study.travel.sleep.repeat

I am risking nothing

I AM SORRY FOLLOWERS, I LOVE MY MOMMY

Will not risk.

If you are in a new city with no friends, go out alone. It might seem weird but you will get to spend quality time with yourself + possibly meet some people. Just stay safe, be where there are other people, avoid sketchy neighborhoods and don’t go out too late!

Carry your college ID everywhere and don’t be afraid to ask if a store has college discounts!

Take. Notes. Of. Everything. You might think “eh I’ll remember this”. You won’t. Write it down.

Replace your morning coffee for green tea, it is less likely to give you an energy crash later in the day, and take coffee as a pick me up later in the afternoon

Take a break from studying every hour or so, but don’t use your phone/computer. Go out for a walk, stretch, drink some water, shower. It will help you focus better

SKINCARE TIP: steam your face by boiling some water and putting some sage in it, then putting your face above the pot with a towel covering your head and the pot. It will help open up your pores and clean them

Things to always have around: coconut oil (for hair care, removing makeup, dry skin, cooking..) and baking soda (removing stains, face peeling, good for your gums..)

MEAL PREP!! Or at least shop for the following week so you are less likely to eat out, and eat crap!

Try new things, you might not be great at them, but you also might find something you are passionate about.

MEDITATE. If you don’t know how, download a guided meditation app (like Headspace). Meditation is great for reducing stress and boosting productivity. Also a great thing to do on your study break.

Don’t stare at any screens before bed, it WILL make you fall asleep harder and fuck up the quality of your sleep. Instead try reading, meditating, doing skincare, journaling.

Hey! I have just a few!

diary: log your day, write what you did, just a record of your day-to-day happenings

story (as you said): write down all the stories!!

bullet journal: note down all your daily to-do and focus on getting them done!

gratitude journal: write down things you’re grateful for each day and why

365 journal: write down a sentence a day. Could be a quote you like, an event that happened, a funny moment or something!

dream log: write down your dreams and maybe research their meaning!

review journal: if you see a movie or read a book write down your thoughts!

photo a day journal: make a daily scrapbook/photo album

expense tracker: note each thing you spend your money (you could track everything or just the things you treat yourself on)

goals journal: set yourself a goal and try to map out how you will achieve over a certain amount of time! Record how well you’re doing!

recipe book: write down ingredients and an easy step-by-step guide so you can always make something to eat

dashboard notebook: a little book that is kind of a hub of your life such as important emergency contacts, accounts names/passwords/emails, etc

tv show tracker: note down each season and cross of episodes as you go. You could also write down important parts of each episode so you can be reminded of what you’ve seen.

inspiration/mood-book: print off photos, quotes, random bits and bobs that you find inspiration

gift log: write down the birthdays, anniversaries, holidays of your friends and note down any ideas you might think they’d like as a gift. If they ever say “I love that!” then make a note of what it is and where to get it so you can get later!

wishlist journal: take note of things you’d like to buy over the year!

happiness journal: make a scrapbook of things that make you happy - could be photos, quotes, events, people, etc

monthly overview, goals and reflection: each month write down things that happened and how you felt

project/assessment book: plan out all your school or university assignments such as due dates, word count, to-dos, questions, citations, etc

‘fuck that’ book: when you’re angry or annoyed by something, write it down, rant about until your hearts content!

your own wreck this journal - you can Google to see what I mean but make your own version. Either you come up with ideas or maybe get a friend to write down cool things to do.

magazine clipping journal - if you see anything you like, cut it and stick it in. For me, I’d maybe do street style or runway fashion!

swatch book: whenever you get some new pens, make a swatch board of them!

friendship journal: you and your friend(s) could make a book where you write down things you like about each other, places you go to together, photos you take, etc. Maybe pass it around each week and you can all review what you’re doing!

travel log: even if you aren’t travelling far or overseas write down where you go and what it was like. Write down places you’d like to visit or things you’d like to see!

doodle book: just a book full of random drawings, sketches, etc

writing prompts: find some writing prompts that you’d like to continue and get writing!

receipts book: stick in all the things you spend your money on either to track or just out of curiosity!

flower press log: a cool way to save any pretty plants you find!

scrapbook: put in some of your favourite things in there! You could maybe do them for your friends for cute, personalised gifts!

handwriting practice: take time to practice your lettering, caligraphy or just normal handwriting!

habit tracker: do a ‘don’t break the chain’ kind of thing to either create or break your habits!

