#school productivity

Let’s face it: school isn’t getting easier — but smarter tools can make a huge difference. Whether you're juggling deadlines, studying for exams, or just trying to stay organized, the right apps and platforms can save your brain (and your GPA). 🙃📚

I found this guide that actually cuts through the noise — no fluff, just solid tools that actually help: 🔗 Students’ Guide to the Best Learning Tools in 2025

From AI-powered note-takers to focus apps and collab platforms, it's a solid list — especially if you’re trying to get ahead without burning out.

Summer has finally arrived (sort of, still have a couple loose ends from this past semester to tie up) and I wanted to lay out some of my goals to maybe hold myself accountable, but also because writing things out usually eases my stress a little, and impending grad school applications are definitely making that stress pique.

THESIS

Source of the Day

I love this system and highly recommend for folks trying to move on from that initial research phase of collecting potential sources

Every day, read and write an annotated bibliography entry for one source from my thesis project in NoodleTools

This may feel like a daunting pace to keep up with given I do include weekends lol, but I’ve got a lot of blogs and listicles that I can and want to clear out rather quickly so I can move on to the things I know I need to work with more in depth. Also it’s totally okay to skip a day sometimes, it really is of no consequence

Read at least one of the novels I plan to use

At the moment I’ve got two novels of particular interest, both of them things I would honestly pick up if I were just reading for fun, and I know this fall is going to end up being a really reading heavy semester, so I want to be able to devote myself to these things the way they deserve while I can

Take notes while reading, of course

Draft an initial outline of an analysis based in the theory I’m using as my lens. And try to get at least 5-10 pages of a paper that can be expanded into a chapter and writing sample in the fall

Revisit my abstract

GRAD APPS

Begin drafting personal statements and statements of purpose

This is definitely one of the more daunting parts of the application process to me, so just getting anything, no matter how rough, on paper so it’s not completely ruining my life when we hit November and December would be great

Add to-do list columns to planning spreadsheet

Easy thing I can do and have done and feel accomplished about

Finish looking into potential advisors

Finish filling out notes in planning spreadsheet

Draft emails

Reach out in August

MISC SCHOOL THINGS

Turn in last blog comments for this past semester

This is something that needs to get done this week, hopefully today

Fill out Latin American studies course permission request form

This is actually super cool, I made a whole new course happen just because I asked a question no one ever had before! Big reminder that “you get some of what you ask for and none of what you don’t” will always ring true. But uh... yeah, need to get that form filled out at some point.

Write letter in support of my professor who’s up for promotion

Due July 15th

I’m not going to do any however many days of productivity challenge or anything, given I’ve got a lot of traveling going on this summer and a lot of unpredictability, but I will be posting updates as I go for sure, so come follow along! 🥰

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwrNQj5LSvU)