#school advice

[studycation]

my tips for students that struggle with consistency

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

You should never have shame about your academic journey. It's a journey. You're growing and learning. You're going to face challenges alone for one of the first times in your life. Shit's hard. It's ok to struggle.

I haven't had a pretty journey at all. I'm graduating with a bachelor's degree at 25. I've been in college nonstop since I was 18. I've failed a lot of classes and had to go part time. So many things have happened. But I will have the degree. And that degree is worth the exact same as someone who got it in 3 years. The knowledge I have is mine to keep.

How I got here doesn't matter. I'm here. I am going to graduate in a few months. I have won this chapter of my life. And to those who try to shame me for how I got here and how long it took, I pray that you never experience the things I have that have made it take long. May you live a life of comfort and luxury and have hands soft as silk until you die. And hopefully I will get the same grace from the universe eventually.

[laurenluvss]

goals for the new academic year:

read lots of books.

do any assignments given either on the day or before the deadline.

take care of yourself!! drink water, do skincare or even try a new make up style!

revise/study before tests.

read notes after lessons/school.

stay organised by writing down assignments and their due date.

meet up with friends and take interest in your hobbies.

don't let your school life take over your out of school life!!

try and make new friends.

avoid any unnecessary arguments.

[mydearsnooopy]

Study Icons୨ৎ

Blair Waldorf

2. Spencer Hastings

3. Elle Woods

4. Rory Gilmore (when she was smart)

[positivelypresent]

Every day is a fresh start!

[audreys-diaryy]

Ultimate guide to acing college summer classes 🧋

It’s the first week of june and on my campus, summer 1 classes starts! So time for the ultimate guide to acing college summer classes ♡

Get a cute planner or digital app to track assignments and deadlines

Break down your goals for each week to manage your workload effectively

Find your study spot! Choose air conditioned libraries or shaded outdoor areas. Don’t stay in the heat too long and don’t forget to wear sunscreen everyday

Engage with the material through quizzes, discussions, and teaching concepts to friends

Take regular breaks for relaxation and self-care. Hit the pool, go for a walk, or indulge in a hobby

Join a study group! Find classmates to study with. You can support each other and make learning more fun

Treat yourself after completing big tasks. A little shopping spree or a fun outing can be a great motivator

Use other online resources for extra learning

Lastly, keep a positive mindset! Think about how these courses will help you achieve your future aspirations 💕

[femmefatalevibe]

Hiya lovely, do you have any wisdom for someone struggling to study? I've been out of school for 3 years due to illness (in my formative learning years) and now I'm gearing up for university with absolutely no study skills, low energy and a whole lot of insecurity around it. I have always been intelligent enough to learn quickly but there's a barrier I'm just not getting through, possibly due to the latent effects of the damage.

I have high expectations for myself and I want to model myself off of your brand! Thank you very kindly in advance <3

Hi love! It sounds like you're in a difficult situation, especially for someone in their teens. My heart goes out to you for overcoming this and going after a university degree. This ambition and dedication takes a considerable amount of mental fortitude and strength, so please remember that. I'm flattered by your kind words <3

Here are some of my study tips to help you maintain your stamina and focus:

When in doubt, make everything into an itemized list (topics, timelines, organizing by subtopic, key facts/people/dates surrounding a significant event, concept, theory, or ideology, cause and effect, problem and solution, etc.)

Use real-life analogies and applications as often as possible to retain information (e.g. to remember acronyms, propositions through the "box" metaphor, etc.)

Reframe long-winded information into an ongoing narrative. Humans are better at retelling stories than retaining/regurgitating a laundry list of facts or statistics

Organize your study sessions to each focus on one main topic, concept, or chapter

Create a timeline for all your assignments. Plan in advance to work on projects in milestones rather than all at once

Utilize time-blocking to pace yourself through the information (e.g. devote 30 minutes to one task or an hour to studying a specific concept; take a fully unplugged break before resuming work or another study session). Use a countdown timer if you think it would be helpful for you – everyone is different

Prioritize rest, even if it sounds counterintuitive at first. You're most productive and focused when your mind is well-rested enough to achieve and maintain peak performance. Efficiency is more important than time spent on a task – the former is what makes all of the difference (and leads to a more well-rounded, fulfilling life, too)

Discover motivating playlists that keep you on task. I love the ones for ADHD from Jason Lewis - Mind Amend on YouTube (I'm listening to one now, lol). Coffee or caffeinated tea can also help your energy to power through a study session, just don't overdo it

Focus on one task, page, or concept at a time. Don't let the entirety of a project or the volume of your overall workload overwhelm you. Just focus & prioritize what's in front of you. Take one step closer to your goals every day. Perfectionism is the most stifling barrier to progress and long-term success. Remember that

You got this! Hope this helps xx

[autisticthings]

Annotating tips:

whenever I read an article that's printed out I always mark the page. I remember when I was younger, a lot of people thought the teachers were stupid for saying it, but numbering the paragraphs helps.

