because I have big dreams

icon: wakes up at 7 am, moisturizes, works out, loves smoothies and little new recipes, long summer to-do list, their summer self = best self

a lovely mess: wakes up after noon, doesn’t leave the house at all, listens to the same 5 songs, planned to do all these things but … meh

winging it: spends way too much money on books, late summer night walks, tries to be productive, forgets everything

softie: creates little summer playlists for their friends, the window is open all the time, tries to go to sleep at a reasonable time but fails every time

Week 29 was a tiresome one 😴🌱

“Thank you for this incredibly stressful 30 minutes that I have had to re-structure my entire day around and which will give me anxiety poos for the next 24 hours.”

I didn’t get the job.

However, a few weeks later, I was called in to interview with another editor in the same company, and I did get that job. I found out later from the initial editor (the one who didn’t hire me) that he had planned to offer me the job, but since I didn’t follow up with a thank you letter, he assumed I didn’t really want it. He offered the job to another contender–but when he got my letter in the mail shortly after the offer had already been made, he went to HR and gave me a glowing recommendation. It was based on that recommendation that I got called in for the second interview.

So: send an email thank you immediately (same day!) after the interview. If you’re feeling extra, go ahead and send a written one too. OR go immediately to a coffee shop, write the letter, and return to the office and give it to the secretary.

July 5 2018

Hope everyone had a fun and safe fourth of july in the USA! 

I recently embroidered this onto my friend’s new kanken and i’m honestly SO in love with it I think I’m gonna do it on mine soon omg

anyways it’s getting really hot in LA this weekend and i’m hoping to just go to the beach and hopefully MUJI santa monica :-)

this also applies to high school in a lot of ways, esp in organization and involvement

I read this book by cal newport called “how to win at college” in prep for my freshman year & u should definitely read it yourself because there are lots of important points i don’t cover in this post, but if you don’t want to, this is my summary of what I think were the most important points he made. 

STUDY HARD, BUT YOUR GRADES DON’T MEAN AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU LEARN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. he prioritizes getting vital experiences such as

- joining a club and eventually taking responsibility in it and becoming a leader

- apply for scholarships every year (he said 10 a year) 

- volunteer, but not for your resume. do it to learn and become a better person. 

- get involved in research, and get involved in your major department (like go to the events and lectures, even if they aren’t mandatory)

- write outside of class regularly because writing is super important (example- submit to your school newspaper) 

STAY ORGANIZED AND ON TOP OF YOUR SHIT

- he really really REALLY emphasizes not procrastinating and studying / starting papers well in advance of deadlines. his rules are to 

- - >start long term projects immediately after they are assigned and continue to work on them by following a reasonable schedule (he says to finish early, revise, then finish again), 

- - > take 3 days to write shorter papers (aka you have abt 2 weeks to work on them and they range from 2-15ish pages) (aka make preparations pre writing, then write a rough draft on the first day, revise and focus your writing on the second day (make sure your arguments are very clear!), and polish your paper on the third day), and

- - >take 2 weeks to study for an exam. study in shorter blocks during the first week, like maybe an hour or so each day. over the weekend, add more hours. the few days before the test, study in 2-3 hour chunks to really cement the already familiar information. 

- get a filing cabinet for your papers instead of just piling them on your desk and having to search for them later. 

- have a HIGH QUALITY notebook and a folder for each class (or whatever stationery keeps you organized) and keep all your folders/notebooks/binders neat and organized. 

- empty your inbox and organize your emails 

- schedule your free time- aka have specific times that you choose to relax and spend with friends rather than unintentionally relaxing during work time, or worrying about work during relaxation time. 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

- you NEED sleep, you NEED healthy food, and you NEED exercise. you really shouldn’t put anything ahead of these things. 

- NEVER pull an all nighter. if you’re studying ahead of time, this should be easy. all nighters aren’t glamorous, they’re unproductive, really stressful, and unhealthy

- keep in touch with old friends, and remember to call your mom

- make sure to spend time with new friends and take care of them. be there for your friends. 

- keep your room neat and make your bed!! 

The first step is acceptance, and this is me saying that i have a problem. All I’ve done ever since school ended is sleep and watch netflix, which is definitely not what i had planned for this summer. So in order to break out of this cycle of laziness I have decided to participate in the 100 days of productivity challenge. Today is day 1, wish me luck!  

