off school so unless you’re really pressed for time, it’s not a huge deal if you spend this time w/passive reading, texting friends, etc.

8. when you’re assigned a research project, COME UP WITH A THESIS FIRST so you know what to research. try to get all your research done within the first two days or so, to have more time to plan out how you’re going to structure it. then get your draft done (something is better than nothing) so you can revise at your own pace instead of rushing at the last minute.

9. prioritize your homework!! as someone who spends hours fencing and even misses school for fencing tournaments, is part of symphonic band, and on the robotics team (build season is suuuuuper busy), i can’t express how important this is!! if you have math first period, get that done first, whereas if you have math last period, you can do it at lunch and spend your time working on something that’s due in the morning. don’t do this all the time, but if you need to, know which teachers are more strict with due dates so if you really do need an extension, you’ll be asking the least strict teacher and will have much better chances of getting said extension.

10. if you study at home like me, change into new clothes (comfy clothes, but not pajamas) before cracking open your textbooks. it’ll help make you feel more refreshed and ready to start your homework, but not confined to uncomfortable uniforms from school. tie up your hair, if it’s long. try to study at a table/desk rather than in bed (for sleeping not studying) or on the floor (bad for your posture).

11. check out this post for productive things you can do when you aren’t studying, but still want to be productive!

hope these helped some of you!!

I took the SATs twice. First time I got 2080. Second time I got 2390. It’s a bullshit test that isn’t correlated with future success or grades, and it has several weak spots. So here’s a guide of unconventional hacks, tips, and tricks that you won’t learn in most test prep books. This is specifically for people taking the SAT before March 2016. OKAY HERE WE GO:

Past Tests and Prep

Past Tests 

http://ineedapencil.ck12.org/

http://www.majortests.com/sat/

Google Drive of Prep 1

Google Drive of Prep 2

Barron’s book is great and harder than Princeton, so I recommend getting it

Grubers is highly recommended as well

There’s tons of masterposts on here if you google, so not going into detail

Miscellaneous (important!) tips: Essay

5 paragraphs- intro, 3 points, conclusion. Yada yada, you’ve heard this before.

Pick a side. Don’t try to be all smart and argue both. You think you can, and you’re probably right, but your argument will be a lot more nuanced and well-supported (which is a chunk of the mark) if you choose one side

You don’t need to worry about actually forming an argument supported by evidence. Spend 2 minutes planning and come up with exactly 3 points. In each paragraph, make your point and then bam, you’re good to go. You know why? Because you make up examples. Whatever you want- Make up dates! Make up people! Make up absolute shit that the grader knows isn’t true! I mean, try not to write 500 words on how Shakespeare’s most famous play, ‘Roly-poly Ollie and Julianne Moore’, changed your life, but. Make up books, plays, personal anecdotes, whatever. It does not matter. You can do that. They’re marking you on whether or not you have examples, not whether or not they happen to be true.

Listen up, because this is the most important: write a lot. Write two pages, or more, and if you can’t, write bullshit but write two pages as long as it’s semi-coherent.

There is a direct and strong correlation between length of essay and mark assigned. What does this mean? You write shit, you get a higher mark. Collegeboard says it ain’t so, but the facts disprove it. 

Memorize a couple of big words like “deluge”, “guile”, and “plethora”, and make sure you know how to use them. Then just shove ‘em in when you’re sure you’ve used them right. Preferably in the first page, and the conclusion.

Here’s a handy guide to basically bullshitting your way through the essay

Miscellaneous (important!) tips: Vocabulary/Grammar

Do not try to cram vocabulary two weeks in advance. The words aren’t obscure enough to justify that.

Read. Read books, read newspapers, read articles, read journals. If you read voraciously the year before you take the SAT, I guarantee you’ll ace the vocab section without studying.

But. If you don’t have a year and you gotta hit the vocab lists, here’s how to do it:

Get a list of a certain number of words to memorize, depending on how long you have: like this, for 100 words, or this one, for 500 words. Use the good/medium/bad system. Every day, do the words in the bad pile. If you can do them after 4 days, move them to the medium pile. Those are words you do every 3 or 4 days. The good pile is words you go over every week. If you fail at a word in the good or medium pile, move it down to bad.

