#studyinglia

a little back story, when i was still back in 7th grade, my grades were not high but they were not also too low. just around the middle, i guess. but my grades started rising when i entered 8th grade and eventually went higher again now that i’m in 9th grade. i hope this post will help people who are aiming to increase their grades. 1. i fixed my mindset to always aim for 101%

for any school requirement, i always put into mind that it will always affect my grades. don’t hesitate to put extra effort. be extra if you want.

2. never be unprepared for quizzes, tests, exams, recitations, etc.

a habit i regret in 7th grade is that i slack off thinking that i already know a topic. never follow the whisper of laziness saying that you already know this and that so you don’t have to study. a quote my mo told me is “never leave any stone unturned”. even if it is an easy topic, do not skip it when studying for your exams. 

3. i made rules for myself to follow

i always post this on my wall

- do homework on the day it was announced

- make notes or reviewers for a topic on the day it was discussed

- finish projects on the week it is announced (this is not applicable if it’s a group project though)

- spend my break periods to do something productive in the library

4. i always took down notes

never assume that this topic will never go out on a test. one time, i was the only one who took notes on a lecture because my other classmates thought it was just a mere chit chat with my teacher. but guess what, my teacher gave a quiz on that topic so a win for me :))) just don’t rely on the materials your teacher distributes, sometimes they include stuff included in the test that are not mentioned in the slides.

5. advanced study

this is so cliche but this saved me so many times (especially during hard topics). i believe almost everyone is given a course outline every start of the academic year. a course outline (some people call it course syllabus) is a paper where all topics on a specific subject are listed. i use my course outline as a guide to advance study. studying in advance gave me an advantage so that topics will be easier to understand when it is discussed by your teacher. when you already studies in advance, your teacher’s lecture will just serve as a ‘refresher’ for your knowledge.

6. i trained myself to make studying a habit

back then, the thought of studying feels so tiring. but when you set it as a part of your routine, you’ll love it! to be honest, i can’t imagine my life when i can’t study in a day. it will just come to a point where you won’t force yourself to study. it will be something you will love <3

7. always track your deadlines, exams,  and other important dates

a digital or physical planner will work. back then, i missed some requirements because i relied on my classmate’s reminders. so pro tip: never rely on another person. be responsible on your school work.  personally, i use a digital and a physical planner. i update them both (i know it might sound tiring for some of you but it’s not for me). i use my digital planner so i can access my requirements anywhere and anytime through my phone. however, there are classes where phones and laptops are not allowed so i use my physical planner to track the important dates down. i use the muji weekly planner so i use the weekly spaces as my to do list area. i will expand on how i use my planners in another post someday. at the end of every day, i update both. filled calendars and planners are very satisfying to view so that’s the fun part. 

8. do nongraded or optional tests

for some people, when they hear that a homework is optional and nongraded... they don’t do it :’) for me, i use them as an opportunity to learn more. and you can ask your teacher any time for help. it’s also fine to make mistakes since it’s nongraded so it won’t affect your grades haha (but for real, making mistakes is fine --> even i myself struggle with this)

9. i reflected on my faults

i want to share my daily routine before the quarantine happened. making this post motivates me (somehow) since i find it hard to be productive during this quarantine. nonetheless, i hope that i’ll be back on track :))

4:45 am (wake up)

to be honest, i used to wake up at exactly 4 in the morning. however, i’m anemic so i need more rest or else i’ll faint in school. so even though i’m sacrificing minutes of potential study time, i had to revise my schedule.  i have my alarm go off at 4:45 so that if ever i’ll give in to the snooze button i will be awake on or before 5 am. usually i don’t slack around though. once my alarm goes off, i rise then drink water. here’s a tip to not get sleepy and get back to bed: take a shower once you wake up. and don’t use your phone once you wake up because i swear your schedule is going to be messed up.

4:50 - 5:00 (bath)

i take a bath for around 10 minutes then i wear comfy clothes. classes start at 8 and i just live in an apartment near my school so there’s really no need for me to rush. 5:00 - 7:30 (study)

after i finish bathing, i proceed to my study table and open my laptop. first thing i check my emails. then i proceed to study. it’s either i finish studying some topics or homework i haven’t finished last night or i do some readings for future lessons.

7:30 - 7:45 (prep)

this is where i start to change into my school uniform and fix my bag. i do a mini cleaning of my room and get ready to leave.

7:45 - 8:00 (walk to school)

i just walk while listening to music. the music is just to calm my mood to start my day well. i actually have the choice to go to school early but i’m not the type of person who likes to talk with others. i can’t study in our classroom since my classmates are quite loud. i personally avoid going there early so i won’t waste my time studying ineffectively because of the loud people around me.

8:00 - 4:30 (classes)

there are breaks in between but i don’t want to really go through my schedule or else my post will be very long. but yes, i study during my breaks and utilize most of my time in school to study and not make waste of it.

4:30 - 5:00 (dinner + walk home) i eat dinner at my school’s cafeteria since i don’t know to cook. to be honest, i can eat at my apartment but i’m really serious with managing my time. i can avoid using time by washing the dishes by eating at school. 5:00 - 5:30 

if there’s not much to do for the following day, i unwind during these hours. i usually nap, read a book or watch something. but if i’m really busy, i utilize this time to study. (this mostly happens lol) 5:30 - 12:00 (study)

some people might think my schedule is unhealthy but honestly i rarely feel burned out. i don’t feel tired studying because i really love studying. do whatever works for you tho :) 12:00