Studyblr

I think it’s time to share with you what I actually do when I study. Here’s a list (non-exhaustive) of the main tools I use before an exam. Enjoy! 

I read my notes consciously, then I hide them and try to write down everything I remember. Then I’ll take my notes again, and look for what’s missing. Not only it permits me to see what I still don’t know, but it also consolidates what I already know. This one really works if you have to learn pathways, key concepts, etc. Re-write as it comes to your mind, make a mind-map, use arrows, etc.

Once I identified what I don’t know, I’ll just put a mark on my notes, so I know that this specific part needs to be more reviewed.

When I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to review, I’ll just divide it into sections and create a study plan! 99% of the time, this makes me realize that it’s not that terrible and I can get through this! I feel much better then!

The Forest App. I don’t use it systematically but it really helps me keeping distractions away (AKA my phone) and in the end, I can have a little peek view of my study session!

Whenever I’m reading something important that I know I won’t automatically remember, I write it down on a piece of paper. Indeed, I always use a bloc-notes when studying, so I just write down important points. By doing this, I become more active when learning and actually remember better! And sometimes I keep those pieces of paper so I can re-read them just before the exam.

I try to stick to a memorization routine. For example, if it’s the first time I read a specific topic that I have to memorize, I’ll re-read it 3 days after, then again a week after, then 10 days after, etc. This is the best way to memorize: « repetitio est mater studiorum » as my anatomy teacher says.

When reading your notes, always try to think about what could be the possible questions that are “exam askable”.

If you have any specific topics to learn about the same main subject, try to summarize each topic on only one paper sheet. It’s been proven that we tend to memorize more when we see the information only on one paper than many. For example, I’m currently preparing my microbiology exam, so I did a sheet for each virus or bacteria and put them in plastic sleeves and store them in a binder. By doing this, I’ll be able to re-read them all the days before the exam and retain the most important information! 

The textbook is cool, but sometimes I’m in a rush and summaries made from previous years students will do the job. Of course, I make sure there’re no mistakes inside. And it can actually help with difficult subjects. 

I only use flash cards for vocabulary (my dear Spanish!) or pharmacology. They are the PERFECT way to memorize some things by heart!

Colour coding is a simple method of helping you learn and memorise material. When used effectively, it not only helps with your understanding but looks pretty! Setting up a colour code that works for all your subjects and can suit highlighters is often tricky, but these are my tips for creating and utilising your own personalised system! 

Don’t over complicate! You don’t need to have 20 different colours but around 7 or 8 so it’s still easy to remember. Identifying what areas you want to highlight (for general and subject specific) is a great way to start. This can include terms, formulas, dates, etc!

Gather your supplies. Obviously you’ll need an assorted pack of coloured pens to start your system. I use Staedtler Stick 432 Ice Ballpoint Pens and Stabilo Swing Cool Highlighters since the colours are very similar and therefore work for both writing and highlighting. You could also use coloured post-it notes for annotating!

Use examples to sort your own code! Seeing what other people are doing and applying your own twist is good way to get started. My colour code was created for general use but mainly for business and legal studies. My system is as follows:

Black - for general notes.

Yellow (highlighter only) - for important information that outlines the point.

Light blue (pen and highlighter) - for terms and their definitions/synonyms.

Red (pen only) - for sentence points and key ideas in my study notes (usually not class notes). 

Dark blue (pen and highlighter) - for businesses, agencies, legislation, etc. 

Light green (pen and highlighter) - for quotes, case studies.

Dark green (pen only) - for people’s names or important dates.

Purple (pen and highlighter) - for books titles, publications, reports. 

Pink (pen and highlighter) - for statistics. 

Orange - for examples.

Avoid over-doing-it. Write mostly in black. It is easiest to keep your general notes in a dull colour so the important parts stand out. Try not to make your page a rainbow! You only want certain parts to stand out so limit what you’re writing or highlighting. Also, changing pens every minute is a waste of time, so keeping everything brief and minimal is the best way!

Finally, remember your code! Write down somewhere the meaning behind each colour. This could be on your phone, in a planner or at the beginning of each notebook - whatever works for you! After a while you’ll just know what the colours means and that will make finding material and information much easier.

Hey guys, it’s been a while. I’m in my second semester of college now, realizing that my school stationery days are coming closer and closer to the end.

Everyone has their different tactics for notetaking, and although I have been an absolute stationery fiend since I was a kid, I noticed I prefer taking notes in class with just pen and paper, no real fancy sticky notes, index cards, tabs, or washi tape. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

When I was a sophomore in High School, a friend and I would go into NYC often during the summer (we live 15 miles outside the city) and literally RAID the muji stores STUFFING OUR SHOPPING BAGS WITH STATIONERY AND OTHER SUPPLIES. We would walk all the way from the financial district and hit up EVERY muji store until 42nd street. (That’s over 50 New York blocks WALKING because him and I were too shy to flag down a taxi—- and at this time there were only 4 mujis in our area, now there are 6.)

So I have, like, 30 muji pens, 15 notebooks, maybe 30 altogether if you count the various sizes, TONS of little sticky notes (like the infamous cat sticky notes that muji carries) sticky tabs, special letter writing stationery, all sorts of stuff!!

