#school masterpost

who wants @successe-s tips on how to study like an absolute pro? i'm sure you do! as a high school senior, i'd like to say i've developed some pretty good study habits over the years; i hope these help you get through those rough patches and obtain the grades you deserve!

figure out what kind of learner you are

don’t write out copious amounts of notes if they don’t help! take a look at this infographic here to work out how you can make your studying suit your preferred learning style.

turn your phone off (or at least put it away)

phone's are our best friend, until they become our worst enemy... they are one of the biggest distractions so use an app like forest to obliterate any desire to chat to your friends before an important exam of test.

find a rockin’ study playlist

if you’re like me, you can’t have a good study sesh without some background noise. my favourite playlist at the moment is the spotify playlist ’study vibes’. find what works for you: whether that be classical music, chilled-out electronic etc.

have a clean, useful space

make sure you don’t have a desk with piles of dirty laundry, or rubbish lying around. everything on your desk should be there to help you get in the mood for studying: nice smelling candles, lamps, stationery, textbooks.

just get to it!

hugh laurie said ‘it’s a terrible thing, i think in life to wait until you’re ready… there is almost no such thing as ready. there is only now’

Hello!  Finals season is coming up, and I’ve seen a ton of posts about how to succeed on final exams, but I know I go to a school where very few classes have final exams - as it’s primarily a creative school, most classes have final projects instead!  I’m sure I can’t be the only one in the same boat, and I’ve never seen a masterpost with final project tips, so I thought I’d make one!  (Plus I haven’t made a masterpost since my ‘working while going to school’ one so it was time.)

This comes from years of exclusively creative projects, and I’ve ignored these tips as often as I’ve used it.  As always take all of this with a grain of salt; what works for me won’t necessarily work for you!

Start by breaking down the project into parts.

I have a bad habit of getting overwhelmed by long-term projects, because they’re big and they can’t be completed all at once like I normally do assignments.  Having the full assignment can make it harder to put it on your to-do list.  Decide what size of chunks is manageable for you; if you like to plan out week by week, split it up into bigger pieces than you would if you were planning day by day.

Put each piece of the assignment on your to-do list.

Make sure you can cross off each piece individually, even if it’s just symbolic.  I get bogged down by projects when it feels like I’m not getting anywhere.  When I’m able to see how much actual progress I’ve made, I can keep moving, because it’s like starting a new project instead of continuing the old one.  

Set deadlines for yourself, and find someone else to hold you accountable. 

This works especially well if you’re in a class that’s centered around a project; in my BFA class and my honors thesis class the professors were really helpful in setting deadlines that weren’t necessarily contingent on grades.  Setting deadlines for yourself is only as helpful as your ability to hold yourself to them, and I know that I am unable to do so, so I would have my professor or my boyfriend as my external motivator, or I would never hit those deadlines.

Designate days to work on the project alone, and make sure to work it into your schedule regularly.

Though this might be a given, final projects can be difficult to actually fit into your schedule because they don’t feel like they’re an immediate priority, since there’s nothing actually due.  

Make playlists for each project.

This works especially well for creative projects, but even with something more analytical, music as a common thread can get you back in the headspace to work on something that hasn’t been on your mind for a week or longer.  A playlist can bring you back to where you were the last time you thought about the assignment and get rid of some of that slowness that comes with starting a project back up.

Know how much you can handle.

Last year I wrote ten sixty-page scripts.  I originally planned to write thirteen, but within a couple months determined that that would undermine the quality of what I handed in, and ended up shortening the scope of my project.  However, a lot of people told me that I wouldn’t be able to write more than two or three, which I knew I could.  I ended up turning in almost all scripts that I was happy with.

This also goes for knowing how much you can do in a short amount of time.  I ended up with a lot of script left in the last weekend before that assignment was due, but I have done NaNoWriMo a bunch of times and know that I can handle that type of pressure.  However, I finished my honors thesis much earlier than it was due, because I wanted a lot of time to revise and make sure it was what I wanted to turn in.

In addition, start as early as possible!

This is a given, but so many people don’t.  Final projects feel like they’re so far away until they aren’t.  Give yourself as much time as possible to work on them so you don’t end up with a semester’s worth of work to do in a week.