A Small Guide to Journaling by Eintsein

Transition Signals:

Transitions are words and phrases that connect ideas and show how they are related.

To repeat and ideas just stated:

In other words,

That is,

To repeat,

Again,

To illustrate an idea:

For example,

For instance,

In particular,

To illustrate,

In this manner,

Thus,

To announce a contrast, a change in direction:

Yet,

However,

Still,

Nevertheless,

On the other hand,

In contrast,

Instead of,

On the contrary,

Conversely,

Notwithstanding,

In spite of this,

Time:

At once,

In the interim,

At length,

Immediately,

At last,

Meanwhile,

In the meantime,

Presently,

At the same time,

Shortly,

In the end,

Temporarily,

Thereafter,

To restate an idea more precisely:

To be exact,

To be specific,

To be precise,

More specifically,

More precisely,

To mark a new idea as an addition to what has been said:

Similarly,

Also,

Too,

Besides,

Furthermore,

Further,

Moreover,

In addition,

To show cause and effect:

As a result,

For this reason,

Thereafter,

Hence,

Consequently,

Accordingly,

Conclusion:

In short,

To conclude,

In brief,

On the whole,

In summary,

Things Top Students Do

1. They don’t always do all of their homework.

In college, homework assignments generally make up 5-20% of your grade, but can be the biggest time-suck for most students. Yes, working problems is one of the best ways to turn new concepts into working knowledge, but a large majority of those problems that take you hours and hours to work through, you’ll never see on an exam.

2. They never “read through” the textbook.

Per time spent, reading the textbook is one of the least effective methods for learning new material. Top students use the examples and practice problems, but otherwise use Google, lecture notes, and old exams for study materials.

3. They Google EVERYTHING.

It’s like an automatic reaction. New concept = go to Google for a quick explanation. Don’t think just because your professor gives you a textbook and some examples on the blackboard that you’re limited to that information. You have a massive free search engine at your fingertips, so make use of it.

4. They test themselves frequently.

Testing yourself strengthens your brain’s connections to new material, and gives you immediate and clear feedback on whether you know something or not. Bottom line, repeated self-testing significantly improves long-term retention of new material. 

5. They study in short bursts, not long marathons.

Studying in short bursts tends to help you focus intensely because you know there is at least a short break coming.

This also fits in nicely with our Ultradian Rhythm, the natural activity/rest cycle of our bodies, which makes studying continuously for multiple hours on end counterproductive.

6. They reverse-engineer solved problems.

It’s one thing to follow and memorize a set of steps to solve a calculus problem. It’s an entirely different thing to understand what a derivative is, be able to take derivates of complex functions, know when to use the chain rule vs. the product rule, etc. The problem with simply following the steps the professor provided, or the textbook outlines, is that you’re only achieving a surface-level knowledge of the problem. Top students, instead,take solved problems and work backwards, from solution to question, asking “why.”

Why did this get this value? Why did they simplify this expression? Why did they use that type of derivative rule?

By following this process, you begin to understand the interconnections of the concept, and how to directly apply that to a problem. This “working knowledge” of a concept is key to performing well on exams, especially on problems that you haven’t seen before.

7. They don’t own a highlighter.

Highlighting anything = unengaged reading. If you want to note something that stands out, underline and write a corresponding note to go along with it. Or better yet, write yourself a note summarizing the item in your own words.

