Study4myVision

back to school printables by lycheestudy

hey everyone! with school a month away, i decided to make my first printables! i hope someone makes use of these :) and good luck to everyone in the next school year!

includes:

daily planner - to do list, priorities, reminders, quote, water tracker, notes

schedule sheet - class, teacher, location, notes

supplies list - 15 items, quantity, class

3 different floral patterns

png & pdf versions

Hi, everyone!! I’ve had a studyblr for about a week now and have already met so many kind, supportive people. I couldn’t be more thankful. That said, I really wanted to give back to such an amazing community! So here’s my first printable for you! 

It includes:

a 5AM-10PM schedule (for my early hustlers)

‘Top 3 Priorities’ + ‘Can Wait’ categories

a ‘To-Do’ list

Daily Goals, Notes, Doodles

a water tracker (stay hydrated, friends!)

10 Good Things (reflect back on your day and jot down the little things that made you happy even if your day wasn’t the greatest)

They’re available for download in PDF and PNG formats + in pink, blue, yellow, and white! I’ve also made a grid and grid-less version! 

Grid

Blue: pdf / png Pink: pdf / png White: pdf / png Yellow: pdf / png

No Grid

Blue: pdf / png Pink: pdf / png White: pdf / png Yellow: pdf / png

And here’s a link to the entire folder on my DropBox!

Please tag me with #arystudies or mention me if you use these!! I’d love to see them in action. :’) I’m also really curious to see what you all think of them, so please let me know!! 

I finally made a printable for note-taking and I’m happy to share it with you all! 

There are 5 different styles that you can choose from: cornell style, grids, side margin, middle margin and plain! There’s also a date section on the top right corner to help you organize your notes. 

Download them here! 

I finally made a printable for note-taking and I’m happy to share it with you all! 

There are 5 different styles that you can choose from: cornell style, grids, side margin, middle margin and plain! There’s also a date section on the top right corner to help you organize your notes. 

Download them here! 

Hello!!! I’m Paui and I’m so happy to join the studyblr community. I follow a lot of studyblr accounts on my main blog, but I decided to make a new account dedicated for studying, and everyone is so supportive and great!

I’m 18, from the Philippines, and taking up a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering. I absolutely love music and musicals and (for now,) I want to pursue a job in audio engineering after I graduate. 

These amazing blogs have inspired me to do better in terms of academics and other aspects as well: @studyign, @emmastudies. @universi-tea, @elkstudies, @mag-studies, @grangergrades, @coffeesforstudiers, @theorganisedstudent and @hermionegoals. They’ve motivated me to do well for the past few semesters, and they are a great help whenever I feel lost in studying.

1.) They get to class early. Getting to class early gives you time to be prepared and ready to study. Review your notes from the day before, lay out all your supplies (notebook, water bottle, pens, etc). You can also ask the teacher any questions you had about the material.

2.) They get ahead. The second they get an assignment, no matter when it is due, they do it. This is so so helpful. Do NOT procrastinate. You just end up being exhausted and tired. It’s not worth it. You might as well finish once you get it. Life will be so easy, believe me.

3.) They have an organized schedule. They figure out a schedule that works for them. They make sure to include time for extracurriculars, breaks, meal times, etc. Try to map out EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of your day. 

4.) They prepare. They lay out their clothes for the next day, they finish their homework early, they even plan out what they will have for their meals for the next few weeks and what exercises theyt will be doing.

5.) They enjoy learning and want to learn. They aren’t just there because they have to be. They have a strong desire to learn. When you want to learn (even if you fake it) you usually do better on exams and papers.

6.) Everything is organized. Their desk has nothing on it but their Mac, their pens are neatly on the shelf in small cups, they make their beds the second they get out of bed. They have a filing system, so the second they get papers back they put them in the files. When everything of yours has a home it’s a lot easier to study and be productive.

7.) They treat school like their job. They may have other part-time jobs, but they know that school is their main focus, and it should therefore be treated as a job. Not wanting to be fired from your job corresponds with not wanting to fail your classes. They therefore work as hard as they can and try to “impress” the boss.

8.) They give it everything they have. They are dedicated, have goals, and know what they want. They don’t want to “just get through high school/college.” They want to learn, they want to become successful, and most are even aiming for goals such as valedictorian. They won’t accept B’s or C’s. (Please note that while it is very good to have high standards, getting a lower grade once in awhile isn’t that big of a deal!!!)

