#tips 101

Hello, lovelies!! It’s been so long since I have written anything here. I know I’m just reposting my previous content but I’m on vacay now and have more time to write.

Speaking of vacation, before college I will really just use this time to sleep all day and be a couch potato. But the pandemic happened and I wanted to break free from that routine. Something changed in me. I started to hate how sedimentary my previous lifestyle was. I wanted to keep my body moving so I started working out and I lost a few pounds eventually.

Anyway, losing weight and continue staying active is a bit of a challenge for me. I wanted to remain active but it’s the physical activity that makes me feel overwhelmed and unhappy with myself. Along the way, I realized that I didn’t really enjoy heavy workouts. So today I will be sharing 3 activities that I truly enjoy doing and helps me to keep my body moving. These are also beginner-friendly by the way! Continue reading if you want to know more

1. Walking

I love walking! It doesn’t really require much effort and it keeps you active. Short walks a day is proven to have several benefits such as keeping you strong and healthy, preventing various diseases, and improving your well-being (Mayo Clinic, n.d.)

Most of the time I just walk. Pretty basic to be honest. But if I want to spice things up, I follow these Youtubers:

Grow With Jo

Leslie Sansone

Reps to the Rhythm

Get Fit With Rick

Grow With Jo’s has lots of walking workouts (and other beginner-friendly ones) and they are really fun to follow. I always feel accomplished and happy after doing her workouts.

Leslie Sansone is one of the first Youtubers I followed when I started my “fitness journey” and she has this energy that transcends through you. Her videos are easy to follow and time flies so fast when doing her workouts. She also has 10 to hour-long videos to choose from.

Reps to the Rhythm and Get Fit With Rick are also my faves because they have various Kpop walking workouts which I really enjoy doing. Their videos are also easy to follow and they have a step counter which helps you to know how many steps you can do in a video.

2. Stretching

Stretching is one of the activities I do after I wake up. I also like to stretch a few times a day just to simply keep my body moving. When I have school I sit and read during most times of the day each week and stretching keeps my blood flowing and release the tension.

There are also many benefits of stretching like keeping you calm and stress-free, increasing flexibility, improving posture, and reducing risks of injury when working out (Bubnis, 2018).

For those days that I want to make stretching more advanced, I try to do yoga and pilates. It’s really fun. I seriously never thought that I’ll be into these kinds of activities. No regrets tho.

Aside from keeping you physically active, stretching (or yoga) is also helpful when you’re feeling stressed. Incorporate this when you meditate, find a quiet place, and just focus on your breathing. This method helps me so much to clear my mind whenever I’m overwhelmed or feeling stressed.

3. Standing

This is probably the most basic on the list lol. Although it may sound simple but standing actually does a lot to your body. Standing has more benefits and burns more calories than sitting.

Standing is said to reduce your risks of weight gain, lowers risk of heart disease, improves posture and productivity (Leech, 2017).

Moreover, the two ways to incorporate it on my daily activity is to stand for at least 15 minutes after eating, and to stand whenever I feel fatigued while doing my work.

This part is really basic and effective to prevent yourself from sitting or lying on your bed during most hours of the day.

NOTE: Resting is also important and I am in no way saying that sitting or lying down is wrong. Take as much time as you need to rest and of course, listen to your body.

The purpose of this post is to keep your body moving and your blood flowing, as well as prevent a sedimentary lifestyle. I also just wanted to share some activities that I enjoy to keep myself physically active.

There are also various activities that you may try to keep yourself moving. And if you have suggestions, please comment them down below.

You may also click the references if you want to read more

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That’s all for this blog post, lovelies. See you on the next one!

Lets stay connected:

ask.fm: ereecuh

email: [email protected]

It’s back to school season once again! Seems like yesterday it was just the beginning of summer…

School can sometimes (most of the time, a lot) be too stressful… Believe it or not, education is the key to success. Here are some of my tips to have a successful year.

1.  Study hard. I know you already know that but seriously, to have a successful school year, STUDY HARD. You don’t have to memorize your notes, just understand what you were reading. Read with comprehension. 

2. Don’t cram. Don’t be lazy. Finish what you can do today. Also, study ahead of time. If you don’t understand a particular topic or subject, take it step by step. You can always ask someone (like your friends, teachers, or your parents) to help you. And we’re living in the 21st Century, just search your problem on google and you’ll have tons of answers. You can even watch video tutorials on YouTube. 