8. They sleep–a lot.

The daily routines of top performers, in any field, are characterized by periods of intense work (4-6 hours per day) followed by significant quantities of high-quality sleep (9 hours per night). You see this trend in top violin prodigies and chess champions, as well as elite athletes. The idea is to alternate periods of intense work with rest, so that you create tons of new connections in your nervous system, and then allow adequate time to assimilate those gains.

9. They engage themselves by asking questions.

What happens if I tell you, “Thomas Jefferson almost single-handedly drafted the Delcaration of Independence in 1776.”?

You might say “Hmm.. that’s interesting”, try to remember it for later, maybe even write down a note or two.

But what if I ask you, “Who was Thomas Jefferson?” What changes?

You start searching your memory, sifting through images of old guys, founding fathers, thinking about the Declaration of Independence. You come up with your own narrative, and then realize that you have gaps.

When was he around again? And why was he so important?

You’ll probably find yourself going to Google to fill in the gaps. Through that process your learning will be much more deeply seated in your brain than anything your history teacher ever told you about him. That’s the power of asking questions.

10. They make the best out of lecture.

Yes, your professor sucks. Yes, lectures are boring. Yes, it’s either too fast so you can’t keep up and miss all the important stuff, or it’s way too slow and you start zoning out because you already understand everything.

The best students look at this this way: I’m going to be there no matter what, so what’s the best use of my time while I’m in the classroom? Ask questions, bring the textbook and look stuff up, focus on the important practice problems to copy down in your notes, try to anticipate what the professor is going to say, make note of anything they put emphasis on as a potential exam topic. All of these things make the time you have to spend in lecture more productive and engaging. And that’s less time you have to spend studying later on.

11. They over-learn.

School is hard enough, with the amount of studying and homework you have to do. And on top of all of that Facebooking you have to get done? It might seem ridiculous to suggest learning more than you have to.

What!? Are you insane!?

But this is precisely what top students do. And paradoxically, they end up spending less time trying to understand how to do homework problems, andless time studying for exams because of it. Because when you “over-learn” past what’s presented in class, you build a better framework for the subject.

Think of trying to remember some details about Abraham Lincoln’s life. You try to remember the dates of the Civil War, or what he said in the Emancipation Proclamation. You study the same facts over and over and over again… but it’s just boring, and you quickly forget. But what if you knew his whole life’s story? About how Lincoln suffered from bouts of depression, and his relationship with his wife suffered? You start to learn that the dude was human, and you start to relate to the things he did and the struggles he went through. Now you’ve constructed a story in your head. And studies show that humans learn best through stories. So yes, it’s more information, but your brain knows what to do with it now that all those random facts are linked together. More learning, but less rote memorization and struggling to remember random facts.

12. They immediately study their exam mistakes.

Most students get their exam grade back, flip through to see if the professor made any mistakes they can argue about, and then promptly shove it into their notebook, never to be seen again until the mad scramble at the end of the semester to study for the final.

Instead, top students ignore what they got right, and use their mistakes as an indicator of what to improve on.

13. They’re busy with work and side projects.

Yes, to do well in a course, you need to focus and put in the hours. But like many geniuses throughout history have shown, involvement in a diverse set of subjects, activities, and skill sets keeps you active, and provides you with a rich and diverse set of mental models to pull from.

Also, as they say, “If you need to get something done, give it to the busy person.” If you stay active in multiple areas, you don’t have time to procrastinate, and are forced to be efficient with your study time. This generally translates into quicker learning and better performance throughout the semester.

14. They use lecture as a detective mission.

Though completely unaware of this fact, your professor has tells. Yes, like in poker. Tells during lecture will hint at particular types of concepts and problems that will be emphasized on the midterm or final exam. The best students pay attention to topics professors spend a seemingly inordinate amount of time on and make note. Chances are you’ll see something related on the final.

