#jennuhstudies

Thanksgiving break is coming up in the next week for those of us in the United States! For some of us, this equals an extra day of time to relax. For those of us that are really lucky, this gives us an entire week without school. Now, I won’t deny that lying around the house, scrolling through Tumblr and doing nothing useful is a lovely thought. If that’s what you want to do, enjoy your scrolling! If you want to do something more productive with your break, I can give you a few ideas.

 School or work

 Catch up on late projects or assignments.

 If you’re behind on your work, this is the ideal time to get it done. You’ve got a few days of nothing (or very little) to do. Take this time to catch up if you are behind. Future you will thank present you for doing this when he or she realizes that they are not cramming a late assignment in at the last minute.

 Get ahead on upcoming projects or assignments.

 Much like catching up on late work, future you will thank you! Go ahead and work on them. This just gives you time to work on other stuff (or take more breaks) later on.

 Do your readings!

 You’ve got quite a few of them, and it seems that you never have time to get them all done. Well, now you’ve got a bunch of free time. I know it’s not as fun as mindless scrolling, but you could learn something interesting. You’ll also have time for scrolling when you’re supposed to be sleeping. Let’s not lie.

 In-depth studying.

 I never seem to have time for all the studying I should be doing. There’s just so much that I want to learn, so I end up doing some light study and retaining as much as I want to retain. So take this time and do some more intense studying.

 Review your goals.

 This is a great time to look at your goals and check your progress. Maybe you’re not keeping up with them as much as you want to, or perhaps your goals have shifted or changed. Maybe they just need to be reprioritized. That’s okay! Do a quick review to see where you’re at, adjust as needed, and then get back to crushing them.

 Plan out the upcoming weeks.

 We’re at the tail end of the year. There are 6 weeks left in 2018. At this point, I think most of us have a rough idea of how the rest of the year will go, barring any unfortunate accidents or emergencies. There are also 2-3 holidays in these next few weeks. Most people will spend them busy, harried, anxious, and pulling their hair out. Make a plan for those weeks and save yourself the stress.

 Cleaning

 Tidy or organize your desk or study area.

 This is such a big one. When the holidays start rolling around, school and work tend to become insane. You’ve got so much to do and so little time for all the stuff. Take a bit of time to clean up the area where you spend your days working and studying. You’ll breathe easier and work better, especially if you’re a visual or tidy person. The messy desk drives me to distraction and causes anxiety. Clean it up!

 Do the dishes and laundry.

 The chores that no one wants to do. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that genuinely enjoys during these two chores. They build up over time, especially when you’re crunching time for tests and works. Go ahead and use this break to get caught up. It’s time-consuming and a bit tedious, it’s an uphill battle that you’re never going to win, but it is one that needs to happen. Just do it!

 Mindful declutter.

 If you’ve got the time, declutter. I don’t mean that you should go through your living space and throw all your stuff away. Look at the stuff around you and decide if it’s necessary, useful, or brings you joy. If not, toss it. If you’ve got clothes or toys or extra food, consider donating. Especially at this time of year. That coat you bought last year because it was such a gorgeous color or the perfect shape and then never wore could make someone’s Christmas or keep them warm.

 Self-care

 Relax.

 No matter how productive you are or aren’t during your break, it’s okay to sit down and just relax. We live in a world that thinks you have to be going all the time. This simply isn’t true. You can sit down and stare at a wall for seven hours. Don’t let people judge. Take a deep breath, let it out, and chill.

 Take a warm bath.

 If you have a bathtub, I definitely recommend this. A warm bath can be so relaxing. It boosts your spirits, can help you sleep, and it gives you some much needed time alone. If you can, grab some candles, throw in a bath bomb (essential oils, bubble bath, bath salts, etc.), turn on some music, and turn off the lights. Just make sure you don’t fall asleep in the bath. That’s a safety hazard.

 Read a book.

 During my college years, I spent so much time reading for school that I didn’t have time to simply read for pleasure. This is a common thing among students. If you like to read for pleasure, grab a book and try it. If you don’t, pick one up and give it a shot.

 Put down the screens.

 I’m not saying you have to turn your phone off. Just set it aside and leave it alone for an hour. Shut off the tablet, put the computer away, step away from the TV, ignore the games. We have so many screens bombarding us all the time. Put them away for an hour. I promise the world will not end.

 Facial.

 I think this one speaks for itself. They’re cheap, they’re easy, and you tend to feel like a whole new person after a facial.

 Get outside.

 This is perhaps my favorite one of all. Take that book and go sit in the sun. I realize that it’s cold on my side of the planet but go outside anyway. Just for a little bit. You’ll feel better and you’ll think more clearly when you’re back inside.

Oh please do. The world needs more Rose/Idris interaction. Hell, it needs more Rose/TARDIS interaction period.

snippet:

“There aren't any auxiliary control rooms. They were all deleted during the Time War.”

“I archived them, for neatness. I've got about thirty now.” Idris grinned at him.

“But, but no.  I know I deleted any old templates.  And thirty?  That’s impossible!  I only had a dozen or so.”

“So far, yes.”  Idris shrugged and leaned over to Rose.  “He’s never been neat or tidy.”

“Yeah I got that from the wardrobe.  Seriously he had all these big collared things tossed all over the place.”  Rose snickered with Idris while he scowled.

As great as it would be to have hours on end that we can dedicate to learning and studying, we really don’t. Quite often, we only have an hour a day. Sometimes, we only have a few minutes in between tasks to dedicate to learning. When that happens, it’s important to be prepared and aware of how to use that time to the fullest.

Flashcards on your phone.

Flashcards are a great way to study when on the go. Download an app or fill out the information on paper flashcards. Review when on the train, bus, or just when you have a few spare minutes.

Study guides.

Study guides are also a great way to study when there isn’t much time. You can find some great study guides online or you can make your own. Sometimes you get the awesome teacher that gives you a study guide. Take it with when you travel or take a few minutes before bed for a quick review.

Thorough, neat notes.

Along the same line of study guides are your notes. Take notes. Fill them with the necessary information.. Keep them neat and tidy for easy readability. Take them where you go and read as you can.

Ebooks and audiobooks.

If you don’t have a lot of time to sit down and just read your textbooks, utilize other methods. Download the textbook in ebook form on your tablet or haul your heavy book around to read as you go. If you are comfortable listening to stuff in public, download the textbook as an audiobook and listen as you go.

Likewise, have other books available to study besides your textbook. Utilizing more than one text can help give you a deeper understanding of the subject. This is especially true when your instructor or professor makes you use their book. Bias is a thing in university, even when it shouldn’t be.

Mental review.

You can utilize a mental review. This is when you take the time to sit down and just review what you know. Brainstorming is a great way to do this. Set a timer and write down all the information you know. This will help identify the areas you have mastered and the ones that you need more study in.

Teaching someone else is also a fantastic idea. Personally, I enjoy creating a fantasy audience and then lecturing them on the subject. If I can understand the subject well enough to explain to a class of second-graders in my head, then I’m doing pretty well.

Plan.

Absolutely have a game plan for crunching your study. Know what you need to study, how you’ll study it, and when you’ll do so. For example, be aware that you’re studying this subtopic on your flashcard app on the bus to work, and then you’ll spend your break reading over your study guide. Then you’ll give yourself a mental lecture on the bus ride home before doing a brain dump of everything you remember before going to bed for the night. A plan can help you stay on track and maximize what you’re doing and when.

Learning styles are a great tool to maximize your study. They are not foolproof, and you can certainly have more than one. Being aware of which style you implement and respond to best can make a massive positive impact on both your grade and your retention.

The four basic learning styles are visual, auditory, verbal, and kinesthetic.

Visual.

Visual learners will get the most out of things they can see. For this, use notes that have graphs to study. Watch videos. Watch other people do the work. Flashcards and reading are also great forms of study. Sit closer to the front of the classroom. Keep the information neat and pleasing to the eye. Chaotic notes or information will do more harm than good.

Auditory.

Auditory learners will benefit from study methods they can hear.  Record notes in class to listen to later. Find podcasts on the subject to listen to. Read your notes and flashcards aloud. Let someone else read to you. Find a study partner to read to you and quiz you. Read your text aloud or find an audio format.

Verbal.

Reading and writing also fall under this category. Verbal learners will get their best study from using linguistics. Read aloud, study with a partner, and participate in discussions. Talk about the subject or teach the subject to someone else. Take notes and make copies of those notes. Read and re-read your class materials.

Kinesthetic.

