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ovdIt was the second day of school and I was soooo tired. l

Late night class yesterday.

It was the second day of school and I was soooo tired.

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| 16 december 2021 |

I finished my first of four finals today, my brain is already a mess as well as this set up lmao. I've started drawing randomly so I don't get too burned out while studying but who knows if it'll work 🥴

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📁 december 2, 2021 @ finals week diaries

hello, friends! ૮ • ﻌ - ა 🌼

i came back after a year of not posting anything, sooo much has happened in just a span of a year. i left my previous uni to chase my dream in another one. though i’m still majoring in STEM, but the environment is so much more healthier and comfortable. i’m forever grateful that i had the courage to leave and now i’m the student of a top 3 uni!!! that’s just so crazy to think.

i’m having finals this week and i’m just trying my best to get back on track again, hopefully i’ll be more consistent in posting! ^^

i hope you’re all having the best time of the year, let’s plant good seeds and water them with good intention so that they can grow into something beautiful next year! 🦋

🎶 currently playing : All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)

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I am entirely consumed by my dissertation. After months and months of stagnation and brain fog, to work so hard at something and actually see progress is bliss. 

ig: rhiharper

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19/100 days of productivity

Today I’ve been studying for the TOEFL. Is a fun activity for me ‘cause I like english. I think that I’m learning slow but I do what I can and feel good with that. Also I’ve been trying to don’t be so mean with me and it’s a awesome habit to my mental health and help me to be consistent in my study, even if I just study for 30-60 min per day.

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study nights with a small side of crisis, what else is new??

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08.18.21 - drew a little vision board a few weeks ago and honestly, i'm happy to say that 80% of the time, my current life is living up to it!

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undergrad (physics/stem?) tips from a struggling neurodivergent

i’m finishing my degree this year so i thought i’d share some of the things i’ve painstakingly and slowly learnt over 4 years of studying physics at university. i started out by failing foundation mathematics, then all of my first year physics modules, but despite never having to go back and pass these basics (thanks covid) i’m somehow doing well in third year. so, here is my wisdom:

[disclaimer: of course, the way i study will definitely not work for everyone so only take the parts that resonate. this is not the healthiest way to study, but rather how i personally am getting through such a hardcore course with limited physical and mental energy.]

past exam papers. look for patterns and types of questions that are asked often, and focus on understanding those. if you’re lucky this could be all you need to get a great grade.

don’t worry about understanding whats going on in lectures. sitting in lectures and not knowing what the hell was going on used to stress me out to the point that i stopped going, but i found that actually, just turning up and calmly copying down the maths and notes without understanding them really helped me piece it all together later, on when studying on my own.

similarly, i find copying out the notes without trying too hard to understand them to be very helpful. it is very time consuming, but worth it when no information will sink in by just reading through the notes. even if you still don’t understand it all after writing it out, you now know what information is covered, where to find it, and you hopefully have it in a clearer, more interesting to look at format to help you later.

learn on your own terms. don’t listen to what any other people say about how you should study. you know what works for you. its always stressed here how important it is to go to lectures and tutorials, but i know that for me, a lot of the time my energy is better used by staying at home and teaching myself in a calm, comfortable, low pressure environment.

hyper-organisation. have as many planners as it takes to keep a grasp on time and schedules and deadlines. i have a bullet journal, a pre-made planner to scribble in, a planner and tables of dates and deadlines on notion, as well as sticky notes above my desk reminding me of the main things i should be working on at the moment. keep it all in front of you where you can see it, or make it easy to access. 

create a nice environment. this is possibly the most important part. make it so that sitting down to work is enjoyable, and setting up doesn’t take valuable brain power. playlists of background music ready to go, everything you need nearby and organised and easy to access.

ask for adjustments, extensions, ECs. i’m still not good at this, but it can really make all the difference. when you can’t complete something in time or the thought of doing a thing alone makes you feel like dropping out, its always worth asking if something can be done to make it easier for you. (for instance i usually skip presentations and  take the 0 but after asking, i have been allowed to make videos instead and sometimes even just make the powerpoint and write out a script.)

