#uni tips

[liones-s]

one of the biggest things I can advocate for (in academia, but also just in life) is to build credibility with yourself. It’s easy to fall into the habit of thinking of yourself as someone who does things last minute or who struggles to start tasks. people will tell you that you just need to build different habits, but I know for me at least the idea of ‘habit’ is sort of abstract and dehumanizing. Credibility is more like ‘I’ve done this before, so I know I can do it, and more importantly I trust myself to do it’. you set an assignment goal for the day and you meet it, and then you feel stronger setting one the next day. You establish a relationship with yourself that’s built on confidence and trust. That in turn starts to erode the barrier of insecurity and perfectionism and makes it easier to start and finish tasks. reframing the narrative as a process of building credibility makes it easier to celebrate each step and recognize how strong your relationship with yourself can become

[winryrockbellwannabe]

How to survive your first year in uni

(from a 3rd year student that only learned all this this past semester)

(applicable to other stages of your academic life, ofc, i was needing this advice rn in the end of my bachelor's)

1. Find ways to be interested in all classes.

Being it by watching documentaries/movies, wanting to be the smartass that knows quantum physics in family reunions, or wanting to tutor your crush on maths (not me doing that to learn integrals lol). You have to at least find a short term motivation to study for that class. That's the most important bit to be able to study it. But of course you also have to be interested in your classes, so try to watch tv shows about it to make it look cooler. (me watching big bang theory and realizing I understand some physics equations)

2. Find other people who are also interested in your classes

For example, this year in radiations class, i would have given up on being on track with the classes if my friend wasn't a master in radiations. They always answer my curiosity questions, and give me fun facts, so it helps me be interested in it. Also, other people's enthusiasm about a course is going to make you so much more excited about it.

3. Ask questions to your teachers.

I promise it won't be dumb. And even if it is, i promise it won't be in the top 10 dumbest questions they ever had to answer in their career.

My rad prof said in our first class that a master's degree student had once asked her what is a photon, and she answered bc there is no shame. (he was a comp sci undergrad, so he genuinely didn't know) That helped me feel more at ease asking her questions tbh, bc now i feel like every question is valid.

4. Don't worry if you are unsure about your future.

Everyone is. The only ppl that aren't unsure are the Rory Gilmore's of this world that had the same dream for so long that they don't even know if it's still their dream or not.

You're still changing, literally during my first year i had two different mental breakdowns thinking I chose the wrong degree. Which was just the stress and uncertainty speaking, bc im still very much enjoying my degree lol. (and the funniest bit, one of those mental breakdowns was me thinking i wanted to switch for computer science, but now i think that wouldn't do it for me. I changed my interests so much since then)

5. Make time for friends.

Both your "old" friends and trying to meet new ones. It will help you not to go insane during exams period lol. Also, try to talk to students from the years above you, they'll have so much advice to give you (you just have to say you're a newbie in uni, and they'll literally start rambling about their 1st year mistakes, at least that's what me and my friends do with the new kids lol)

[lost-neurons]

Tips from Cal Newport's How to Win at College

Recently I finished Cal Newport's another book, How to Win at College. A fast read, the book is basically a list of tips gathered by the author to help the reader succeed easier at uni.

Some of them were quite obvious to me, some of them caught my attention more, and they are the ones you can find below. Words in italics are the exact quotations, headlines are also original from the book. The rest of it is my attempt to summarize it (although the descriptions in the book itself are very short and clear, so really, check out the book). Without further ado:

Studying

Build Study Systems

before you start to study spend few minutes so you know exactly what and how will you study, that way you will optimize your work and study more efficiently

Avoid Daily To-Do Lists

rather try time-blocking

Do Schoolwork Every Day

doesn’t matter how much you do, as long as you do something daily it will be easier staying in that zone of the smooth work flow

Find a Secret Study Space

Take the time to explore the odd corners and depths of your favorite buildings on campus, and you will certainly find a hidden jewel of a study space to call your own.

