studywithmith

[studywithmith]

eat the frog (time management)

"eat the frog" is a popular time management technique that comes from a quote attributed to mark twain: "eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day." in the context of productivity, the "frog" represents your most challenging or important task of the day—the one you're most likely to procrastinate on.

how to implement the "eat the frog" technique:

identify your frog: at the start of each day, determine the most crucial task you need to accomplish. this should be something that has a significant impact on your goals but may not be the most enjoyable or easy task.

tackle it first: instead of putting it off, focus on completing this task before anything else. by tackling it first, you can get it out of the way and prevent procrastination.

break it down: if the task seems overwhelming, break it into smaller, manageable steps. this makes it less daunting and allows you to make steady progress.

avoid distractions: minimize distractions while you're working on your "frog." turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and create a focused work environment.

reward yourself: once you've completed the task, reward yourself with a break or something enjoyable. this positive reinforcement can help build a habit of tackling challenging tasks first.

why it's effective:

reduces procrastination: by tackling the hardest task first, you eliminate the temptation to procrastinate and delay important work.

boosts productivity: completing a significant task early in the day can give you a sense of accomplishment and momentum to tackle the rest of your to-do list.

improves focus: knowing that you have to address the most important task first can sharpen your focus and attention.

stress reduction: getting the most daunting task out of the way can reduce stress and mental burden, making the rest of the day feel more manageable.

remember, the key is to prioritize your most important tasks and tackle them head-on. if you have any specific tasks in mind or need help with prioritizing, feel free to share!

i hope this post is helpful! ❤️nene

[studywithmith]

From one burnt out student to another

This semester has been an absolute nightmare for me, so welcome to the resulting post where I try to help other people who are in the same boat!

How about we run through a quick list together, okay?

Unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, relax your face, unclench your fists

Are you sitting in the shape of a C right now? *hitting you with a broom* straighten your back out!!

Maybe get up and stretch while you're at it!

Have you taken your meds today? If not, go get 'em.

Have you eaten enough today? Coffee/energy drinks are not a meal!!

What have you eaten today? Do you need to get something to snack on?

Have you had any water today?

Do you need to rest? There is NO shame in taking a nap or relaxing. If someone does shame you, send them my way

How long has it been since you moved from where you are right now? Maybe move to another room if you can.

How long has it been since you looked away from your screen? Take a little 5-10 minute break to rest your eyes :)

How long has it been since you've showered? (No shame in this one either, it's okay if you can't do it. You're not judged here.)

Do you need to get into some fresh, comfy clothes?

If the weather in your area will allow it, can you open a window or go sit outside?

Affirmations:

My grades do not define me

I am more than a grade/a gpa

I am allowed to make mistakes

I am allowed to rest

Taking breaks is necessary for my well being

This semester/school year will not last forever

It's okay to take time for myself

I do not need to be productive all the time

I am capable

I am smart

I do not need to perform to perfection all the time

My mental/physical/spiritual/emotional health is more important than school

It is okay to ask for help

Asking for help does not make me weak or less capable

Assignments should not be valued over sleep/food/self care

If you have the energy, maybe try some of these:

Reach out to a friend/family member/mutual

Change your sheets

Take your trash out

Pick stuff up off the floor if there is anything

Do your dishes/run the dishwasher

Do a load of laundry/put any clothes away

Journal

Schedule any needed doctor's/dentist's/therapy appointments

Leave your home for a little bit

Go do something you enjoy

Create something

Go for a walk

Cook your favorite meal

You are doing amazing, and I'm so proud of you. You can and will get through this. You're not alone <3

As always, please feel free to reach out or send me an ask if you need someone to talk to!

[studywithmith]

how to feel better

watch the sunrise. go outside. be always well dressed. connect with people who lights up your energy. laugh. meditate. raise the value of what you consume. read move. move your body. drink water. have a break from work. help someone. plant flowers. forgive yourself. do something fun. learn. get creative. create. challenge your comfort zone. be less judgmental & more compassionate. be grateful for what you have today. realize you’re far greater than you think. trust yourself. feel the love that surrounds everything. have your shit together. dance your favorite song. tell your friends & family you love them. pet a cat/dog.

[studywithmith]

i literally just go to school for the physics class-

[studywithmith]

Dying now, to thrive later.

[studywithmith]

What is the forgetting curve and how do you combat it?

The Forgetting Curve shows the process by which forgetting occurs. It demonstrates that if we learn something new, but then make no attempt to revise that information, we remember less and less of it as the hours, days and weeks go by. The forgetting curve is a memory model created by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. In fact, according to the curve, you forget:

50% of all new information within a day.

90% of all new information within a week.

HOW TO BEAT THE FORGETTING CURVE:

1) USE SPACED REPETITION

The easiest way to overcome the forgetting curve is by using spaced repetition. This means to reinforce your knowledge of whatever you are learning, by reviewing constantly at periodic intervals. There are multiple techniques such as flash cards, active recall and blurting.

2) OVER-LEARNING AND CLARITY

This means using far more intensive memory techniques to put more amount of effort in whatever subject that you are learning. This enables deep work and broadens your understanding, which creates clarity.

3)KEEP THINGS RELEVANT

This means to make an effort to make the material that you need, to be clear, concise and meaningful without anything that is irrelevant from an exam point of view. This involves also using various techniques for your notes. Rather than writing everything down in lengthy text formats, present information in diagrams or graphics where possible. This makes it easier to learn and improves retention.

4)MAKE LEARNING MORE INTERACTIVE

People learn better when they’re actively involved than when they’re just passive observers. This involves using various resources and gamifying your learning experience through flash cards, mini quizzes and mock tests to reinforce your learning and making it engaging.

Love,

Mith<3

[studywithmith]

stop doom scrolling

doomscrolling, the habit of endlessly scrolling through negative news on your phone or computer, will not only destroy your personality and character but it is detrimental to your mental health. many people are trapped in the habit but do not release the insane effect that even half an hour has on their psyche.

you literally have a whole life to live! why are you wasting it!

and so, here are some tips to help you break this negative compulsion:

1. set time limits

use apps or built-in phone features to set time limits on social media and news apps. this can help you become more aware of how much time you’re spending and encourage you to take breaks.

2. schedule specific times for news

designate specific times of the day to check the news, rather than constantly throughout the day. this can help you stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.

3. practice mindfulness

engage in mindfulness practices like meditation or deep breathing exercises. this can help you stay present and reduce the urge to doomscroll.

4. seek out positive content

balance negative news with positive stories or uplifting content. follow accounts that share good news or inspiring stories.

5. engage in other (offline) activities

find alternative activities to replace doomscrolling, such as reading a book, exercising, or spending time with friends and family. keeping busy with other interests can reduce the temptation to scroll.

6. use thought-stopping techniques

when you catch yourself doomscrolling, use a thought-stopping technique like saying “stop” out loud or visualizing a stop sign. this can help interrupt the behavior and redirect your focus.

7. limit notifications

turn off non-essential notifications on your phone to reduce the constant influx of news alerts. this can help you control when and how you consume information.

8. reflect on your feelings

take a moment to reflect on how doomscrolling makes you feel. recognizing the negative impact it has on your mood can motivate you to change the habit.

9. set goals for screen-free time

establish goals for spending time away from screens, such as having screen-free meals or dedicating certain hours of the day to offline activities.

10. seek support

talk to friends or family about your efforts to reduce doomscrolling. having support can make it easier to stick to your goals and find healthier ways to stay informed.

bonus. change your mindset

instead of apathy and not caring about your mental health and character, try to grow and build yourself as a person; learn to love yourself. one trick that i use to stop myself if i ever start to rot is reminding myself that i am a creator and not a consumer. this identity reinforcement allows me to simply ignore the doom scrolling urge.

implementing these strategies can help you break the habit of doomscrolling and improve your overall well-being. i wish you luck on your development journey!

❤️nene

[studywithmith]

How to study for long hours/

I find it easier to study with the pomodoro method, where you focus for 25 minutes at least and then take a break.

However during exam preparation or whenever we have situations where there’s a lot of portions to cover, focusing is really hard. We often get distracted by our phones and devices as well as social media.

So I introduce my favourite life changing app!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this app, it’s available on both android and iOS.

It basically has a feature where you can choose the apps you want for studying and the rest of the apps are blocked.

It also has a study log where it basically tracks how long you study for a subject.

It allows me to use the apps that I WANT for studying as well as block social media. It reduces my screen time and distractions immensely and I’m able to focus much better !

(Ps- this is not sponsored)

I hope this helps!

Love,

Mith <3

[studywithmith]

Motivation Log 2:

[studywithmith]

Motivation log 1:

WARNING: this is toxic study motivation

Remember that your dream job is out there, too bad you're doing everything possible to never qualify for it.

If you don't want to study, Just remember:

Your future boss won't care about your excuses, but they will enjoy paying you minimum wage.

Just know that your excuses are as pathetic as your current grades because you're not tired.

You're just afraid to face how little you're actually doing.

Love,

Mith <3

[studywithmith]

THE BACKBONES OF NOTE TAKING:

Notes in my opinion is one of THE BEST ways to learn effectively.

However, the method of notetaking matters and so does the subject.

I think the reason why a lot of people, despite taking notes, don't get a good grade is because of their inefficient and wrong method of notetaking and the revision of rewriting our notes.

Let me explain.

LEVEL 1 - SIMPLIFICATION and UNDERSTANDING

The first time you learn a topic, be it from a textbook or video, we take down notes.

Whenever our teacher teaches us in school or in tuition, we take down these lecture notes. These lecture notes are to simplify our learning as our teachers often explain concepts for us to get a grasp of it. That's level 1 of our note taking.