3. Avoid distractions. As much as possible, keep your phone away while you’re studying. Of course, there are some instances that you’ll be needing the help of your phone or any gadget for your assignment, research or any school related problem. But if not needed, stay away from your phone or anything that might distract your from studying. 

Study in a place where you’re comfortable and free from distractions. You can study at your house, in a library or in a coffee shop.

4. Take down notes. Pay attention when your teacher is saying something in front. And if you think that whatever your teacher said was important, you can write that on your notebook. When you are reading your textbook, you can also jot down important facts, persons, dates or anything that will help you understand the topic more.Write legibly. 

Your notes doesn’t have to be long. Keep it concise and readable.

You can use flashcards, sticky notes, and other stuffs to help you.

5. Highlight important details. If you don’t want to jot down notes, highlighting is another method.

Sometimes using highlighters are useless if you end up coloring the whole damn book. Lol.

I learned a method from Parker Palma, which is really effective. Use different colors of highlighters. For example pink for examples, blue for names and green for dates.

6.  Google is your best friend. If you don’t understand a particular lesson, just search it on Google. Just google everything you don’t know.

But also, be reminded that not everything on Google, is correct. Sometimes the articles that you see are outdated or unedited.

7. There is nothing wrong on asking for help. You can ask your friends, teachers and of course your parents for advice.

8.  Stay organized. Keep your things neat. Separate your books, notebooks, pens, etc from each other. You can use folders, envelopes, or file dividers to separate and make your notes even more organize.

9. Don’t be afraid to make friends. But stay away from toxic people. Be nice to everyone but you gotta stay away from toxic people, because your life will be so much stressful if you surround yourself with that kind of people.

10.  Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take a break and have enough sleep. Rest but never give up. It’s okay to fail. Remember: less expectation, less disappointments.

I hope you’ll learn something from this. Good luck and have fun! May your school year be filled with happiness and success!

La vie est belle,

LIFE AS A SENIOR! Part 2.

Hello lovelies! This is the part 2 of my previous post and if you haven’t read that yet, just click here. Like what I’ve said on my previous post, part 2 will be about entrance exam, how to prepare for it, senior high, and what strand should you take.

If you’re living in the Philippines, I guess you know by now that after 10th grade, there are still 2 more years of high school which is senior high school. I don’t know how many exact number of strands there is but under the Academic strand are STEM, ABM, HUMSS, and GAS. For more info, just search it on the internet for a clearer explanation.

Last January I took my entrance exam. And a few weeks later, I received a good news and I passed! Anyway, entrance exams aren’t necessary unless you are planning on transferring to another school.

Before I begin, I just wanna say that Senior High is no joke. SHS is far more different from junior high school. I had been hearing that since 9th grade from my teachers. Ever since we started taking the NCAE, we were already asked to prepare and start thinking of what strand we’re going to take for senior high school.

My classes just started this August but before that, my friends in my former school are already going to school since June. And I’ve been hearing complains how different and stressful SHS is. It made me really scared. But I’m not here to threaten you because I’m here to help and give a few tips.

First, I’ll start with NCAE. If you haven’t taken the NCAE test yet, please take it seriously. If you aren’t sure on what strand you wanna take, the test will help you to know where you’ll most probably excel in. But if you have taken your test and you already saw your results and the results isn’t what you expect, it’s okay. At the end of the day, what you want and what you choose is more important. So take the NCAE test seriously and choose what you want to be in, where you think you’ll grow more, and what your passion is.

At 9th grade it’s okay if you’re still unsure of your strand. But once you entered 10th grade, start deciding where you want to be in. Guys 10th grade passes so quickly and it will be over before you know it. I know grade 10 is already stressful but grades 11 and 12 is much much much more. Enjoy the last remaining days of junior high because you might not be as free as you are now once you entered shs.

If you are still unsure, your parents and counselors or teachers are always there to help you and guide you. But at the end of the day, it’s your choice that matters the most because it you who are studying, not them.

When you are studying for your entrance exams, for UST, DLSU, AMDU, or other schools, study but don’t pressure yourself too much. If it’s meant to be, it will be. If you didn’t pass to the school that you wanted to be in, its okay and don’t forget that. Don’t be too hard on yourself. God always has better plans for each one of us. Just study hard and do your best.

Another tip of advice, greet or talk to your seatmate during your entrance test. I don’t recommend this during exam hours but on your break or spare time, talk to your seatmates and others who are also taking the test. Who knows, your seatmate might be your next best friend. You don’t have to wait for the first day of school to make new friends when you can start on your entrance exam day.

