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Mansplaining: an illustration

My male coworker, a lifelong busboy who flunked out of college: Hey, you're a linguistics major. Do you know why villa and villain come from the same root?

Me: Yeah, there was what's known as a semantic shift-

Male coworker: No, it wasn't a semantic shift. You see, back in the Roman empire, a villa was a large home out in the countryside.

Me: I know what a villa is.

Male coworker: And people from villas were known as villains...

Me: Like I said, I know the history of the word villain.

Him: *no acknowledgement* ...and people from the city thought that people who lived out in the countryside were strange, so over time...

Me: semantic shift

Him: The word villain came to mean someone who was suspicious or dangerous.

Me: Yeah, I know.

Him: Huh, I guess it was kind of a semantic shift. Anyway, now you know!

Me: Yep. Like. I. Said.

[uniexperienceabroad]

Work Smarter, Not Harder: study tips psychology taught me

study in shorter intervals and take breaks (ie, 40 minutes studying and 20 minutes break)

during your break don’t watch tv or surf the internet. get outside if you can and go for a walk. or at least listen to some instrumental music and walk around your hall. or meditate or do some art. anything that doesn’t require super directed attention. this allows your attention to be replenished. it’s like a muscle and you gotta give it time to rest. tv doesn’t allow for that.

relate the information to yourself and your life. creating visual images will improve your memory.

when studying, take notes by hand and put them in your own words. generating material yourself will encode the material better in your brain, and you’ll remember it better

don’t just reread, rehearse! quiz yourself on the materials. if you use a visual image “memory palace” technique, walk yourself through it. you’re likely to remember information you’ve tested yourself on better.

organizing information into groups that make sense create more connections in your brain and allow you to remember things better. the more meaningful connections you make, the better.

make sure the last thing you do before bed is study. no phone, no netflix. your brain will process what you’ve just done while you sleep and this improve recall.

(feel free to add any!)

[uniexperienceabroad]

how to avoid education burnout

have 3 achievable goals a day: having a laundry list of things to do everyday is super unrealistic, and you just end up feeling bad about yourself because you didn’t accomplish your goals for the day.

leave your sundays open: i love sundays because they’re my day to chill out and catch up on school work that i wasn’t able to finish during the week.

recognize when you’re at your emotional limits: forcing yourself to get work done when you are unable to comprehend your study material does not benefit anyone.

learn how to say no: people will ask you for your time and it will stretch you to the limit, whether it be at your job, in your extracurriculars, or in your personal life. know when to step back and say no.

take care of yourself physically: take breaks, go for walks, shower regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy, see your friends

celebrate your accomplishments: go out to eat with friends after a big exam, indulge in a night off after a busy week with some netflix and wine

make a study plan beforehand: it can be daunting to see how much work you need to put in to a class or task beforehand, but this allows you to spread your work evenly so you don’t become overwhelmed.

learn how to ask for help: it is very rare that people make it through school, whether it be high school or university or any graduate program, without needing the advice of others or just a kind soul to vent to. find that person.

never forget your hobbies: you will need things that keep you sane. if you love to play music, write, play volleyball, or cook, make you sure you don’t lose these things. they will become your escape when times get tough.

log off from time to time: it is exhausting to be constantly connected to social media and your email. just physically disconnecting from these for a night to take care of yourself can really help you clear your mind.

[uniexperienceabroad]

College Bucket List

I was just thinking how I only have 2 years left at uni and want to make the best of these years, not only education-wise, but also in the sense of experiences and people. I want to take all opportunities offered to grow and make the most out of college while it lasts. So, here I’m posting my college bucket list: 

1. Maintain my GPA above 3.25 ALWAYS, every semester. 

2. Get an A in a class from my major 

3. Get a GPA that’s equal or higher to 3.25 in my major 

4. Get a GPA that’s equal or higher to 3.50 in total. Graduate with an overall 3.6 GPA. I can do it !!!!

Those were my academic goals :3 Now, with the more fun ones :) 

5. Join an organization on campus that involves positive change in the community 

6. Join an organization with people from and out of my major 

7. Become more fluent in French 

8. Practice an intramural sport or join a sports club 

9. Make use of the Rec Center and activities on campus 

10. Go to a football game 

11. Go to a play 

12. Go to an orchestra concert

14. Participate in Holi celebration 

15. Perform in front of an audience without letting the nerves get the worst of me

16. Reach intermediate level in Mandarin Chinese 

17. Study abroad 

18. Write something and publish it. Be it in the uni’s magazine or literary periodical, just publish something to express my thoughts freely. 

19. Learn Python

20. Learn HTML 

And now the real fun ones: 

19. Take a trip with friends. Randomly or well-planned, it doesn’t matter. Maybe volunteer trip for Spring Break together. 

20. Go camping with friends. 

21. Go kayaking. 

22. Go hiking with friends. 

23. Walk 20km 

24. Watch the sunrise from the Quad 

25. Play hide and seek through the entire campus. 

26. Go to Walmart with friends after 2am. Go to Walmart during the day, in a weekday. 

27. Take a stand for an issue I care about. 

28. Dye my hair a cool color. Purple, blue, you name it! 

29. Go to a school event by myself. On my own. 

30. Take lots of photos and videos whenever I don’t forget to. 

31. Treasure the friendships I make and make sure to keep their contact info for after graduation. 

[uniexperienceabroad]

Are you a Read-Write learner?

There are four primary learning styles: visual, auditory, read-write and kinesthetic. To understand how to learn effectively, it is helpful to know what kind of learner you are.

Read-Write learners prefer printed words to receive information. They comprehend and remember what they read, especially when the topics are in statement or list form. They don’t like so much diagrams, charts or visual notes with colors and images that divert attention from the heart of the matter.

During class or lecture they take a lot of notes which will be crucial to understand and consolidate facts when studying at home. Often Read-Write learners take notes “verbatim”, that means they write words exactly how the teacher or professor said them. But an important part of note taking for such learners include rewriting notes in their own words. By doing that they have already interpreted what has been said and will be easier for them to strengthen the concept. Many students think that it’s useless to rewrite notes but that’s not true! Notes are just the starting place for further in-depth analysis that include handouts, textbooks, dictionaries, glossaries, etc. Every information in the notes of a Read-Write learner has his specific place. Bullet points and arrows are the easiest way to highlight key concepts and relations, while diagrams and charts seem confusing and unclear. If they have in front of them notes written in a visual format, they will likely rewrite them using full sentences.When they have to study for a test or exam, they rewrite notes multiple times, often putting them into other words or reducing them into bullet points lists. They also read (silently) the notes over and over again and read other material for research or comparison.

I am myself a learner of this type. I love to read and to write down accurate and complete notes during class. Once at home I usually read my notes again, read other sources if anything is not clear and then I rewrite them (often I type them because I don’t really like my handwriting). For example, these are my notes for my Scandinavian Literatures I class: 78 pages of theories, authors, books analysis that I wrote summing up notes I took during lectures and notes that our professor gave us.

As I need to study my notes for an exam, I write them again, condensing and reducing information into bullet points with key words. After that, I just read and read again my summary until I remember what I have to study. For example, the same informations that in the previous picture were written as statements, here are put in bullet points. From 78 pages of notes I got 15 pages of lists. Every author is listed with his works and key concepts. Just by reading this I can recall every author and contextualize him in his literary/historical movement.

In comparison with visual notes full of colors and doodles, these are pretty boring and simple (or minimalist?) but that’s what works best for me.

References (other than my personal experience): http://lyceumbooks.com/pdf/howtoteacheffectively_typesoflearners.pdf http://www.thestudygurus.com/read-write-study-tips/ http://vark-learn.com/strategies/readwrite-strategies/

[uniexperienceabroad]

5 things about university

I’m in the university system for quite some time now and that’s what I learned:

Even if university is a competitive environment, people are not bad: I found a lot of great friends along the way that helped me and shared with me the experience of studying. Bonus point if they are totally insane like you to choose a “strange” major.

Professors are not bad too (well, at least the most part of them): if you didn’t understand something in your lecture or want some help with assignments, go talk to the professor. It’s their job to teach you and they will be happy you showed interest in their subject.

Start studying early: with this I don’t mean wake up at 5am but start getting in the mood to study since day 1 of lectures. Some may also read in advance the material so that during lecture they know already what the professor is talking about and they can focus on the most difficult topics.

Stay organized: keep a binder with sections for every subject you’re studying, have a monthly/weekly/daily planner, make the most out of the bullet journal method or the chronodex one. Have a tidy academic life.

University is a fresh start: let me tell you about my high school grades. I went to a kind of school that’s very scientific oriented and I was terribile in everything math-related. I got always 2 or 3 in tests when the best grade is 10. Every year I failed my math class and not even private lessons and tutoring could do anything to make me succeed. At one point I didn’t try anymore to study it, I was totally discouraged. Obviously I got the worst grade in the math part of my final exam resulting in the lowest grade of the written exam in the whole school (for real! it was shameful). In some way I managed to get a fine grade in my final oral exam and I finished high school decently. After that everyone said to me that I shouldn’t go to university because I clearly wasn’t “studious” enough to face the work load of an superior education. Well, I went to uni anyway. Last year I graduated with almost the top grade and now I’m studying for another degree. So, please, don’t let your past define what you will be. Believe in yourself and in your abilities, follow your dreams and don’t let anyone say that you’re not good enough to do what you want to do.