Learn the meanings of some prefixes and suffixes, and several or more common roots of words (again, depending on time). This means if you come across words you don’t know, you can make a good guess.

Seriously though, just read

Memorize the grammar rules. There’s about 10 that they always re-use and they’re not complicated

Miscellaneous (important!) tips: Math

During the SATs you’re allowed to bring in a calculator with programs. DO NOT WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY. But don’t waste precious time using a program when you could use your head and be faster

Here’s the programs you can put in yourself

Here are ones you can download (about the same)

A program isn’t there to do hard math; it’s there to save time. You need time. 

You also don’t need to memorize formulas for anything because you can get a program that’ll do anything with formulas for you

I highly 150% recommend getting your hands on a graphing calculator if you don’t have one. Get one off your friend or rent one or something, but get one

Miscellaneous (important!) tips: Critical Reading

In my opinion, the most bullshit part of the whole test. And the essay is a thing that exists, so.

Don’t read the text first. That’s ridiculous. Skim the text, just the first bit of every paragraph. Then close your eyes and in less than 10 seconds, think of a summary. What’s the author’s main point? A line or two, like ‘Technology is helping restaurants. The food is cheaper which is benefitting consumers.’ It sounds stupid but do it.

Read the question and go to that part of the text (it goes in order). Knock off any that are obviously wrong. Now you’re looking for the ‘most correct’ one which, what the fuck, should not be a thing! But anyways, most times, from the remaining options one will be in-line with your little summary from before, and one won’t.

There will never be two right answers. If two answers seem right to you, it’s because you’re thinking ‘oh, but this sentence suggests that-’ stop. Don’t overthink these questions. Often, people will be trying to think of the implications, themes, etc. and you don’t need to. This section is superficial as fuck.

If y’all have any specific questions you want to send me to get advice on how to tackle them, feel free.

General Advice for the Day Before/On the Day

Get a good night’s sleep! You got this. But if you can’t sleep, don’t worry! You still got this.

Get there early if you can, so you’re not adding anxiety to yourself

Don’t spend longer than a minute on a question. If you haven’t got it in that time, come back to it at the end. You’ll be more relaxed after having finished the ones you do know.

Once You’re Done

Yay! I’m proud of you

Don’t look up the answers. And if you do, don’t stress about any that you got wrong

Go have lunch or dinner with your friends or family and rant about how you just spent 6 hours in a stuffy room and stuff your face with cheesy pizza and chips bc you deserve it

Important Final Points

No matter what CollegeBoard says, the SATs are not an IQ test. It is very possible to boost your scores by 300 points

Your score does not define you. All it does is tell you how you did on that one day, but that’s not all you are. That’s not even 0.0001% of who you are

If a college doesn’t accept you because your score isn’t as high as they’d like, even after going over the rest of your application, then you don’t want to be there anyways

You will get in somewhere, and you’ll have a great time

22/07

finished! i’m obSESSIng over new lana del rey album, please play it at my funeral

yooo it’s me again with part two of my reference masterpost, now focusing on life in general a little bit more (see part one for more school-based things)! enjoy ✨

health + food

food masterpost

stress relief

self-care tag

infused waters

staying healthy in college

some exercise for weight loss

cheap food to make

bad days

feel better

got sick?