15. They don’t wait for motivation to strike.

Motivation comes and goes, but studying for a degree requires persistence and consistency. Just like Olympic athletes train even on their worst days, the best students figure out how to get their coursework done when it’s the last thing they want to do.

16. They practice under test conditions. The old adage “practice makes perfect” isn’t totally true. Deliberate practice under the right conditions, with the correct mindset, is more like it. Instead of reading through all of the lecture notes and redoing old homework problems, top students make themselves practice exams, and rehearse their exam performance, under time pressure and in similar conditions (no notes, uncomfortable chair, quiet room, etc.) to what they’ll see on test day.

17. They use old exams.

Professors aren’t the most inventive folk. Along with coming up with lecture material and departmental responsibilities, they’re also primarily concerned with research. So typically midterms and final exams more or less look alike for similar courses year-to-year and even across universities. Because of this, old exams are a gold mine of opportunity for figuring out what problems you should be able to solve and study from.

18. They make their own study guides.

The best students don’t simply use the study guide the teacher provides, they create their own.

Creating the study guide is half the battle, requiring you to go through your notes, consolidate them, and organize them in a way that you understand–all valuable study activities. You’ll also be able to use your equations sheet much more effectively on the exam itself (if allowed) because you know exactly where everything is.

19. They actually write on paper.

Writing out notes on a laptop is efficient. Too efficient. Because it’s so easy to quickly type out exactly what the professor is saying, you don’t have to do the work of trying to figure out how to consolidate the information into your own shorthand. Some also believe that the act of writing helps retain more information.

20. They use the 80/20 rule.

Yes, some students who get good grades do every reading assignment, finish every practice problem, and attend every study session they can get their hands on. But these students are missing the point. There will always be an endless amount of information you could learn given the time and effort, but having the ability to discern what is worth learning will truly set you apart.

Top students identify the 20% of concepts they need to learn deeply, in order to determine 80% of their final grade. They focus intently on those few things, and simply ignore the rest. This is a formula for high performance, without hours and hours of busywork. And it translates seamlessly into the real world too.

21. They don’t complain.

Complaining simply has no place in the smart student’s repertoire. If something sucks, change it or ignore it, but don’t waste your time, energy, and mental state talking about it. Got a crappy professor? Either switch class sections or focus on teaching yourself. Horrible textbook? Find alternate resources (Google is free in case you hadn’t heard).

22. They learn by doing.

Any technical subject can only truly be internalized through use. Just like learning a new language, learning to be fluent in algebra or calculus requires active application of rules and formulas. Top students know there is a big difference between knowledge, and applied knowledge.

23. They take personal responsibility for learning the material.

The best students understand that they, and only they are truly responsible for their own education. So waiting to be spoon-fed by your professor and doing the homework assignments will never be enough. Despite your school’s best intentions, they’ll never be as committed to your academic success as you can be.

24. Following what they love

Those students you admire are passionate about what they are learning. They have the drive to develop their learning further based on their love of what they are discovering. This may not always be the case and is often unavoidable but if you follow what interests you and cultivate a curiosity of this area, your motivation to learn will thrive.

Not every student is the same and many top students don’t follow the status quo. The best way to create good habits for students is to try a variety of techniques and figure out what works for you.

25. Question your teachers Thinking outside the box is a cliche but certainly a reality for students.  They question everything–especially test questions they get wrong.  This attitude is important because it shows a general inquisitiveness that is essential in learning.  As any parent of small children knows, questions are a way to gain knowledge.  Teachers can’t be offended when a student asks a difficult question and parents should encourage this behavior.  

26. They know the best way to study.

It is important to know the best way to study for yourself. Do you need pictures? Sounds? Study better in quiet or noisy environments? Figure out what works best for you so that you can make the most out of your study time.

27. They play hard.

We all know that a balanced lifestyle is the best way to stay mentally and physically healthy! Top students don’t spend all day in the library grafting (contrary to what you might think!) Rather, they take the time to put their studies aside and do something which is fun and exciting!