1.20.19

Getting everything cleaned, decluttered, and organized can really suck. It’s even harder when you’re staring at a giant pile of junk with no idea where to start. Hopefully, I can help at least a bit. I’m going to give you a small step-by-step process that I use. Enter the new year with clean study spaces, bedrooms, or even your whole home.

Clear the surface entirely.

I want you to take everything off the surface or floor and set it somewhere else for now. Just clear it off.

Get the cleaning done now.

This is when you go through it all and get the stuff that doesn’t belong out. I start with the trash. I get all the trash that I can out of the mess. Old receipts, random papers, old wrappers or cans. Pick out the stuff that gets trashed, and toss it out. Take the dirty dishes to the sink as well.

Now you start sorting.

You’ve still got a giant pile of junk. This is when you start the organizing. Roll up your sleeves, tie up your hair, and get ready to grind. Create sorting piles. Personally, I use several of them. Laundry, papers, pens and pencils, perfumes, and other junk. Get it all settled into piles. Take the laundry and figure out where it goes. Dirty laundry where that goes, and clean laundry to the side for now.

Go through everything.

Is this stuff that you use? Does it spark joy? Does it serve its purpose? Is it actually yours? These are questions you need to answer. If it’s not yours, set it aside and return it later. If the answer to the first three questions is no, you can toss it or donate it. If it’s yes, leave it in its pile.

Clean the actual surface now.

Get your paper towels or washcloths, grab the cleaning spray, and get that surface clean.

Find a home for everything.

Now you get to start putting everything where it goes. At this point, you’ve cleaned the surface, tossed the trash, returned the stuff that isn’t yours, and you’ve done some decluttering. This is when you put everything where it goes. Make sure that you give your stuff their own homes. Everything in my room and bathroom has a place. When I need it, I know where to find and where to return it as soon as I’m done with it.

You’re done!

Congrats! You’ve done a lot now. At this point, your clean laundry needs to be folded and put away but that’s another chore entirely. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Living with anxiety is rough. Studying with anxiety is just as hard. We overthink, we get overwhelmed, and we panic over what feels like the dumbest stuff sometimes. These are the things that helped me get through the anxiety-filled days and get my studying done.

Mini-journal and micro meditations

Keep a small journal or just a piece of scrap paper at your desk when studying. When the thoughts start swirling, grab a pen and that paper and just get it all out. Don’t worry about your grammar, spelling, legibility, etc. You’re just transferring the thoughts and the energy they produce into that paper. Throw it away when you’re all done.

Micro meditations are small meditations that take 3-5 minutes and mostly focus on calming breaths. This allows you to take the time you need to get some more oxygen to your brain and you can focus better.

Break often

When the anxiety hits hard, I have to take frequent breaks. Sometimes I just need to sit down and distract myself with something for five minutes. Other times, I need to take a longer break. I use the Pomodoro technique when studying. When I’m dealing with anxiety, I shorten my work time and increase my break time. I usually use 45/15, but when I have higher anxiety, I use 20/20.

Have a plan

I’ve found that having a plan works best for me. This is one of the places where my bullet journal comes in. Sitting down and focusing on the amount of work in front of you can be overwhelming. Take a breath and break it down. Make a game plan and start from there.

Take it a step at a time

You can’t expect to learn 15 subjects in two days. Take your plan and do it one at a time. This will prevent your anxiety from getting too bad, and you are allowing yourself the proper time to learn your subject. You can adjust your plan as needed, but don’t overwhelm yourself.

Do what you can

If you’re having a really bad day, that’s okay. Do what you can. If you planned to read three chapters, make flashcards, and do a practice test in one afternoon, that’s great! If you woke up that day with anxiety, that’s okay. Lighten your load. This is not an excuse to procrastinate by any means, but your mental health is more important than a grade.

Be honest

Be honest with yourself about what you’re capable of. Be honest with the people around you about the struggle you’re facing. People understand more now than they did years ago. Are you about to have a panic attack before a test? Talk to your teacher or professor. They may be willing to let you test on another day.

Learn to accept failure and forget perfection

Here’s the thing I struggle with most of all. Perfection isn’t going to happen, especially when you’re dealing with anxiety. That’s okay. Failure happens often. It’s how we learn. We fail and then we learn from those failures. Don’t beat yourself up over a bad test, and don’t worry about getting it perfect.

Celebrate the small things