And over the years I’ve also had the opportunity to shop at various Japanese and Korean markets and stores that carry ENDLESS supplies of kawaii themed stationery.

I don’t need this stuff in my life anymore and for the past 3 years it’s all been stowed away nicely and untouched as desk accessories.

I would like to hand down these items to MULTIPLE lucky winners of a giveaway I had in mind.

Because I have SO MUCH muji stationery and other kawaii stationery, the giveaway prizes would be randomized but equally divided as much as possible. And based on the popularity of products (like the popular pens and notebooks) I would make sure each winner gets at least one or two of those “special items”.

^^^ I know that this is a really ugly pic but I just spent some time hauling out the HUGE load of unused (or very lightly used) stationery that is just laying around my house. Everything is in super good if not perfect condition, and anything that has writing in it will NOT be included in the giveaway. (Obviously)

What prizes are included?

Muji pens

Muji notebooks (in various sizes)

Muji sticky notes

Muji notepads

Muji highlighters

Muji lettersets (mini and standard size)

Muji erasers

Kawaii themed stationery:

Rilakkuma

Pom Pom purin

Sumikko gurashi

Kakao Friends (possibly, not sure if I’ll give it up hah)

EXCLUSIVE Studio Ghibli stationery found in the Japan store in Epcot, Disney World

Kiki’s Delivery Service and Totoro

Moleskine notebooks!

Special art markers (similar to mildliners)

And I’m still going through A LOT of my stuff so there will be more, I may have some pencil cases to give away!!!!

How do I enter???

All you have to do is reblog this post!! I want it to get lots of exposure so I can get rid of this stuff!

You don’t even have to follow me if you don’t want to. But I will say that in the future I will be doing a special Pusheen Box giveaway as well! (Probably in May!)

Deadline:

I will announce SIX (6) winners on March 15th AT RANDOM from the list of reblog s this post gets.

I will message each of the six winners for their mailing addresses, if a winner doesn’t respond by March 17th, then I will go on to a different random entry.

Please get this around the studyblr community, I hate seeing my lovely stationery untouched and unused, it breaks my heart. :”( It would mean a lot if you could reblog this for entry!!

Everyone have a lovely day and also, it won’t count as an additional entry, but if you follow my Instagram @jesspurr I will be posting my own hand drawn stationery and probably more pics of the giveaway prizes from there! (As well as on this tumblr account).

you share so much of yourself, so i thought that i would share some quick things about me!!

1. i love to read

2. i love singing, it’s my favorite thing to do!

3. i am a PR major

4. i love to write, and am currently a news reporter for my university’s newspaper

5. i love the office, new girl, parks and rec, that 70s show, vampire diaries/originals, riverdale, etc.

6. i love disney, especially tangled, tarzan, and lilo and stitch

7. i love you.

8. i’ve been listening to your music since fifth grade, and the first time i saw you live was on the fearless tour in newark

9. i love reputation. it is my favorite album you’ve put out to date, and the lyrics destroy me. you’ve written a masterpiece.

10. i’m so proud of you. you inspire me more and more, and i am so happy that i grew up looking up to you. thank you for everything.

Yes, even if you’re taking the maximum credit load. Because if I can do it, you can do it too. Note: My credit load also included a handful of honors courses. 

Side-note: I’m going to be a junior (how??) and an RA (!!!) in the fall. Life moves fast. College moves faster. Anyways, 

Here are my top tips: 

1. LOOK AT THE SYLLABUS AND WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. This is step number one, and it’s not up for debate. If you do this, there’ll be no surprises, and if there are: point it out to the professor (a simple, ??? this wasn’t on the syllabus ??, usually works). Also, you have to check and see what constitutes as an A in that class. Sometimes it’s a 90, sometimes it’s not. (a 96 was an A- in one of my classes last semester. I’m so serious.)

2. Get a calendar. Not a planner. One of those giant calendars with puppies or something on it and write down everything you have to do for the month. Put it above your desk. This helps A LOT because you can see everything you have coming up for the next few weeks, instead of jus playing it day-by-day. 

3. It is OK to use ratemyprofessor. Sometimes it can be really helpful, but pay attention to the more in depth reviews that talk about what the homework, tests, quizzes and projects are like (instead of “her lectures are boring :///) 

4. Sit in the front of your class. You’ll be more likely to pay attention and less likely to scroll through instagram. (by the way, mine is @parissdb :) It also grabs your professors attention, so even if you’re shy, they’ll at least know your face.

5. Do that extra credit. A lot of professors offer it in the beginning of the semester, and hardly anyone does it because no one’s thinking past tomorrow. It may be what saves you in the long run. 

6. Figure out your best method of note-taking. For me, it’s good ol pen and paper. It helps me remember everything. Some people prefer typing it out. This is beneficial bc it makes it easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. (Thank you, command + F)

7. Put your effort into the percentages. If an assignment is worth 1% of your grade, do it well, but don’t exhaust yourself. It’s 1%!!!! If it comes down to it, spend more time studying for that exam that’s worth 30% than the group project worth 20. 