Every year when January rolls around I have the urge to simplify – to start the new year fresh and clean and uncluttered. This doesn’t mean getting rid of everything (I’m faaaar from being a minimalist), just getting rid of the things that weigh you down. So, here’s the unofficial guide to simplifying without going full-on Marie Kondo. 

physical clutter

What’s the area in your room that stresses you out when you see it? Start there. A few quick tips on how to clean specific areas:

closet

Take allll your clothes out of your closet, wardrobe, or dresser

Put the things you know you’re keeping back in right away – your favorite jeans, that black dress you wear all the time, etc

Once you’re left with just the ‘maybes’, try every item on.

If you wouldn’t buy it all over again, it should probably go.

Don’t just toss what you don’t want, though! Donate it to a local thrift store, charity, or church with a community closet.

desk + shelves

Again, start by completely clearing off your desk and study area.

Go through your binders and make sure everything is in it’s correct place

Migrate materials from old classes into files out of the way if they’re important, or toss them if you won’t use them again.

 Make sure everything has a home – pencils should be in a bag or mug, papers in files or trays, and notebooks neatly stacked.

Make a point to clean your desk regularly!

If you have supplies you don’t need, donate them! Let’s be real – you have way more pens than you could ever use.

Books are also a wonderful thing to donate! Your local library or thrift shop would be my top pick. 

If you still have old textbooks laying around, list them on your school’s bulletin board to sell, since most thrift shops won’t accept them. 

under your bed

Let’s be real: most all of this can go. Grab a trash bag and toss anything that’s not important.

You can get one of those rolling tupperware under-the-bed organizers, or just stick what has to stay under there in a thin  cardboard box.

Be sure not to leave things loose under there, or you may end up with some unwanted pals living under there ~

digital clutter

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have a lot of digital clutter. It’s so easy to build it up and forget about all that you have stored on your computer!

Go through your phone and delete photos you don’t need, apps you don’t use, and old messages. 

Do a major computer overhaul! Delete old files and programs so that you have more space.

Put all your files into folders so that they’re easier to find later on.

Take a look through your friends and following lists, and delete all those people that post negative things.

mental clutter

This is the big one. Mental clutter comes from all of the above, plus just living your life. Some tips for decluttering your mind:

Do a nightly brain dump. Before you get into bed each night, open up your journal and write down everything that’s on your mind. Once it’s on paper, you can let it go until the morning. 

Find relaxing habits to practice everyday: yoga, taking a warm bath, going for a run, etc

Practice mindfulness or meditation

Keep a planner!

Practice not letting yourself harbor bad thoughts

Stay away from negative people if you can. You don’t need negative attitudes to be adding your already stressful life!

simplify your schedule

Learn to say ‘no’ more – if you don’t want to go to your friend’s-cousin’s-niece’s dance recital, don’t.

Streamline your daily routine;

Get ready faster by nixing the makeup you don’t love to put on and finding quick and easy hairstyles

Make an outfit idea board on Pinterest and fill it with outfits that you can make from pieces you already have in your closet so you spend less time finding an outfit 

Cook meals in advance when possible, or stick an easy meal in the crockpot before you leave for the day

Tidy every room just a bit before you leave it, so that you don’t have to devote an hour to cleaning it later on

Make time for you each week

See if there are any chores that you can outsource (eg, some grocery stores will shop for you for free, all you have to do is order online and go pick it up)

Don’t feel like you have to participate in something you don’t enjoy. If you don’t love the sport, don’t play it

so i recently got my resume critiqued and learned a lot of things

if you’re in post-secondary education, don’t include your high school (especially if you’re in your last 2 years). employers really don’t care about high school because it was so many years ago 

include your intended graduation year. don’t just say “2014-present” because you could be planning to graduate next year or in 6 years and how will employers know?