Most important tip, take your time while answering the test but don’t be too slow. I don’t know if this applies to all school but on my former and new school, we have time limits on answering the test. Don’t be too slow on answering the test because you might not be able to finish it but also, don’t forget to analyze each question before you answer.

Not all schools are senior high ready. If you’re school is shs ready, you can stay IF you want. If you want to study in Manila or transfer to another school, you may IF you want. You always have options so choose what you think is best for you.

Go where you really want to be, not just because your friends are there. I know friends are important because they are family but at the same time, education and your future is also just as important.

Lastly, study well! If you really want something, work hard for it.

I have a few study tips and you can read them here. Part 1 of this post can be found here if you haven’t seen it yet.

Good luck on your future endeavors and may you achieve all your goals and dreams!

La vie est belle,

LIFE AS A SENIOR! Part 1.

More study tips and back to school posts can be found on my blog. Just click here.

Sit down and make yourself comfy because this post is kinda long so be prepared haha.

I’ve posted a few months ago that I just finished junior high. I’ve mentioned on my post how my life was for the past 10 months and some of the events that happened during that time. 

Well this blog post is going to be different from my previous post. I already talked about my life as a senior and you can read it here. So on this post, I will be tackling what to expect during your senior year, a few tips and expectations, entrance exams, and how to catch up when you feel like everything is moving too fast. And may this post be helpful.

First, what are your expectations? Whether your a senior or a froshie, in high school or not, you gotta ask yourself what you want to achieve during your current school year. 

Once you find out what you want to achieve, work hard for it. It doesn’t matter if you have just one goal or a thousand, what matters is how you achieve it. Work hard for it no matter how it takes and don’t settle for anything less.

Also, please don’t pressure yourself too much. We all want to be good and ace the tests and competitions, however, not getting what you want at first doesn’t mean you are already a failure. Stay motivated instead of pressuring yourself.

Next, keep in mind that it gets more difficult each year. There might be some lessons that you wont understand easily. I suggest, try to sit in somewhere in front and near the middle. I feel like that’s really the best place if you want to be more focused on the lesson. But whatever place you’re in try not to talk to your seatmates unless needed, jot down important notes, and most importantly, try not to get bored and stay awake no matter how hard it is sometimes!😂

Don’t expect too much. Things doesn’t always go as how we planned them to be. Most of the time God has a better plan for us. Just trust him, always.

Breathe, it’s okay to rest. When you feel like you are so tired but, rest. You’re human, it’s normal for you to be tired. Don’t abuse your body so much but don’t procrastinate. Do what you have to do and submit everything on time. 

And when you feel like you cant catch up anymore, take a breathe first. School isn’t a competition. It doesn’t matter who gets to the finish line first. If you have some trouble catching up your lessons, you can always ask you teachers, friends, or you can just google it.

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Here are some of my study tips:  

Try to discover what method/style of studying works best for you. Others can multi task while studying, like they can watch tv and listen to music while studying! I don’t know how they do that but it happens! Others also prefer group studies or studying in a quiet place. 

Personally I prefer studying alone in a quiet place while listening to classical music. Classical music makes me calm and helps me a lot to stay more focused and you might want to try that out. 😊I know a few people who can multitask, they listen to music while watching tv and at the same time, studying and they get good grades too. But I cant do that, I’ll probably just get distracted and watch tv and I wont study anymore😂 Also, group studies can be helpful sometimes but I really prefer to study alone because I’ll just end up talking to my study buddies and it will be very unproductive. Well, that’s me and I hope you’ll also find your own style or method of studying.

Another tip try using highlighters, post it notes, or post it flags for studying. You Image result for post it notes, highlighers, post it flags you can use this on your notebook, on your reviewers or directly on your book. They can make your notes and other important details to pop up more.

You can use highlighters to of course, highlight the important details. You can use different highlighters for different purposes. Like for example, pink for vocabulary words, blue for dates, yellow for important people, green for important notes, and orange for examples. Those are just my examples so your notes will be more organized and you wont end up highlighting the whole page like I do.😂 Personally I like the pastel Stabilo highlighters because they aren’t as bright and harsh like the original ones.

You can attach post it notes on your book, notebook, or reviewer for additional notes and other important details. Post it notes pops up more on your notes and you can see it easily. You can write there some reminders, projects that has to be passed, diagrams, questions you want to ask your teacher or words that you want to research later, etc. You can use post it notes for anything so don’t limit yourself.

Next, post it flags! I love using post it flags as page markers and you can also do that. One tip for post it flags or arrow head, you can stick it on the page that has important details or for some details you want to know more of or anything like that. 