however! switch them from time to time to prevent making studying tedious and alienating

Don’t Study In Groups

you really do need to sit at your QUIET desk in the library to absorb the material

seek out someone for specific help on a specific issue, then return to your solo work

Don’t Do All of Your Reading

read chapter introductions and conclusions, skim everything else

you may miss something important, your professor won’t – listen carefully during class

pay more attention to the assignments which will be part of an exam but weren’t or won’t be covered in class 

make tick marks next to sentences that catches your attention and is faster than highlighting

Start Long Term Projects the Day They Are Assigned

finish some work the same day; 30 mins are enough, plan the whole thing, do some research, maybe write some draft

Keep a Work-Progress Journal

every nigh jot down the day’s date, the long-term work you had scheduled for the day, and the work that you actually accomplished, be brief

that will keep your mind in the game, and you will feel being hold accountable

Start Studying Two Weeks in Advance

first ~12 days– an hour or so, maybe a couple extra hours over the weekend

two days before exam  – three-hour secessions to cement that knowledge

Focus On Grades, Ignore G.P.A

bad grades happen, as long as you put in the effort nobody cares about one bad day

focus on learning for the sake of learning, not for the sake of grades !!!!

Uni life

Get Involved with Your Major Department

attend the events, guest lectures, seminars, public thesis defenses

show up once a month, become a recognized face, that will have several benefits

Learn to Listen

never be the first person to give an opinion, listen to others’ thoughts first, be sure you understand their positions, and then interject your own thoughts with careful aplomb

you don’t want to be that stuck-up person who acts like they know everything, and only they are right – listen, listen, listen!!!

Relax Before Exams

studying right up until the testing begins releases too much adrenaline, resulting in troubles with focusing

take an hour before an exam to relax so you will feel confident and calm

Ignore Your Classmates’ Grades

Worry about your performance and progress; let your classmates worry about their own.

Blow the Curve Once a Term

every semester choose one class you like, then within this class choose one interesting project, and then just absolutely kill it

Ask One Question at Every Lecture

(…) when you are doing the reading that will be covered in the lecture, jot down a quick list of questions that seem relevant. Then, once in class, follow the professor’s material carefully modifying and honing your questions as appropriate. Finally, when you feel you have a question that is meaningful, and will clarify an important point of the discussion, ask away.

Befriend a Professor

make them your mentor, they provide the letters of recommendation, informal instructions, and many other useful tools you need for academic success

visit office hours not only when you have troubles with certain topics; when working on a paper talk to them about possible topics, get feedback on the selected idea, check with them the structure of your argument, ask for clarification etc. etc. etc.

Apply to Ten Scholarships a Year

For every ten well-selected scholarships and awards you apply for, you probably have a good shot at winning at least one (…). The more scholarships you win, the better your odds on future applications.

it will accumulate and after few years your resume will be looking good when joining the job market

Lifestyle

Schedule Your Free Time

so you don’t waste it sitting and wondering what to do and turning 10-minutes jobs into 2-hours ones

either you are in one of your scheduled break periods, or are you working – no more feeling guilty or uncertain when to relax

Find an Escape

schedule an escape every single week, do it alone; can be a long hike, sitting in the coffee shop reading, anything allowing you to relax and cut off uni stuff for a few hours

Exercise Five Days a Week

keep yourself active to boost your brain, but also to take care of your muscles and joints – they were made to move!

Stay In Touch

talk to your family and friends at least once a month; literally talk, call them or meet if you can, messaging doesn’t count nor sending voice massages

Don’t Undersleep, Don’t Oversleep

find out how many hours do you need to feel rested and stick to them

avoid too few but also too many hours of sleep – The fact that you can sleep more, doesn’t mean that you should.

