#haleystudies

8.12 / I feel like I’m in a constant struggle of trying to motivate myself to be productive and get things done… I have about a week and a half to complete my summer assignments. Can I do it??

27.02.17 🌸

How hectic was this week?! Have to study for so many different clinics - paeds, low vision, ocular pathology, and contact lenses! Today was my first day of clinic and the supervisor was juggling so many people that I almost missed out on lunch! Hope people have been having a great first day back! :)

MY WEEKLY STUDY TIPS

Please see my #optomstudies tag or my study tips directory (web only) for the full list + see my kpop vocab lists + stationery + bujo spreads! ^_^

WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE UNIVERSITY STUDY TIPS SERIES

0 Choosing a Degree* , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10-1 , 10-2 Saving Money

11 Adapting to Uni Study* new!!

12 How to Study From Textbooks in Uni new 27.02.17!!

SEE ALSO Five Selected Posts: popular posts starred*

new! Overcoming the Planning Fallacy

new! Tips for Improving Your Handwriting

Sleeping and Waking Up Early*

Weekly Planner Printable with Extra Space for Sat/Sun*

ok this is waaaay later than it should be, it’s already been a month since the new year but january was such a shitty month and there was so much going on that i haven’t found time to really reflect on the past year but here it is :’)

1. there will be people in your life that you can’t just cut out of your life even if they’re super toxic and bad for your mental health but that doesn’t mean you deserve to be treated like shit and your feelings invalidated

2. find yourself some upperclassmen/older friends that you can trust and not only ask for advice, but to confide in. they will save your life and it’s always nice to know that someone older and more experienced than you always has your back.

3. boys/girls can be dumb as fuck and 9/10 times they’re most definitely not worth wasting your time daydreaming/freaking/over-analyzing about. you don’t need a bf/gf, finding a bf/gf/SO is not more important than your goals, you are not an incomplete person without one. 

4. not everything is about you–sometimes you just need to get your head out of your ass and recognize that although you are important, you aren’t the world/the center of the universe. ask your friends how they’re doing once in a while instead of just ranting/complaining to them about your problems, get them a thoughtful gift, tell them that you genuinely appreciate them, etc. 

5. stop settling. sign up for that survey, register for that seminar, apply for that exclusive internship. you’re the only one who’ll make sure you get shit done, not your parents, your friends, or your teachers. 

6. wear whatever the fuck you want. people won’t care tbh, and the people who do don’t matter. clothes/makeup is meant to make YOU feel better, not for anyone else. an outfit is pulled together by your personalty and confidence, not by other’s opinions

7. don’t be afraid to let loose. party hard, but work harder. if you work all day and never have any fun you won’t have balance, and this will make you less productive. go to that party, get drunk with your friends, watch that movie, go to that concert, as long as you’re able to get back on track

8. prioritize your health. running clears the mind, yoga is calming, wash your hands, invest in that hand lotion, drink more water. you won’t be able to get anything done if you’re sick half of the time. you do good work when you feel good. 

so this was supposed to have been a thank you for 100 followers, but it’s a bit late haha i’ve been procrastinating. i hope this masterpost will give you a bit of insight into how i study as well giving you ideas for your own planning. i know the title slide is pretty simple and boring but i needed to post this before i procrastinate again, so it’ll just stay like this for now. either way, here’s the masterpost (thanks again everyone!!):

Suggestions for In Class:

Listen to the teacher, even if the lectures are boring. Often my teachers give long, unexciting lectures, but it’s important to know what the teacher thinks is crucial within a textbook reading. Sometimes he or she will even give hints or suggestions about what might be on the test.

Some days we all feel sick of listening to the teacher. In this case, I would suggest 1) taking an audio recording (if allowed) and then listening later or 2) borrowing notes from a friend (but rewrite them for yourself, and then reread the textbook in case)

Take advantage of worktime given to you. (This is probably more applicable to us who are in middle or high school.) If a teacher gives you a period to study, or to work on a project, use it. Just because some other people don’t work doesn’t mean that you can’t get ahead on tonight’s textbook reading, or finish the project that’s due tomorrow.

Make a study plan for a test. If the teacher hands out a syllabus and reads it over, you can make little notes that notate (notes that notate gosh im good at this) the first impressions you have of a topic. Sometimes these impressions can make a huge difference into how you will be studying for a test later.

Out of Class:

For Good Days (starting from when you get home. It targets those of us who go to school during the day and then come back home for the afternoon, but I hope everyone can get something from this):

Eat something quickly and don’t take out your phone or laptop or book or whatever. It’s not good to get distracted this quickly.