Another tip, you can draw diagrams or illustrations for you to understand the subject or lesson more clearly. You can use graphs, you can draw illustrations from your physics, chem, bio class, you can also draw your favorite scientist if you want.😂 Again, don’t limit yourself. Whatever helps you understand the lesson better, do it. 

You can also personalized your notes. Others make their notes fancy and colorful, which is really pretty but I honestly have no time for that and I’m not that creative.

Just refer to the photos below on how you can personalized your notes and how to use sticky notes, etc. Also, these are just my suggestions. You can do whatever you want with your highlighters, and other stuffs but I my suggestions helped you somehow.

Here are a few more tips from me: 

Advance study and don’t cram. Do things and study ahead of time so you don’t have to worry before the due date of your task and on your exams. 

If you’re new to your school, don’t be afraid to make friends. Smile and be positive. Also, seniors aren’t bullies so don’t be afraid to talk to them.

Join clubs that you’re interested in. I don’t know about you guys, but in my former school, being a part of a school club/organization has points that will only be counted once you’re a senior. You can get an award depending on how long you’re a member of that specific club so basically, the longer you’re in, the higher your award is BUT that also depends if you’re an active member. Also don’t just join for the points or just because your bestfriend is in there, join because you want to be in that club. You’ll meet new people and you’ll learn more.

It also doesn’t have to be academic clubs. You can join the dance team, sports team, glee club, or whatsoever.

Don’t be afraid to speak your thoughts but of course, respect everyone’s opinions and beliefs. That’s what I’ve realized whenever we have our debates. Just because others have a different opinion that yours, it doesn’t automatically make you or them wrong. Learn to listen so you’ll be heard. And remember, you’ll never win against people who are closed minded and don’t bother explaining on people who doesn’t even want to listen. Some thoughts are better left unsaid, but some deserved to be heard because who knows, maybe it can change the world. 

Stay true to yourself. Be unique, be original.

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That’s all for now. Part 2 will be posted again soon because this post is getting long and I want to explain it better in a separate post. And there, I’ll be talking about entrance exams, tips and advice when taking entrance exams, senior high and more!

I hoped you learned a thing or two from this post. And if you like it, don’t forget to click the like button and follow this blog for more. I also posted some tips for back to school last year and if you want to check that out, just click here.

La vie est belle,

A Week In My Life: Senior High School Edition

Last Monday, August 6, was the start of my school. My school has just begun and I can’t wait for it to be over. I’m so tired, honestly. I feel like I’m so drained and I needed coffee every morning to help me function. Nevertheless, it’s a fun and I learned new things in a span of 5 days.

Anyways, if you’re an incoming senior high student or your just curious what it feels like to be a shs student, then just keep reading.

MONDAY

1st day of school.I woke up early to charge my phone and because, I’m so excited that I cant sleep anymore. And I kinda regret not having enough sleep later because during our orientation, I was really sleepy. 

My friends and I waited for each other before we go to our own classrooms. And after that, our first subject teacher for that day guided us on our way to the school gym, in our school, it’s called the Sentrum.

We had our orientation and it is followed by the campus tour. We walked and walked and my feet hurts so bad. I’m a new student and seeing the whole school for the first time overwhelmed me. My new school is so much bigger than the old one and I’m kinda terrified and happy at the same time, because y’know, new school, new environment.

The we had our lunch break. When lunch was over, we’re told that we may or may not have classes for the afternoon depending on the teacher. No one came in our classroom so we didn’t have any classes at all. But some sections already met one or two of their teachers. And while waiting for the bell to ring, I was chatting with some of my friends. What I like the most about my new school is that it’s a digital campus. The wifi connects automatically once you’re inside.

TUESDAY

2nd day of school. So far I still feel excited and not tired on this day.

Unlike Monday, nothing much happened on this day. We met our some of our subject teachers and we have classes already. And of course, some teachers asked us to introduce ourselves. Although nothing exciting happened that day, it was a productive day. Some already gave activities and thankfully, we passed it later on the evening even if the submission date was still on Thursday.

WEDNESDAY

Nothing happened this day. Wednesday is like the day wherein we can do whatever we want. We can study, do our assignments and projects, but we cannot be absent because it’s still a  school day. And since it’s just the first week of school, we don’t have much tasks yet.

During the morning, I was busy chatting to my friends because I have no one to talk to on our classroom. I feel like crying because I thought I’ll have no friends and that scared me. However, after lunch, everything feels a bit better. My classmates are approachable and I realized, I have nothing to be scared about.