9.) They keep themselves happy and healthy. They take well deserved breaks (only when everything is done), they have “off” days, they get enough SLEEP and WATER, and they keep themselves fit doing yoga, running, cardio, etc.

10) They don’t mind helping other people. They don’t turn a blind eye to people who need help. Instead they use it as a teaching experience, and help the student through the problem or whatever they need help with. Teaching people is super helpful. I sometimes write on my whiteboard and pretend that I am teaching an imaginary (I’m such a loser but it helps;).

• • 5/12/2016 17:10 • • Finally I was able to concentrate for more than 60 minutes for the first time in like a month! Since school ended, I was really struggling with getting into work. I’m so happy right now😆

Sometimes, there will be those days when you just can’t do it but really, You Just Gotta Do It. Googling how to concentrate won’t work! Just do it!

Thank you dear :) 

Speaking: A lot of people try to speak as “American” or “British” as possible but that is the wrong approach. The people who are evaluating your performance are aware of the fact that you’re not a native speaker. Therefore don’t try to sound like one. Focus more on correct grammar, proper pronunciation & sentence structure. Speak clearly & slowly, don’t build too complex sentences, it will take too much time & might even confuse you. Don’t talk the “informal” language (e.g. fillers such as “like”, “you know” etc.) I scored 27/30 but I was lucky because I finished the Reading & Listening sections 20mins before time was up therefore I started earlier than the other test takers & wasn’t distracted from the noise of the people around me doing the Speaking section too. Be highly aware of that noise, it is very annoying / distracting especially when you’re under pressure!! (Doesn’t mean you have to rush through Reading & Listening though, take your time)   

Writing: I scored 29/30 by doing the following:

1. Divide my essay in 3 parts 

a) Introduction - of the main argument (when working on an analysis of an author’s argument) or statement of your own opinion

b) Main Part - 2-3 arguments to support your / the author’s opinion. Use examples to highlight your statement!  

c) Conclusion - Summarize the ideas of your main part & finish the essay with a closing argument.  

2. Use conjunctions (However, although, nevertheless, altogether etc.) 

3. Building complex sentence structures & use of sophisticated vocabulary

Disclaimer: English is my second language, but I started learning it at age 5-6. My school is bilingual and I’ve taken math classes and science classes since age 6 in English. Later in life I took art, history, music and computer science in English. I read in English as much as I do in my native language (Spanish) and I was well prepared for this exams. This are tips to do better on it, but by no means my grades are based on only practicing these. 

READ. It gives you vocabulary, sentence structure and grammar. Read on different topics to see the difference in languages, formal and informal.

LISTEN TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE SPEAKING. It will help you pick up idioms and accents. That way, the listening section will be easy even if the speaker has a weird accent. 

TRY SPEAKING WITH SOMEONE WHO’S A NATIVE SPEAKER. It helps, but if you can’t, watch videos and shows in English.

MAKE VOICE NOTES. This helped me TONS for the speaking section. First, you get used to speaking to a machine (which is kinda weird for me) and second, you can listen to yourself. LISTEN TO YOURSELF. See which mistakes you make and correct yourself. If you realize your mistakes yourself, you will be more conscious to correct them.

TRY THINKING IN ENGLISH. Sometimes I think in other languages and it’s really weird, but it helps you structure your thought in that specific language.

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM.

Sleep early the night before.

Make sure you wear something comfortable (I wore jeggings and a hoodie with a zipper in case the room was too hot)

Take a pen and a pencil.

Eat a breakfast that will be enough for 4 hours but not too much to make you full and sleepy.

Take some tissues (because the place was really cold and I got a runny nose)

Take a water bottle (some centers let you have it in your station, some others don’t, but if I’m not focused, I drink water to clear my mind, so it helped)

You have a timer, don’t get stressed. You can turn it off if you want (I wouldn’t advice it but some people get too stressed by it)

Make sure you answer every question.

When listening, take notes. It helps you remember what to say when you’re speaking and it reminds of the lectures when you’re answering questions. 

In question in which you have to chose 3 answers out of a 6 answer pack, start by crossing out the ones you are sure are not the right answer. Then make sure all the parts of the answer are true, not just half of it. 

If you are given a break, use it to walk around and clear your mind. Make sure you go back at the right time, but staying in the classroom only makes it more stressful.

YOU’LL DO JUST FINE, DON’T GET STRESSED. 

Hey everyone, hope you’re doing well.

So, Speaking! Here we go.

