jazystudies

[jazystudies]

[jazystudies]

How to remain productive with online classes:

A few tips from a broke neuro-divergent academic

Try and wake up early, and go to bed early too. I’m not saying get up at 5 (unless that’s you’re thing) but sleeping into noon is a productivity blackhole. I go for 8 or 8:30, generally, but that’s just what works for me.

Get dressed for the day. I’m not talking like, jeans and a business casual outfit, but a clean pair of sweatpants, fresh underwear, and a new shirt can really put you in the mood for a new morning.

Have a workspace. Whether it be the kitchen table, a desk, a spot on the floor with a lap desk, have a place that’s dedicated to your work. Have items that signify that workspace too, like your book, planner, laptop, lamp, whatever. It can help you get into the zone, being in that space.

Have a morning drink. I choose earl grey tea with honey and cream, but black coffee, herbal tea, lemon water, whatever works for you is awesome, as long as itll wake you up and start your day.

To do lists. To do lists and to do lists and more to do lists. I have three. One is a post it weekly planner deal (3.99 at a local grocery store). it’s a weekly spread already set up, and if you’re anything like me, its really hard to set up a weekly spread. Then I have an app called Ike. I have a daily to do list I write on that app, and then I have four more to-do lists of what I have to for each specific class.

Spread out your assignments. Don’t overwhelm yourself. If you’re professors are like mine, and have the due date for each module as Sunday at midnight. What I do is spread out all my assignments from Monday to Saturday, and I leave Sunday blank, so anything I didn’t do that week, I finish on Sunday. It works for me, it might work for you.

Have a folder for each class, and a notebook for each class. I hate spending money, I’m broke as hell, sono al verde as the Italians say, but a 0.99 cent folder and a 0.25 cent notebook can do wonders for motivating one to fill them up.

Study with a drink. Tea, water, coffee, whatever, but my go to is generally a warm drink. I cannot study if I’m cold, I get tired and groggy, so warm socks, a robe, and a hot drink really keep me going.

Take breaks. Make time for your hobbies, for something fun. Working without stopping absolutely destroys my motivation, and let me tell you, when I feel like that, an episode of Avatar and a snack gets me right back on the wagon.

Do self check ins. Does your back hurt? Are you sad? Stressed? Do you have to pee? Are you hungry? Never put your homework over your health. You won’t be able to get anything done well anyway if you’ve got those blocks.

Most importantly, get enough sleep. I beg of you. Sleep is so important, and it’s the game changer, at least to me. We as students have such an amazing opportunity to get more sleep than we ever have before during the year. Take advantage of that.

[jazystudies]

my wall got repainted, which was the perfect excuse to redecorate it. might add more stuff soon, but i already love how it turned out.

finals start in less than a month so it’s full speed ahead from now on. already finished an assignment due in june this weekend (what’s happening?!) so i can fully focus on those dreaded finals.

[jazystudies]

Good news

I passed all of my exams and I am finally done with school now! It makes me so happy. My results? They were good. Not the best but good. I definitely could have done better but I am proud of what I reached. YAY! 🎉

And so ends a big chapter of my life...❤️👩🏽‍🎓

[jazystudies]

This is what studyblrs should be for: SUPPORT & INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION. ❤️

when mental illness affects your studies

all of us mentally ill students finally reach a point where we think it’s so, so hard that we are unable to keep going, keep studying, keep living like this. I have reached that point again recently, but this time reached out for help, and am now trying to learn how to function at school now that I’ve come to terms with my illness. so, I thought I could share some advice based on my own experience.

to you who are now struggling, please don’t give up. do just that. you can overcome this and that is a fact.

-

for the love of God, tell your teachers.

sadly, deadlines don’t really care if you’re currently at your lowest point or just happen to be ‘in shape’ for completing assignments – you have to hand them in on This Day, period. But sometimes you feel so bad that you are either completely unable to finish that one essay or end up forcing yourself to write it and do it while gritting your teeth and crying like I did with my History essay earlier this year. when receiving feedback from my teacher (negative, of course, because the essay was utter shite), I wanted to answer her question why it was SO bad with ‘I am just very, very sick’ and ‘Please don’t think I’m not ambitious or hardworking anymore, I was doing my very best to deliver this and I’m sorry it’s bad’… but I didn’t. I was too afraid that she would think I was lying and too lazy to write a good essay, and that she wouldn’t understand. A few months later, my headteacher and I had a conversation during which she asked me if she should tell my teachers about what I’m going through, and never before in my life have I felt as relieved as in that moment when I was saying ‘Yes, please’.

not having to worry about what your teachers are going to think about the actions caused by your illness can be life-saving. If you think they won’t understand your struggle, you’re probably wrong – you are not the first and only student suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental illness; they have met many like you in the past and know exactly how to act to take some weight off your shoulders, and trust me, they will do everything they can to make it easier for you.

change is good (really)

if you think there is no way out of your situation, stop for a minute, talk to someone, and change whatever you can, even if there’s only a tiny, tiny chance it will make you feel better and take some weight off your shoulders.

i thought I was stuck with Computer Science on Higher Level – although I try my hardest to understand what it’s about, I get grades below average and am really disappointed in myself. It became one of my biggest struggles, and I’m not even planning to become a programmist… It has been making my depression worse for a whole year, but I didn’t do anything to change it, just kept wishing I had picked Biology last year. I mentioned it during a conversation with a trusted teacher and she thought of a solution, asking me if I wanted to change my Language A level to Higher and then take up Biology on SL. And I was like ?? Life-changing?? Of course, I will have to study hard during the summer holidays to catch up with a year worth of material, but I’m more than willing to do that if it means not having to hear about Computer Science ever again. and once again, so much weight off my shoulders. Why I haven’t even thought of making that change before is a topic for another discussion, but my point here is, go make that change if you can. If there is another door, open it. Although it’s scary, it’s definitely worth it.