Thanks for reading!  A lot of this might be common sense, but I definitely know so many people in my own life who don’t follow them and end up kicking themselves semester after semester when they’ve got three or four huge projects to work on.  

just got back your test and didn’t get the grade you were hoping for? trust me, this happens to everyone. right now you’re probably either sad, angry, or just want to go into hibernation and wake up when summer break starts again. don’t! i’ve gathered some tips and resources to make you feel motivated again and kick that bad grade’s butt!

dealing with the result • don’t panic. as i’ve said, it happens to everyone. this isn’t the end of the world, although it might feel like it. in a couple of years you probably even won’t remember this test anyways. • accept it. if you think your teacher has graded your test/essay/whatever in a fair way, you just have to sooner or later accept the fact that it didn’t went as planned this time. failure is something everybody have to accept, because if you don’t, you won’t be able to develop. failure is something that can help you sort out your strengths and weaknesses. what we want to do now is to fight our weaknesses and use them to get better. • figure out what went wrong. some teachers don’t give you any feedback, just a grade. this won’t help you at all. you have to know what you should improve for your next test. the best thing is to ask them in person, but if you’re not feeling great just after you got the result, email them as soon as possible. this actually helped me to get a better grade once, so don’t postpone it! remember though that you should ask what went wrong and what you should improve, not why you didn’t get an A. be polite even though you’re disappointed or think that you deserved a higher grade. this will show them that you care about your education and that will make them more likely to letting you do extra credit etc. • use this experience to get better. it’s so important to not just focus on a just a letter or a number. now you should think about how to avoid this from happening in the future and what you would do differently if you could redo the work. 

fight your weaknesses • ask for help. it isn’t something to feel ashamed about. this can only make you better. ask anybody who you know are great at this subject, like your teacher, your parents, friends (don’t underestimate you fellow studyblrs, they just don’t write pretty notes, they know their shit!). if you are in a good financial situation you should maybe consider getting a tutor. don’t forget that you can ask your school’s liberians for help with research! • go through your study technique. finding the right study technique can be difficult. you should check this following points:

am i a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner?

where am i the most efficient? at my desk, the library, school, cafés? 

for how long can i study productively? do i need breaks every 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 40 minutes, once an hour or less?

do i procrastinate? why do i procrastinate and what are making me not being able to focus? 

do i get enough sleep? why can’t i sleep?

these things can be hard to figure out. knowing what kind of learner isn’t easy and you’ll know for sure once you tried everyone of them and can compare your results. same goes with your study spot and productivity. as always, practice makes perfect. try new study techniques, they will ost likely make studying easier for you. 

get back up • get ready to kick ass. let this grade motivate you to do better. even though you may feel that you did your best and you can’t get better. you can always develop! stop being scared of failure and instead take it as sign that you can do much better if you just set your mind to it. i believe in you! • get motivated. the studyblr community is amazing at giving you the best resources and tips to get better at practically everything. use it to you advantage and bookmark some resources that may be useful for you. • remember to take care of yourself. if you want to do well you have to feel well. check out my feel good masterpost where i give loads of tips.

Disclaimer: Download the programs at your own risk. I am not responsible for what happens. If any of the links are broken please tell me! I will be adding new links from time to time. All the links open in a new tab. Here is my other masterpost (general). Thank you :) Please like/reblog if you found this helpful.

microsoft office (last one is for college students) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

final cut pro (x) (x) (x)

sony vegas (x)

background music to keep u focused (x) (x) (x) (x)

trivia, quizzes + stuff like that (x)

learn a new language (x)

improve writing speed (x)

coding websites (x) (x) (x) (x)

homework help/study guides (general) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) 

math help (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

free books/textbooks (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

print friendly (x) (x)

sat and ap test prep (x) (x)

balance chemistry equations (x) 

for presentations (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

gpa calculator (x) 

mental health (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

find the word that’s on the tip of ur tongue (x) 

graphing calculator (x) (x)

physics in english (x) 

Hey Kass! Hope you’re doing well. Shelby here. :)

You sure got a lot going on. Sometimes that can be good & other times not so much. But you do sound very smart and you do seem like you got a ton going for you which is a plus.

I’ve got some resources & links to show you today in hopes it helps you.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

Feeling emotional and nervous or having trouble sleeping and eating can all be normal reactions to stress. Engaging in healthy activities and getting the right care and support can put problems in perspective and help stressful feelings subside in a few days or weeks. Some tips for beginning to feel better are:

Take care of yourself.

Talk to others. Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping with a parent, friend, counselor, doctor, or pastor.

Avoid drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol may seem to help with the stress. In the long run, they create additional problems and increase the stress you are already feeling.

Take a break. If your stress is caused by a national or local event, take breaks from listening to the news stories, which can increase your stress.

