New Post On The Blog! I Haven’t Posted This Kind In A While, But They Seem To Be So Popular I Think

Crunch Day Studying:

Maybe you’re super ahead and want some pointers, or maybe you have a day or two before your exam(s) and you aren’t where you wanted to be. Life happens, you procrastinate, have fears of failure, saw your last set of grades, had a shitty schedule and sleep cycles to boot. 

I) First things first:

Go eat breakfast/lunch, keep refined sugar on the down-low to avoid spikes and mood-ruiners. Set a limit to how much caffeine you drink on the days before, because sleep is king. Grab some fruit and water to keep fueled for your trek.

Meet with a friend. 10 minutes, maybe even with your food. Get a quick hug, exchange a few words, just make sure you see a human face before you lock up so you don’t lose your humanity in the process. 

Take a quick shower if necessary, and at least wash your hands as a gesture to the sanctity of what’s to come.

Take a nap if necessary: trust me, just 20 minutes.

Set a bedtime alarm: and get 8 hours in for as many days as you can before your exam. Studying is all about programming those neurons to do the work on command, not treating them like slaves to your ideals of self-discipline and hardwork.

Clear some headspace: 5-10 minutes so you have a bubble to sit and study in, and nothing smells bad. If you’re feeling really energetic then run and put your laundry in and set up your laundry alarms. 

II) Environment: 

Silence your phone

Prepare your weapons: keep pens, stickies, paper, and printer at hand. And clear off that desk.

Light it up: Bring them over and turn it all on. I have a lamp and a million christmas lights attached to the underside of my bunk/over my desk

Get cozy: I wrap myself in my big fluff blanket and cannot study without it, #noshame

Not too cozy: don’t even look at your bed. Mine is lofted and hours go by if I ever get stuck up there. 

Put on some sounds or earplugs: contrary to popular belief most of us study better in silence, but some atmospheric pieces are listed below.

Gather your materials: printed notes and review questions in a binder

Set up your laptop: if you use it to study at all. I find it helpful if you:

close down all distractions: no steam, no calibre/ebooks, NO NANOWRIMO, no social media, no youtube/music, no anime, no manga, no photoshop, no fruityloops, etc whatever you do. 

have audacity: I record my entire study session, talking to myself in third person/teaching my friend Audacity how to do stuff because I love my friends but can’t trust them with my (academic) life. 

put up motivational photos: I open up some pictures on half my screen, like the one listed above (and more at then end of this post). The trick is to say “this is me, Imma do it” everytime you glance at it. 

use wordpad or evernote: they will suffice to generate that final study guide/practice exam: color code in whatever makes you happy, keep it under 5. Study method below:

III) One of many methods:

Take a practice exam/problem sets to determine your weakest sections (ahaha like the SATs), and to get a feel for the professor’s question style.

Make Outline of entire exam’s topics, thinking of that practice exam.

Fill in points, slide by slide (I digested the slides beforehand and wrote in sample test questions). Very effective for content heavy classes. 

Bold terms/concepts: especially if they showed up in the practice exam. (blue)

Make summary questions for each important bullet/subtopic, as you go (red)

Make test questions - finish each section, reflect, and write higher level, test questions (purple)

Mark down: Highlight anything that you need to review more. 

Test yourself using those questions, add in questions as necessary. Create a second study guide to focus on your weakest points for further refining. 

Have fun:

Sounds: sometimes it’s loud and generated noise is necessary (examples listed from white noise to musical)

SPACE ODYSSEY | Deep White Noise For Focus, Power Naps or Sleep | Sounds Like Star Trek TNG Engine

3 Hour Focus Music: Study Music, Alpha Waves, Calmi ng Music, Concentration Music ☯465

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST- All explore tracks - good if you need to do creative work or want to add emotional memory to your facts. “Broken Road” is exceptionally distracting for me though, so I’d use this at the tail of a study session.

Extended OSTs - mostly video game soundtracks 

More Motivational Photos: keep your favorites on your desktop or something

This Blog

r/getmotivated

(Credit.)

How I learn languages

So, depending on the level of interest people have in my way of doing things, I might create a more thorough guide in the future. However, in the interest of brevity I will create a very rough step by step guide for people because why not.

1. Pick a language - Pick one you like; don’t worry about it being “practical” or “useful.” If you don’t like the language you’re studying, it’s going to be a miserable experience and learning languages should be fun!