THURSDAY

On this day, I cant remember how many times I’ve said that I want the school year to be over. I feel so tired and I just want to sleep. We did a few subject related activities, and by this time, I can almost wander around the school without being lost.

I’m an ABM student. Although I haven’t met all of my subject teachers, by this time, the teachers that we’ve met are sharing some stories and experiences of what we will also be experiencing. I can feel the pressure already but I don’t want to pressure myself too much. I just want to do my best, study well, and learn something new everyday.

FRIDAY

5th day of school.

I was so sleepy and I’m so happy that the next day is a Saturday because I could finally get some sleep.

But anyways, teachers are starting to give school works and I have no idea how I could finish them. Thankfully, my group mates aren’t responsible and every is cooperative. Unlike in junior high I noticed that if not all, most students are more responsible and more mature. We finished everything on time and submit what is needed to be submitted earlier than the due date.

That’s just a short glimpse of what it feels like to be an shs student. It’s hard especially if you’re in a new school but life goes on. The only way out is through. You just gotta face your fears and do your best.

Like what I always say on my school related post, don’t be afraid to make new friends. Smile and don’t be shy and of course, treat everyone with respect. Whether they’re the janitors, teachers, school chancellor, seniors or freshmen, respect everyone and be kind. And also, allow yourself to learn something new each day.

Radiate positivity and love yourself.

La vie est belle,

It's that time of the year again! Back to school season is here!

Some of you had started their school already since June, but mine will just start tomorrow (August 6) that's why this post is late. Whether your school has begun or your school hasn't started yet, I hope you'll learn a thing or two from this post.

*This post is in continuation to my back to school tips.

1. My first advice and prolly the most essential one, get enough sleep.

Make sure you're well rested on your first day of school and the following weeks because once finals is near, you wont get to sleep as much as you want. And also because you'll be needing a lot of energy because some school prepares few activities on their first day.

2. Prepare yourself.

Make yourself, spiritually, emotionally, and physically, prepared on what possible thing can happen. By that I mean the projects, assignments, lessons that you might not understand easily, annoying people that you might encounter, and so on. School can sometimes be really stressful and frustrating that's why as early as the 1st day, be prepared so you can catch up easily.

3. Organize your things.

Aside from yourself, prepare your school supplies. Bring what you think will be needed on your first day of school and organize the things that you might need along the school year. Typically, on your first day of school, you wont be needing much. Me and my classmates usually bring 2-3 pens (black and red ballpen), one notebook, and some personal belongings like wallet and phone.

You can use envelopes, folders, or any file organizers to put important papers like test papers, worksheets, and hand outs. You can bring one on your first day of school if you think your teachers will give your class hand outs, etc.

4. Smile and say hi.

You don't have to act like you're confident just because you're nervous. Everyone is nervous on their first day so that's fine. Just smile, say hi to the people you encounter and don't be afraid to make friends.

If you have questions don't be afraid to ask. Also don't be afraid of your seniors, they don't bite.😂 Not all seniors are bullies, okay?

5. Bring foods.

If you have orientations on your first day, it's a good idea to bring snacks because you might get hungry before, during, and after. And the line in the caferia could be long that's why bring some food so you wont be hungry.

6. Write important notes.

There's not much to do during your first day but when your subject teachers are telling you what to bring and what school supplies you'll use on their class, you better write those down because in case you forget what your teacher said, it's good that you have a copy.

7. Know the courses or subjects you'll be taking.

After knowing the courses or subjects, you can start reading and researching about them. You can start writing your reviewers if your want. It's good to advance study and be prepared because there are some teachers who are really fond of surprise tests or graded recitations and if those things happened, you wont be nervous of not knowing the answers because you're already familiar on your lessons.

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Thank you for reading this blog post! That’s all for now. If your freshie or someone who’s school will start soon, I hope this helps!

I have a little back to school series going on in my blog and if you’re interested or you wanna know more, just go to my blog then go to the category school or tips 101. A few days ago I posted some back to school tips and if you wanna check that out, just click here. And check my blog every week because I have more stuffs that might help you, which I’ll be posting soon.

Good luck on your school lovelies! Have fun and study well. xoxo

La vie est belle,

As a dog returns to its vomit,   so a fool repeats his foolishness. 

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,    or you will become as foolish as they are.

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,   or they will become wise in their own estimation.

An employer who hires a fool or a bystander    is like an archer who shoots at random.

A proverb in the mouth of a fool    is as useless as a paralyzed leg.

YET

There is more hope for fools    than for people who think they are wise.