include your major under education and any educational goals you may have such as professional certifications. this will show recruiters right off the bat what you are planning to do in the future and will give you a leg up if you’re applying to an internship related to those goals 

don’t just make a huge list of skills. anyone can write that they have strong interpersonal skills and are good at critical and analytical thinking. for each skill you list, give some examples that prove you really do have it. try not to use examples from your experience section, put something new so the recruiter doesn’t have to read about your work with the yearbook committee three times 

don’t make a huge list of skills!!! choose a few that are relevant to the job you want

don’t use the word “skills”, use something that sounds more professional like “qualifications”

including an objective isn’t mandatory but it can help recruiters to see at a glance where you are going in the future and if you are a good fit for their company. if you do include one, make it detailed but short because hiring managers don’t like reading 

in your objective, focus on how you can benefit the company and how you’re right for the job, not the other way around 

provide all contact info, including address, home and cell phone and email. use your university or college email because this makes you look much more professional than a hotmail account does

if your GPA is higher than 3.50 (when measured on a 4.0 scale), you should include it. however be prepared because you may be asked about it in the interview

include if you’ve ever gotten recognition in past jobs or clubs for outstanding performance like employee of the month or a VIP award. this shows that you’re dedicated to what you do 

you all know how much i hate the idea that you have to be super rich to run a successful studyblr. i already have a tag for studyblr discourse and tips to run a studyblr on a budget, but i still love the look of all the expensive stationery - so here’s a masterpost of dupes for the big name brands!

Hey guys, so I’m nearing the end of my senior year, and it’s been great so far! I accomplished my academic tasks efficiently and didn’t burn myself out, and I think the main contributor to my success as a student is my organization system. This system has been refined throughout my high school years, but I think now I’ve finally found the most effective methods.

Please remember that this isn’t the only organization system you can adopt; this is just the one that works the best for me, and I hope that by sharing it with you, you’ll gain a new perspective on how to stay organized as a high school student.

The first thing I wanna talk about is my notebook system, which I briefly mentioned in my Guide to Note-Taking.

My notebook system comprises three types of notebooks: the Everything Notebook, the subject notebook, and the revision notebook.

The Everything Notebook

The first stage is in-class notes. I only bring one notebook to school every day. I call it my Everything Notebook, and this is where I write down all of the notes I take in class. This way, I don’t have to lug around six notebooks where I’m only going to use a few pages in each of them that day.

Subject Notebooks

At the end of the day, I would revise my notes and compare them to the syllabus so I know where we are in the learning process. I would then transfer my class notes from my Everything Notebook to my different subject notebooks. This is stage two. I also start to jazz up my notes because I use the notes in my subject notebooks to study for tests.

In addition to my class notes, I include material from my teachers’ notes that they might not have elaborated on, as well as points in the syllabus (I’m currently taking A2) that were only glazed over briefly, or not at all, in some cases. (Note: this does not mean they completely skip a chapter or topic; it’s more like they missed a few bullet points that should be in my notes but aren’t. An example would be if we’re learning about phenol reactions and the teacher forgot to mention the use of FeCl3 as a test for phenol.)

Revision Notebooks

Stage three comes a little later, when exam week is just around the corner. Essentially, I rewrite and improve my notes from my five different subject notebooks into a single revision notebook or binder. (Recently, I’ve opted for a revision notebook because they’re lighter and easier to carry around.)

Because my teachers don’t always teach in the order of the syllabus, the first thing I do is organize my notes according to the syllabus. I would then fill in any other missing gaps in the material that hadn’t been filled in stage two.

When compiling material for my revision notebook, I use as many sources as possible: my own notes, my teachers’ notes, youtube videos, online sites, and my favorite, the mark scheme! I add in some answers from past papers (explanations only, so no calculations) mainly to secure marks. It’s safer to memorize definitions straight from the mark scheme than from the textbook or from handouts. I also do this to ease my memorization, especially for topics that require lengthy explanations. It’s a lot easier to remember the 6 points I need to explain the principles of NMRI than to remember everything in the four-page handout my teacher gave me.

Folders and binders are essential to organizing your papers. Some people keep a single accordion folder for all their papers, but for me it’s just too heavy to carry around all the time. The same goes for subject folders that are brought to school every day.

Instead, my binder/folder system comprises my Everything Folder and my subject binders.

The Everything Folder

The folder I carry with me to school every day is this A4 folder I got from Tokyu Hands. It has 5 pockets, one for each day of the week, so all the papers I receive on Monday will go behind the first divider, and so on.

Some people also keep blank papers in their folders; I don’t because my school has its own lined paper and graphing pads that I keep under my desk that I use if a teacher asks us to do an assignment on those papers. If I do work at home, I prefer to just use a plain A4 paper or a legal pad.

Subject Binders

At the end of the week, I’ll sort my papers into my subject binders. Sometimes I’ll keep some papers in the folder if I think I’ll be needing it the next week. This usually only applies to worksheets because all my teachers’ notes are available on Google Classroom, so I can access them even if I don’t physically have them.

Each of these binders have sections inside them:

Physics: 1 for handouts, notes, and tests, 1 for Paper 4 (Theory), 1 for Paper 5 (Practical Planning). I included extra tabs to mark the different topics in the handouts section.

Chemistry: same as Physics.

Economics: 1 for Paper 3 (MCQ), 1 for Paper 4 (Case Study and Essay). A lot of my Economics material is online, though.

English: 1 for Paper 3 (Text and Discourse analysis), and 2 for Paper 4 (Language Topics, which includes 1 for Child Language Acquisition, 1 for World Englishes). Past papers, handouts, and notes all go under their respective topics.

Mathematics: I just keep everything together because I never revise math and just constantly do past papers.

This makes it easier for me to revise each subject because I can just take one binder with me instead of a messy folder with everything just shoved in there.

I keep a magazine file for each of my A-Level subjects (English and Mathematics are combined). All my textbooks, revision guides, and subject notebooks are kept here, so if I need to revise one subject, that’s the magazine file I’ll take out.

These magazine files prevent any small things (like my book of flashcards) from being shoved to the back of my bookshelf, or materials from different subjects from getting mixed up.

In my senior year, I mostly plan using this app called Edo Agenda. It syncs across all my devices for free and has all the features I need: a to do list to organize tasks, monthly and weekly calendars to organize events, a journal to organize notes and memos.

I used to bullet journal regularly, but it takes too much time during weekdays, so now I just bullet journal for the therapeutic effects it gives me, and I use an app for organizing tasks and events. Sometimes at the end of each week, I’ll transfer my tasks to my bullet journal and then decorate the page, but again, this is just for its therapy.

Organizing your school supplies is just as important as organizing your papers and notes. With a more organized backpack and pencil case, you won’t waste time looking for your things at the bottom of an abyss.

Pencil Case

I don’t find it necessary to bring so much stationery to school unless I plan on making notes at school (usually during revision week).

Backpack

Because we’re already in the revision term, I don’t really carry a lot of things in my everyday backpack, just the following:

Pencil case

Everything Notebook

Everything Folder

Revision notebook

Kindle

Phone

Wallet

Earphones

Calculator

Speaker

Drinking bottle

A pouch with things like a hairbrush, pads, and lip balm

This is more for my reference than anything else, but if you find this info helpful then cool. The ones with *** are the one I found most important or didn’t find on the internet when I was looking for tips. 

***Your feet will hurt from walking around so much. Don’t bother getting new shoes to cope because by the time you break those in you’ll be used to walking around. Save that money for food. 

***Go to career fair. You’ll probably not get the internship or job your first year, but at least you’ll know how to dress yourself, research companies, and present yourself. 

Go to club meeting where a company rep is present. Company reps have insane memory. They’ll remember you. Especially if you go see them every time. Helpful for when you’re applying.

Get a foam mattress topper. 