studying with a cold

studying sick

periods

study munchies

managing stress during finals

getting up early

self-care reminders

overcoming burnout

getting better rest

getting enough sleep

wake up early

reduce exam stress

avoiding burnout

manage and reduce stress

getting a good night’s sleep

food

study breaks (1)

study breaks (2)

make the most of your day

time to sleep

it’s coffee o’clock

it’s time for tea

how to have a good morning

staying awake w/o caffeine

what to eat while studying

waking up early and refreshed

presentations

ace the individual oral presentation

make a great powerpoint

class presentations + public speaking

public speaking tips

how to rock public speaking

how to do presentations when you suck at them

how to: public speaking

debate tips

music

my 8tracks

my spotify

melodic studying

ambient noise

music according to your mood

filling silence

study sounds (1)

study sounds (2)

harry potter study music

study music

summers + holidays

how to stay productive during holidays

summer productivity (1)

summer productivity (2)

keep your brain working on holidays

make the most of christmas holidays

planning for breaks/holidays

stay productive during winter break

journals + notebooks

travel journals

bullet journals (1)

bullet journals (2)

bullet journals (3)

bullet journaling (1)

bullet journaling (2)

bullet journal tips

bullet journals vs. planners

bullet journals vs. diary planners

bullet journal page/list ideas

what to do w/ notebooks (1)

what to do w/ notebooks (2)

why it’s good to keep a journal

the everything book

diy notebooks

websites + apps

really great apps

best iphone apps

useful school websites

subjects + problems website

learn things for free

15 websites that will make you smarter

a website that grades your essays

wallpaper

wallpaper masterpost

educational youtube channels

online courses + a guide

succeeding in online classes

apps everyone should have

printables tag

printables mp

useful websites to help you study

planning + to-do apps

study apps

apps for studying

study apps + extensions

30 websites to kill boredom

life in general

what do i do with my life?

jobs tag

get your life back on track

things no one tells you about getting an apartment

organisation

get organised

money

jobs + careers

things i wish i knew before i started ‘adulting’

save money on food in college

diy!

discounts for your student id

how to take studyblr photos

how to choose a career

making masterposts

college students

muslim studyblr masterpost

hope you liked both of the masterposts! please check out my study instagram and part one of this masterpost, ily all!!

ps here is a list of all my masterposts just in case 🐝

Here’s another one if my bujo spread!! 💞 wanna know how I made it? Watch it here!! 

 Youtube: natastudies 

We all know what an IQ (intelligence quotient) is and that most of us fall within the average range. We use names like “smart,” “intelligent,” “dumb,” “idiot,” and “stupid,” when talking about a person’s level of intelligence. What most people do not know is that we also possess an EQ (emotional quotient) or EI (emotional intelligence) which is our level of emotional intelligence.

Studying in the library my boyfriend works in today! | Oxford, United Kingdom

1. Know your stance: Make sure you know exactly where you stand on the issue! Which side will you take? What are your biases? The importance of a persuasive essay is to be able to assert your point while simultaneously acknowledging the opposition. State your claims and back them up.

2. Understand your topic: One of the most important aspects of a persuasive essay is the evidence that you use to back your assertions, and disprove your opposition’s argument. This can only be done if you have a very clear and thorough understanding of the topic at hand. This means doing research, research, and more research!

3. Audience: It’s important, especially in a persuasive essay, that you know your audience. While you may stand strongly on one side of the argument, keep in mind that there will always be others who don’t see the situation through the same lens as you do. It’s important in a persuasive essay to not only assert your opinions, but to also consider and address the opposing side. Whether it’s to disprove an argument, or to concede to some valid points, it’s essential to acknowledge the other side.

4. Structure is key: The foundation of a good essay (of any kind) is in its organization. The introduction to your essay should grab the audience’s attention, state your thesis, as well as provide some background information on the subject at hand. The body is where the bulk of the argument comes in. Remember that each paragraph should assert a certain point (a clear topic sentence is key), and that each of your points should be backed with strong evidence. Evidence can include research, quotes, data, or real life examples etc. And finally, include a strong and succinct conclusion to round off your essay!

Tips: Remember that the flow of your essay needs to be logical, so that your reader can clearly see the point of the argument instead of getting lost in the midst of a scramble of ideas.

Additionally:

Outline and Draft! Forming an outline really helps when writing any essay. If you have written a structured and detailed outline, then writing the draft will be much easier. Flesh out the outline that you have prepared and just let your ideas flow. Don’t worry too much about wording or grammar the first time around, just try to get your ideas out onto the paper.

