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Want to maintain or improve your writing skills in your target language this summer? Try this 30-day writing challenge for June: Every day, answer the following prompts in your target language (in a personal journal or in a tumblr post). Good luck!

Write a short letter to someone you haven’t talked to in a while.

What are your future career goals?

What’s your favorite childhood movie? Why?

If you could learn to cook anything this summer, what would it be and why?

List 5 (or more) things that make you happy.

What is your morning routine?

What is your night routine?

Who is one influential person in your life? Why?

Write a poem about someone (or something) you love :)

List 5 of your pet peeves.

What’s something about yourself that you want to improve?

What’s one place you’ve always wanted to visit? Why?

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this summer?

What’s one of your favorite things about yourself? Why?

Write a haiku about summertime.

Describe a memorable dream you’ve had.

Who’s your celebrity crush? What do you like about them (besides how cute I’m sure they are lol)?

What’s your favorite summer memory?

Translate 3 of your favorite quotes into your target language.

Write 3 things that scare you and why.

Write about a challenge you’ve overcome!

Who is someone, dead or alive, you would love to meet? Why?

Who is your best friend and why do you love them?

What is your favorite item in your room?

What’s one book you had to read in school that you DIDN’T like? Rant about it.

What’s one good memory from school?

List an insecurity, then refute it by reminding yourself how great you are :)

How do you think someone would describe you?

How do you relax after a stressful or difficult day?

What was your favorite part of this month?

If you participate in this challenge and post your prompt answers, make sure to tag me with #studyingsenseless or #writingchallengejune ! I’ll be doing it too :)

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Top Five Favorite Books of 2017

In no particular order...

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Believe it or not, I only read the Harry Potter series this year.  Out of all seven books, this one was my favorite.  I read it a total of three times just this year.

2. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Again, I had only read this book this year.  I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and I finished it in one night.  

3. Redemption by Debra Driza

This is the third book in the MILA 2.0 trilogy and I could not have been happier with the ending.  Even though there’s only a 3.67 rating on Goodreads (how??), I loved every last word of it.

4. The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo

Okay, technically this book is two books, but I read them back-to-back and I loved them too much to only include one.  These books have a great cast and even better story line.  Admittedly, I hadn’t read the Grisha Verse stories that these are loosely based on, but I understood everything anyways!

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Wow, I loved this book.  The story is so unique and fun.  The characters, too.  I’m not sure what else I can say, but just read this book.  It’s amazing.  This excerpt from Hannah from @aclockworkreader sums it up on Goodreads:

“All I can say is WOW! That was incredible!!”

To follow me on Goodreads, click here.

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        Hello, Tumblr! A little over a month ago, I graduated from high school. A little over a month from now, I will be moving into my dream college. I’m content with life right now. The years of studying which led to this point, however, were frequently depressing and immensely stressful, and one reason for that fact was an aspect of the American education system in which many studyblrs will participate: AP.

In the interests of easing the passage of others through this thorny, enlightening, paper-spewing - none of my AP binders have survived a full year - program, here is some advice.

Research. The College Board, teachers who love to help sad children, and various test prep organizations have created a slew of resources for every single AP course. They can help you get ready for your courses, plan your time, and revise for your tests.

Google the titles of your courses. The corresponding webpage published by the college board will be among the first results. Read the course outline you find there. For every course, it will include a synopsis of what you should have learned by the end of the year. For some, there is a detailed outline of each fact and concept you will need to know. Essentially, it can serve as a roadmap for your class.

With a quick scour of youtube or google, you may also find study guides and websites devoted to your subjects. Bookmark these.

Test prep books such as the Princeton Review and Barron’s can often be found in PDF format online, or bought quite cheaply on Amazon. 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxoof4V9z7lM28xUmlXSWsyanc

A-Level prep materials are also ubiquitous online. They tend to be more in-depth than AP, but often cover a lot of the same material. If you need help with a concept, they can be a great place to turn.

Prepare. Many AP teachers hand out summer assignments to prepare you. If you have such materials, do not procrastinate on doing them, and do them well. If you do not, work on any necessary skills in which you are weak. Specifically:

If you are taking a reading and writing - intensive course, do some recreational reading - potentially relating to the topic of study - to help your reading speed. Make sure you have your basic essay structure down pat. 

If you are taking a math class, review the prerequisites. You should be able to do algebra quickly and accurately. If you are taking Calculus, know your trigonometric identities and the trigonometric circle by heart. 

If you are taking science classes, review any materials from previous classes in the same subject. If there are basics to memorize, drill until you know them (e.g. the periodic table and solubility for Chemistry).

For history classes, it may help to have an overview of the events you will be learning about. When you study them, you will then have a framework to attach them to. The outlines found on the college board website are good for this. So is a bit of light reading online.

Organize. AP runs on a schedule whose only God is the test date in May. It does not bend for family catastrophes, weeks of snow days, or anything else which might sway a reasonable person. To do well, you have to keep up. In the interests of doing so:

Work out a system for remembering what you have to do and when. Google calendar and similar apps are good for some. Bullet journals are good for some. Whatever you find most effective, use it consistently. 

If in doubt, ask what the homework is. Preferably before you leave class.

If you have to miss school for some reason, keep up. If school is cancelled, review anything you feel weak in. Do some practice questions. Study ahead.

Break up big assignments into small ones. Even if that means making thirty pages of reading into six “read five pages” bullets. Try to do them as soon as possible after receiving them. 

If you have trouble with a concept:

Ask your teacher for help.

Ask a friendly classmate for their point of view.

Check the relevant sections in any prep materials you have.

Google it.

Do Not. Move on without understanding it. 

When you’re a few weeks in, start reviewing the material from the beginning of the course. Don’t let April find you with the first semester a vague knot in the back of your mind.

Take Care of Yourself This is really really the most important point here. If you are exhausted and stressed out, you will not learn well. You will also be miserable.

