09/26/18 – the last time i took a chemistry class was three years ago, so i’ve spent the first few days of college reviewing for general chemistry! the refresher was definitely needed… 

last week, for me, was the last day of school as a freshman. i’ve made a lot of mistakes during the past school year, went through another depressive episode— but, in the end, it was worth it. for rising freshmen, here’s some advice from a rising sophomore.

1. the ride won’t be easy

especially if you’re going to a selective high school, don’t expect anything to be easy. brush up on study habits over the summer, practice some self-care, go on a special summer trip overseas, etc. the summer before freshman year is probably the last “free” summer that you’ll ever have before college.

2. don’t fear failure

coming from a school where middle/elementary-school achievers promptly burned out by second quarter, the teachers ingrained this mindset hard. it’s also applicable here. freshman year is not an end-all-be-all. it’s a year to try things out, get adjusted to the Grind, and find yourself. if you get a few B’s as a final mark or in first quarter, don’t be afraid. colleges look for improvement. if you can show that you glo’d up throughout the years, they’ll be very pleased. but likewise...

3. balance is key

in a world where students are expected to be smart, athletic, and involved, it can be hard to keep track of time and limits. sure, studies are important, but funneling all of your energy into studies will only drain you. you need an activity of any kind to keep you sane. if you have difficulty with discipline, join a time-consuming extracurricular (e.g. sports teams, marching band/color guard, academic teams, etc.). if you have no time for this, then get into grind time prime time mode. block off your time, block your distractions, and get your shit done as soon as you get home.

4. take advantage of anything

these four years will fly by fast. if you have high ambitions/deep passions, now is the time to start. for example, since i’m passionate about writing, i scoured writing contests online and attended an interest meeting for a national writing contest. in addition, i also dove through various meteorology resources for various summer camps/internships including the summer camp i recently attended. in high school, it’s up to you to advocate for yourself. to ace it, work up your inner hustler, find out which teachers like you, find out your passions, and dive into all of it with all your soul.

5. don’t trust teachers (99% of the time)

teachers won’t spoonfeed you in high school. tests may be given with two weeks’ notice. good teachers will be a hit or miss. sometimes, bad grades are inevitable, and that’s fine. to combat this, actively block out your time. don’t be afraid to try to get on teachers’ good sides— in fact, it’s the most viable option for the strictest. write down all dates in a planner of some kind. it’ll be important for you, especially when teachers won’t give you grade bumps at the end of the year.

6. love yourself

bad grades, fake friends, overbearing parents, and looming deadlines can all take a toll on mental health. especially in an environment where mental health is stigmatized, it’s important to place your own well-being first. it doesn’t matter if self-care costs your ambitions; your mind and body will thank you immensely. for example, i could not handle the workload of the algebra ii course at my school and dropped to the “remedial” math course, which i could easily handle more. if you need anything, talk to someone. bottling emotions will destroy your mind and, at some point, it will all violently burst. when i had a bad mental low, i went to my counselor and my friends to vent. most importantly, don’t stay with fake friends just because you want companionship. i slipped into a horrid mental low during second quarter because i recognized that my “friends” at the time only ruined my mental health. in the end, i cut them off, and i found a new supportive friend group. all in all, take care. let yourself know that you matter through any means.

greetings from denmark! studying neuroscience abroad here for the next four months.✨✈️

-October. 30 2017-

Halloween is tomorrow but my bujo spread says I’m ready for November.

last weeks spread // super late once again

studygram

Hi guys! This is Zenab from nebulaestudy! I'm really excited to join the studyblr community here and on Instagram. 

About me:

·        I'm studying English Literature and Creative Writing 

·        I attend a university in the UK. 

·        I'm 19 years old and in my second year of uni.

·        At uni, I'm a peer mentor and a Make a Difference ambassador - this means I go through training such as child protection but I also get to network a lot and try new things like apps for augmented reality.

·        I love kpop and my favourite band is BTS.

·        I also love kdramas and I'm still crying over Scarlet Heart.

·        I watch One Piece with my family and we watched every single episode this summer.

·        My sport is archery and I completed a course last year so I can shoot at any club in the UK. 

·        I'm an Aries and a Slytherin.

·        I can't dance or sing but you can bet I enjoy doing both of them.

·        I don't ever stop talking - I even talk in my sleep!

·        I can speak around 4 languages!

·        I love cacti and succulents and have 8 in my window - 2 are fake (shhh don't tell them)

 Units I will be studying this year:

·        American Spaces

·        Remake/Remodel

·        Manchester and the City

·        Prose

·        Poetry

·        Edlab

 Units I studied last year:

·        Critical Dialogues

·        Story and Structure

·        Language and Technique (poetry)

·        Approaches to Narrative

 What my studyblr will be about:

·        My rough and neat notes for my lectures and seminars

·        I'm starting to learn Korean so I'll be documenting my journey on here and sharing my progress with you guys.

·        My summer journal which has some elements of a bullet journal.

·        Book recommendations and reviews - most often with spoilers.

·        Stationary I have!

 I love pretty aesthetic notes but my work won't necessarily be so. I'll be focusing on being neat rather than calligraphy for example. I want to encourage more people to be proud of their work whatever it looks like. 

 Of course to make my own studyblr I've been following more than a couple of existing ones! @studyquill @studysection @emmastudies @softtblanket @academic @studylustre @cactaestudies @ghiblistudyy @k-studynet @iridescent-studies @areistotle @classicalstudies