Laugh Every Day

Find something every single day that will make you laugh

Seek Out Fun

if you don’t actively seek out fun, it won’t actively seek out you

Reconsider reading Newport's book, or give his podcast (Deep Questions with Cal Newport) a try. He's the first person I found with such a healthy approach to productivity and work

[sebs-studies]

Unsolicited advice from a second year uni student

Since it's now September and most people I know will be heading either back to school or gearing up for university. And if anyone did what I did they might look at Tumblr to get some studying/life ideas (I did this during my A-levels and ended up making my own blog!). So I wanted to give some general advice from my perspective to anyone who might want it - also this will be specific to the UK but some of it is just general too. Also I want to be able to look back on this since I went back through my blog recently and realised I may have needed this advice even just a year ago.

For those who are about to go to university do not panic (cliché I know) but seriously. You will survive the first year I promise! It obviously varies from person to person and between unis and degrees but the first year will generally be a massive adjustment period in your life. And that will likely impact your mental health. This is totally normal. I got major impostor syndrome the first few months of uni. It wasn't until semester 2 that I started to feel comfortable. And largely because if was an entirely new way of learning and teaching, I had to completely relearn how to study, whilst also learning how to live on my own, and living in a new city and making friends.

You will make friends, it might not be immediately but you will find someone before the end of your first year. I got blessed by chance in making friends, but I know lots of people who it took the entire year to find their people. The unfortunate part of this advice is to make friends you do have to go outside and meet them (and I don't always mean going out drinking although this is definitely an option). Look for societies and clubs at your uni this will be 100% an easy way to meet people. And especially especially in the first few weeks of uni go to the welcome/fresher/first year events. I avoided them because I was anxious but turns out they're an amazing way to meet people because guess what? Everyone else is just as anxious as you are!

Expect your grades to go down at first and don't be discouraged, you can and will get those grades back up. And even if you don't (given that you are passing) it doesn't matter. Grades, especially at grad level are kind of inconsequential for most people. Two things to be mindful of are if you are going for a work placement or study abroad year (if you live in the UK) as first year grades do matter for those. Something no one will probably tell you till it's too late. But even then for most study programs you only need a 60% in your first year. And to just progress you only need a 40% (at most unis double check yours). Point being if there's ever a time for your grades to go down it's now, don't panic, your degree isn't over, you're not an impostor, you deserve to be here.

Everyone is struggling just as much as you are. Don't be fooled by Instagram or whatever. Even though I am guilty of it, we only show the nice parts of our lives online. When I get most stressed I step back from this blog, and you guys don't see the tears, sleepless nights, frustrating, and also kind of gross parts of being a student. So don't be fooled if Amanda from your seminar seems to have a perfect life on her Instagram, chances are she hasn't got it as together as you think, and you are no less better than anyone else in the room.

Save money anyway you can!!! I cannot stress this enough but one of the students biggest issues is spending. I'm guilty too but do your best especially in the first year to not overspend too much. Still enjoy yourself 100%, but do you really need to take out five times a week? Or the new shoes? Trust me by the time you get to your second year and your savings or your loan is gone you'll be wishing you held back a little.

If you are struggling. Talk to someone. For uni students, go to your mentor, academic lead, or look up the mental health service at your uni. Every uni (in the UK) has a mental health team. I know many of us are disillusioned with student support networks but I mean this when I say uni support systems are better funded, more rigorous and it serves them to support you. You are not just a student at the university, you are a customer paying a lot of money to be there. It's important that you are happy and you are progressing, otherwise both you and the uni lose! Don't be afraid to speak up when you need it, there will be someone there.

For UK students look up student groups for your university of Facebook. I'm being 100% serious when I say there is a gold mine of info on Facebook for unis. I never ever post on Facebook but it is so useful for staying in the know on events, stuff currently happening, and lots of student groups are pretty funny/gossipy. Some unis even have pages giving away free stuff from previous students, i.e. crockery, kitchen stuff, speakers etc. I managed to save some decent money on these groups. Also if you're into clubbing this is a pretty good way to learn where the good spots are in your city ;)

Romanticism will only go so far. Don't exhaust yourself on how you look. At the end of the day if you are getting the job done who cares if you did it hunched over a bag of cold McDonalds at 3 am? It's no better than someone with a green smoothie at a coffee shop.