2. Learn IPA - Learning how to read IPA characters (International Phonetic Alphabet) is imperative to being a successful language learner. If you haven’t already, put some time into learning how to read IPA transcriptions because it will save you a lot of time and give you a much better accent when learning the sounds of your target language. Avoid “english-y” transcriptions (e.g. très = TRAY) like the plague. They’re bad and people who make them should feel bad.

3. Learn the alphabet/writing system - Usually it doesn’t take a super long time, and if you’re studying a language like Japanese or Chinese it’s best to get used to using the writing system from the very beginning. You’re gonna have to deal with it eventually so you may as well hop right in. Relying on latin character transcriptions will only put off the inevitable.

4. Learn the pronunciation of your target language - I advocate a pronunciation-first approach. This will be easier or harder depending on how many unfamiliar sounds there are in your TL, but it’s worth going over the phonology (sound system) of your language early and getting used to how its sounds interact. If you don’t learn proper pronunciation in the beginning, you’ll ingrain incorrect pronunciations into your brain which will be hard to undo later on. You don’t have to try to make your accent perfect, accent reduction can come later, but it’s worth spending some time on. This is especially true for language with odd sounds or features (tones, voicing distinctions, etc.)

5. Pick ONE course/book - A problem I see a lot, and one that I have fallen into many times myself, is hording language learning resources. In the beginning, and especially for beginner polyglots, it is better to pick ONE really good course or book to follow, and focus on mastering the material within. If you try to split your time between too many resources or books or websites, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed. Some books/courses/series I recommend that can commonly be found for all languages are: Teach Yourself, Assimil, Duolingo, Linguaphone, and Pimsleur among others. You can always use one of those while you keep searching for more resources, but resist the temptation to dig into multiple books at once.

6. Use an SRS to learn vocabulary/grammar - SRS’s (Spaced Repetition Systems) are my bread and butter when it comes to memorization. Put simply, they are tools for spending your studying time more efficiently, and they warrant an entire post by themselves. Rote memorization is for the birds, so use a spaced repetition system such as Anki, Supermemo, a Leitner Box, or Memrise to avoid wasting your time. (Use Anki. Just use Anki. You’ll thank me later.)

7. Don’t translate - I used to learn vocabulary and grammar using English translations, but you’ll soon find that it’s only useful to an extent as your vocabulary gets bigger and you start running out of unique ways to translate synonyms. A more robust approach to flash card creation can be found in the book “Fluent Forever” by Gabriel Wyner, which I would definitely recommend reading. The short version is: use pictures instead of English translations for picturable words, for more abstract words and grammar concepts, use example sentences with cloze deletion cards (easy to create using Anki. seriously, just use anki.)

8. Speak the language! - Probably the only thing I actually learned from He Who Shall Not Be Named (anyone who’s been in the polyglot community for longer than 30 seconds knows who I’m talking about.) It seems simple but you should really speak the language as much as you can straight from the beginning. “But how can I speak the language if I’m not fluent or if I’ve just started?” Simple, use what you know, and do whatever it takes to make yourself understood. It really doesn’t take much, maybe 100 words or so (a day’s worth of work if you’re dedicated) to start to be able to put sentences together. Learning phrases is even better for this. For this reason, a phrasebook (Lonely Planet is a popular choice) is a worthy investment.

9. Immerse yourself as much as possible! - Watch TV, read books, nespapers, and articles, and listen to music in your TL. Get yourself used to being around the language. Ideally, you’d be able to move to the country or region where the language is spoken and truly immerse yourself, but for many total immersion can be either unrealistic or overwhelming. It’s totally possible to give yourself enough contact with the language and even create a 100% immersion environment all from the comfort of your home. The important thing is to have contact with the language and get used to being around it. This is where you’ll pick up on the rhythms of the language, tonality, intonation, all that good stuff. More importantly, it will get you used to how FAST people talk.

10. Keep looking for things you don’t know. - This is probably the best advice I could give anyone. There are things out there that you don’t even know you don’t know, so the best thing to do is to keep surrounding yourself with new facts, new vocabulary, new grammar structures, etc. If you’re looking for a new course/book, look for one that seems like it has a lot to teach you. Don’t rehash things you already know, it’s a waste of time. This is the basic principle of SRS’s, don’t review until you forget. Going back over concepts you already know is pointless and it contributes to “plateau syndrome” (when it feels like you’re not making any progress in your TL). Review what you need to, when you need to, only so long as you need to. Learning one new concept is worth more than going back over two you’ve already mastered.