don’t suit your goals, make your goals suit you

one thing really hard to accept is that an accomplishment for you, a mentally ill student, might be different than an accomplishment for a healthy student. For you, passing this class alone may be a goal, not necessarily with the highest marks, while others strive for straight A’s. You have to understand that, in order not to add more to your worries, you need to have a realistic approach. For me, it was the hardest part, because I’m usually really ambitious and have a tendency to set the bar too high or compare myself to others. But what I needed to realise was that others are not ill, and I am, and if an achievement for me is something that they do effortlessly, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I am the sick me and they are the healthy them, and that is fine.

find a good therapist

therapy, carried out well, can save your life, and I’m sure you already know that (because everyone keeps repeating that, literally everywhere, and it’s becoming highly annoying). I hadn’t realised that, though, until I experienced it myself. I have been suffering for almost two years before I finally scared myself so much that I needed to find a therapist as soon as possible, as I realised I was slowly becoming dangerous to myself and therefore people close to me. I was lucky enough to find a good specialist right away, who quickly diagnosed me, sent to a psychiatrist that prescribed me medicine, and continued therapy with me. But before I found this one, I had been to three others who did not understand me at all. I stopped searching, which was a mistake – please learn from my experience and don’t do that! If you can feel that the therapist you found isn’t right for you, look for someone else. Just don’t give up, because therapy really is important. You need to know that you can get out of this, and you need someone who will guide you and help you overcome whatever you’re going through.

[jazystudies]

Heyooo🙋🏽‍♀️

I am still stuck in my finals phase. But the good thing is that there are only 2 finals left, which are oral ones. One in Spanish and the other one in History. I really want to do the best I can possibly do on them!! I know i can achieve it!

Today I want to end my Spanish notes, so I can start absorbing the information. My Spanish exam is on Monday! I wish everyone the best of luck for their finals. We can do it. We can achieve it. Don’t give up on your dreams! 🧘🏽‍♀️💕🌈

[jazystudies]

working hard does not mean working yourself sick. i know so many people who don’t feel pride when they succeed, just relief they didn’t fail. you have already made amazing accomplishments, let yourself feel like all you have done is enough.

[jazystudies]

22nd may ⎪⛅️

heyyyo! i have a two weeks break right now but I have a lot of things to do for school so :( today I wrote down some notes and continued to write an essay. but the rest of the time I catch up on tv shows & listen to bts’ new album (btw the quote is from stray kids song “grow up”).

🎧 my may playlist

[jazystudies]

concept: it’s exam season and you’re studying morning and afternoon, taking breaks in between, eating proper meals and enjoying the fresh air when you get a chance to. you’re still hanging out with your friends and you’re still doing things outside of revision. you have bad days in which you don’t revise and you know it’s okay because you know you’re not a machine and you need to take care of your health. and this is you doing your best and I am so proud of you.

[jazystudies]

Trust me, they do.

Tag someone who needs to see this.

[jazystudies]

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY

I will have my first big final exam in maths tomorrow!! I can do that and I am excited to get it done successfully! LETS DO THIS!😍❤️

[jazystudies]

recipe for success

hard work, faith in yourself and your abilities, not letting fear hold you back and taking time for yourself to help you rejuvenate. don’t let little insignificant activities like scrolling through social media get in the way of hard work, don’t let insecurity get in the way of belief in yourself, it should be strong and unwavering, don’t let the what-ifs get in the way of making the choices that will either be pivotal in the positive experience they bring or the negative experience they bring (and the subsequent life lesson) and don’t let guilt stop you from enjoying time spent with yourself. you’ve only got one life, make it what you want it to be. 

[jazystudies]

EXAM SEASON PSA!!!

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

[jazystudies]

Heyooo🙋🏽‍♀️I am currently studying for my big big final exams I have in exactly 2 weeks!! And I still have a LOAD to do haha!! Typically me. Anyway. Let’s be PRODUCTIVE!💛😜💫

[jazystudies]

self-care instruction manual

forgive yourself : it’s okay if you didn’t wake up early, go for a run, or finish that assignment. you’re only human

start slow : don’t set your expectations too high when you’re just starting off

keep learning : getting to where you want to be is a process. don’t expect perfection overnight

be kind to yourself : you’ll make mistakes along the way, but don’t let that stop you

[jazystudies]

gentle reminder for when you feel demotivated

there’s nothing wrong with feeling demotivated, so please don’t punish yourself for that – everyone, even the most successful people in the world, can fall into a slump

you can do it

i believe in you

it’s not going to be as bad as you think

don’t place too high expectations on yourself, especially when you’re feeling low

set small and specific goals – little steps are always important

print out or write down what you need to do and put that note where you know you’re going to see it

set yourself a specific time for when you’re going to start working on something, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you’re unable to

see what others are doing and achieving, and use that as motivation instead of comparing yourself to them and putting yourself down

call for help from others to cheer you on when you can’t do it on your own

counter your negative thoughts with positive ones

think about the benefits of doing the task, instead of the difficulties it will take to get there

take deep breaths and take a step back when things become too overwhelming or the stress takes over (here’s a written breathing exercise, or a gif you can breathe along with)

take breaks, don’t overload yourself

if you think that your schedule is becoming more and more of the same thing every single day, that can heavily impact your motivation - so try your best to try something new, or even just do something that you would usually do in a different way, or with a different outlook; it doesn’t matter if the change you make is big or small, because every attempt goes towards progress

when you’ve completed what you needed to, or even just worked at it a little bit, make sure to congratulate yourself, because you’re trying and i’m so proud of you for that

try your best, because your best is good enough

you got this

[jazystudies]