I say a lot of this because my first semester was an emotional rollercoaster. During my GCSEs to A-Levels I thrived academically and then coming to Uni I felt like I was so out of my depth. And it wasn't until the second year I realised that this is, a) normal, and b) not that deep! So you scored a little low on an essay? Take the advice and work on the next one. You had some awkward conversation at a uni event? Everyone has forgotten about it already, give a different event a go. One of my favourite things about university is that it is surprisingly low consequence (in the grand scheme of things). Making mistakes won't end you it's okay. I know everyone on studyblr is a perfectionist but give yourself some leniency please. Anyway that's enough of my ranting. To be honest I expect no one to read this. But I am curious how I'll update it in a year's time once I'm going into third year.

If anyone has any questions about university my DMs are open. (I actually am now a paid guide for welcoming first years so it is literally my job lol).

[cr0ftisprocrastinating]

Crofty! My favorite and beloved academia Dramione writer! Will you be a student again this year? What is the back to school season like for you?

I also want to ask, how do you set intentions for the beginning of the semester/school year and make sure that you stay committed to them? How do you balance separate writing projects with your coursework?

In addition, would you be willing to share advice for a reader halfway through her undergraduate degree? For context, I’ve had some rough setbacks in my first two years, but I’m really eager to prove myself. I want to build back my GPA and earn my way into a humanities PhD program.

Thanks so much! I hope your academic years are wonderful (in the true old meaning of the word!) and give you great joy, wisdom and inspiration.

#ADHDinacademia #PhD #dramione #darkacademia #hogwarts #oxford #oxbridge #ivyleague #columbia #manuscript #marauder #hermionegranger #undergradwoes #lumos

Sweet Piedra! Happy September, aka the best month of the whole year! (it may or may not include my birthday).

I will be a student this year again! I'm just about to start my second year as a phd student (programs in the UK are usually 3-4 years, so I'm nearly halfway through already?!).

The biggest advice I can give about studying is firstly: wanting to do well is the first step to doing well in anything, so you are already a good chunk of the way there!

2. pick things that you are naturally interested in (for option papers). Life is a hell of a lot easier when you're not making it harder for yourself, even if you think you *should* be studying something bc it sounds impressive (personally, I am not into Russian Literature at all, so I just don't force myself to slog through Crime and Punishment, etc. This simple realisation improved my life by at least 100%)

3. Do as much reading as you can. When I did my undergrad I was so surprised at how little reading people did lol, and doing the reading makes a big difference. The Professors have made the reading lists for a reason and they want to help you.

4. Utilise office hours! It took me ages to realise that I can just...go to the office hours and talk to the people who were teaching me. Go in person if you can. Talk them through your essay plans and they will course correct before they're marked. Let them know that you're interested in pursuing it further, and find out what they think you need to do to fill in any gaps you may have. Don't be discouraged if they're short with you, bc academics are a weird bunch.

5. Try not to be so focused on an end result that you forget to enjoy what you're doing right now. Romanticise the hell out of your life whenever you can. It's short!

In terms of my 'process' (sorry this is SO long):

This term is going to be pretty hectic! In addition to my PhD I work Tuesdays and Wednesdays at a corporate job to help pay the bills. I have funding, but funding in the arts is just...not enough.

I will also be teaching this semester for the first time ever (yay!) so I have reading lists and essay questions to put together before Oct. That's every other week though, so it's not too much work.

My supervisors and I try to get a 'chunk' of my thesis written a term (8-10k roughly). I have about 8k due at the end of this month as I have written 2 chunks over the summer, and will have another due at the end of term in Dec.

