Actually doing work

this is part one, and mainly for high schoolers, but still has tips for all ages. message me anything you want in the next one, and it’ll be sure to be included! 

001: T H E  G R A D E S 

This needs to be addressed first, as i know how many people struggle with this. By this, I don’t mean studying and work and all of that. I mean the grades itself. The number. One thing I’ve learned is that however much it may feel that way, is that: 

a grade does not define you. 

You get an F - ask yourself, did you study enough? Do you understand the topic? Do you need more help? Were you trying to answer correctly? 

This doesn’t show how smart you are - it’s one test. One out of hundreds in your school career. 

Tests do not show the full extent of your talents - you do. You are not a number. 

don’t believe me? 

why bad grades and poor test scores do not define you

why grades matter, but they aren’t you

002: S T U D Y I N G 

In high school, you often have all sorts of extracurriculars, and in college, you might have work. And it’s super hard to fit everything in to a jam packed schedule, but just stop and think. 

When do you spend time scrolling through your phone? 

Do you prioritize your tasks? 

Could you procrastinate less? 

Often times, you don’t. There are 24 hours in a day - subtract 8 for sleep, and 7 for school. That’s still 9 hours. 9 hours to work and do other things as well. You just have to find the way. 

posts that are helpful: 

effective study routine for intense classes by  @study-strive

how to study like a boss by @wannabesurgicalgod

no-bullshit study guide by @studying-queen

guide to last minute studying by @med-school-musings

how to earn more a’s: tips from an honors student by @abs-studies

the art of highlighting by @studygene

effectively studying by @studybudyblr

apiarianbelljar’s guide to studying in bed by @apiarianbelljar 

study tips from: a mit student with a 5.0 by @academicheaux

how to study like a harvard student by @yhbgk

study tips for lazy people by @riseandstudy

studying for the lazy by @areistotle

003: C L A S S 

class - what school is made of, right? Well, there’s more in class than just learning. There’s the teacher, the content, and the students. 

the teacher

talk to them! this sounds like an awful idea if you want your social life to be saved, but trust me. they will enjoy talking to you, and soon enough you won’t be doing as bad in the class as you were before (because they’ll spend more time helping you). 

related to the first one, actually listen to them. even if they’re a bad teacher. 

from experience, i have realized that especially in classes where things aren’t black and white, you should not be rude to them. not all teachers are fair. some grade the people they like easier, even if they don’t realize it.  

links: 

how to do well in a class with a crappy teacher by @ace-studying

that’s all i have really 

the content

pay!! attention!! i cannot stress how important this is. you cannot learn as well as you can in the moment. 

taking notes is important, but in some classes you simply can’t take notes. and that’s understandable. for example, in my math, i can’t take notes simply because we do practice problems on a site that is able to be accessed from home as well - there’s no point. but jotting down important information, or highlighting things that you already have, works as well. 

links: 

staying awake / focused in class by @mathbrain

class presentations and speaking in public by @nerdytravelingstudent

study tips for the new semester by @studyingandlattes

how to make the best use of your time by @tbhstudying

the students

so i’m going to highlight three different situations for this: 

CASE 1: your BFF and a few other friends are in your class. great! now that you know you’re secure, find another person to be friends with. see that new kid that’s sitting alone? go talk to them. maybe they’re a really cool person. you’ll never know if you just keep talking to your friends all the time. 

CASE 2: you only have a few acquaintances in your class, and they have better friends as well. this one’s hard - your acquaintances are likely to brush you off. start talking to them slowly, though, and in no time at all, you should have gotten closer! then you’ll have a friend in the class :) 

CASE 3: you have no friends in your class. this is the hardest - you have to start from scratch. often, someone might take the first move, but just sit near someone who looks friendly and start talking to them! i went through this situation last year, and ended up with some super good friends. 

004: A D I E U 

part two will go in-depth with motivation and procrastination! message me anything else that you want on the next one (who knows, there might even be a part 3) i hope you guys liked this, and learned something from it! 

my masterposts: 

math

12.02.2016 Cognitive psychology is such a pain in the ass. Rainy day, worked for three hours, I’m as sleep deprived as I could possibly be.

writing adult emails is awful

its like

hi [name of person], 

this formatting is making me uncomfortable but I have to tell you something / ask you something that is vital to my career as a student. 

I re-read and edited that sentence for an hour, but you’ll probably just glance over it for half a second.

thanks! 

Dear Person I am Writing To:

This is an optional sentence introducing who I am and work for, included if the addressee has never corresponded with me before. The second optional sentence reminds the person where we met, if relevant. This sentence states the purpose of the email.

This optional paragraph describes in more detail what’s needed. This sentence discusses relevant information like how soon an answer is needed, what kind of an answer is needed, and any information that the other person might find useful. If there’s a lot of information, it’s a good idea to separate this paragraph into two or three paragraphs to avoid having a Wall of Text.

If a description paragraph was used, close with a restatement of the initial request, in case the addressee ignored the opening paragraph.

This sentence is just a platitude (usually thanking them for their time) because people think I’m standoffish, unreasonably demanding, or cold if it’s not included.

Closing salutation,

Signature.