8. Please. Stop studying what you already know. We’re all guilty of it. It makes you feel better knowing you have chapters 1-3 down, even if you don’t know 4-7. The key to studying is to learn what you don’t know. 

9. Learn how to study. (Yes, it’s actually a skill that has to be learned.) I’m the biggest procrastinator I know, especially when it comes to studying. But I’ve found that studying 2 days before an exam usually does the trick for me. I create a master study guide during day 1 and study it all on day 2. Depending on what time the exam is, I may review on the morning of day 3. 

10. SAVE SOME TIME FOR FUN ffs. Seriously. You don’t have to study 24/7, and I don’t know about y’all but my attention span was not built for that.

I might add more to this later, or make another post because I could give these tips for ever and ever. But hopefully this helps someone out there. 

shower. not a bath, a shower. use water as hot or cold as u like. u dont even need to wash. just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. sit on the floor if you gotta.

moisturize everything. use whatever lotion u like. unscented? dollar store lotion? fancy ass 48 hour lotion that makes u smell like a field of wildflowers? use whatever you want, and use it all over. 

put on clean, comfortable clothes. 

put on ur favorite underwear. cute black lacy panties? those ridiculous boxers u bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? put em on.

drink cold water. use ice. if u want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

clean something. doesn’t have to be anything big. organize one drawer of ur desk. wash five dirty dishes. do a load of laundry. scrub the bathroom sink. 

blast music. listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

make food. don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. take the time and make food. even if it’s ramen. add something special to it, like a hard boiled egg or some veggies. prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. 

make something. write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. even if you don’t think you’re good at it.

go outside. take a walk. sit in the grass. look at the clouds. smell flowers. put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

call someone. call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. talk to a stranger on the street. have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. if you can’t, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. even if you don’t say much, listen to them.

This post will consist of study tips and techniques that I have learned throughout university that allowed me to receive straight A’s both semesters my senior year. Long story short, during my final year at university I wanted to improve my GPA and receive good grades in all of my courses. I aimed for an A in all of them and managed to get straight A’s both semesters, as well as end up on the student honors list for having a high semester GPA. I hope that these tips can help improve your grades, but straight A’s are never guaranteed (please keep this in mind). Also, I will be sharing with you all of my study tips (tested for 4 years at university), as well as tips that I learned in my cognitive psychology course about memory and learning. Keep reading if you’re interested in SLAYING this semester!

1. Set GOALS. I have a post already up on how to set SMART goals at the beginning of a new a semester. Click HERE to read it. I also have a guide sharing tips how I prepare for a new semester, click HERE to read it. 

2. LECTURES. Attend all lectures, workshops, tutorials, classes, labs, etc. If you’re a full time student, you shouldn’t make excuses to skip lectures. Before lectures, I would skim assigned textbook readings or look through uploaded PowerPoint slides to have a general idea about the topic, what will be taught, what I should pay more attention to, etc. You will already be familiar with the material and this will allow you to ask questions, summarize key information, anticipate what will be featured in the exam.

3. Learn from DAY 1. My biggest tip for studying and surviving university, is that you need to start learning from day 1 and then build up your knowledge throughout the years. The first few lectures of any major are usually the core of that major, so you have to know those subjects and topics well. Then, your knowledge will build on a strong foundation, which will make learning easier. So start learning from day 1, keep up with new material and you will see that as exams approach, you will be less stressed about not knowing anything. 

4. HOMEWORK. At my university, we would be frequently assigned a lot of homework, so I always made sure I had everything done. Sure, there were times where I would skim through readings or half-ass assignments, but the key here is to know the importance of each assignment. Sometimes, while doing homework I would get carried away and research the topics to learn more about them, because it would help me understand it better. It really depends on the assignment. Another reason why doing homework is crucial is because often professors throw in homework questions in exams. By practicing trying to solve problems you’re already doing yourself a favor, because practice makes perfect. 

5. REVIEW. After lectures, I would review freshly learned materials at home. I would finish taking notes from slides, research what I didn’t understand, as well as look up answers to my questions (if the professor didn’t answer them). I would also study the material. Repetition of studying information over and over again is great for retention, as YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE MATERIALS AND BE ABLE TO APPLY IT. Don’t memorize it, know it! (this is honestly the biggest key to success!)

6. EXAMS. For exams, I would make study guides from chapter readings that cover the necessary information. I would either fill in a pre-made study guide handed out to us by our professors, or I would create one. I would include terms and definitions, key concepts, key research, theories, examples, etc. A quick tip is to make study guides from slides and then add extra information anywhere necessary from the readings. Keep in mind that your study guide’s should include only important information, don’t get carried away! Then I would only study from those study guides, which usually worked well for multiple choice exams. For essay based exams, I would ask professors for topics that we can expect on the exams and write them out at home. I would then learn from those essays. This methods helps you have coherent thoughts, arrange arguments, etc. 

7. PROJECTS. I would start working on projects (group presentations, individual presentations, etc.) at least a week in advance, just because I’m a perfectionist and a visual learner, which means that I wanted my slides to be PERFECT. Nice slides can help your earn good grades! I would choose a slide design style, 2-3 fonts (max), 2-3 colors (max) and would stick to them. I would also include funny photos (memes are really popular if they suit the topic!) or gifs. As for information, I would be keep it short and summarized on the slides, and if I needed to expand on a certain point, I would be able to do that on my own. Don’t put a lot of text on your slides, nobody likes to read them (Unless it’s a very official presentation, your professor asked you to, etc.). If you have a good sense of humour, you can throw in some jokes during your presentation (in my case sarcasm wasn’t for everyone, but at least my friends found it funny!). Take the time to prepare a nice presentation, practice presenting in your room, because it is an easy way to earn good grades. 

8. PAPERS. I would also start working on papers at least a week in advance, this usually depended on the lenght of the paper and the topic. I would research articles that I could include first and make a bibliography list. Then I would read those articles, which could take up 2-3 days if I was busy and had to work on other assignments. Afterwards, I would start writing, one paragraph at a time (this approach worked on harder/longer papers or a boring topic). Sometimes I would word vomit all of my ideas and then read through it and edit the paper. However, if I could, I would always try to choose an interesting topic and I would always discuss them with my professors beforehand, because they could recommend readings or help with generating ideas for arguments, etc. 

9. STUDY GROUPS. Studying with friends or a group of students from your class can be different and fun, as well as beneficial for receiving that A. I would utilize study groups before mid-terms and finals, but always make sure to study on your own first and only then attend a study group. Once you know the material well, you can meet up with your friends/peers and teach each other concepts that you still can’t quite grasp. You know you’ve learned a topic well if you can teach it to other people and them being able to understand what you are teaching. Otherwise, study groups can be distracting and a great excuse to procrastinate. 

10.  PROFESSORS. Your professors are a wonderful resource of knowledge, so use them! Attend their office hours, ask questions, discuss any problems or issues that you’re having in their lecture after class. Don’t be afraid to approach them, because they’re a great ally for your success! They always notice students who go above and beyond to learn and do well at university! Trust me, they talk behind students backs as much as students gossip about professors! They can also offer you amazing opportunities afterwards, when doing research, working on dissertations, etc. I was recently offered a volunteer lab assistant position, to help out one of my professors, even though I already graduated. So network with your professors, they will help you out!

11. LEARNING STYLE. It would be useful for you to know what’s your learning style. Visual, auditory, read & write or kinesthetic. You can read about it more in detail HERE. I’m a visual learner, so I would include graphs, drawings, schemes, etc. in my notes, in order to retain information better. Discovering your learning style could help you improve your studying habits! 

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND LEARNING. Below you will find the tips for studying that I learned during my cognitive psychology course. 

It’s easier to remember information you can interpret in the context of things you already know. You will remember textbook material better if you take the time to scan a chapter first, to get a sense of the major points, before reading the chapter in detail. This is also the reason why professors ask students to read chapters before class, so that the students’ minds are prepared to encode and remember the information presented in the lecture. 

The more deeply you analyze information, the more likely you are to remember it later. This is known as depth of processing. Experiments have shown that people remember words better if they’re formed to think about the meaning of words, rather than simply memorizing them. 

The best way to prepare for a test is by processing the material in a way that is similar to how you expect to be tested on it: making the study and recall format as similar as possible. 

More cues mean better recall. Free recall is when you are simply asked to generate the information from memory. Cued recall is when you are given some kind of a prompt. Recognition is when you pick out the correct answer from a list of possible options. Many students prefer to take exams with questions involving multiple choice (recognition test) rather than essays (free-recall test). Professors know this too, so they design multiple choice questions to include alternative answers that can easily be mistaken for the correct response if the student hasn’t studied the material closely. 

I hope you found the information included in this post helpful. If you’re interested in reading more, check out my other back to school blog posts HERE, as well as my studygram account HERE.

Ok I’m really sorry this was supposed to just be a simple list of some pages for a bullet journal and it turned into this

Bujo basics (see more bujo masterposts at the bottom):

what is a bullet journal? (video)

how to bullet journal (video)

official bullet journal website

a blog post about bullet journaling

Here’s some basic bujo advice that I can’t back up because I’ve never had one:

use pencil first if you’re trying our a new format (and just in general because you never know when you’ll make mistakes).

stick to a limited color palette (preferably lighter colors) if your worried about how it will look.

be realistic about how much you can do; if you’re not a good artist, don’t make the focus point of your spread a huge elaborate drawing.

don’t beat yourself up over mistakes you make. only you have to see your bujo so it’s really not the end of the world if you mess up a bit.

Notebooks:

Leuchtturm1917 (the official bullet journaling notebook)

Rhodia Webnotebook

Dotted Moleskine

Essentials Grid-Lined notebook

Baron Fig Confident notebook

a cute infographic breaking down 4 of these notebooks

Just a tip: there are 4 main kinds of notebooks - lined, dotted, gridded, and blank. I only linked dotted notebooks above, but those brands also made other notebooks so they shouldn’t be too hard to find.

lined notebooks are good for when your bujo is writing-heavy (so if it’s also functioning as a journal).

dotted notebooks are probably what you see most often because they’re so versatile. they’re great for both writing and more doodle heavy bujos (but if you have trouble writing in a straight line they probably aren’t for you).

gridded notebooks are great if your a perfectionist because they make it super easy to draw straight lines.

blank notebooks are what you want to use if your bujo will be very art focused.

Pens:

Staedler fineliners (colored pens)

Stabilo fineliners (more colored pens)

Muji gel pens (black)

Muji gel pens (colored)

Pilot G-2 0.5mm pens (my personal faves)

Pilot Juice pens (colored)

these are just some pens that are popular in the studyblr community, but you can literally use any pen (or pencil) that you want. any pens that you already have in you house are fine, so please don’t go out and buy any of these just for your bujo!

EXTRA: you can check my supplies tag and there should be some swatches like this

More supplies:

here are some stationary websites & brands!

stationary masterpost

stationary websites masterpost

style your journal

huge stationary masterpost (this one’s awesome)

Brands:

if you don’t want to go through all those  links, here are the most popular places to get stationary!

amazon

jetpens

muji

kikki.k

paperchase

EXTRA: washi tape

Spreads:

you’ll generally have four types of spreads: daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. people have a combination of the for (daily and monthly; weekly and monthly; weekly, monthly, and yearly).

EXTRA: some resolutions that you can track in your daily log

Page ideas (what the ask was really about):

bullet journaling masterpost (this is the most comprehensive)

a guide to bullet journaling (the pages section)

comprehensive bullet journal masterpost (pages section)

my masterpost of masterposts (bujo section)

what to do with notebooks (just adapt them for your bujo)

some cool bujos (any inspiration you might need)

my bullet journaling tag (more inspiration)

bullet journal basics masterpost (more pages and a few tips and tricks)

EXTRA: (a lot of) themes for your bujo

the above is where bullet journals get even more customizable. you can add whatever pages you want to your bujo, usually in front or behind your weekly spreads.

An extra section:

some specifics about what you can add to your bujo if you want it to look great

fonts:

calligraphy swatch

calligraphy practice printable

faux calligraphy guide

***my header tag

the outline font

font sheet

sunbeam font

all of studypetals font sheets

doodles:

all of studypetals doodle sheets

all of studypetals banner sheets

plant doodles

more doodles (video)

literally just google “studyblr doodles”

EXTRA: a lot of quotes

Some more bullet journaling masterposts:

bullet journaling masterpost (this one’s super comprehensive)

guide to bullet journals

online bullet journals

starting a bullet journal

masterpost of bullet journals

guide to bullet journals

People with AMAZING bujos:

@studypetals

@studywithinspo *

@emmastudies

@sprouht-studies *

@eintsein

@hwangmyeons

@stillstudies *

@obsidianstudy

@productivityplant *

@carlostudyblr

@hittingthebooks

@studytherin *

@studyfulltime *

@journalsanctuary

@milkteastudies

@studie-s

@sweetlighttriumph *

Hello everyone!

My real name is Borys, but you can call me seakidd, kidd or whatever you like.  I wanted to establish a studyblr to motivate myself. Also, I hope to be more organised, because I feel I mastered procrastination skill.

Now, I should tell you something about me, so here we go:

I am 18 years old (I had my 18th birthday yesterday!!), senior student in my high school,

my school subjects that I will have to pass on finals are: math, geography, English and Polish,

Now, some of my interests:

cats,

pirates (seriously, I know everything about them),

TV series, movies, anime and games,

drawing and sculpting (I suck at this, but who cares),

figure skating.

Also, I wanted to tell you that…

I don’t have social life and have hard times making friends, but I hope I will be able to make some friends here,

I am currently learning English (at school), Italian and Japanese (by myself),

my native language is Polish, so if you learn Polish and need any help, I will try to explain some things.

Please, bear in mind that English is not my first language, so I may make some mistakes (even writing this post is so stressful).

Lastly, I want to mention studyblrs/langblrs that inspired me to make my own blog:

@jiyeonstudies, @rhubarbstudies, @einstetic, @languageoclock, @pridebulletjournal, @etudiance, @nanastudies, @determinationandcaffeine, @blackteaandlanguages, @learningjapanese, @japanesestudyblr, @chloestudiessometimes, @suamaliestudies

If there’s something I love is hearing people’s book recommendations so today I’m giving you mine!

Only Ever Yours - this book is amazing and hardly anyone talks about it. The best way I can describe it is a feminist critique set in a dystopian society. Beware, it is not a happy read, but I do think it’s extremely eye-opening and something everyone should read.

Carry On - sort of a spin off of Fangirl (but not really) and kind of a Harry Potter rip off (but not really). The characters are lovable and the universe is actually pretty interesting in spite of being based off of HP. And the fluff. All the fluff.

We Were Liars – this is a mystery that starts with Cady going back to her family’s vacation island and meeting up with her childhood friend group, the Liars. May possibly make you flip a table. Also E. Lockhart’s writing style sets the pace for this novel so well. So much said in such few words.

The Darkest Minds – superpowers, concentration camps and a roadtrip, need I say more? It’s fast-paced, interesting and the heroine actually has a personality.

Vicious (actually all of VE Schwab’s books but let’s start here) - this book tells the story of the rivalry between two (super)villans. The superpower-holders are complex and the constant POV switch just makes the story a lot more interesting ALSO IT’S GETTING A SEQUEL AND I’M DYING

One of Us is Lying - a high school murder mystery à la PLL. The characters and the amount of development they go through alone make this read worthwhile.