The first speaking task is the Independent Speaking Question.This question asks you express and defend a personal choice from a given category. For example, important people, places, events or activities and etc.  It’s my favorite question, because you can talk here about everything! Really. Any question (I mean any answer) you can connect to your favorite topics. How to do it - I’ll explain a bit later.

For now, let’s see how usually questions start:

- What do you think about…

- Talk about...

- Describe your favorite…

- What is your favorite…

By and large, they ask about a person, place, object, event which is familiar to you. And, I’ll repeat myself that you have only 15 seconds for preparation and 45 seconds for response. You don’t have time to write your answer. Use this time (15 sec) for creating a structure for your response. Let’s deep into it.

Answering this type of question you need to describe an object, an event or a person and explain why the event was important, the person is great, the object is interesting, etc. For a high score you want to provide 2-3 reasons in your answer. And, you have to provide details and examples. Here how I’d use my 15 sec of preparation:

The task: What is your favorite [insertanyobjecthere]? Describe it and explain why it is your favorite [yourobject].

My notes:

Object name. Description. Place I discovered it.

Reason 1 - it is interesting, because … An example.

Reason 2 - it is useful, because … A detail of how I used it.

Conclusion:  Reason 1 + Reason 2 = my favorite object.

This is just a structure for my answer for a Speaking question 1 or 2.  Depends on your language speed you can shape the answer. I mean, if you speak quickly - you have an advantage to add a Reason 3, or more details and examples, or make very strong conclusion. If you speak slowly - you can have only 2 reasons, and only 1 example and detail per each reason. You can even skip the conclusion. It’s nice to have it, but it won’t affect your score if you skip it but well elaborate all reasons and provide examples.

Common mistakes: 1) spending a lot of your time on the reason 1 and skipping the reason 2 and 3; 2) missing structure. You can talk about anything you want, but you must provide reasons and details; 3) skipping examples of real-life experience. It doesn’t matter how real it is, but you have to connect the object with your life; 4) missing description. You can name your favorite object as you want. However, if you say something like Mumuka, then you should clarify what it is: a name, a title, amulet, a street, a river, etc.

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Test is a highly respected assessment to test non-native speakers’ proficiency in English. Many professional and academic institutions recognize this test. The average proficiency levels of test takers range between intermediate to advanced. TOEFL is also available for people with disabilities and health-related needs. People who might be interested in taking the TOEFL include:

 Students planning to study at a higher education institution

 English-language learning program admissions and exit

 Scholarship and certification candidates

 English-language learners who want to track their progress

 Students and workers applying for visas

(Source: http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/about/)

The scoring of the TOEFL goes as followed:

(Source)

There are two formats for the TOEFL: Online-Internet based testing and the traditional Paper-based testing, which is available in limited areas. Both tests cover the same categories of language: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The test will evaluate one’s ability to perform tasks at a university level and incorporate skills to be used concurrently. Below are brief summaries of what one can expect from each of the four categories.

Reading: This section tests the ability to comprehend English at an academic level. Testers will be given a passage in English and must read and answer questions based on the passage.

Listening: This section will test the ability to understand lectures and conversations in English. Testers will listen to a conversation and lecture and allowed to make notes during the listening portion. Afterwards, testers will be required to answer questions based on the lecture and conversation heard and use their notes taken to help. Notes will not be scored in the test.

Speaking: This section evaluates the tester’s ability to speak about different topics with clear and coherent English. Testers are asked questions or given topics and given prep time (time varies) to prepare their answers. The response times also vary, but generally range from 45-60 seconds.

Writing: In this section, testers will be evaluated on their ability to perform writing tasks at an academic level. Two writing tasks will be given and testers must be able to write essay-style responses to passages and make concise, accurate connections between the texts. This includes being able to organize paragraph structure (style, grammar, ideas, etc.), clear thesis, arguments, quality of writing, and overall accuracy.

In order to prepare for the TOEFL test, there are many online and paper copy resources available, as well as sample questions with answers that are available online through the official website. 

How To Slay TOEFL - My Tips & Tricks!

Hi guys, I rarely see study tips for those who are studying English as a second language so I thought I should make one!

TOEFL is usually an essential exam especially if you want to study in the US as an international student. I took the test for my transfer exam which required at least 79 for the application. It was my first time taking the test, and I got above 100 out of 120, which is an “okay” score.

- 

Here are some of my tips and tricks:

1. Preparation. is. everything.

TOEFL is super expensive. You don’t wanna take it for multiple times. And you won’t. So practice as much as possible. I only had a week to prepare because I was in a huge rush, but don’t be stupid like me if you want to get your best score. At least take a month or two for preparation.