Find a study space you’re going to dedicate yourself to. It’s ok to change day by day, but changing locations every hour is not going to settle your study attitude.

Take out your planner. If you don’t have a planner or bullet journal, it might be a good idea to start one (it depends). Mark tasks in their priority and then on how quickly you can get them done. I’d suggest starting with one or two short tasks, then getting to one long one that’s high priority, then doing another couple short tasks, etc.

Between those one or two short tasks and the long task, take a break. If you’ve been using your laptop constantly, walk around a bit, look at some scenery, or stretch. If you’ve been on paper, maybe take out your phone and check social media. Either way, set a timer for 10 minutes so you don’t get dragged away for too long. (note that depending on the workload, 10 minutes may become 5 minutes which may become 1 minute)

Eat your meals. Like seriously. Eat your meals, take your showers, brush your teeth. Personal hygiene is something you want to maintain if you want to feel good about yourself. Forget everyone else.

If you can fit it into your schedule, exercise is also good. I have extracurricular activities that force me to get out and work, but if you tend to stay at home, at the library, or wherever, try to find a time where you can go and walk or run.

When you’ve accomplished something major, check it off. At the end of the day, go back to your planner and make sure you’ve really finished everything. Draw happy faces all over a sheet of scratch paper until happiness is floating in the room. You’ve made it through another day!

For Bad Days (because we all have them):

Come home, take a shower, and eat something nice. Maybe lie on your bed and take a nap for an hour. Listen to music. Whatever works to chill. You deserve some time to yourself.

It’s best if you get something done every day, even if it’s the littlest thing. When I don’t want to dedicate myself to a lengthy essay – so long as it’s not due the next day – I do activities like:

Making flashcards for vocabulary. Short ones. I tend not to like flashcards with lots of text, because then I prefer just writing up notes.

Studying the language that you’re learning (if you’re learning a language, and why not?). Most days I don’t get the chance to dedicatedly review my notes, so just rereading class notes or finding a short story to read in that language can help to keep up with comprehension.

Planning. Like planning my next day, planning my week, planning my month, or planning my year. Whatever it is I feel like planning. Or reorganizing my desk. Sometimes changing the look of things or taking a step back to think about your situation helps calm you down.

Reading a book. Especially if it’s a nonfiction book – but not a textbook – or something along the lines of historical fiction. These will improve your literacy comprehension and help give insight into a specific topic. For example, if I’m studying American History in my history class, I’ll check out fiction books relating to the topic and get a lot of insight into the era.

But most of all, take care of yourself. If you’ve had a bad day at school, something huge has happened to your social life, you’re drowning in a sea of assignments… remember that we’ve all been there. Put your health above everything else. Please. <3

During Transition Times (e.g. on the bus, in the car, waiting in a line, etc.):

Practice those flashcards you made. Carry them in your pocket, everywhere, and when you’re on the bus and think, “if only I had those flashcards,” they’ll be right there.

Listen to a recording of yourself talking about whatever you’re studying. This works especially well if you’re an auditory learner – you can record yourself reading the textbook aloud, so you don’t skip words, and then come back to your recording to understand better.

You can also record reviews or presentations that you will need later to immerse yourself.

Flip through note pages. I don’t do this much, since I get carsick or bus-sick easily, but some people can get through pages and pages of a textbook while on the bus and feel nothing at all. *envy*

Drink a good drink. Like Starbucks. This has nothing to do with studying, but transition times are also great for taking a step back from studies and spending fifteen minutes with yourself and whatever (or whomever!) else you want to spend it with.

Hey there!

This really isn’t a “new” studyblr intro. I’ve had this blog for about a year now, but I was more of a lurker just reblogging posts.

This community has helped me a lot during my junior and senior year of high school, and I'm hoping for that to continue now that I’m in college (this time being an active part of the community 😊).

Now on to the facts:

My name is Nicole! I’m 18 years old and a freshman at New York University (NYU)

I’m looking for some other college studyblrs to follow and maybe join a college studyblr network or something, so feel free to reply if you are currently in college/university so we can cry about our futures together :)

Classes I’m taking this semester:

American Sign Language

Intro to Psych

an expository writing class

a history of media class

voice lessons

I’m always up for finding new music, so feel free to give me some recommendations. I mostly listen to indie, alternative and a lot of things from the 60s-90s 

I also love musicals (I’m seeing Hamilton in 122 days)

My second semester starts in a week, so hopefully I’ll post some original content soon. See ya then!