May 28 2018

Two notebooks i painted yesterday!

anyway im in like 50 different dilemmas when in reality i can’t do anything about solving any of them at this time so i should just forget about them and study instead but here i am, still trying to work out a solution that can’t be found

I decided to share my notes taken from this amazing 1 hour Youtube lecture by Marty Lobdell. i really liked him and his tips, i think they are super effective and cover a lot of situations! i highly recommend it!!!!! wow

but here are the tips and examples Marty mentions, so if you don’t have the time to go through the full hour, you can just scroll down. hope this helps somebody!

Break your study time in chunks with breaks

most students lose focus at 25 minutes

it’s a mistake to keep going once you do, since you won’t actually learn anything and you’ll hate every minute of it

so when you start losing focus take a 5 minute break

do something nice like talking to someone or listening to music

it’s something you practice so with time you’ll be able to work for more time without losing focus

in the end of the study session have a big reward you look forward to

Create a study area

environment highly affects the way you act. Bedrooms are for sleeping, kitchens for eating: you’ll feel sleepy in your bedroom and hungry in the kitchen. So if you have a study area, it’ll be easier to start studying and staying focused.

study in a specific room like an office or school library if you can

if you have to study in your bedroom use a specific object you only use for studying: a lamp/desk. Make it a no-distraction, away from your bed, blank walls area.

 The more active the learning, the better

80% active learning 20% passive

ask yourself: is it a concept or a fact?

learning a concept: understand/grasp/know it

put it into your own words

really think about the meaning of it

relate it with something you already know

teach somebody else. Recapitulate what you’ve learned. Talk out loud even if you don’t have anyone to teach - talk alone. Or at anyone that listens.

learning a fact: memorize it

use mnemonics

Acronyms (e.g. colours of the rainbow RoyGBiv – red orange yellow green blue indigo violet)

 Coined sayings - anything popular or sayings you’ve heard since you were a child.

Interacting images – work even better if they’re weird. Creative associations make you never forget specific details. (e.g. 1 gram of fat has 9 calories: picture a fat cat – each cat has 9 lives)

any time 2 things are highly similar but not the same you will get maximal interference!! USE mnemonics!! (e.g. afferent vs efferent neurons: SAME - Sensory Afferent Motor Efferent)

Be a part of  study groups

others can help you in ways you never thought before

Recognizing VS remembering

never confuse the two

while reviewing a chapter you may recognize concepts but not actually know them

and when you get to the test you won’t be able to remember any of it

so quiz yourself without looking at it

or stop in a page of your notes/textbook and ask yourself what is the concept immediately after and before it

Get your REM Sleep 

get ~8 hours so you don’t undo your studying

this is how your brain stores permanent memories

without it you’re ability to remember seriously decreases

most people don’t even begin to take the advice but it’s simple: sleep better. Do better.

There’s 162 hours in a week. There is time.

reflect on what you are doing with your time and what activities you have to prioritize to succed as a student

Taking notes is vital.

right after the class take 5 minutes to expand everything you’ve jotted down, give it depth.

NOT hours later. You won’t remember half the things you wrote down.

Ask your questions to class mates and teachers.

teachers want you to succeed and it’s more than ok to ask your question in the teacher’s office or in the next class

How to use a textbook: SQ3R technique

Survey Question Read Recite Review

Survey: skim through the entire chapter in a couple of minutes.

Raise questions: e.g. what is osmosis? What is this graphic about? What is a prototype?

it causes you to look for answers and you’ll find the information better once you actually study it after. If you intend to find something you learn it better.

Start studying for tests early.

don’t undo yourself. You should only be reviewing the days before the test. don’t leave it till the last minute!

180204 - 180210 | a soft, pink spread for February! 

psychology -

restless nights with nerves, uncertainty in life, always wearing rose colored glasses during storms, denim jackets with patches, sloppy buns, sentimental tattoos, sad eyes

english -

books up to their ears, piercings lining their ears, long lashes, mom jeans and comfy sweaters, heavy backpacks filled with knowledge, classical music, deep laughs

chemistry -

fading hair dye, unrequited love, trench coats that sweep floors, ponytails, scars from playing with fire, notes scribbled on their palms, small apartments filled with cold

astronomy -

glitter makeup, leggings stained with paint, coffee colored teeth, boring days waiting for the night, parties that run till 2 a.m., pies on the windowsill, movie nights with friends

history -

circle glasses, nose ring, layers of jewelry, curly hair with gold braided in, introvertness, personality tests at midnight, happily ever after, ball gowns, never on time, never alone

law -

debate club, gut feeling, sleeping in the five minute passing periods, staying up to watch true crime, dresses that graze your mid-thigh, tied up shirts hidden under jackets, pessimism

medical -

Prague: inside a cafe, pages upon pages of readings left, a warm mug of hot chocolate, the sound of chatter and soft acoustic music