Schedule time for quality, fulfilling recreation. I don’t mean scrolling down Tumblr.

Take a walk. 

Paint the sky.

Knit a scarf.

Skype a friend. 

Show them your cat.

Talk about how you feel.

Make a snack. Eat it away from your study space. You don’t need food on your notes, and you need to take a break.

You do not need to know every single thing on the course outline/in that book/in your notes. On most tests, a five corresponds to about 75% right.

Focus when you do your work. Do it well. Do it quickly too, and leave some time for yourself and aforementioned fulfilling recreation.

Taking AP shows colleges that you are ambitious and hard-working. Doing well shows them that you can handle fast-paced, challenging courses. It can make a positive part of your applications. It won’t make them, though. Neither will doing badly destroy them. It’s clichéd to say you are not a test score, but you really aren’t. Remember how AP doesn’t care about your specific challenges? Colleges do, and you can tell them in your essays. You can show them all the other things that make you unique and full of potential too. Do your best, and when you walk out of the exam room, move on with your life.

I believe in you.

my posts on:

ap english literature

ap calculus

ap us history

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1.27.17 / 2017 has been the shittiest year to date but not in the academics department apparently cuz i just found out that i made the top score for the AP physics qualifier exam. that means my school district is paying the $93 for my AP exam in may. my wallet is thanking me!

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25.04.17 // Since I don’t have enough time for having a bujo, I decided to start a doodle journal! I love doodling (it calms me so much) and I thought it would be a good idea to make some kind of theme series and post them so maybe anyone can find inspiration for their journals or use them directly.

Soo, this is the first series I made, it plants (I love them hahaha) and you can download them HERE for free in pdf, jpg and png if you want them in a better quality! Have a lovely day!

Ps: If you have any suggestions about what themes we could doodle next, send us an ask and tell us please!

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monteverdi’s madrigali 📖

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two almost identical photos from today’s study session in starbucks ☕️⭐️ —8/4/17

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04.20.17 // day 38 of 100 dop // bing bing by aoa

some last minute ap statistics notes just as our school is doing a last minute spirit week this week¿?

p.s i started a studygram! It’s the same as here, @ studyforthewin

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58/100 days of productivity

Psychology recap today in Starbucks. 

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[21/04/17] - things I did:

woke up at 6am for no good reason

got my personalised timetable for my end of year exams (I’m screaming they feel so real now and they aren’t till october!!!) 

started last-minute packing for a weekend trip away (I leave in half an hour) 

also got no study done because I was so tired from the 6am wakeup but that’s ok have a flatlay (that rhymed)

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21/100 days of Productivity Honestly these notes are just rewritten pages of Electrodynamics by Griffiths but hey, if it makes me understand better then why not?

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What a week. Two presentations, one in which I had to dance, an art project that I still haven’t finished, my learners permit exam plus a history exam and I still have to make a Power Point for my English class due monday. On top of that i’ve been procrastinating like crazy so hopefully i’ll get something done today.

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in case i haven’t been clear i am straight up in love with my room and this apartment (complete with new plant babies and journal) 😍

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|| 160907 ||

Aww, U.S History was really fun today :)))

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8/8/16 9:09 PM // bullet journal spread from two weeks ago that I forgot to post :p

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SYNONYMS FOR WORDS COMMONLY USED IN STUDENTS' WRITINGS

by larae.net

Amazing- incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary

Anger- enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden

Angry- mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed

Answer- reply, respond, retort, acknowledge

Ask- question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz

Awful- dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant

Bad- evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable

Beautiful - pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling

Begin - start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate

Big - enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous

Brave - courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome

Break - fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize

Bright - shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual

Calm - quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof

Come - approach, advance, near, arrive, reach

Cool - chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid

Crooked - bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag

Cry - shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl

Cut - gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce

Dangerous - perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe

Dark - shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad

Decide - determine, settle, choose, resolve

Definite - certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious

Delicious - savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite

Describe - portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record

Destroy - ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish

Difference - disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility

Do - execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain

Dull - boring, tiring,, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary

Eager - keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to

End - stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance

Enjoy - appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like

Explain - elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for

Fair - just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest

Fall - drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble

False - fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious

Famous - well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious

Fast - quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash

Fat - stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine

Fear - fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension

Fly - soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise

Funny - humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly

Get - acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage

Go - recede, depart, fade, disappear, move, travel, proceed

Good - excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying

Great - noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty

Gross - improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low

Happy - pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed

Hate - despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate

Have - hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy

Help - aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet

Hide - conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil

Hurry - rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle

Hurt - damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain

Idea - thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief

Important - necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known

Interesting - fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing

Keep - hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support

Kill - slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish

Lazy - indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish

Little - tiny, small, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute

Look - gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore

Love - like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor

Make - create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get

Mark - label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate

Mischievous - prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive

Move - plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge

Moody - temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy

Neat - clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely

New - fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent

Old - feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct

Part - portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment

Place - space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state

Plan - plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint

Popular - well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current

Predicament - quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam

Put - place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build

Quiet - silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful

Right - correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair

Run - race, speed, hurry, hasten, sprint, dash, rush, escape, elope, flee

Say/Tell - inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute

Scared - afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive

Show - display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose

Slow - unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack

Stop - cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, end, finish, quit

Story - tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir

Strange - odd, peculiar, unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, queer, weird, outlandish, curious, unique, exclusive, irregular

Take - hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume

Tell - disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat

Think - judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate

Trouble - distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort

True - accurate, right, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch

Ugly - hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome

Unhappy - miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad

Use - employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise

Wrong - incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable