grangergrades

[grangergrades]

this second-hand bookstore from my city :’)

[grangergrades]

N E W ✮ S T U D Y B L R !

Good afternoon everyone! 

I’m Meraki and I’m pretty new to the studyblr community, and I made a studyblr to stay focused and not degrade back into a lazy mess ; v ; Plus I’ve been seeing so many lately that I just couldn’t help but make one myself! (I remade a studyblr and I was previously merakiloustudy)

Besides studyblrs and notes, this blog is also dedicated to my aesthetics which is generally calm and relaxing, so don’t worry about unrelated posts ;//v//; I’ll also be starting the #100 days of productivity / #100Days as well as #RoadtoUPCAT, which is approximately 365 days of preparing for the entrance test of my dream school, University of the Philippines and contains various college entrance test reviewers. I hope you can embark on this journey with me!! 

16 | ENFP Grade 11 - STEM Strand Senior highschool Philippines 

Current subjects (As of Sept 2016)

General Biology (Systems) Introduction to Philosophy Statistics and Probability FilKommu Entrepreneurship

Amazing people who inspired me to make my own

@@aescademic @amistudies @bookmrk @briellestudies @grangergrades @haleystudies @jhonstudies @joo-ah-lee @kahlostudies @kitkatstudy @koalastudy @logarlthms @lycheestudy @mediciinestudent @miennstudies @mochithings @niastudiesneuro @prettylittlestudies @procrastilate @productiveowl @romstudies @samoyedstudies @sootudying @stationary-studies @students-life @studentsandlattes @studiosly @studiousbby @studyablr  @studyaesthetick @studyblr @studydriven @studypetals @studyrelief @studywith-vic @tbhstudying @thecoffeedesk @theorganisedstudent @virtuositystudy

[grangergrades]

8/8/18 | okay i’m now re-obsessed with my journal :’) also i watched ragnarok, spiderman homecoming and infinity war this week and i realised how much i love marvel again (ft. photos from @studylustre and @dexfiles)

[grangergrades]

20200827 - got myself a new bujo! 

ig: nanastudies 

[grangergrades]

2021.08.19 // 13:17

is it just me or is anyone else starting to use notion for everything in their life? i found it really useful for planning what i need to buy for my new apartment.

pic: lakeisle rd., onekama, mich.

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[grangergrades]

2/4/19

Just about to hand in my last paper for this semester; after this I only have one more assignment due before finals! I am planning on taking the evening off to clean my room and relax tonight, as I have had a really busy last few weeks and just need some time to recharge.

[grangergrades]

i wrote half an essay in 20mins today when it’s not even due for another 4 weeks, reblog this to have a productivity lightning bolt strike you like it did me today

[grangergrades]

How to create a study schedule for the holidays

Holidays are just that, holidays. However school and university doesn’t always stop for them. Whilst you’re supposed to be relaxing, there is usually a stack of work waiting to be finished before you go back. After a couple of requests, I’ve put together a small guide to setting up (and following) a holiday study schedule. Keep reading to find out more:

Start early - most students (myself included) generally leave all their work until the last few days of the holidays, then they panic about not having enough time. As soon as you’re able, get started with your schedule. The sooner you start, the sooner all your work is done and you’re free to have a study free holiday. Plus starting early means that you will remember things from your last few classes. If you’ve been off for two weeks and not thought about school, you’ll have to review everything you did before school finish in order to jog your memory!

Write down everything that needs to be done - create a list of everything that you need to finish before you go back to school. I find it easiest to write everything in chronological order and separated by subject. For example, I’d write ‘read chapter 2′, then ‘summarises chapter 2′, then ‘complete review questions’. This way you can see everything you need to cover in the study plan.

Decide how long it will take - estimate how much time all your to-dos will take - maybe a day to type up your class notes, an afternoon to write an essay or an hour to finish a worksheet you didn’t complete. Start fitting in each task around your holiday plans. If you have a spare hour, you could draft that essay you need to write. If you’re spending two hours in the car, print your notes and revise them. Before bed, read the flashcards that you made!