I also circle words I don't know and then look them up and define them. even if they're words I know but don't use everyday, a simplified definition is easier to understand.

ill highlight things I think are important, if it's for an assignment then I highlight the answers for each question and number what question it's for before answering the question. (I answer questions at the end)

then I also summarize each paragraph. just to the right of it. so then I don't have to reread the whole thing. it should be a couple words if it's a short paragraph. or one full sentence if it's a long paragraph.

[being-addie]

How to have a productive study session.

When your finals are in 2 days, and you've definitely NOT studied enough, it's normal to panic. You sit down to study and get a solid 30 minutes of calculus done, then jump down the rabbit hole called YouTube. Soon enough the dread creeps up because you're still not done.

As a girl who doesn't attend school regularly due to coaching classes I go to (I'll expand on this later), it's pretty easy to forget to study for exams and projects.

But there's nothing better than getting 98% on that exam. So I'm writing this as someone who's been scoring straight As all my life. Here's how to have a productive study session:

Note: This isn't a guide for romanticising studies. This is meant for a serious, productive session. I will, however, be making a guide to help romanticise studies because I've found it helps a lot.

Before you study

Identify what your distractions are: Let's be real, almost everyone has their phone on hand during study sessions. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and keep it in a corner of the room. Add a few selected contacts that can reach you while your phone is on DND. If you can turn off notifications entirely, do that.

Taking measures: After I keep my phone away, my brain turns to the next thing it could be distracted by. My laptop and tablet. Put those devices in focus mode, so you won't be tempted to use any other apps and use a Chrome extension like StayFocused or WasteNoTime to not get sidetracked.

Resources: Make sure you have all your material on hand. Video lectures, notes, guides, your formula sheet, and flash cards. Keep everything on hand so you won't have to rifle through papers to find that reference sheet.

Your space: Clean your desk. Keep only the things you need. Your pens and pencils, chargers, annotation material and water bottle. If you want, light a candle. Do not clutter it unnecessarily. Your desk is a sacred space. Treat it that way.

When you sit down

The checklist: Do you have all the material required? Electronics, chargers, a snack and a drink? Water bottle? Extra pen? If you have everything beforehand, you'll be less likely to lose focus because you forgot to charge your headphones.

Make a plan: I cannot stress this enough. You'll sit down and just start studying, and next thing you know, it's 7pm and all you've done is watch videos on celebrity drama. Make a goddamn plan. Write down a realistic number of chapters you can complete and then STICK TO IT.

Begin: Reread and review your notes. I usually like to rewrite my notes in neater handwriting, because my handwriting in class is appalling. To really solidify information, I recommend the 'Blurting' method. Read a paragraph, then close the book and say what you understood out loud. Reread to see what you missed and take note. I did this for my history exam and got a 100%. This shit works for a reason. Use the Pomodoro technique to maximise productivity. Set an alarm for 25 minutes, and do intensive study. Once that's done, take a 5-minute break. Return and repeat.

IMPORTANT

Take a break: Ah yes, if you don't get up every 40 minutes or so for a break, eventually whatever you're studying will start looking like garbage and you'll be back to square one. GET UP. Walk around. STRETCH. You've been looking like a croissant🥐. Eat something. Rehydrate.

Forgive yourself: If you couldn't hit your target, don't be harsh on yourself. Find out the cause: Were you distracted? Did something unavoidable come up? Then try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Study buddy: This is a double-edged sword. Studying with a friend can either increase your productivity by a massive amount, or it can help you get absolutely zero work done. When revising with a friend, make sure you study with someone who has the same goals as you and won't get distracted by things.

It's 2023, procrastination is cancelled. Go drink some water, eat a granola bar and finish that assignment you've been delaying. Be the person who finishes all their work, on time and perfectly. You can do it.

<3

[glitchyycatt]

graphed my grades vs number of absences in that class. now as we see here, i should be skipping three classes in each class every quarter to achieve the highest possible grades

its backed up by science :3

[averysmallcetacean]

does anyone have any good advice for writing concise notes, whenever I try I just end up writing way too much, I can never tell what is necessary and what isn't

[ashersbraincell]

The best piece of advice I can give you, as someone who’s done with it and deeply regrets just about everything:

Don’t sell your entire childhood for praise. Don’t waste your entire childhood chasing a dream that can throw you away the moment you’re no longer performing at your unrealistic best all of the time. You have a life, you’re not some kind of drone ffs.