Eat healthy, well-balanced meals

Exercise on a regular basis

Get plenty of sleep

Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out

Recognize when you need more help. If problems continue or you are thinking about suicide, talk to a psychologist, social worker, or professional counselor.

Time Management:

How to prioritize tasks

A guide to different planners

Apps for scheduling

My planner

Planning your time

Creating a schedule

Using your spare time (during your commute in this example)

General time management tips

Motivation & Procrastination:

A useful app for motivation

Reasons to study now

10 tips for getting started on an academic task

Blocking apps/extensions

Motivation tag

Study Techniques & Studying:

How to make flashcards (electronic and paper)

What to write on flashcards

Some general study techniques

Some more general study techniques

Essay writing

Creating and using mindmaps

Studying using textbooks

The benefits of textbooks

Making time for the required readings

Learn instead of memorising

How to deal with family distracting you from study

Studying vocabulary

Study guides

Using whiteboards

Notetaking:

How to take notes using Evernote

Some information about Cornell notes

Organising notes

Colour-coding

Graphic notes tutorial

Different styles of notetaking

Taking good notes in lectures

Exams and tests:

Looking after yourself after exams

Exam tips

The day before an exam

Oral tests and exams

Spelling Bee

General Academics:

Public Speaking

Getting the most from lectures

How to choose a major/university course

Knowing what course to choose

Structuring an essay

Health/Issues:

Dealing with stress

Problems with sleep

Studying maths with dyscalculia

Failure anxiety

College needs:

Advice on college

Alternatives to buying expensive textbooks

AP Cram Packets

Cheat sheet for becoming an adult

Dorm room survival

Free online college classes

How to survive college masterpost

Food

cheap & healthy snacks

chocolate muffin in a mug tutorial

Coffee recipes to help stay awake

Every Starbucks drink and pasty FTW

For the vegans you bad ass motherfuckers

Herearesomedeliciousfood

macaroni cheese / mac&cheese in a cup

quick and easy soup recipes

study snacks

Study snack

thousands of quick and easy snack recipes

Yummy cheesiness!

40 on-the-go breakfast recipes

Helpful sites:

Challenge your brain

Feed the hungry while using your vocabulary

Free online textbooks

Grade calculator

Quizlet

Rape Escape

Whole page dedicated to studying/organizing

High school needs:

For Juniors or Seniors With Low Income Families Looking For Scholarships

How to survive freshman year

Mental health resources:

a website that is always relevant.

falling asleep tips

How long to sleep

how to talk to and help an anxiety-ridden friend

how to wake up in the morning

keep taking your mind off of it

mental illness recovery tips

need a motivational speech? i like this one for myself.

not having a good day? :c

picking up a hobby can relax you during the school year!!

seriously just please try to relax ily

take your mind off of it

tips on self-love

when to go to sleep/wake up

working out is a total stress-buster.

Misc resources:

download free books

express yourself with make-up

Hobbies masterpost

I fucking love to study to this.

please remember this.

Sick ass movie list I have more but, this is a school one so message me for more.

Sites to help you not get distracted with other sites. (Mac)(PC)

Various ways to where a scarf

What’s the fucking weather

Motivation:

earn a cute kitten picture after writing

how to get motivated

Procrastinator?

Music/Sound:

calm/nature sounds

chill playlist

coffee shop blues

coffee shop sounds

concentration playlist

relaxation

study playlist

4hours of classical music

School resources:

An already typed essay at your fingertips(type the subject and press random stuff and an essay forms. TO KIND OF HELP)

bibliography maker

educational links fucking galore

my favorite tutoring website

online ruler

pull an all nighter but do well on your exam

Social media citing

study like a college kid

Time Management

Psychology Lectures by a Professor from Yale University

Stress relief:

Calm

compliments generator

how long to nap

go to a quiet place

learn more about anxiety.

panic and anxiety information masterpost

Relaxation techniques

Stress Analyst

the thoughts room

take a guided relaxation

yoga poses

ACT Test Guide

Things to Remember:

Difficult questions are worth the same points as easy questions.

If you answer 53% of the questions correctly, you get an average score.

There is no penalty for wrong answers - guess if you don’t know.

Budget your time; don’t spend too much time on a question.

Read each question throughly and know what it’s asking for.

Mark up the booklet to help you - annotate and show your work if that helps you

English:

Questions often test for redundancy and irrelevance.

Math:

The first time, go through and do the questions that are easier and faster to do.

Then, go back and tackle questions that you don’t know how to do or will take more time for you to complete.