Also, I've been asked to give a talk about my research at the end of the semester which I am SO excited about, but it means I'll be adapting one of my thesis chapters for that, too! :)

Broadly speaking I do fanfic writing Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, as after grown-up-job-things my brain is too toasted for academic work. When I'm getting to the end of a story however I get real itchy fingers and have to get all the words out as quickly as possible, so I let a lot of other things slide, like cleaning or cooking or washing my hair or also doing my work. Gross, I know, but I've never been particularly functional when I have an idea in my head.

However, I do believe that if you are busy then you are more productive. I have 2 modes: INSANE or blob. I do not recommend this approach, but that is just the way that I'm wired. Today, for instance, I spent the entire day in bed. Tomorrow I really must go back to the library.

Oxford terms are only 8 weeks long, and honestly no matter how prepared I am at the beginning, by halfway through I'm clinging on by a thread. I try not to be too hard on myself when that happens, and focus on getting my work done and not keeping my house clean or whatever else I've decided to beat myself up about.

My username is about procrastinating for a reason. I just kind of productively procrastinate and then at some point everything just gets done?

Some personal mantras:

'everything in moderation, including moderation'

'say yes and figure it out later'

'the work comes first' (normally I say this to try and galvanize myself into staying in the library when I want to go to the pub)

'fuck it' (said when the pub wins out)

'it'll get done, because it has to' (said when I have a week to write 4,000 words because i've procrastinated too close to the sun, again)

[r-ene]

any tips on how to be motivated in doing thesis? or just any general, helpful tips. thank you! <3

Hi !! I had fun doing our thesis so I feel I might ramble a bit here, haha +++ this is a very long read so I'll list it down w bold key points blue if u dont want to read d whole thing – most of these are the things my team did, I hope this is of help !!

sorry for the delay w my response, I thought about this for days so I could be more helpful hehe

first, idk if you're doing a solo or partnered or group thesis but if you have a partner or group, getting along really well with the team + having mutual understanding can make the whole process smooth. my groupmates are my close friends (we're 6 in the group and i love them dearly) and everything went smoothly because we're aware how, for example, i hate cramming and love scheduling + doing things in advance, so all of us agreed to do things in advance but with a time period of 1-2 weeks depending on the heaviness of task (related lit is long so we did that 2 weeks minimum)

do not procrastinate and cram = love scheduling. following my first point, i made a time table for our group and i was the secretary/assistant leader so i made it a point to follow up every now and then and kept the deadlines pinned in our chat. since we had a system, we never crammed and since all of us also loves to do things now for longer chill days, we were never late for a deadline and just waited for our prof to ask for outputs since there were no fixed deadlines.

pick a topic you and your team is very interested in + relevant to today's society/generation + your major. all of us had very good topic proposals since each of us had to pitch at least one topic and we chose to do a study on telemedicine for chronic respiratory disease patients – very timely, interesting and relevant to our generation + our major ofc. we were very invested in this study :)

love reading, love your study and the process. this makes things SUPER easy. a little segwey but i did my junior internship under occupational therapy and loved the patients (majority were stroke patients) and one of them, when my intern asked what advice to give me since i want to become a doctor/hcp, he was a doctor and he told me to "isapuso" (take in heart/love) what i will be studying and doing and that's what i did with our thesis + my major. Makes everything easier ♡ oh and also since thesis needs loads of reading, the more you love your topic, the more you'll just automatically read on it regardless whether you're doing your related lit at the moment or not. i still read on telemedicine till now

have one in your team to be the one in charge of formatting and one for references. this seems very minor but it helps prevent unwanted headaches especially if there's a bunch of you in the group so the document won't be altered much as you work and would have a much more consistent formatting for both

ethics committee can be a pain in waiting both in uni and if ever you want to conduct your study based on a hospital. our uni ethics takes a week while hospitals take over 2 weeks to over a month to approve your request/s. best to also assign 2 people on ethics-related things since i think we filled out 5 documents the whole thesis period to submit to ethics. however, during the waiting process or even before submitting, make revisions and consult with your research adviser and/or other profs knowledgeable on your topic + our best decision was to consult the head of the uni research. though we had to revise our title + changes in the whole paper, as a result of consulting w profs n head, we were able to get the best result we could hope for !!

review your paper every now and then because there are technical and content-wise revision you won't notice at first and second time you proofread your paper. in addition, if working in a group, have your groupmates check on your work afterwards no matter how confident you are with it — this helps them study on your part/s and see corrections you weren't able to. double, triple, quadruple checking's not bad. It's very helpful.

this is ironic since thesis is a major task but: don't stress and don't put too much pressure on yourself. personally this was very helpful because it clears your mind, especially before defense and can help you think of the possible questions the panelists might ask and you yourself would be able to deliver your parts better + be the one to figure out the loopholes you missed (so idk but in our case before the panel pointed out our loophole, we were the ones who brought it up and already had a defense on it and stuff) and it makes the whole defense process shorter, smoother. just make sure to take notes on the loopholes, possible qs, panel qs and recommendations and not dwell on the anxiety (there will always be a percentage of it in u) you have in your body while they're asking stuff, hahaha

sleep early before defense days !!! i sleep latest 11 for these and go to dunkin near uni at 5 or 6am to study up for the defense, no matter if the defense is at 8 or 10. you can nap peacefully after + the morning auras can help calm your nerves

ran out of ideas but i believe you can do this !! thesis might sound intimidating and scary but i hope you don't let it get to you. you can have a stress-free thesis making period as long as you really like your study (as i mentioned), trust and have confidence both in you and your team, be very diligent to get rest and whenever you get time to. if you feel overwhelmed, step back and take a walk even just for 5 minutes, it makes a whole difference. I'm not sure what drives you – awards, grades, feeling of fulfillment... and I don't know what field your in but trust that your study can help make an impact no matter how you think it's "too simple" in comparison to those making apps (in my case, but no shade to the other contestants in the research competition, i was very proud of my fellow respi students regardless whether we're competitors or not that time).

To put emphasis for boost: you are great. you will do great on your thesis despite everything and convert pessimism to optimism !! its not naive, it can get you through anything if you broaden your outlook 🤍

[dandelioncasey]

Not all of this is applicable to the universities I went to (such as the ones about dropping a class and studying outside your major which isn't how it works here afaik) but sharing anyways for the useful ones!

I would also add that you should never leave your assignments to the last minute; I don't care how confident you are that you can write a 3000 word paper in a week, it will be so much less stressful if you already have a plan and some decent notes at a minimum.

Also @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels you cannot leave this in the tags:

Actual good first-time college student advice:

Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna

Backpacks with thick straps are your friend!  Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back

You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class.  Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.

If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE!  It’ll only get worse from there!

If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.

You are in charge of your schedule.  Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.

Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.

Pay attention to your credit hours and grades.  Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!

Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook.  Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online.  Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts).  Use your best judgement on what you think you need.

Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them.  It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.

The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates.  They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study.  And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.

You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!

If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted.  Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!

Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!!  Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed.  Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time.  Look into it if you need to!

Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something.  Anything.

Eat and stay hydrated.  Bring a water bottle and snack to class.

All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.

It’s going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up.  This WILL happen.  You just have to make sure what you’re doing isn’t making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!

[mindfulstudyquest]

gentle reminder you can rise up from everything. you can recreate yourself. nothing is permanent. you are not stuck. you have choices. you can think new thoughts. you can learn something new. you can create new habits. all that matters is that you decide today and never look back.

[study-diaries]

I will succeed. Not immediately. But definitely.

[thebrownbunnygrad]

I feel like I'm drowning

As expected I've been totally inconsistent with the posting. But then again who the heck is going to read this except me anyway. I got to visit some amazing places like the Natural Science Museum and Kew Gardens (see pics!) and honestly, if you're looking for dark academia vibes London is the place to be. Absolutely love it!!

Although sightseeing has been great, I'm on week 4 of my MSc program and I am floundering! I felt behind literally on the second week. Even though I only finished my undergrad a couple of months ago, which relatively did involve reading a lot of papers, there was some "hand-holding" when it came to the lecture material.

Doing your graduate studies (specifically in the UK) is definitely more self-directed than I thought it would be. So much of it is self-taught, self-motivated, self... whatever you name it. If you're thinking of doing your Masters in the UK, specifically at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Be prepared to [1] read, [2] read, and [3] read. There's a degree of proactiveness and discipline that is extremely needed!

✌🏾 ~Brown Bunny 🤎

[still-blonde-not-contagious]

this would’ve been so useful back in september but it’s never too late to start

Fun witchy things to spice up your school/uni/college year

School/uni starts in late Jan/late Feb here in Australia so leave me alone if you're already in the middle of your school year lol /hl. These are just a few things I did when I was in HS and intend to do now that I'm going to university next year.

Enchant your water bottle with cleansing/purifying energy. The water will cleanse your energy this way. I do this to help me chill the fuck out. I do not do well with academics and the last thing I need is to pick up other people's stress.

Draw sigils for academic success in the back of your notebooks and planners.

Try binding your hair or veiling this school year! It doesn't have to be for religious reasons, it can just be to protect your energy.

Colour code your books or folders to what you need from each subject and set the intention accordingly! For example, red for math because you need confidence and strength or green for science because you need some extra luck in that subject.

Do you remember the erasers with yes and no written on them? Yeah! Make one of those and flip it for on the fly divination! It actually works if you put enough intention into it and it's a fun way to pass time.

Use colour magick in your outfits and shoes/shoe laces! This is a lot of effort so I've rarely do it but I've heard a lot of good things from people who regularly do. Just be careful that you don't accidentally send a nasty lace code message with your docks (or other boots) and shoe laces.

More colour magick but get coloured pens that correspond with your wanted intention! The ink could be coloured or just the outside, it's up to you.

If you pack your own lunch try your hand at some kitchen magick this year! Deli meats, bread, butter, pasta, tofu, etc all have their own uses and meanings. You can do some amazing stuff with food! I really recommend you try it at least once :)

Set your computer's folders names to affirmations or intentions! "I have incredible grades" "I respect my physical and mental needs" "I have the perfect work/school/life balance" are all examples.

This is less about school/uni/college but enchant any jewellery you wear with protection or dedicate it to a deity!

Again, not super school related but do a glamour spell with your skin care and/or make up. It just puts me in a good mood and sets the tone for the day.

I hope you enjoyed! As always, suggestions and tips are more than welcome :)

[liones-s]

truly altering to learn that you can ask for things. especially if you’re someone who avoids inconveniencing others, it’s amazing to discover how often people don’t see it as an inconvenience when you ask for help.

I was struggling in a course and finally had to ask the registrar for help and they were like ‘no problem, that’s our job!’ And even though it was five weeks into the semester, they found me a different class. I went from struggling through something to being presented with a solution that I didn’t even know existed.

yes sometimes it will be a burden, and sometimes someone will get a little cranky about it—but you deserve to be a little bit inconvenient. Everyone does. If you’re struggling, you deserve to be helped, even when it means someone has to put in a little time and effort.

[ratwizz]

From a Snake Queen to a Solitaire Peasant <\3

[how-to-get-away-with-study]

Trying to finish this degree. Last exam to go next week. Wish me luck! 🍀

And of course we must always study inside bookstore-cafes ☕

[skwpr]

[04.09.2024]

A chaotic start to the term. Busy day at work👩🏻‍🔬⚗️🧪🥼

Reminder: keep your back straight. Remember to take time for yourself.