And when it’s all done, will you truly be able to look back on everything and say with absolute certainty that this is what you truly desire? That this path you forged is what fulfills you?

When there’s no longer anybody there to tell you that you’ve done a good job, how will you find that validation within yourself?

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

Something that schools don't teach you but is much needed: how to have a work/life balance that works for you.

As someone who works fulltime and does classes and attempts a social life and hobbies, this gets very hard and stressful. But here are some tips I have for helping:

Learn to say no and not feel guilty. Picking up that extra shift when you had plans? Politely decline. Your friend is begging you to take ANOTHER class when your plate is full so you can have one together? Just be honest and say you can't.

Prioritize your sleep and eating. You can't function well if you don't sleep and eat enough. These are not things you can just push aside and do when you get the time. These are basic things you need to survive. These are literally basic needs. Don't throw them to the side. Your body does its best to take care of you. Make sure you take care of it too.

Have boundaries and be firm with them. If you tell your manager you can only work x, y, and z, don't let them add a or b to it. Respectfully but firmly let them know that you can't take on those things and if they have you do a or b, your work overall is going to majorly decrease in quality. Schedule time for yourself. For studying. For going out. And treat those set aside times just like you would if they were work or school times or appointments. You are the most important part of your life.

Understand that some weeks are going to be absolute hell. You're not going to have enough time. You're going to be exhausted and cry and throw things and want to quit everything. You got this babe. Take breaks and remind yourself how amazing you are and treat yourself after.

Prioritize things and adopt better habits. Wash your dishes right after using them. Get a set bedtime. Get easy breakfast things. Take a walk.

Your friends will understand if you just need time alone. I promise. They love you and don't hate you because you're overwhelmed. I PROMISE. And if they don't, maybe they aren't really your friends.

Not everyone is a friend. Some people are acquaintances. Some people are a 5 minute smoke break at work for your sanity. Some people are drinking buddies. Some people are library study date friends. And that's ok! Not everyone has to be your bestie. And trying to put that much energy into that many people will drain you.

[soulfullofsunshine]

Study tips from an overachiever trying to not burn out during the school year

🌜the most basic tip ever -> study everday. make it 20 mins or whatever feels right. maybe you are competetive as hell like me, so you can make it slightly longer every day/week and try to beat your personal record

🌜take notes (works for me but may not work for you as well) when your teacher talks a lot, try to write down what seems important. you can also use your textbook and highlight things teacher said that are important/may be on the test

🌜another basic one - answer your teacher's question. my tip is to make the most from the beginning of the school year when everything is easy and you don't have a lot of tests. also when you already are active on lessons you can be almost sure that teacher won't choose you when you are not expecting it, they most likelywill choose someone who isn't taking part in discussion

🌜don't study when you are feeling very, very bad - if your head hurts a lot and you feel sleepy don't ignore that. take a nap and rest. i learned that hard way. if you can't focus and diffrent study methods aren't working, try having a long break for something you enjoy. reading first sentence over and over again won't do anything. also remember to rest, unless you want to burn out after a month :D

🌜 if writing everything down helps you remember, this is for you. take messy notes at school and then before a test rewrite them in cleaner way, highlight, add diagrams and stuff. you do you. having aesthetically pleasing notes makes me want to look over them more often. you can also try writing in cursive with black ink for that dark academia vibe

🌜after classes and eat something and rest, but please do not get on your phone to scroll or play games. you won't be able to stop and you know that. try doing something you enjoy like reading, listening to music or even daydreaming. set a timer for specific time then after it rings get ready for studying. after you complete your study session, you can reward yourself with time to play a game or watching favourite series

[mydearsnooopy]

This School Year's Mindset ⠀⏜ ◌ ୨ ୧ ◌ ⏜

Stay Organized

Manage Time Wisely

Take Breaks and practice self care

Don't compare yourself to others

Read your book ahead of your class

Finish assignments on time or early

Try not to be late

Write down or keep your goals in mind

Set timers for yourself

Listen to lo-fi or some classical music

Try different environments

Plan your day, create to-do lists

Scroll through Tumblr or Pinterest during your breaks

Study sooner than later

Write flash cards and short summary's

Stay persistent

I hope you beauties have a great school year!🦢୨ৎ

[positivelypresent]

What would you add?