Look at the answers and plug them in. (start with the middle answer)

Substitute numbers for variables.

Look at the question like a logic puzzle, not a math problem.

Reading:

Skim the reading to get a general sense of the passage.

Answer questions that refer to specific words or sentences, and then move on the questions that require you to read paragraphs.

Focus on main points and ideas. (usually in first and last sentences of each paragraph)

Pay attention to details that might be important to the story.

Think about why the author wrote the passage and

Mark up the booklet - annotate! (as mentioned above)

Science:

what the labels mean

what the table shows

trends

units of measurements

data representation (charts and tables)

research summaries

conflicting viewpoints (usually asked to compare and contrast)

Writing:

formulate and opinion

maintain focus on your topic

ability to defend your opinion using reasoning and supporting ideas

organize your ideas in a logical way

use language clearly and effectively

Helpful ACT links:

Test Prep | ACT Student

Sample Questions | ACT Student

Preparing for the ACT Test

SAT & ACT Prep Resources | Method Test Prep

ACT Study Guide | Free ACT Practice Test - Study Guide Zone

ACT Test Preparation | Sophia.org

Best ACT Prep Books 2015 - PrepScholar blog

Best ACT Prep Books - Green Test Prep

ACT Test Preparation Books and Advice

Hope this helps. :) xx

RESEARCHING

Google like a boss

NOTE TAKING

note taking techniques 

nice notes

How to effectively take notes

taking notes effectively and practically

guide to notetaking

online study resources

in class notes

symbols and abbreviations for note taking

various types of subheading

RANDOM TIPS

Back to school

ANSWERS

Every textbook answer ever

HEALTHY FOOD

Packed meals

what to eat before a workout

25 quick and healthy breakfasts

study snacks 

drink lemon water!! 

MENTAL HEALTH + WELL-BEING

Sleeping tips

Becoming stress free

How to be happy

How to remove toxic people from your life

how to wake up early

how to go to bed early & fall asleep

mornings tag

drink lemon water!!

what to eat during exams

keep a health tracker

vegan food on the go

how to drink more water

anxiety tricks

study snacks

self care masterpost

20 things you should do everyday

what to do on a bad day

tips for stressed out students

sounds to soothe anxiety

what to do when ur stressed

When do go to sleep

ORGANIZATION 

Organize the school year

5 ways to make your life more organized 

how to organize your school work

color coding

folder organization how i organize myself 

organize your life: notetaking edition 

organization guide 

study organization 

make your own syllable 

how to be organized 

how to get & stay organized 

keeping your notes organized 

how to make organized notes 

getting organized and keeping it up

keep your school bag organized

how to organize your desk

an app that organizes your time for you

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE 

How to get straight A’s

How to get top grades

How to improve your grades

How to apply to university

How to track your grades

Grade calculator

MOTIVATION

How to become disciplined

Stay focused: Train your brain

Stay motivated

Get motivated

Motivational quotes

Why motivation is important

ESSAY TIPS

How to plan an essay

Essay tips

How to write an introduction

How to write a conclusion

how to write an essay

essay writing tips

how to approach poetry analysis in an exam

guide on punctuation

Word will format your entire paper

do your eyes a favor and change the background color

tools for referencing

social media citation guide

100+ words for SAT

transition words

synonyms for “different”

synonyms for “shows”

synonyms for “suggests”

synonyms for “said”

synonyms for “increase” and “decrease”

synonyms for words commonly used in students’ writings

45 ways to avoid using the word “very”

MATH

How to ace a math exam 

how to study math(s)

Preparing for math exams

CHEMISTRY

studying chemistry 

Chemistry Tips

TIPS AND HACKS

15 days bts plan 

back to school tips

 back to school hacks 

bts tips and motivation 

5 things to do before school starts 

back to school series 

getting prepared for the year

preparing for school in the summer 

surviving junior year

tips that will make your school year easier 

getting prepared for school 

“how i survive school”

STUDY TIPS

how to start studying 

study methods

5 tips for mindmapping

what to do the night b4 an exam

mastering tests: draft a study plan

timed memorization

how to revise notes

things not to do when studying 

5 tips on keeping your attention in class

SAT/ACT

sat math tips 

free sat/ap prep materials

sat masterpost

sat tips

sat subject tests

sat study guide

sat tips

self study for the sat 

PRINTABLES

ANTI-PROCRASTINATION 

Anti-procrastination masterpost

websites/apps that will help you with procrastination

the science of procrastination, and how to beat it