#chemistee

02.09.2016: Analytical Chemistry II: Qualitative analysis of oxidation/reduction reactions. Amongst the reactants, you can see: dichromate, permanganate, iodide-iodine, iron-III chloride, etc.

That means that not everything that I post is going to be nice or cute. I’m a student dealing with a long-term mental illness and still adapting to college, so it’s normal that some of my posts are completely negative.

The negative steps are part of one’s way when one is a undergrad or a grad student. I am not going to be anything else but honest with my followers about what’s going on.

Thanks for the ask!

Currently I’m working in a research lab, so that takes up quite a bit of my time, but I really love it! I’m also a part of a few clubs and organizations that help undergraduate girls in STEM and the student chapter of ACS. One of the organizations I’m a part of also allows leadership opportunities, so I’ve helped organize volunteer work at a local Title I school too.

People have told me that I’m pretty organizated in my school life before. The truth is: being the huge absent-minded I am, it is vital that I have some organization, or else I am going to have problems in my daily life. So I’ve written this post about how to be organizated when your head is a complete mess. 

DISCLAIMER: this post is written from a very personal point of view, some tips shown here may not apply for you. It’s up to you to decide what’s better for yourself.

About school material:

Praise the pocket display folder: [x, x] I have used it since I was a freshman in High School, back at the time I had over 30 different classes a week (yes, you’ve read that right!) It has taken off my back a huge load, literally, once these folders allow you to take out as many sheets as you’d like, and there’s no way of doing it with notebooks. Also, they’re reusable and WAY cheaper than notebooks (at least where I live). 

Definitely worth trying -- but be careful! These can be very tricky if you’re highly unorganized; there is a chance you get trapped in a huge mess if you don’t put each sheet in its place right before it’s used. Make sure that you divide subjects by pockets, so you don’t get lost.

Color code your notes: I’m a big fan of fancy stationery, I admit. However, I stick to some colorful pens and the good ol’ black/blue ball-point pens. Color coding your notes makes them more interactive and easy to recognize what subject they’re from. Looking from other side, though, if they’re too colorful, I easily lose myself while reading them, so I only use a color by subject.

Number your pages: if you do not use a notebook, but rather loose sheets, like me (of course, I use a folder, not a notebook), remember to number your pages. You’ll thank yourself later.

Keep your notes neat: make sure you develop a good note-taking method according to your learning type. I’m mainly a visual learner and a writing learner, so my notes are colorful, full of drawings, and FULL of words. My notes are books themselves, but that’s because it works for me -- writing helps me to keep focus in class, once I have huge problems of attention.

Keep in mind that you are probably not going to have time to re-write your notes, so be neat and clear in what you’re writing, so you can find yourself later when you’re reading them. Do not lose too much time putting fancy things there.

Make sure you put each thing on its right pocket in your bag: don’t just throw things there, or you’ll lose time trying to find stuff. Also, you are in risk of damaging things, from your notebooks and books to your smartphone. Seriously, don’t throw things in your bag without thinking about it -- I’ve learned that the worst way.

Keep your things in your bag: following the last one, don’t let things in your pockets or over random places. You will forget about them or even lose them.

About life in general:

Smartphone >>>> Planners: now this is a very personal topic that I would like to write more about later, but I highly dislike planners. They’re expensive, not practical to carry around, demand that you write down everything… Just not my type. I’m too lazy to write on them and I always forget to look on them. 

So if you’re highly inattentive as I am, planners are not going to fit you -- even when you’re adept of writing until your hands bleed, like me. Embrace your smartphone: it is going to give you sonorous warnings, save your dates, save your time, and, most important: it’s free (once you already have your phone) and you will never forget your phone. Okay, almost never. 

Some apps that have helped me to organize were: Google Agenda [x, x, x], Todoist [x, x, x], Pomotodo [x, x, x]. Note that if you don’t have a smartphone but have computer access, it’s possible to have the same results -- except for the fact that it will not be portable. However, you can still use organization apps in your computer, and you can find a link for them in the list.

Make a schedule: I’m crazy about schedules. The truth is that I have a hard time following the schedules I plan, but I’m trying to change it semester after semester, and I’m getting better at that. Putting strict hours for doing things helps you to break procrastination, and allows you to plan what you’re going to do with your life (pretty useful when you’re lost like me). Make sure that you plan everything, including time for eating and relaxing -- but also remember that you don’t have to control everything, once that only works like a guide.

Follow the 4-pillars checklist: am I sleeping? Am I eating? Am I taking care of my hygiene? Am I taking my meds properly? Use one of those phone apps to remind yourself to do each one of these four things. If one of these is not working, you will not succeed at being fully organizated -- or at living, to be honest.

Don’t let your e-mails get piled up: check your e-mails daily and delete them if necessary. Once you’ve read a e-mail that you want to answer later, remember to turn on the “mark as unread” option, so you don’t forget to answer important things. Trust me, you don’t want to clean a mailbox filled with 8.952 e-mails -- also, you may be losing something crucial there.

Periodically clean your workplaces and places you are often in: the messier it is, the messier your head gets. Seriously, clean your things weekly. You will thank yourself later when you are actually able to find your things easily, or to use your full space.

Hi, thanks for sending me this!1. I’m happy when I’m helping people;

2. I’m happy when I get to have a sun bath, because I love sun light (at the right time, of course).3. I’m happy when I get to see my dog after weeks without seeing her;

4. I’m happy when my friends tell me cute things;