#study prep

🤎august 22nd 2022🤎

2/100 days of productivity

10 Things to Do Before School Starts

Get your sleep schedule back on track  The easiest way to do this is gradually, by waking yourself up earlier and earlier each day until you’re back at where you need to be. If you’re finding it difficult to go to bed at a reasonable time so you get enough sleep, try exercising during the day so you sleep better, or take an all-natural melatonin supplement just before you go to bed. Be self-disciplined with when you wake up, especially if you have a bad night’s sleep, as it will be easier for you to fall asleep at the right time if you don’t oversleep in the morning

Figure out what your goals are for the year and how you will achieve them  This isn’t necessary per se, but I always find it useful to set a couple of goals for the academic year. Obviously, there is one academic goal (what kinds of grades are you aiming for/where do you want to end up?), but remember to think about how you want to develop as a person, and which skills and personality traits you think should be worked on over the year. Figuring out how you will achieve this is more difficult, but even if it’s through practising a daily habit for ten minutes or being self-aware when it comes to a certain aspect of your personality, there are always ways to grow academically and emotionally as a person

Organise your supplies and buy what you need  I really like bulk-buying for the school year, mostly because I know what my go-tos are, and if I can buy 100 pens for £16 (16p per pen), then I sure as hell will because firstly it saves money and secondly I don’t have to worry so much about running out of pens if I have 100 of them (same goes for notebooks, snacks, etc.). The best way to figure out what you need is to think about what kinds of activities/studying you will be doing, and what kind of stuff is absolutely essential for you to be able to study efficiently. I like having notebooks, refill pads, black biros, and coloured felt tip markers at the very least (as well as other essentials like pencils and rulers), and after than I can build up what I like, but it’s imperative to have your essentials down before the school year starts. (Also I’m gonna be doing some stuff on here next week to do with this, so watch this space)

Get your dates and timetable together as much as you can  Often, you’re not going to know your exact timetable until you get there. However, your school may provide you with dates and events, even if this is just term time, that will help you get your life together a little more if you know when these are and can start thinking about what you can do with your time. Even if you don’t know the exact timings, but know how many hours a day/week you spend doing certain things, for example, you can at least plan what kind of spare time you might have and how you might be able to spend it. The more you organise yourself before the year starts, the more put-together you’re going to feel during the year itself.

Start new habits now  If you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to drink more water when you’re studying, or that you’re going to get up early or make your bed every morning, then it’s easier to start doing those things as soon as possible rather than making an excuse and putting it off until later to start, even if those habits are going to be primarily associated with the academic year. There’s no real reason you should wait until you start building yourself towards who you want to be.

Plan outfits  If you’re in a situation where you need to plan outfits, then start thinking about it now, especially if you’re heading off to live away from home and study, and you have limited space to transport clothes. Start with the essentials, and build a coordinated wardrobe that is functional and suits your own style. If you plan whilst you’re buying the actual outifts, you can build up a colour-coordinated wardrobe which means that you can throw almost anything together when you’re in a rush and it will still look like you have it all under control. As someone who’s been through a very long wardrobe-based trial and error process with living away from home and studying, just trust me on this one.

Plan meals  Again, if you’re in a situation where this applies to you, start thinking about it now. To study effectively, you need to think about your nutrition, and thus which staple foods you need to rely on. The more thought you give this, the easier it will be when you go food shopping and when you make the meals themselves.

Figure out the locations of things if you’re starting somewhere new  Of course, sometimes this isn’t a possibility until you get there simply as a result of the setup, but if it is at all possible, even using google maps, figure out where things are on campus, as there’s nothing worse than starting the year off on a bad note by showing up late for lectures/seminars/supervisions. Obviously, it will still take some time to get your bearings when you arrive, but at least having a vague idea of which direction you are heading in (and how long it will take) is a massive help.

Find out if you already know anyone in your courses  In the internet age, it’s easier to connect with people and figure out if you already know someone taking the course, or if you can link up with someone before. Not only does this help because you aren’t going into the unknown completely alone, but also if you miss any classes, you already have someone who can help you and give you the materials you need to allow you to catch up, which is invaluable.