Plan it out - using a calendar or excel, make a schedule for your holiday. It could be daily, weekly, or monthly depending on which way you find it best to plan. Include all the tasks you’d want to complete in that time period. If you get bored easily, break it up into small time periods or change subjects after a few hours! Vary the tasks you need to complete. For instance, no-one wants to spend a day writing essay after essay. Spread them out across a few days and add other small, more fun tasks in between. Here is a study schedule I created which you can download and print! Here is an example of how to fill it out. Design it to what suits you the best, illustrate it or highlight it! Make it something you want to follow.

Take charge of improving your productivity - By planning out your time and setting up a schedule you’re attempting to improve your productivity. Since it is the holidays you don’t want to be spending hours on end finishing work or revising. Find ways to keep yourself accountable for your time. Applications such as Forest or RescueTime are great for helping you stay focused. I also created a post with 10 small tips to improve your productivity. Have a read and try to apply some of them to your studying!

Stick with it - the best way to actually follow your study plan is by being motivated to use it. Put it in a place you see often, for instance near your bed or above your desk. Each morning, see what you need to do and try to get it done. Reward yourself for completing the tasks you need to and cross them off your schedule. However, don’t be afraid to make changes to it. If you can get something do sooner, go ahead but if you miss a day, don’t fret. Either reprint or retype your schedule with new plan!

Take time out - remember that it is your holiday and you don’t need to work 24/7. Have a break, have ten. Take a day to binge watch your favourite show or read that book you’ve wanted too. Don’t feel bad about having some down time, you deserve it! 

I hope this helps and you have a lovely holiday! Enjoy the printable I added into the post as well. If you use it, please tag me in any photo you upload! x

[grangergrades]

Spent half of the morning making flashcards for my clinical psychology exam (which is in July), I can‘t bother studying for my sociology exam yet, but I can‘t stand not being productive, so I‘m studying for clinical psychology instead :D I hope I can force myself to look at my sociology notes though.. I‘m going to watch Call me by your name tonight and I‘m really excited!

[grangergrades]

HOW TO WRITE A STRONG ESSAY

I recently got an ask about how to write an introductory paragraph for an essay so I thought I’d do a post about how to write a good essay.

** Important Points ** For essays in high school, use third person unless the teacher specifically tells you not too. It’s more academic and professional while first person sounds really informal. I’ve heard that in college it’s different but again, it depends on the class. Stay on the safe side and use third person unless otherwise specified. Also, try to be as sophisticated and mature as you can. This makes the essay sound smarter and makes it easier to read.

1) INTRODUCTION

Try to think of an upside down pyramid here. You start off broad and end off tapered to a point (specific). The formula for writing a good intro is this: hook, background info, introduce topic of discussion, and thesis. In the pyramid example, the hook is the broad and the thesis is the narrow. The intro is usually around 8 sentences long.

Hook: Unlike what you’ve probably been told through out high school, the hook is not necessarily a wow statement. It’s typically a broad idea that relates to the topic of discussion. I usually use historical facts or common wisdom and go from there. I then follow it up with a sentence that elaborates on my hook and a sentence that connects my hook with the background info.

Background Info: Here you give the reader some context as to what you will be discussing in your essay. It sets the scene for the topic you’re discussing. Try to be concise.

Introduce the Topic of Discussion: Here you give a brief summary of the points you’re arguing/discussing. It should be one sentence per body paragraph and again, be clear and concise and avoid merely summarizing the plot. This part should cover the gist of your ideas.

Thesis: This should be a longer complex sentence that summarizes your point of view and ideas. This is one of the most important parts of the essay so crafting a good thesis is crucial.

I did a more detailed post about the introduction with an example introduction paragraph HERE.

2) BODY PARAGRAPHS

The meat of your essay. Here is where you state your arguments and defend them with supporting evidence from literature, articles, or even your personal experience. I would generally limit one argument per body paragraph. Which reminds me, most likely you have been taught the canned five paragraph essay. Some people write all their essays in five paragraph format because they thing that is the only way to go. Really, you can do four+ body paragraphs with the common numbers being four and six. It depends on the essay. When writing your body paragraph you need this structure: topic sentence, three points, three examples of supporting evidence, conclusion. Body paragraphs typically fall between 8 -15 sentences.

Topic Sentence: This is similar to a thesis. Here you’re stating the argument that you are proving in a clear and concise sentence.

