#romanticizing studying

Romanticizing Productivity (Minus the Burnout) ｡𖦹°‧

@f1rst-l0vel4t3-spr1ng asked: hi angel!! how do you stay productive and out of procrastination cycles?

this is for the girls who feel like they’re falling behind but keep showing up anyway. ♡

✶ you are not lazy.

✶ you are not behind.

✶ you are a real person with a real nervous system, trying to do her best in a world that rewards burnout.

✶ give yourself grace. then give yourself a nap.

being an academic weapon is one of the top goals for a lot of us. we strive for excellence and hope to achieve top marks in all our classes so that we can continue to reach whatever it is that may be our final goal like getting into a top university, graduating as valedictorian, or getting into the career of our dreams. this guide will be about all the habits of an academic weapon and what tools & methods you can incorporate into your study/school routine!

let’s begin …

୨ৎ — lecture preperation

pre-reading chapters/lecture powerpoints

skim through chapters, make note of important headings, highlight key terms! if you can, look through any powerpoints that will be used for lecture notes as well!

jot down quick notes like vocab terms, key pieces of information, and/or any questions on topics you want to understand further!

read chapter summaries & highlight important headings

set up your notes

if you like to use different note-taking methods, try setting up your pages beforehand! this will take up less time while in class and you’ll come in already prepared to take any notes!

i have a post on note-taking here on my blog that you can refer to for a few different note-taking methods!

begin homework assignments

my professor will publish homework assignments on sunday mornings for each week that we’re learning new material, so if your teacher does something similar or you’re taking an all-online course, start by working ahead on those homework assignments!

getting a head start can …

help with having a better understanding of the material by the time of your lecture

help you apply the knowledge you learned from the assignments into your lecture

help you come up with questions for better comprehension of the topics

help you manage your time better

reduce your work load later on

start creating flashcards

if you’re required to know key terms/vocab, start creating flashcards ahead of time! this will help you get familiar with the vocabulary that’s related to the material and will jumpstart that increase in understanding of what’s to come in your lecture or any required readings!

୨ৎ — smart studying

we’re always told to “work smarter, not harder” and i believe that doing so can help you achieve success more quickly and efficiently! while it’s great to dedicate a lot of time to your studies, it’s not always optimal. spending hours upon hours working with no breaks in between and forgetting to take care of yourself can lead to burn out, so it’s important to find ways to study that not only help you study more efficiently but also work with your learning type!

trial periods

there are a plethora of study methods out there that you can try out to see which ones work the best for you!

posts with study methods ( + how-to’s ) …

how to study effectively - @milkoomi

non-basic study techniques - @glowettee [ this post is PHENOMENAL! mindy includes so many unique study methods— some that she created herself! — that give an entirely new way to study & learn material! 100/10 recommend reading through this! ]

take some time each week to try out a new study method while still incorporating techniques you’re used to! pick one study method for the week & test it out at the start of your study time slot.

trying out new methods/techniques also help with keeping your study routine fresh and it creates a bigger study arsenal for yourself! having multiple ways of studying just means having a variety of ways to learn the material! every method has its benefits, some will help with memorization while others can help with better comprehension!

pick your big 3

amongst all the different study methods out there, you should pick your top 3 techniques that help you the most! they’ll be your ultimate go-to study methods!

factors to think about for your big 3 …

how much time does the method/technique take?

what is your success rate with the method/technique?

how easy was it for you to incorporate the method/technique into your study routine?

your big 3 study methods should help with maximizing your productivity time, help you achieve your desired grades, & be within your limits while studying, meaning it shouldn’t make you feel like you’re stretching yourself thin because, again, we need to study smarter, not harder!

my personal big 3:

Feynman Technique - teaching others

active recall - practice questions & flashcards

knowledge application - making real life connections

textbook tests

i feel like a lot of us view textbooks as these giant, daunting bricks we’re forced to lug around, but they’re required material for a reason! they’re more than just a giant book of “boring” chapters!

a lot of textbooks have mini assessments at the end of every chapter, so take some time to do them! they’re just practice tests and they’ll be extremely useful for active recall (plus, you don’t have to worry about creating your own practice questions!)