Revise! Congrats! You’re almost done! Now, go over and edit your draft. Really pay attention to the flow, coherence, and organization of your ideas. This is also the time to look for any grammatical errors. 

Even perfect effort is impossible. You’re going to read a lot that it is better to aim for perfect efforts over perfect results. But thing is, even the former is impossible. When working on a project or preparing for an exam, you will reach a saturation level where any improvement beyond that point will be minimal. You need to figure out a point of balance between your school work and the other parts of your life by learning when enough is enough, otherwise you will lose yourself in endless frustration because you will keep pursuing an unattainable goal.

Grades are meaningless. This is something that took me 1.5 years of weekly therapy sessions to realize. Your self-worth is not in your grades. Your self-worth is in who you are as a person, which rests in your passions, your relationships and the things that you do to make the world a better place. You are your own person and you will keep being just as awesome as you are right now even if you don’t get that A, even if you don’t get a passing grade and even if you drop out. School is hard, but there are other things which are hard and just as rewarding as school, such as kindness, friendship, volunteering, sports, honesty, and so many other things. You don’t need a grade to prove that you are a valuable human being, because, guess what, you are valuable no matter what a report card says about your academic performance.

Perfect discipline will strangle you. Do plan your assignments and study sessions, use a planner if you feel like it or whatever you like. But don’t get hung up on yourself for skipping, postponing or just not doing something. Being perfectly disciplined 100% of the time is impossible, and trying to be so will only cause you stress and anxiety which will hinder your productivity. It’s okay to change your plans and it’s okay to take time for yourself and to take time with your friends. Give yourself an empty day every once in a while, you not only deserve it but you also need it for your mental balance.

Set yourself reasonable goals. Your to-do list doesn’t have to be 10 feet long even if you are late in every course. The day doesn’t get longer just because you add more stuff to do on your list. Even if you don’t finish everything by bedtime, going to bed later won’t allow you to be more productive tomorrow. It is way better to underestimate your capacity on a given day and end up doing a few extra things than to get mad at yourself for not doing everything you wanted to do that day.

It’s okay to botch things. Sometimes you just don’t have time to do everything perfectly and you need to prioritize. It’s okay to do so. Everyone does it to some extent and everyone gets through just fine, and so will you.

Nobody notices those minor mistakes you hate yourself for. I swear. Nobody. Fucking. Notices. For your teacher, your copy is likely to be just another copy in the pile of hundreds they have to go through every time they correct an assignment. If they do take notice, they will not think less highly of you for it because everyone makes mistakes. All the time. Even your idols have made mistakes in the past and still make them frequently. So really, none of those matters.

7.1.2017 || i hope everyone’s having a great summer so far, june flew by so fast for me to be honest. also, thank you so much for 4,000+ followers <3

A blue-grey spread for a rainy week 🌧

Summer is time to relax but we should take the time to think. Here are my favorites ted talk videos that I think everyone should watch:

The virginity fraud - Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl

This is what it’s like to go undercover in North Korea - Suki Kim

My escape from North Korea -  Hyeonseo Lee

The Muslim on the airplane - Amal Kassir

The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong - Amy Morin

The skill of self confidence - Dr. Ivan Joseph

How to stop screwing yourself over - Mel Robbins

The Magic of Not Giving a F*** - Sarah Knight

Why the universe seems so strange - Richard Dawkins

The pattern behind self-deception - Michael Shermer

Militant atheism - Richard Dawkins

Why domestic violence victims don’t leave - Leslie Morgan Steiner

Lessons from death row inmates - David R. Dow

Lessons from the Mental Hospital - Glennon Doyle Melton

Why we choose suicide - Mark Henick

What’s Wrong with Dying? - Lesley Hazleton

I’m Taking My Body Back - Rupi Kaur

My philosophy for a happy life - Sam Berns

The surprising habits of original thinkers - Adam Grant

The surprising secret to speaking with confidence - Caroline Goyder

Want to sound like a leader? Start by saying your name right - Laura Sicola

Programming your mind for success - Carrie Green