[uniexperienceabroad]

BUCKET LIST: College Edition

• Take a road trip with friends • Go to a fraternity party • Attend a sporting event for all sports • Make life-long friends • Go to (a) concert(s) • Stay awake for 24 hours then go to class • Take a class that’s outside my major • Visit old high school friends • Take a nighttime walk every night for a week • Have a group date/picnic • Get a cute guy’s phone number • Take 100+ pictures with random cute guys • Have a girl’s night in with an impromptu dance party • Send a letter to a random address • Write a letter to myself and save it until senior year • Participate in ResLife events • Go on a date • Get family to send a care package • Attend a “Theme” party • Take yoga and dance fit classes • Take “photo booth” selfies by using a few curtains/sheets and a desk lamp • Dance on a table • Take a day trip to Nashville, TN • Finish making a scrapbook • Have a “what happened last night” moment • Drink alcohol before I turn 21 • Go on an awesome spring break trip • Wear matching outfits with a friend • Get a matching tattoo with my bestie • Try and get my story published • Have a “mother-daughter” day • Have a “father-daughter” day • Have a “sister day/date” • Hang lights up in my dorm room • Go paintballing • Go tailgating at a game for my college • Have a Halloween movie marathon • Go to a bonfire • Dress up and go out for Halloween • Get matching “squad” shirts • Attend a dance • Go on a hayride • Cook breakfast for dinner • Spend an (important) holiday with friends • Get dressed up for a club, then go do karaoke • See a movie or eat alone • Have a 21st birthday party • Create a memory box that can’t be opened until graduation • Attend a rave • Get an apartment with friends • Hold an “all-white clothes” tea party, then a color powder fight • Go camping for a weekend • Finally win a year of NaNoWriMo • Take cute pictures in front of the UNA fountain

[uniexperienceabroad]

college bucket list

1. get higher than a 3.0 gpa

2. get an A in a hard class

3. pull an all-nighter (studying)

4. study abroad

5. have coffee with a professor

6. tutor someone else

7. get tutored

8. take adderol before class

9. take initiative and get work done before weekend starts

10. join a study group

11. go cow-tipping

12. streak campus

13. skinny dip

14. get drunk before class

15. make out with someone in the library

16. give someone random your number

17. dance on a table at a party

18. black out and wake up somewhere random

19. get drunk with my RA

20. spontaneously kiss a guy you’ve been liking

21. date someone long-term

22. marry someone you met in college

23. kiss a girl at a party

24. sing karaoke at a bar

25. obtain a fake id

26. use said fake id to buy large amounts of liquor

27. survive taking over 15 shots

28. body shots

29. beer bong

30. keg stand

31. make up your own drinking game

32. babysit your friends and fuck with them

33. prank your hallmates

34. kiss a hot ginger

35. have sex in a public place

36. break into an academic building after hours and hook up with someone

37. post-it someones door

38. seran-wrap someones door

39. write a secret admirer note 

40. sleep somewhere random

41. never puke

42. video tape your friends drunk

43. do shrooms at the water hole

44. party at other schools

45. get a job

46. get drunk off wine with your friends and watch a nicolas sparks movie

47. play a huge game of hide-and-seek on campus

48. miss all classes one day

49. make out with a kid in your class

50. take a drunk shower…and not slip

[uniexperienceabroad]

// e p h e m e r a l

Check out for more:)

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[uniexperienceabroad]

Hello, people! The time has come: I will teach you the secret to study for three days and remember everything for your test. This is a hardcore studying session so I would recommend to only do it when you are truly freaking the fuck out. Now, I must tell you: It’s gonna involve some hard work, so sit comfortably because we’re about to start:

REMINDER: YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS IN A ROLL. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE DURING THE  COURSE OF THE DAY. 

REMINDER 2: REMEMBER TO EAT, DRINK WATER AND GET ENOUGH REST. YOU DON’T NEED TO FORGET ABOUT YOUR HEALTH IN ORDER TO GET BETTER GRADES. 

DAY 1

First reading of your main textbook

Second reading + highlighting 

Research more about the topic (internet, other books, talk to your friends, etc)

Resume everything (notes)

Do a mind map of main points 

If what you’re studying needs something to be memorized “word by word” (such as: meanings, processes, references, chemical reactions, etc), write it down and put it on your wall. You’re gonna read it several times during the day. 

Write down the topics and key words on a reference paper (you’re gonna take this paper everywhere, forcing your memory to expand from those simple key words) 

Review your notes 

Do ten exercises (questions)

Review your notes + exercises 

Watch a video class 

You’re done for today. Good job. Now rest, tomorrow is a new day. 

DAY 2

Review your notes

Read them out loud

Read them again, but this time record yourself

Listen to it. Twice. 

Review your notes before bed

DAY 3

Review your notes + listen to your recordings from yesterday

Do 30 exercises (questions)

Review notes + exercises 

Listen to your recordings again

Review your notes one more time.

FANTASTIC JOB! Now it’s your time to rest. If you’re feeling like it, read your notes one more time before bed. 

One more time, this is a heavy studying session, and not supposed to be done all the time. Remember to take care of your health and take several breaks during the day. If you don’t need, there is no need to do everything listed here. 

Good luck!!!