11. HAVE FUN - The road to fluency is long. Like super long, I can’t stress this enough. You may not be fluent in 3 months, a year, two years, maybe even 5 years. It all depends on how much time you are willing to spend on the language and to a VERY VERY SMALL DEGREE how talented you are. The important thing is to not rush it and enjoy the experience. If you’re not having fun, modify your goals and your approach until you are.

This is nowhere near everything I have to say, but it’s a start. These are just some things I wish I had known when I started studying languages. So if it helps at least one person well hey that’s enough for me. :D

hey, everyone!! because this community has so much to offer in the way of advice, i decided to compile some of my favorite posts so they’re easily accessible and they can help all of you guys :))

(these are all original content from amazing studyblrs and i claim credit for none)

+general school advice

everything you need masterpost for students

everything you need to succeed in school

things top students do

ultimate school masterpost

university success tips

5 things to do at the end of a semester

+notetaking

a guide to the cornell note-taking system

annotating books

guide to pretty notes

how to effectively take notes

how to take notes

how to take notes from a textbook

mindmaps

notebook organization

notetaking system

notetaking 101

taking lecture notes

tips for notetaking

+organization

how to keep your school bag organized

how to organize

student organization tips

+printables

form your habits

printables masterlist

5 page study & revision planner

+studying

all-nighters

behind in school? get back on track in one day

exam masterpost

finals week masterpost

finals week masterpost 2

find your study spot

guide to happy(ish) revision

guide to kicking booty on exams

homemade textbook studying

homework completion tips

how to go through your readings

how to highlight

how to study

how to study (from the lazy perspective)

lazy study tips

online tools for studying

secret study tips

study tips for auditory, visual, and tactile learners

study tips masterpost

study tips review

study tips to actually get shit done

the 5-day study plan

tips on staying focused

5 things to do the morning of an exam

8 tips on getting started

2015 uni study tips

+supplies/stationery

journal & planner masterpost

journal/sketchbook resource masterpost

supply masterlist w/ reviews

another supply masterlist

studyblr alternatives (inexpensive stationery)

7 school supplies that make studying easier

+time management & productivity

how to beat laziness

how to manage time through post-it notes

how to stick to your schedule

productivity tips

time + task management

timeful

the science of procrastination and how to beat it

+writing

how to actually write an essay in an actual nutshell

how to: lab report

how to organize essay notes

how to plan and write literature papers

how to write an essay

+self-care

getting a good night’s sleep

how to relax before studying

5 things to do to enjoy life

+misc

friendly reminders

how to learn languages

Some ways to motivate and organize yourself to study

hey guys!! so i saw this post floating around about harry potter music and stuff, and i was really inspired and made a playlist for myself of music from the soundtracks on my spotify. honestly, i listen to that music all of the time now when i study and it really does help me focus, so here’s a quick little list of resources to get you guys started if you’re interested :)

ambient mixer faves

for those of you who don’t know, ambient mixer is a website that lets people use sounds to create atmospheres (it’s really cool trust me)

gryffindor, hufflepuff, ravenclaw, & slytherin common rooms 

hogwarts library (the clock on this one stresses me out, so i just turn that off and it’s perfect)

storm on the hogwarts express

the great hall

under the black lake

weasley’s wizarding wheezes

youtube faves

complete soundtrack

the best of hp (1 hour 30 min)

sorcerer’s stone, chamber of secrets, prisoner of azkaban, goblet of , fire, order of the phoenix, half blood prince, deathly hallows pt 1, + deathly hallows pt 2 soundtracks 

best hp musical moments

top ten best musical moments

8tracks faves

for the gryffindor

for the hufflepuff

for the slytherin

for the ravenclaw

the yule ball

spotify faves

my spotify is @evamarie31 & i have my study playlists + usual jams on there if you want to check that, but as for playlist & album recs:

harry potter 1-7 film scores 

sorcerer’s stone + chamber of secrets + prisoner of azkaban sountracks under john williams

goblet of fire soundtrack under patrick doyle

order of the phoenix + half blood prince soundtracks under nicholas hooper

both deathly hallows soundtracks under alexandre desplat

other study music:

my study sounds masterpost

study sounds masterpost by @studyign

another study sounds masterpost by @areistotle

my other posts

studying when ill

french resources

spanish resources

essay writing

stress relief

Planner Printable // http://ift.tt/1CnsrY0

hello pals!! this is a masterpost of half (or so) of the reference posts i reblogged/made. i tried uploading this masterpost as just one big masterpost but i had over 250 links so that failed and here i am again. here is part one, encapsulating studying + certain subjects which will be followed by part two (slightly more general) here! enjoy ✨

studying, school, + learning

what i’ve learnt throughout my years of being a student

notes, studying, and self-study resources

self-study resources

starting a studyblr

college + uni

how to get studying

online study guides

good habits

exams!

study management

school is starting soon

back to school (1)

back to school (2)

back to school (3)

back to school reminders

50 things to know for back to school

get prepared for a new school year

school resources

final grade calculator

writing emails to professors

cheap textbooks etc!!

save money on textbooks

school

first week of school stuff

testing effect

make studying fun

high school tips

101 study tips

types of learners

lazy kid’s guide to good grades

catching up on missed work

university tag

igcse resources

sat tag

act tag

ap tag

ib tag

a-level revision tips

diy school supplies

test taking tips

a complete guide to studying (well)

time to study!

groupwork (1)

groupwork (2)

tips tag

study effectively from textbooks

studying better

surviving your least favourite class

studying a subject you hate

success

doing research

understanding the question

pomodoro

study tips

tactile learning

how to concentrate

concentration

exam day

ultimate study masterpost

study tips for exams

school survival

studying on the go

how to read academic journal articles

how to study smart

how to remember anything in 3 steps

distraction-free studying

motivation

my study instagram + study blog

+ motivation links

motivation masterpost

stay motivated

get that homework done!

reaching goals

getting motivated

motivation through anime

writing

writing tag

recover an unsaved draft

uni writing resources

add citations!

annotating (1)

annotating (2)

advice for writing papers

writing helps

essay writing tips

how to write an essay

writing term research papers

active vs passive voice

writing masterpost

academic writing resources

essay checklist

reduce your word count

essay writing links

how to write and execute a huge piece of work

summary writing

the discursive/argumentative essay

the narrative essay + the descriptive essay

note-taking

note-taking in class

cornell note-taking

cornell (2)

lecture notes

illustrating notes

banners

maintaining good notes

note-taking

sticky notes

flashcards

colour-code + highlight effectively

colour-coding

studying from textbooks

study guides

upgrade your notes

illustrate your notes

mind maps

note-taking for different lecture types

ribbon drawing

smart highlighting

lettering ideas

how i take notes

note-taking tips

aesthetically pleasing notes

fake cursive notes

languages + literature

the ultimate english masterpost

shakespeare

literature masterpost

annotating

studying a foreign language

100+ legal sites to download literature

approaching poetry analysis

write a killer unprepared text essay

literary analysis research papers

classics

how to ace lit

reading lit

write a rhetorical analysis essay

practice oral comprehension!!

how i study for english lit

poetry analysis (1)

poetry analysis (2)

how i learn languages

self-studying languages

languages tag

how to open a new book

literary devices

literaty devices w/ printables

literature masterpost

grow your vocab

a guide to vocab

language learning tips + resources

SUPER IMPORTANT FOR POLYGLOTS

tips + tricks for learning a language

chinese

english

french

german

greek

italian

japanese

korean

latin

maltese

polish

russian

spanish

swedish

humanities + other subjects

studying humanities subjects

gathering materials for a humanities research paper

philosophy

philosophy tag

psychology tag

politics + government

women of wwi

ap world history

coding

design resources

sciences + math

how to memorise diagrams

biology (1)

biology (2)

studying biology

biology help

biology note-taking

anatomy + physiology

physiology

physics

ap physics

chemistry (1)

chemistry (2)

chemistry note-taking

studying chemistry

maths tag

how to study for math

how to study math (1)

how to study math (2)

math (1)

math (2)

math (3)

10 tips to excel in maths

avoid carelessness in calculations

succeed in math without really trying

math resources and links

algebra (1)

algebra (2)

precalculus

geometry

space + astronomy (1)

space + astronomy (2)

hope this helps + please check out part 2 as well!! ilysm 💗 

ps here is a list of all my masterposts just in case 🐝

- helena xx

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