26/100 days of productivity

STATIONERY- SEPTEMBER STUDY PREP PART TWO

Unlike backpacks, as mentioned in part one to the September Study Prep Challenge, stationery is one of those things that you never really hear the end of in the studyblr community, so this is probably the easiest part of the three parts to the challenge. Remember to make a post (photo/video/text/etc.) showing your stationery setup for this academic year, tag it with “studylikeyoumeanit” and “September Study Prep,” and I will feature your post on my blog!!

Choosing Stationery

 Ok, so a lot of the stationery that studyblrs recommend is genuinely stuff that I love and use frequently, but before settling out to buy everything that you see recommended, it’s important to take some things into consideration:

Price

Practicality

What your essentials are, and if they are afforable enough to replace frequently (since they are your essentials)

For pens, if they are easy to write with an smooth in your hand (go for feel rather than aesthetic value)

Same goes for paper: don’t just pick something because it’s right for someone else (obviously)

What kind of stationery do you need?

ESSENTIALS

Pens with which you do the majority of your writing (so affordable ones which are really easy to write with)

Paper (Refill paper for folders/binders, and any notebooks that you use in your daily life)

Highlighters (I see a lot of mildliners in the studyblr tag, but I find them too expensive and they run out too fast for me)

Ruler

Calculator (if you study things that need it)

Pen/Pencil Case (obviously)

THE NICE THINGS

Spare notebooks

Brush pens

Felt tip pens/markers

Nice pens for writing and decorating (like fineliners or expensive gel pens)

Bulldog/Binder Clips

Sticky notes/Sticky tabs

Washi tape

Correction fluid/Correction tape

Your Task

 Post a picture/video/text post of your stationery setup for this year, tag it “studylikeyoumeanit” and “September Study Prep” and I will feature it on my blog!

(Part One is here)

As someone who has a fear (if a phobia for this exists, it’s probably that) of failing, I have tons and tons of tips for studying and preparation tips when it comes to college or even high school exams.

It’s a bit tedious and sounds ridiculous, but if you put enough time and effort in, it’ll be worth the amazing grade.

1. Wash your face so you feel refreshed and ready.

2. Get a bottle of cold water and a small healthy snack to stay hydrated and nourished which really does help when you’re studying because it keeps the brain active. A study snack example could be, fruit and nuts or maybe a guilty pleasure (but don’t go overboard!)

3. Clean your study area if it isn’t already. Remember, a messy area = messy brain. But thats not the case always I know. However, a clean and organized study area stimulates your mind and makes you want to sit down and study.

4. Gather ALL your study essentials like your pens, pencils, ruler, paper (basically your general stationery), and most importantly, your actual subject material of course (textbooks, notebooks, handouts and past papers).

5. Lay all your study essentials neatly on the desk to how ever you think everything will be easily approachable.

6. Block out ALL distractions which will prevent you from studying effectively. Turn off your phone and put it away as far as possible. Put away EVERYTHING that you know for a fact that will keep you from studying your best. If you listen to music while you study, then classical music is said to be very helpful, however use the phone just for that purpose, and for what you will encounter in the next tip. You can also use your iPod if you have one or any thing that plays music. Just remember, don’t procrastinate. 

7. Set yourself a timer to make sure you don’t spend too much time doing one thing or waste time. Keep your phone ONLY for this purpose, unless your watch can set the timer, anything else. Most popular method is the pomodoro method. If you are unfamiliar with this, let me explain. So basically in this method, you study for about 25-30 minutes and take 5 minute breaks and then a long 15 minute break. You change this to how ever you want but don’t go extreme for example study for a about 40 mins and then take a 20 minute break. No. Again, if using the phone for the timer, PLEASE PLEASE refrain from checking social media. 

8. Start the studying now that you are fully prepared. Remember, practice active studying rather than passive studying. Active studying would include annotating lecture notes, doing practice questions, organizing and identifying main points, making summaries, etc. Passive studying would be just reading through your notes.