Don’t have a crush. You’ll waste so much time thinking about it it’s not even funny. 

Make friends. Make connections. Have fun. Get lit (safely).

Always plan your safe ride home or you’ll spend $56.50 on an uber at 3 am. 

Use the free bus rides you get with your tuition. 

Always ask for student discounts. 

***Don’t just do academics. Having a 4.0 is cool and all, but no company or grad school wants you if that’s the ONLY thing you did. 

***Be busy. When you’re busy, you manage your time better and be more productive instead of procrastinating because “oh that test is in like a week and I have nothing to do besides that so I’ll do it later.” 

***Know your limits. You can’t handle being actively involved in 5 clubs and school. You’ll kill yourself in the process. Limit yourself to 3 clubs because it only gets harder from here.

Join clubs. Find something besides just academics that peaks your interests. It’ll make you a better student and expand your views. 

Join one fun club like a sorority and one serious club like business council. 

Work out. You’ll gain weight if you don’t. Set a routine in the summer so you can follow during the year when things get busy. 

Be safe. Let’s be real, it’s college and there’s drugs and alcohol everywhere. If you choose to do it, be safe about it. Here’s some safety tips. 

Always use a condom. Get them free from your university health center. 

If you’re gonna drink for the first time, do it at home or somewhere that you are comfortable and know 

If you’re gonna do drugs, again do it at home or a safe environment 

Don’t ever leave your open drink unattended. Get a new one if you do. 

You know when someone is sleazy or creepy. Stay away. If they’re persistent, give a fake name or number, get some random girls to let you (Oh jessica we’re leaving lets go), or straight up get away 

Never go somewhere alone at night. Even if you have pepper spray. 

Visit your family at least twice a semester if you can. They miss you and do a lot for you. Go visit them. I visited mine once a month because empty nest syndrome is real. 

Don’t study where your friends are. You’ll get distracted because when it’s 3 am and your getting sick of studying, procrastinating with friends seems super fun. 

***Study with a group. Sounds counter intuitive considering my last tip, but for things like ochem, engineering classes, business projects, or whatever, the classes are designed that if you don’t work in groups you will fail. Find a group of people/friends that are actually productive for studying and stick with it. Form a study squad. Join with other squads from time to time. 

Don’t eat out a lot. You’ll get fat and broke.

Drink lots of water. Refillable water bottles ftw. 

Get off your phone in class. No you can’t pay attention and listen at the same time. 

Email your professors. Go to extra review sessions. When you’re .04 off from getting an A this will help you. 

***ONLY go to TA sessions if they grade the work and/or actually help you learn. Some TA’s are garbage because they’re required to do it for grad school. But they grade your stuff and if you’re one the few people who’s name they know, that’ll definitely help you. If you learn nothing from them and they don’t grade your stuff, don’t waste your time. 

Sleep. That all nighter is worse for you than not knowing anything. Cram the best you can and at least get 3 hours. 

Save your notes. You’ll never know when you’ll need it, if your friend needs it, or sell it. 

***Use a notebook. Don’t write notes on loose leaf paper. You’ll lose track of it. If you take notes on a laptop, use onenote or something idk I have math and science notes, I can’t take that on a laptop. 

If you’re business or something along the line of that, look nice to class. Everyone else is too. Don’t have a professor notice you for your scrubbiness. Comb your hair, throw on some mascara, and wear whatever makes you feel good to class. 

***If you’re stem or something like that, don’t worry to much about looking nice. Unlike business, the professor is probably dressed scrubbier than you. If you look nice, cool, you’ll get noticed for not being scrubby like everyone else. 

***Have desk space. You’re gonna have your laptop, a million papers, and studying utensils out. Have the space for it so you don’t go crazy trying to look for stuff. 

***Have a planner. The most important one. Whether it is hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever, have one. You have a lot of stuff to do, and you can’t remember it all. Buy one, print one, use google calender, doesn’t matter just have it.