Know each section well  - there are reading, listening, writing and speaking sections!

Use the study guide (the official one [easier than the real one] or Barron’s [a bit harde]) and practice like the real test

Don’t try to memorize too much - there will be some professional words you might not understand, but they’ll be explained in the question. if not, just don’t memorize all of them. you don’t even know whether it’s gonna be in the real test or not.

For listening: use TED!!!!! -  some of the listening parts are really similar to TED talks. go download their podcasts/app while you’re on the bus or something. I kept listening to them and got 30/30 for the section!

Get used to it - each section is just super long. you gotta finish all of them in time.

2. During the test

I’m pretty sure you’re gonna take the test with many people, but they don’t finish each section at the same time. 

When you’re on the break, some people are not. When you’re back for the next section, some people will walk around you - it’s very disturbing.

And what’s worse, you will hear other people’s voice during the speaking section. 

But don’t panic, focus on what you gotta do.

-

TIPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR ACT SCORE 

General tips for studying and for during the exam

Timed practice exams - Practice exams are the absolute best way to prepare for the ACT. Since each section of the ACT is timed, you should take many practice tests and time yourself to determine your strengths and weaknesses. There are many free ACT practice tests available online and there are also books available with practice tests in them. 

Answer EVERY question - There is no penalty for guessing, so definitely make sure you answer every question to get as many points as possible.

Learn the tricks - The ACT doesn’t test your intelligence as much as it tests your ability to take a test. I will give you some tips for each section of the ACT below. 

Use ALL the time given to you - I don’t care if you finished twenty minutes early and you already checked your answers. Check them again. While the ACT isn’t going to determine the rest of your life, it is very important for the next chapter of your life: college. Just buckle down and use all the time given to check and recheck your answers. Reread the excerpts given to you. The students who do best on the ACT aren’t the ones who finish early and take a nap. 

ENGLISH

English is arguably one of the more difficult sections of the ACT because many people truly don’t know grammar very well. Here are some tips to help you improve your english score:

Revise grammar rules - This section is primarily going to be you identifying the sentence with correct grammar. This will be very difficult for you if you don’t know the difference between a comma and a semicolon. 

If you aren’t sure, the answer is probably the one with the least commas and changes - The writers of the ACT like to trick people by including sentences with entirely too many commas or additions. Usually, the correct sentence will be relatively simple. 

Vocabulary - Vocabulary isn’t a HUGE part of this section, but there will be a few questions that require you to know the difference between homonyms, so you should be aware of this and study accordingly. 

READING & SCIENCE

The challenge of the Reading section of the ACT is your time limit. If you aren’t a fast reader, you’re going to have trouble. 

Read the ENTIRE story/text - So many people will tell you it’s okay to just skim a story or only read the sections you’re directly being asked about. This will cause you to run into trouble. If you don’t read the entire thing, you’ll miss vital information that may cause you to miss a question. 

Practice tests are incredibly important! - Like I said before, one of the most challenging parts of the ACT is the fact that it’s timed. The reading section is a section you REALLY need to practice with a timer, because you will not be able to read this stuff at a leisurely pace. You need to be focused, alert, and able to comprehend what you’re reading. For science, you need to be able to read not only normal text, but graphs as well. Practice diligently so that you are able to easily recognize different kinds of graphs and determine what they mean. 

The answers are all there; you just need to find them - Reading and Science aren’t like the Math and English sections; their answers are all there for you. All you have to do is practice well enough to be able to find them all quickly. 

MATH 

Many people don’t know how to approach the Math section of the ACT. They worry that they need to memorize a million equations or worry that they need to review the past 3 years of math. You don’t! They give you all the equations you’ll need so you just need to be able to apply them. Here are some other tips for this section!

If two answers are opposites, one of them is almost always the answer - This is true for the ACT in general, but primarily for math.

Don’t overthink it - Many of the questions you will face will not be as challenging as you think they are; you’re probably just overthinking it. Go with your gut and move on. 

Don’t memorize equations - all equations will be given to you, so you need to focus on knowing how to use the equations. 

Don’t waste time on questions you don’t understand - There comes a time when you need to just accept that you don’t know how to do a question. When this happens, just make an educated guess if you can, and move on. 

Don’t panic! - The Math section is going to be short. Much shorter than you want it to be. Don’t panic or let yourself spend too much time on any question or you’ll end up wasting time. 

FINALLY, BE REALISTIC.