LEVEL 2 - DEEP WORK

With textbooks like the NCERT, we often have to refer to other guides and websites and just resources in general to learn concepts or learn the basics of certain concepts as NCERT skips them over. By doing this thing where we dive deep into a certain concept, it helps us to connect to the topic and it is very helpful for higher studies and colleges. Study to learn and learn to study. This is level 2 of deep work

LEVEL 3 - CONSOLIDATION

Now we compare the textbook,, our lecture notes and our other conceptual understanding notes so we can derive on whatever's important from an exam point of view. This is where our mind mapping and the connectivity of topics in our brain starts.

This is level 3 of note taking where we bring our first draft of consolidated notes.

LEVEL 4 - EXAM STYLE NOTES

Finally, we go through past paper questions, question banks, book backs and numericals and add these questions, modify our notes in certain concepts so we have the best chance of getting full marks on that concept. This is level 4.

This is HOW we should take notes. Not once or twice, we have to take notes in such that we understand a backbones of the topic first. Then we must consolidate to create exam style notes to minimise time for our revision sessions.

It is really time consuming, I do agree, but half of our work is done if we listen in school and write whatever that's relevant whenever our teachers teaching rather than whatever's written on the board. I find that many teachers often explain some concepts via voice rather than noting the points down on a whiteboard. So it's better to take out your textbook and follow along with whatever the teachers saying and relate and take our lecture notes.

This is 50-60% of our work done in school.

If school teachers aren't good, then we have videos on YouTube or tuition as our alternate.

The rest is up to us at home as once those refined notes are finished, I promise you they will get you the best grades possible. It just takes a bit of deep work + hard work+ consolidating by making connections.

Love,

Mith <3

[studywithmith]

Introduction

Heya it’s mith! This is a nickname from my original name. I am Tamil and I’m from the state of Tamilnadu from south India :)

This is a study or/blog about my life as a CBSE student where I’ll post about motivation, any interesting topics and just tips that I found useful. I am planning on posting my 11th chemistry notes by the end of this year, once I’ve finished typing them up as I’ve hand written them! So you will see resources being posted!!

I am a high-school student, 17 years old ( year 11/ 11th grade )studying in the science stream. My subjects include —

Physics.

Chemistry.

Mathematics.

Computer Science (python)

English

Why a studyblr?

I opened this studyblr in order to stay productive and help others to do so too if I can. Also through this account I would like to share bits of my student life and motivate other students to do what a student should do like - study and enjoy life. I will post a lot about how to get motivation and how I study certain subjects and these posts will update as I go along!

Any competitive exams?

I am doing four exams ( sobs) which are for design and architecture respectively. These are NATA, JEE paper 2 ( this includes, maths, drawing and aptitude , not physics chemistry and maths ) , UCEED ( design) and NIFT ( design)

Future career?

I am hoping to study design or architecture and maybe get a literature or business degree as a side goal.

Any goals for 2025?

I wanna learn foreign languages such as Italian since it’s my current obsession. I’ve already learnt a bit of French so I’m planning on learning all of the Romance languages, so you will see me post about language learning too!!

More about me:

I was born in England and I’ve lived in India and England on and off, every few years I’d shift to England and then come back to India. I did my boards (10th) in the uk in the form of GCSEs. GCSEs are usually done in 10th and 11th so I’m repeating a year again in India so it’s easier for me for my 12th boards!

For Quick Navigation:

study blogging!

Tagged as #studydaily- it's where I post about my daily study logs.

study_plans!

Tagged as #study plans - it's in the name lol. It's where I post about what I'm gonna do to keep myself disciplined.

motivation!

Tagged as #motivation - to keep myself and you motivated! :)

litblr!

Tagged as #litblr - for literature and any other interesting topics

questions!

Tagged as #questions - just some questions lol!

know me!

Tagged as #know me — it's in the name :p

NATA and JEE2 help

Tagged as #NATAandJEE2 - where I post about the architecture exams and general tips and resources

UCEED and NIFT help

Tagged as #UCEEDandNIFT - where I post about the design exams and general tips and resources

Language learning!

Tagged as #languageblr - I post about my progress in learning languages, this will be separate to my daily logs so i won’t post whatever I learnt in languages in my daily logs. I might create a separate account for langauges alone!!

Tips

Tagged as #chemtips, #mathtips, #phytips, #Cstips and #engtips - these tags are specifically for tips that I’d found useful sharing in that particular subject! You can also use the tag #tips to find all the tips and tricks in one go!

Notes!

Tagged as #notetaking- as I have said earlier, I am planning on posting my chemistry notes by the end of December once I’ve finished typing them up and making them colourful to read. This will be free Ofc, and it does follow the ncert pattern.

Well nice meeting you, maybe drop a comment so that I can know you too?

( note: the template for this introduction was heavily inspired by another blogger! pxasee , do check her account out too!!)

I'm hoping for the best to happen and also working for it!! <3 Show some support please for this account and have a great day/ night!!