The Raven Boys – if you haven’t heard about these books have you been living under a rock?, I promise you, you’ve never read anything like them  It’s technically about a boy looking for a ancient Welsh king but the characters make it so much more than that and also it’s just so atmospheric and aesthetic?

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - aka a vampire book done right. The plot and situation is extremely believable and despite being a standalone, the world is well developed. Also the romance is so not in your face that you can just ignore it {but you won’t want to tbh).

Kill The Boy Band – hilarious commentary on fangirl culture that takes an unexpected turn (fine maybe not so unexpected). It’s short, fast-paced and if you’ve ever participated in fangirl culture (who hasn’t?),you’ll relate so much.

No Good Deed – written by the same author as Kill The Boy Band and equally as great. Follows a summer camp for young activists who, after a competition for a juicy prize is announced, begin sabotaging each other. If you’ve spent more than two minutes on Tumblr, the constant parody of extreme social justice should resonate with you.

Ready Player One – a scavenger hunt set in a virtual reality. The world is fascinating and well crafted and the plot’s sense of urgency will keep you turning the pages. (Also I just did a review on it if you want to know more).

The 5th Wave - the real selling point of this book is how it makes you second guess yourself until the very end. Also the main character’s sarcasm and sense of humor is on point. Yes it’s about an alien invasion but who cares.

Two recommendations that are probably not for everybody

Pretty Little Liars (yep the books) - if you like really immersive and realistic writing with well developed characters that deal with relatable problems, you will love these books. Also it’s an actual well-woven mistery with real answers, not a total tease like the TV show, and it delves much deeper into issues that the show shies away from. But beware, there are like 20 books in the series.

All of LJ Smith’s books ALL OF THEM. If you like your supernatural YA romance, these will be your jam. I specially recommend the Night World series (I’d actually say start with the second one and once you’re hooded read the first one), the Dark Visions trilogy and The Forbidden Game. Skip The Secret Circle and The Vampire Diaries if you’re not into slow reads.

Also!! Please give me book recs!! it’s not like I already have a ridiculous TBR.

Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived up to your full potential? Would your body be healthier? Your skin clearer? Bank account bigger? I think about these things all the time, and, judging my a previous post, you guys do to. Below is a chart designed to help all of us live up to our full potential. I’ve broken it down into time frames to help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Write the chart down and hang it someplace where you can see it all the time. I will be starting this challenge tomorrow, 9/8. I’ll check in with you guys every Sunday to track my progress. I have specific goals in mind for myself, and you guys should make some too! I really want to know how you guys are doing. Tag your progress posts with #sbfpc so I can track it and take a look. Let’s get to it!

EVERY MORNING

Stretch. First thing. Really give your body enough time to wake up. Touch your toes. Roll out your shoulders. Do not hit snooze!

Do your full skincare routine. I have mine detailed here, but do whatever works for you and your complexion. Be gentle and consistent. 

Brush your teeth and floss. I used to be a big floss-skipper too, but you’d be amazed at how dig of a difference it makes. Rinse with a whitening mouthwash. I use one by Crest, and I notice a major difference in my teeth’s overall whiteness in just a few days.

Give yourself enough time to get ready. Whether you’re a wash-and-go kind of girl, or someone who spends an hour doing a full contouring routine before class (and either one is fine!), make sure you aren’t rushing. If you need to wake up a few minutes earlier than normal, so be it. Rushing sets an awful, stressed-out tone for the rest of the day. Allow yourself to be relaxed before taking on the day.

Eat something. I’m not going to say eat a big breakfast, because some people (myself included) just can’t eat in the morning. But you should eat, or at least bring a little something with you to work or school. If you can’t eat a full breakfast, grab a fruit! You won’t be as hungry come lunch time, making you less likely to gorge yourself.

Shower. You can do this at night, in the morning, whatever. Again, this is something you should allow some time for. I don’t wash my hair every day, but I do condition it every day (from the ears down). Scrub yourself with a delicious-smelling body wash. If you shave, make yourself as smooth as a dolphin, dude. If you don’t, then don’t and don’t ever ever ever let anyone make you feel bad or weird about it. When you get out of the shower, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and totally slather your sexy self with lotion. Top to bottom. Do it as soon as you can post-shower so it can really sink in. 

Put leave-in condition throughout your damp hair and comb it through.

Put on an outfit that makes you feel good! So important!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Take a look at your daily to-do list. Knock out the most pressing stuff first. Take pride when you cross things off your list.

Make your bed! Oh my god, make your bed. Do it. Do it. Do it. 

EVERY AFTERNOON 

Follow the “touch it once” approach. This is a truly life-changing thing. When a task is in front of you, no matter how big or small, just do it right then and there. How many times have you gotten a work email or homework assignment and thought, “Eh, I’ll do it later”? And then later never comes? Once something pops up, do it once. Squash it and be done. Cross things off your list and feel like a badass.

Try to go for a walk at lunch. Even one little lap around the block or campus will reenergize you like nobody’s business. 

