#studyandsteep

(unconventional study tips, part 3) - check out the full series here!

if you don't want to start studying, stare at the wall until you've grown sufficiently bored. then, get started on your homework or studying- you'll be bored enough that anything in comparison sounds fun enough.

this "wall-gazing" method of study gives your brain the chance to decompress and start focusing, making you more alert in your studying.

this is the first part of my newest series, subject-specific study tips. please enjoy & check out my other posts :)

there is no "easy" way to succeed in math. the first thing you need to recognize is that math is the hardest subject you have, meaning you need to spend the most time on it. there aren't any easy hacks to help you here.

practice, practice, practice. the goal in math is to learn, not memorize. the only way to succeed in math is by practicing questions over and over again until you have completely understood the material.

do not leave a single stone unturned or you will regret it lol. even if you don't understand a small, tiny, seemingly irrelevant detail i guarantee you it will be on the test.

always ask your teachers questions. preferably ask them in class, because there will be someone who has the same questions as you, but after class works too. just make sure to write them in a notebook so you can remember the questions.

redo the homework, focusing on the hardest questions. most of the time your test will be harder than the homework. go over all your homework and select the most difficult questions to solve.

time yourself. make sure you can solve the problems under a time constraint, one similar to the test. not only do you need to get each problem correct, you also need to do so under time constraints.

review previous and new work before going to class. even if you don't understand it, always try to stay on top of what you're doing. seeing the material previously helps reinforce it better.

sleep well. before every math class, make sure you're alert and awake, because math classes move fast.

unconventional study tips, part 6 - full series here!

an active recall study method where you "blurt" everything you remember on a blank page or whiteboard. steps to follow:

write anything you remember from your notes (generally blurt the equivalent of 1-2 pages in your notes every time)

look over your notes again, this time correcting any mistakes/topics you forgot in your blurt

"blurt" again, and continue doing it until you've mastered the material

this method works best for history class and other classes that rely heavily on memorization. i personally recommend using a small whiteboard for convenience.

(unconventional study tips, part 1) - check out the full series here!

more specifically, glucose. sugar provides a quick source of glucose, which is the primary fuel for your brain. the best way to get glucose is from fruits and honey since they have natural sugars.

you'll be able to maintain focus for longer + get energized, which is incredibly useful for tests and studying. if you don't have any fruit on you, a small candy like a Jolly Ranchers will also do.

a few years back, i made a checklist to help keep me on track for major testing days. it helped a lot, so just decided to share it!

☐ get at least 7 hours of sleep before your test. for teenagers, get at least 8-9 hours. make sure you don't oversleep, though; you can end up groggy on testing day. i've said this once and i'll say it again: good sleep is crucial for test scores. avoid stupid mistakes as much as possible.

☐ eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast. go for fruits, oats, eggs- whatever can keep you awake & alert throughout the day without making you crash from a sugar high.

☐ don't continue cramming on the night before. it sounds counterintuitive, but anything you do the night before will only make you more agitated the next day + won't even matter, since one day of studying doesn't make much difference. instead, focus on getting a good night's sleep.

☐ stay hydrated. don't underestimate how much hydration can affect your concentration. a general rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces.

☐ organize your materials. no one wants to show up on testing day and realize their calculator died. make sure you pack everything you need and might need (better be safe than sorry), including chargers, extra pencils, and your notes.

☐ always arrive five minutes early. you want to have time to set your materials up and have advance notice in case anything goes wrong. start your test on a good note.

☐ do a light review a few hours before. do not cram. just review your notes, go over the concepts in your brain. now is not the time to ask questions about concepts you're confused about.

☐ stay confident & calm. you got this! one test won't be the end of everything. remain calm throughout the test and DO NOT PANIC. panicking will make everything worse- stay calm and skip questions you don't understand. you can always go back to them afterwards.

and that's a wrap! hopefully you all found this useful.

i've also created a google docs you can print out, which can be accessed here:

today's post will be pretty short but hopefully useful. i've compiled a list of my favorite youtube channels for study tips, tricks, and motivation- hope it helps!

Study tips & tricks

gohar's guide - informative youtube shorts on studying

fayefilms - mainly vlogs and study tips

mahad the mentor - focuses on college applications and ap classes, mainly geared towards high schoolers

helaine zhao - again, mainly vlogs for inspiration + study tips

js park - maximizing studying, how to manage time

Explaining concepts/tutoring

organic chemistry tutor - explains math, chemistry, and physics in concise and easy to follow videos (absolute lifesaver)

khan academy - a classic, focus mainly on math but also has other subjects

Study with me and music

lofi girl

ellene

abao in tokyo

merve

College channels

elliot choy - student at vanderbilt, makes trip vlogs

the college essay guy - lemme tell you, he's the GOAT at college essays. also has a blog at https://www.collegeessayguy.com/

kay chung - makes absolutely chaotic dental student youtube shorts, super funny and entertaining!

remind yourself that this isn't the end. you will still have more chances in life, and this is only one test in the grand scheme of things. it will not determine the course of your life. this brings me on to my next point:

pick yourself up. don't be so harsh on yourself. you can cry on your bed and eat a tub of ice cream, but only for a day. life is too short (and breaks between tests are too brief) for you to worry about one test.

okay, now that you're feeling better:

record all the answers you got wrong in a separate notebook, with the solutions and why you got them wrong. also take pictures of your test if you can. even if you don't have a final exam, you should still do this step because concepts build up, esp. for math & science.

redo all the questions you got wrong until you can explain them to someone else confidently. pretty self-explanatory, but this is SUPER important.

ask for extra credit opportunities. some teachers will have some, others won't. some teachers even only give extra credit opportunities to kids who failed the test. it's always important to know this in the beginning of the semester, but better late than never.

if you can retake a test, RETAKE IT. most of the time your teacher will take the highest score of your two tests, so it's always worth it to retest, even just to solidify the material further.

ask your teacher for extra practice. definitely do this if you can! it's really worth it and rewarding to find your hard work pay off.

test-taking strategies, part 1 - full series here!

there are many posts out there that talk about various test-taking hacks (esp. for multiple choice questions), and while they can be helpful, i feel they overlook a key aspect- if not, the key aspect- of doing well in tests: remaining calm.

imagine this: you're in a quiet, brightly lit room, you have fifteen minutes left but you're only halfway through, and your panicking neighbor certainly isn't helping matters.

that's not gonna help you succeed at all. you need to maintain a cool, level head. you have to formulate a plan, a way to maximize your points and score according to the time crunch you're in, and being an anxious mess will not help you achieve any of that.