University beginner

You are studying to save those patients.

You are studying to save that family’s mother from a lengthy jail sentence.

You are studying to teach us all.

You are studying to improve global communication.

You are studying to improve the environment.

You are studying so we learn from the past.

You are studying so technology progresses.

Who ever you are and whatever your goals are.

Your decision to study will change the world. 

i rly srsly have a problem with this especially after school ))): like im always on tumblr or something so i never get anything done rip

so im gonna try to practice what i preach from now on!!! lets get into it!

preparing for productivity

when you get home from school or work, give yourself a 20-50 minute break. lets be honest we all have those days when we try to jump right into doing whatever the heck you need to do right when you get home but after like 20 minutes you’re distracted and a mess and not getting any work done. the easy way to prevent this is to give yourself time to do all of that before you start your work so you’re not distracted later (give urself an hour if its been an especially long day). eat a snack, wash ur face tbh, whip your hair, idk what you crazy kids do but do it. srsly. just get it out of the way.

get everything ya need in one place. this is kinda a no-brainer especially since it’s all over tumblr. but srsly why get up every 5 minutes to get a pencil or something? just have it all in the first place. ez.

turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode. personally i like to pretend like im so determined and focused but every time i see the little t at the top of my phone im just gone. don’t let it distract you. if you need the internet, use your laptop/computer for less distractions.

set the mood. idk what you do, whether thats playing the moana soundtrack hanging up fairy lights, putting on your diffuser or playing rap music; idk man! do it.

actually doing the thing

alright so now u got ur fairy lights, ur mildliners, ur face washed, and ur apple juice (??? apple juice is lit???). now throw yourself into it. literally just force yourself to do it. don’t know how??? welll!!! not sure how to help you! (no im kidding don’t leave yet pls)

use the touch it once rule. this is a favorite of the studyblr community. it means that everything on your to-do list, everything you know you need to accomplish– start it. just tell yourself “i’ll only do 3 math problems” or “i’ll only work on this resume for 5 minutes”. they say the hardest part is always starting. chances are, that unfinished worksheet is going to really bother you and you’ll end up finishing it. if not, then just come back to later and touch it again and again until you finish it. tedious, but it works.

use the “two minute rule”. i got this one from @emmastudies! this rule means that if anything on your list takes 2 minutes or less to do (checking your emails, checking your tumblr inbox or something), do it. just get it done.

keep it balanced. do like one easy task and then one hard task so you’re getting everything done but not overwhelming yourself either.

break down your tasks. don’t just look at a giant task like “write a 3-page paper”. break it down into smaller subtasks like “plan paper. draft paper. edit paper. type and print paper.” its much less scary to look at.

visualize procrastination as a monster. i do NOT take credit for this one; i saw it in a masterpost somewhere so this isnt mine!!! but basically i read that you should look at procrastination as a scary opponent ready to eat you alive (and honestly it is). tackle it. don’t let it attack. be so scared of it that you don’t let it get anywhere near you.

Things to put in your bullet journal ~ 

Poetry

Year overview 

Banners practice page

Future log

Doodles practice page

Resolutions page

Headers practice page

Monthly goals

Quotes

Weekly goals

Photos

Daily goals

Pretty things

Travel plans 

Maps

Mood tracker 

Stamps

Savings tracker

Receipts

Financial expenses tracker

Clothing tags

Habit tracker

Leaves

Sleep log

Flowers

Tips to save money

Plants

Gas mileage log

Grass

Monthly budget

Washi tape

Movies you want to watch 

Glitter

Books you want to read

Lipstick kisses

Dishes you want to cook 

Sequins

Book reviews 

Candy wrappers

Movie reviews  

Wrapping paper from gifts you’ve received

Step tracker

Recipes

Exercise tracker

Zentangles

Weight tracker

Makeup samples 

Self-care list

Gratitude list

Style board

Calendar of academic due dates and events

Inspirational photo board

Everything you achieved last year

Coloring pages

Daily reminders

Music you want to listen to 

Blog stats tracker

Favorite blogs

List of your favorite lyrics

Top 10 favorite albums

Water tracker

Handwriting samples

Paint swatches

Wish lists

Shopping lists

Gift ideas

Ticket stubs

Color schemes

Questions you want the answers to 

Things that make you happy

Dream log

Grade tracker

Study tracker

Homework tracker

Long term goals

Short term goals

Bucket list

Financial goals

DIY project ideas

Your favorite six word stories

Playlists

hey guys! my last semester of high school starts tomorrow and i thought i could make a quick lil masterpost on how to take on your next semester head-on and how to start off strong.

1. start off organized (whatever organized means to you)

one thing i tried this year was keeping a folder for all of my school papers and it helped me a lot instead of just putting my papers in one designated spot like previous years. keeping one folder (or one folder per subject) can help you keep track of all of your papers. 

if you need tips on how to stay organized, check out my masterpost here :)

2. try to have a positive mindset

although i’m kind of loathing going back to school, you have to try and find the positives in going back! and it doesn’t have to be academic, my positive thought about school is that i’ll get to see my friends and read more cool books for Literature class. if you go into it with a negative mindset, school will be a drag and you won’t do your best.

3. make small progress on any long term assignments at the beginning

following this step should help relieve any stress about a long term project, especially one that you know is coming (ex. me with my quarter assignments for literature). making progress can range from starting to read the book early to just writing a sentence a day or somethin’. but you don’t want to get too caught up in this step that you forget about the work that is due the next day, or something of the sort. 

4. *mainly for seniors* if you have anything application related, do it asap.

i know that i have my CSF application due some time throughout the second semester and a couple scholarship items to complete, so i’m going to do them either during the break before the next semester or as early as possible in the next semester. doing this is very helpful and will help relieve any anticipation or stress. 

5. detox the weekend before you go back to school

personally, i try to refrain from doing anything school-related the weekend before school because you should just relax and prepare by being relaxed. take a bubble bath, watch a movie, hang with some friends, sleep, anything that makes you happy and relaxed. dunno what to do? i have some cute things here in my self care tag.

6. Have fun.

have a great time, don’t let school run your whole life.

i know this isn’t much but these are just my own little tips that i thought might help someone else. it sounds a lot like my Staying Organized masterpost, but most of that does overlap here. any masterpost recommendations? let me know and I will definitely take it into consideration. 

Other Masterposts:

surviving world history ap [x]

my guide to scholarships [x]

surviving finals [x]

how i take notes [x]

how i study for ap psychology [x]