a consistent sleep schedule would be great, but don’t sweat if your class schedule makes it difficult. i work best at night, but lectures mean i have to wake up early in the morning. i have tried going to bed early and while that made waking up and going to classes easier, without my nighttime productivity i got way behind on everything. so instead i let my body do what it wants when it wants, which usually means sleeping less at night along with naps in the day and a lot of catch up sleep at the weekend.

caffeine can be your best friend or worst enemy. use it wisely. (i owe my second year grades to the ginger monster energy flavour)

know when to push and when to rest. sometimes you know its just executive dysfunction stopping you from getting things done, in which case gently push yourself to keep working. even if you don’t manage much, any amount of productivity is good. but on the other hand, if you keep trying and trying and its still not working, thats probably a sign you should stop. if you don’t make time for rest, your body will take it for you. 

on that note, if you really can’t focus, stop to think about whats actually wrong. sit still, relax for a moment and zone in to yourself. is it because you’re hungry? cold? understimulated? do you not have all of the materials you need right in front of you? it could be something as simple as the lighting being off, or things being in the wrong place on your desk. 

break it down. when i’m stuck, most often the problem is that i don’t clearly know what to do next. break tasks down into steps, and then break those down again until you have small tasks you can easily face. baby steps are the way to go. 

something is always better than nothing! you don’t have to put your all into everything. if you’ve got 60% to give on an assignment, thats great. even 40%, 20%. handing in something bad and unfinished is still worth it, and sometimes all you need. 

in short, just be gentle with yourself. go at your own pace and do things in the way that works for you. you’re doing your best. there will be ups and downs, but if you keep going, no matter how slowly, no matter how much it may seem like all is lost, you’ll get there eventually. 

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a winter studying aesthetic

warming your hands on a mug of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate

settling in to study under a pile of blankets

short days, waking for your first class while it’s still dark

your favorite sweater, worn and wearing thin 

walking from one class to the next, face shielded from the wind by a hand-knitted scarf

writing even as your fingers grow stiff with cold

a glow of warm, flickering candlelight

getting distracted by snow falling just outside your window

working diligently, pushing through to the end of the semester

deep, calming breaths before a big test that turn to fog in the frigid air

a glimpse of the sun, low on the horizon

long novels piled on your bedside table

taking a study break to have a snowball fight with your friends

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Yes. This semester has finally come to an end. Have a great holidays y'all ♡

🎧 Ride, HYBS ☁️

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27|12|2021

❄️Day 27 of My Winter Studying Challenge ❄️

27th December - What was the best moment of Christmas?

technically it was on boxing day because for me that is a second christmas with my mum but we spent a couple of hours playing some trivia games and it was so much fun! i laughed more than i have in ages (and i also won every game!!! 🎉)

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December 8, 2021 | the one with the new bullet journal

hey guys! i’m back again with another post. prelim, and midterm is done and now i’m on my finals which is a scary part of my semester since this is the final change to pull our grades up. by the way, it’s a holiday today since it’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception (one of the holidays here in the Philippines) and since i have this whole day as my free time, i’m using is to memorize all of the procedures for my practical exam this dec. 16 (wish me luck 🤞🏻) this is my second cup of coffee by the way, and don’t worry about it, and alsoo i got myself a new bullet journal for 2022! i’m soo excited too design it this christmas breaaaak.

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21.12.21

it already gets dark by 4 now! winters at its peak (even though its only snowed once?)

im on break, but i worked on a ton of homework i needed to catch up on

i also got accepted into the school im transferring to ! its a really good school with a slim admission rate so im quite proud of myself

thats all for today :-)

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muscle forces n stuff 💪

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going home is getting closer and i don’t really know where to go w all the things i am feeling

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25.12.2021 • i was very motivated to study today!! finished rewriting my notes, studying teaching english skills, even finished reading a story by chekhov. drank so much coffee and tea because i have flu and needed something warm.

merry christmas!! ♡ and thank you so much for 1.5k followers!!! ily! (つ✧ω✧)つ

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Found a favourite spot in the park near the apartment, we can honestly sit here for hours just watching the people, their dogs and kids and conversations, the parakeets eating the leaves, the sun moving on