London: serious Sunday studying, papers strewn across a desk, flipping from subject to subject, a steaming cup of tea, dedication

Barcelona: study groups, quizzing each other, laughter amongst friends, comparing answers, textbooks all across the table

Vienna: early morning studying, a cool glass of water and fresh fruit, flipping through flash cards, feeling prepared for the day

Berlin: late night cram session, a strong pot of coffee, hair tied back, the middle of exam season, ink smears on fingertips

Venice: preparing for a presentation, public speaking jitters, bullet points on index cards, cappuccino and a pastry

Dublin: snow outside of frosted windows, the glow of street lamps, reading warm and indoors, getting lost in a book, oversized sweaters

you’ve been waiting to read your new book all day, finally getting to sit down with it and a cup of tea. soon you’re lost in its content, hearing only the sound of pages being turned gentle rain outside.

you’re laughing so hard tears being to form in your eyes, you’re stomach already hurting. no matter how hard you and your friend try, you both just can’t seem to stop.

it’s early, way too early in the morning, the sun hasn’t even come up yet. still, you’re already awake, seemingly before the rest of the world. everything is quiet and calm as you calmly breathe in and breathe out, ready to start the day off right.

“great work!” the little note on your essay says. you’ve worked so, so hard for this, and finally it has paid off. instantly, you begin to smile, newfound motivation radiating off of your beaming face. you can do this, everything you set your mind to is possible.

hey guys!! so many of us want to do well in our education but we don’t have the motivation to do it so we end up procrastinating but here i’ll give you some reasons why you should get off your butt + start working!!!

why should i study?

100 reasons to study

so you can get the job u want when you’re older

to help other people

stop finding excuses not to

that tv show/film/game/whatever can wait till your exams are over

to get the $$$$$

to grow

for success

to be the best you can be + a little effort will lead you to it

to continuously make progress

for more confidence

the result will be worth it in the end

studying doesn’t suck as much as failing

important quote

some nice positive stuff

keep trying

your current situation is not your final destination

you will get there

believe in yourself

you can do it

i believe in you

so far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days; you’re doing great!

quitting is not an option

don’t keep thinking about that mistake you made, be kind to yourself. after all, you’re human too!

you’re making progress. keep it up!!!

you are valid

stop comparing yourself to others and be the best you can be

stay determined + positive

everything will be very good so soon so hang in there + don’t worry about it too much!

calm down + focus

you’ll be surprised how much work you can get done in half an hour if you just focus

keep moving forward

you can do anything you want to

what you are going through right now will be over soon just remember to take care of yourself first

your imagination is wonderful!

you can + you will

shout-out to you for trying your best!!

+more

what if i fail?

it’s okay, you can always retake the exam

my love chris evans’ words of wisdom

failure is simply the opportunity to begin again; this time more intelligently.

doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will

failure is your teacher, not your judge

don’t confuse a single failure with a final defeat

self care for when you don’t feel motivated

have a bath

light some candles [be careful]

go flower picking

tidy your desks

write in a journal

listen to some nice music [take a look at my 8tracks]

go outside and just breathe

do some exercise

climb a tree

find a free local event + go to it

visit an animal shelter

pets some pups

doodle

call a friend

take a nap

watch some animal videos

eat some chocolate

head to toe self care

talk to me if you want to??

other links

what am i going to do with my life?

my motivation tag

my positivity tag

+ my masterposts

notes, studying, and self-study resources

self-study resources

supplies

igcse resources

literature masterpost

organisation

aesthetically pleasing notes

annotating

studying a foreign language

really great apps

math

college + uni

biology

space!!!!

chemistry

physics

summary writing

the discursive/argumentative essay

the narrative essay + the descriptive essay

the ultimate english masterpost!!

stress relief

what i’ve learnt throughout my years of being a student

how to stay productive during holidays

bullet journals

melodic studying

philosophy

stay sated whilst you’re motivated

shakespeare

summer productivity

+ more