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Be present. This is so hard for me too, but you have to make a major effort to be present in whatever you’re doing. Be engaged and plugged-in and just exist in the moment. Give 100 percent.

Be friendly to friends and strangers. A smile goes a long way.

Eat something. Eat what you packed for lunch (see below) and take a break from working while you do it. You need “you time”!

EVERY EVENING

Take your makeup off as soon as you’re in for the night. Wash your face with your full routine and let your skin have a break. 

Workout. You can also do this in the morning. Whatever works for you. Make a great playlist and go hard af. Get your cardio in. Get your strength training in. Earn every freaking sweat bead forming on your forehead. Earn your shower!

Knock out your homework. Life is infinitely better you don’t have anything hanging over your head. Half the time, the energy and emotion you spent dreading/putting off your work is ten times worse than the work itself.

Make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow. It’ll set you up for success the next day, and you won’t forget anything!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This will save you SO MUCH TIME in the morning omg I can’t even tell you how important this is.

Eat something great. And once you’ve decided to be done eating for the night, be done. Brush your teeth so you can’t eat again.

After brushing, do a whitening treatment. Whether it’s classic baking soda, a Crest white strip, or a laser. Do something. And floss! Retainers in too, ladies 0:)

Relax! Take a few hours to do what YOU want to do. Scroll through Tumblr, binge on some Netflix, FaceTime gossip with your friends, anything. Do whatever makes you happiest. 

Shut the electronics off an hour before you want to go to bed. Put your phone on sleep mode. If you stare at the screen, it will keep you awake and alert and you won’t be able to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for weightless and general happiness lol

Do a quick sweep of your room and see if there’s anything you can put away real quick. A clean space is a happy space.

Crawl into your bed (aren’t you happy you took the time to make it?!) and read a book by lamplight for a while. When you start to feel sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push it. You kicked ass today and you deserve rest. 

EVERY WEEKEND

Do something with your friends. It just has to be one thing. Even if you’re just hanging out at the coffee shop, spending time with your squad will make you a better, happier person.

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Do something just for you. Set your laptop up in the bathroom and watch a Netflix marathon while you take a bubble bath. Buy an old school bottle of Mr. Bubbles ($3 at Target!) and really just soak. Relax. Light a candle.

Do something creative. You can read a book, write, blog, draw, code, anything. It just has to be something that speaks to your passion.

Track your progress. Just do this once a week so it doesn’t become all-consuming. And remember that non-scale victories are just as important as shedding pounds.

Take the time to be grateful. Tell your friend how much you admire her taste in music. Mention to your mom how much you love her cooking and how happy you are that she takes care of you. Thank your teaching after an especially interesting lecture. When you do something awesome, take a moment to admire yourself. Be grateful for even the little things.

1. Don’t cram, especially the night before the exam. Make sure to have the information prepared, and go over it the afternoon before. If you do it during the nighttime, you’re less likely to memorize the information.

2. Manage your time wisely. Preparing for an exam in advance is very crucial when aiming for a high grade. Studying a little everyday is always better than cramming last minute.

3. Proceed from Easy to Hard. This is simply the most efficient way to use your time on an exam. Start with all the questions you definitely know and then work your way to the hardest questions. Don’t worry about skipping around the exam. Exam questions tend to be organized in a random fashion anyway.

4. Annotate/ Revise/ Make-Your-Own Study Guide. By using these, some people are more likely to remember what they learned. Using index cards, pretty notes and sticky notes may help you remember the material when studying for an exam.

5. Use practice exams. If your teachers or professors have made practice exams available to you, get one out. I feel that practice tests are the best way to study for a big exam. You have all the types of questions in front of you to study and memorize. So, if you do happen to have a practice test, use it to your advantage!

6. Rewrite your notes. Rewriting your notes everyday after school will help you remember and review what you went over in class. This will help you on test day because you will remember rewriting your notes instead of struggling to remember taking the notes in class.

7. Do your homework. I know it’s boring and all, but just even doing it will help bring up not only your homework grades but you’ll learn a little bit (hopefully) and that’ll help with your test grades too. Homework improves and helps your test grades because it reviews what you learned in class that day.

Look through your notes and identify some key themes/areas. For example, I know that in my Psychology degree, theories, and methodologies come up a lot. 

Give each topic a colour.

Start with only a few areas. If you want to, you can put your colour code on a post it notes or flashcard somewhere that you can see it while you take your notes.

As you get more comfortable, your system can be developed to be something like this one:

The more that you use your system, the more used to it you’ll get. Soon you won’t even need the flashcard/post it note to remind you. It will become second nature.

When it comes to the actual coding you can do it in a few ways:

Highlighting the actual text.

Using different coloured pens.

Using coloured stickers or markers at the beginning of lines.

Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived up to your full potential? Would your body be healthier? Your skin clearer? Bank account bigger? I think about these things all the time, and, judging my a previous post, you guys do to. Below is a chart designed to help all of us live up to our full potential. I’ve broken it down into time frames to help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Write the chart down and hang it someplace where you can see it all the time. I will be starting this challenge tomorrow, 9/8. I’ll check in with you guys every Sunday to track my progress. I have specific goals in mind for myself, and you guys should make some too! I really want to know how you guys are doing. Tag your progress posts with #sbfpc so I can track it and take a look. Let’s get to it!