୨ৎ — change your mindset

being an academic weapon means having the mindset of an academic weapon. the way you think and feel about your schooling plays a huge role in this!

“i have to” to “i get to”

treating your academics and studies as if they’re chores will make you lose your motivation and passion for learning. getting to have an education is a privilege and i feel like a lot of us forget that. be thankful that you get to pursue an academic career and get the chance to further your education! instead of “i have to study” say, “i get to study”!

getting an education is a beautiful opportunity in life, so practice gratitude when it comes to learning!

self care

i will always advocate for self care because you can’t do your best when you aren’t at your best. being an academic weapon doesn’t mean throwing your entire life away or setting your health to the side to solely focus on your studies. going to the extremes for your academics shouldn’t be normalized.

you don’t need to pull all-nighters every other day to study, you don’t need to work/study for 14 hours, you don’t need to harshly motivate yourself to get back to studying— you need to treat yourself kindly and shoe yourself gentle care.

get enough sleep

shower, do skincare, brush your teeth

keep yourself hydrated & well-fed

get your body moving

make time for your hobbies & things that make you happy

remember to take breaks when your mind & body needs them

don’t sacrifice your well-being to get ahead on your road to success. you’ll only bring yourself farther behind if you neglect your health.

final notes —

becoming an academic weapon is 60% mindset, 40% work ethic. you have to motivate yourself to give your best work, but! you have to take care of your mind and body before you even think about giving your best work. be kind to yourself, affirm yourself that you can do this! you are more than capable of achieving academic success!

the work you put in as an academic weapon has to be work you’re proud of. be sure that you’re using your time wisely, that you free yourself from distractions while studying, that you give yourself enough time to get work done (and take breaks & do something for yourself!), and that you always give it your all when you’re completing assignments, writing notes, or studying.

i know that you’ll be able to truly be an academic weapon! you have what it takes! you just have to remind yourself of your own potential.

with lots of love, faustina 🌷

hi toki!! dw, i gotchu 💛

functional ways to romanticize an overwhelming day 💝

📝 step 1: make a low-effort, aesthetic* list

🧰 materials: planner of choice, notion/obsidian, or similar easy-to-use tools that you personally find satisfying to look at and work with

👍 things to do: be honest with yourself about what actually must get done. be absolutely ruthless about cutting out tasks that are no longer relevant and delegating what does not absolutely need to be done by you personally

👎 things to avoid: don't try to schedule things right away, just brain-dump everything first, then you can prioritize and organize

*- on different days, in different moods, my definition of aesthetic varies. it can be something as simple as writing slowly and carefully so that your penmanship is cute or a full-on notion template, whatever comes most naturally to you so that you don't add even more overwhelm

🎧 step 2: set the vibes

🧰 materials: music, background noise, scented candles, coffee/tea, inspo vlogs, whatever puts you in the mood to get your work done

👍 things to do: regardless of how you choose to set the mood, also take time to clean your space and freshen yourself up a bit. it makes a big difference! also, be intentional as you complete this step. you're not just creating an environment conducive to work, but also a mindset that allows you to focus well. visualize not just the nitty-gritty of the tasks you want to complete, but also the person you are when you do them

👎 things to avoid: don't spend forever picking a playlist or highlighter color. there's a fine line between functional vibes and vibes only for vibes' sake

NOTE: similar to step 1, don't overthink it, just do what comes naturally. when we're at our limit, every little decision we make can add a lot to our fatigue

⏪ step 3: reflect* on what you accomplished

🧰 materials: a friend, a journal, tumblr, etc.

👍 things to do: i love checking things off my list periodically throughout the day because it gives me a lot of motivation and momentum to keep going in addition to reducing my sense of overwhelm. i also like to write down how certain tasks made me feel, what my expectations were versus reality, and what i could've done differently. this allows me to put some of the things that have been bothering me in the past and focus on the present and future.

👎 things to avoid: don't beat yourself up if you didn't make as much progress as you expected. just return to step 1 and start again

*- i actually tend to romanticize in hindsight or foresight, almost never as the thing is actually happening. i do truly believe that the narratives we tell about our future and past selves are what shape our present the most, so it's not a bad thing to focus on those, i think!

Rainy days 🌧

Never back, ever what.....?