Three Points: There’s a rule of thumb that you generally want to have three points about each argument and have a piece of supporting evidence for each point. I’m going to start with the three points first. Basically, you want three ideas about your argument that show why it’s valid. For example if you’re trying to argue that cheese is dairy, your three points are it’s made of milk, it’s featured in the dairy section of the grocery store, and the FDA labels it as dairy.

Three Examples of Supporting Evidence: These are usually quotes from other sources or the piece of literature you’re analyzing that support the three points of your argument. To use the really bad cheese example from above, for the milk point you’d use an ingredients label from a package of cheese, for the grocery store point you’d get a sheet with the department labels and the produce in those departments, and for the FDA point you’d find a quote from their website.

Conclusion: This is a sentence or two that wraps up your body paragraph. It should briefly summarize the points you discussed or the topic sentence and help transition into the next paragraph.

2) a. COUNTER ARGUMENT PARAGRAPHS 

This paragraph is NOT necessary for most essays. However, some do require them so it’s important to know how to approach them. Depending on whom you ask, they’ll either tell you that the counter argument paragraph goes in the middle of your body paragraphs, or at the end. Personally I prefer the end but the middle is more correct. Placing it in the middle allows you to end on a strong note but I think it’s a matter of personal preference. The counter argument is used to present an opposing view point and say why it’s wrong. This can strengthen your argument if it’s done properly but ruin it if it’s done wrong so tread carefully. The only thing different from the body paragraph structure is the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence: Here you need a specific template to start the paragraph properly. I usually use: It may be argued that _______________ but there is sufficient evidence to show that _______________. The first blank is filled with the opposing argument and the last blank is your argument. There are different ways to structure this sentence but this is the one I use.

The rest of the paragraph is the same as the body paragraph: you get three points as to why the counter argument is wrong and three points to support it. Then you end with a typical concluding sentence.

3) CONCLUSION

This is where you wrap up your arguments and finish strong. It has three components: a restatement of your thesis, summary of your arguments, and general statement to wrap it up. Think of the right side up pyramid this time. The pointy end is the thesis and the bottom is the general statement that closes your essay. A conclusion is typically 5 sentences long.

Restatement of Thesis: This is pretty self explanatory; you restate the thesis using different language than you used in your intro.

Summary of Arguments: Here you briefly touch upon the arguments you covered in your essay. Again, clear and concise, and whatever you do, DO NOT introduce new information. It can ruin the amazing essay you worked so hard on.

General Statement: A general statement is a broad idea that you use to tie your entire essay together. It’s kind of like the hook but should be more relevant to your essay.

And that is how you write a killer essay. I use this technique whenever I write and it has never failed me. Hopefully if will help you improve your writing! If you have any questions, feel free to hit up my ask box.

[grangergrades]

08.11.2018; planning day, trying to get on the rythm of my new timetables. my mornings are shorter, but it’s so refreshing to be able to do things after work, i can even study!

also, today i have another date with the french library guy, so i guess that even if i’m not studying tonight that kind of counts as language practise hahaha i just hope i’m not too dead after my shift.

[grangergrades]

hey guys, here are some pictures of today’s morning study session. this year (for my degree in chinese studies) we haven’t done much written chinese, we focused ourselves more on chinese history, literature, oral and classic chinese, that’s why I’ve decided to study it on my own during my holidays! I’m planning to study 2 lessons every day (text, vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and listening). so far, I’m doing an amazing job, I learnt 85 words today! I’m now going to read a chinese contemporary mini-story using my book “graded chinese reader 500 words” ☕ have a nice productive day! 

Instagram / Youtube 

[grangergrades]

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

(not my photos)

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18.03.2018; study snacks: super-naughty edition.

i’m reading some french magazines because i want to improve in the daily use of the language outside the classroom. i’ll be in paris in about ten days and i want to feel more confident with my french. magazines are great because they are less committing than a book, what do you think?

[grangergrades]

planning of the day — studying some chinese characters, read some stories from my graded chinese reader books, buy some comic books in chinese to practice my reading and drink a gallon of coffee ☕

Instagram / Youtube 

[grangergrades]

Currently reading: Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari ― “Humans are rarely satisfied with what they already have. The most common reaction of the human mind to achievement is not satisfaction, but craving for more.”