EVERY MORNING

Stretch. First thing. Really give your body enough time to wake up. Touch your toes. Roll out your shoulders. Do not hit snooze!

Do your full skincare routine. I have mine detailed here, but do whatever works for you and your complexion. Be gentle and consistent. 

Brush your teeth and floss. I used to be a big floss-skipper too, but you’d be amazed at how dig of a difference it makes. Rinse with a whitening mouthwash. I use one by Crest, and I notice a major difference in my teeth’s overall whiteness in just a few days.

Give yourself enough time to get ready. Whether you’re a wash-and-go kind of girl, or someone who spends an hour doing a full contouring routine before class (and either one is fine!), make sure you aren’t rushing. If you need to wake up a few minutes earlier than normal, so be it. Rushing sets an awful, stressed-out tone for the rest of the day. Allow yourself to be relaxed before taking on the day.

Eat something. I’m not going to say eat a big breakfast, because some people (myself included) just can’t eat in the morning. But you should eat, or at least bring a little something with you to work or school. If you can’t eat a full breakfast, grab a fruit! You won’t be as hungry come lunch time, making you less likely to gorge yourself.

Shower. You can do this at night, in the morning, whatever. Again, this is something you should allow some time for. I don’t wash my hair every day, but I do condition it every day (from the ears down). Scrub yourself with a delicious-smelling body wash. If you shave, make yourself as smooth as a dolphin, dude. If you don’t, then don’t and don’t ever ever ever let anyone make you feel bad or weird about it. When you get out of the shower, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and totally slather your sexy self with lotion. Top to bottom. Do it as soon as you can post-shower so it can really sink in. 

Put leave-in condition throughout your damp hair and comb it through.

Put on an outfit that makes you feel good! So important!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Take a look at your daily to-do list. Knock out the most pressing stuff first. Take pride when you cross things off your list.

Make your bed! Oh my god, make your bed. Do it. Do it. Do it. 

EVERY AFTERNOON 

Follow the “touch it once” approach. This is a truly life-changing thing. When a task is in front of you, no matter how big or small, just do it right then and there. How many times have you gotten a work email or homework assignment and thought, “Eh, I’ll do it later”? And then later never comes? Once something pops up, do it once. Squash it and be done. Cross things off your list and feel like a badass.

Try to go for a walk at lunch. Even one little lap around the block or campus will reenergize you like nobody’s business. 

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Be present. This is so hard for me too, but you have to make a major effort to be present in whatever you’re doing. Be engaged and plugged-in and just exist in the moment. Give 100 percent.

Be friendly to friends and strangers. A smile goes a long way.

Eat something. Eat what you packed for lunch (see below) and take a break from working while you do it. You need “you time”!

EVERY EVENING

Take your makeup off as soon as you’re in for the night. Wash your face with your full routine and let your skin have a break. 

Workout. You can also do this in the morning. Whatever works for you. Make a great playlist and go hard af. Get your cardio in. Get your strength training in. Earn every freaking sweat bead forming on your forehead. Earn your shower!

Knock out your homework. Life is infinitely better you don’t have anything hanging over your head. Half the time, the energy and emotion you spent dreading/putting off your work is ten times worse than the work itself.

Make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow. It’ll set you up for success the next day, and you won’t forget anything!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This will save you SO MUCH TIME in the morning omg I can’t even tell you how important this is.

Eat something great. And once you’ve decided to be done eating for the night, be done. Brush your teeth so you can’t eat again.

After brushing, do a whitening treatment. Whether it’s classic baking soda, a Crest white strip, or a laser. Do something. And floss! Retainers in too, ladies 0:)

Relax! Take a few hours to do what YOU want to do. Scroll through Tumblr, binge on some Netflix, FaceTime gossip with your friends, anything. Do whatever makes you happiest. 

Shut the electronics off an hour before you want to go to bed. Put your phone on sleep mode. If you stare at the screen, it will keep you awake and alert and you won’t be able to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for weightless and general happiness lol

Do a quick sweep of your room and see if there’s anything you can put away real quick. A clean space is a happy space.

Crawl into your bed (aren’t you happy you took the time to make it?!) and read a book by lamplight for a while. When you start to feel sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push it. You kicked ass today and you deserve rest. 

EVERY WEEKEND

Do something with your friends. It just has to be one thing. Even if you’re just hanging out at the coffee shop, spending time with your squad will make you a better, happier person.

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Do something just for you. Set your laptop up in the bathroom and watch a Netflix marathon while you take a bubble bath. Buy an old school bottle of Mr. Bubbles ($3 at Target!) and really just soak. Relax. Light a candle.

Do something creative. You can read a book, write, blog, draw, code, anything. It just has to be something that speaks to your passion.

Track your progress. Just do this once a week so it doesn’t become all-consuming. And remember that non-scale victories are just as important as shedding pounds.

Take the time to be grateful. Tell your friend how much you admire her taste in music. Mention to your mom how much you love her cooking and how happy you are that she takes care of you. Thank your teaching after an especially interesting lecture. When you do something awesome, take a moment to admire yourself. Be grateful for even the little things.

Because I want to