The horror of any student: the research question and/or proposal. Oh, the hours I have spent struggling with this deceptively simple task… It seems so easy. All you need to do is come up with a question you want to answer and explain how you plan to go about it. How difficult can it be? Very, as it turns out.
By popular demand, I have put together a list of 5 very basic tips to help you distill your disconnected thoughts (“something about Christopher Isherwood”) into a coherent concept (“how the architecture of the main character’s house reflects his struggle as a gay man living in 1950′s America in Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man, how the interpretation in Tom Ford’s film adaptation differs, and why this matters”).
(Note: these tips are specific to students of literature, but the basic principles apply to other fields as well.)
Look, I know I haven’t posted on here in a while, but one of my new year’s resolutions is to post more so I’m starting with this guide, cause if there’s one thing I’m good at it’s sticking to new year resolutions.
Tip №1: Do something you care about
Don’t write “go to the gym” if you know you’re not actually interested in losing weight or getting fit. Don’t write “read more” if you don’t even like reading. Make your resolutions something you actually would like to do, and can see yourself doing.
Throughout this post I’m gonna be using ‘going to the gym’ as my example resolution, but these tips are of course useable for all kinds of resultions.
Tip №2: Make them measurable
“Go to the gym” isn’t gonna cut it. Instead, write something like “Go to the gym at least 2-3 hours every week”. Setting clear goals will always be more effective, as you know what you have to do. Otherwise, how do you know you’ve reached your goal?
Tip №3: Make a tracker
You can make a tracker for “Go to the gym at least 2-3 hours every week” by making a grid of 2 squares for every week of the year. By colouring them in each time, you can visualize your progress, and therefore use it as motivation. Seeing you’ve already exercised for 12 hours is gonna feel a lot more accomplishing than knowing you’ve exercised for 6 weeks, even though it’s the same thing.
Tip №4: Use a curve
Don’t immediately start with “Go to the gym for 1 hour every day”. You’ll be tired of doing so because you aren’t used to it, and will give up faster. So instead, set a first stage amount, second stage amount, third stage amount, ect.
So with the gym resolution, start with 2 hours every week, then 4 hours every week, then 30 minutes a day, then 1 hour a day, 2 hours a day, ect. See what I’m getting at?
Tip №5: Share your resolutions
If a friend knows your goal, or even better; has the same goal, it’s easier to stick to it. This is also why a lot of people tend to go to the gym with a friend. It’s easier to give up on a goal or habit if you don’t have anyone to hold you accountable. If you stop, your friend will have to go to the gym alone, and you wouldn’t want that, right?
Tip №6: Forgive yourself
So you didn’t go to the gym for two hours this week, but instead only went for 1 hour? Forgive yourself. It’s better to forgive yourself for this one failure to completely give up all together.
Tip №7: Reward yourself
Need an external motivator? That’s totally fine. Make some rules for yourself. “If I don’t miss more than 2 hours at the gym this month, I can go get my favourite scented candle at bath and bodyworks”. Pick something you would like as a reward for reaching your goal, and stick to it!
Note: don’t give yourself your reward if you didn’t stick to your rule. To stick to the candle example, if I bought a candle anyway even though I didn’t stick to my rule, is there really a penalty for not skipping more than 2 hours of exercise? Hold yourself accountable and don’t cheat!
If you want to know the key to making effective new year’s resolutions and how to stick to them, I have a post on that topic on my blog, or you can go to the post directly by clicking this link.
Use less single use plastic (starting with straws and cups, later also toothbrushes, self care products and lunchbags for school)
Go to the gym/exercise at least 2 hours every week
Study at least 30 minutes every day
Post on Tumblr at least once every week (reblogs don’t count)
Read at least one book every month
As described in the post I mentioned earlier, these are starting goals. Later on I can up the amount of hours/books/tumblr posts.
What are your resolutions for this year? Let me know in the comments, send an ask, or dm me!
Hi! I have a very short attention span, and I rarely find it in me to enjoy using only one resource to learn a language, so I often rely on immersion and actively using the language right from the beginning to learn languages. I’ve done this with pretty much all my languages, and it has worked out pretty well for me so far, especially with French! This is heavily inspired by this article on the medium, which changed my whole outlook on languages. I hope I can offer some helpful advice!
Starting off (A0 –> A2)
First of all, you’re going to have to set your goals in the language. What do you want to do in your target language? Do you want to be conversational or fully fluent? Do you want to focus on all the skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking), or only a couple? Which accent/dialect do you want to choose? Set your goals, and give yourself some habits to start sticking to.
In most cases, I would advice learning the alphabet and the pronunciation at first. For the alphabet, find a guide online and learn the stroke order. Keep on writing it over and over again. For languages like Mandarin Chinese or Japanese, where you have to memorise characters, try and memorise the most common characters. Also, find a pronunciation guide on YouTube or somewhere online, and immediately start working on it. Once you have a general idea of what the sounds are, start speaking and try to shadow natives (i.e. repeat what they say after them with the same intonation - you can do this with YouTube videos, or beginners exercises online). To practice both of these at the same time, you can try reading out loud, and maybe try dictating what you hear sometimes.
Start listening to the language a lot. Try and listen to YouTube videos and podcasts, and get used to the sound of the language. You might even want to watch a TV show or anime in your target language with English subtitles. I’d also recommend reading and listening at the same time, so if you have subtitles in your target language, then that could be great too. The more exposed you are to the natural use of your target language, the less unintelligible they will seem.
Memorise some basic vocabulary and phrases. There are loads of articles online that have basic vocabulary lists and phrases in different languages (there are even some on this website). Try memorising a few of them. In terms of what exactly you should learn vocab for, I would recommend learning vocab lists for these: numbers, subject pronouns, common greetings, the most common verbs (the first 100 should do) and their most common conjugations, days of the week, months, seasons, years, how to tell the time, how to talk about the weather, family, colours, house vocab, food, money and shopping phrases, common adjectives, common places, adverbs, parts of the body and medical vocabulary (I got all of this from this post). It’s a lot, but it will give you a strong foundation. You can then start learning vocabulary for your interests specifically. You can do this using multiple methods. First, you could use flashcards, like anki, memrise and Quizlet. You could also play around with apps like Duolingo or Lingodeer. Also, you could write them down, and keep testing yourself on them until you have them memorised (both target language to english, and english to target language). Make sure that you have audio, and that you know how the word/phrase sounds, and the pronunciation.
Start speaking with someone online. I recommend apps like Tandem and HiNative. Start trying to have conversations of basic topics straight away, and make sure you get corrections. Look up the words as you go.
Memorise a few basic grammar structures. This is especially important for languages like Korean or Japanese, which have extremely different grammar structures to English. Learn basic present, past and future tenses, along with basic articles and determiners, agreement, reflexive verbs, basic particles, negation and gender.
Immerse. I would recommend starting off with posts and videos that offer advice about things, since the language used in these tend to be simplistic, but topic specific. You can also use apps like LingQ. When practicing listening and reading, you can use the advice in these two posts (listening,reading). Don’t memorise every word you come across, and slowly try to ease yourself in.
Making the leap to the intermediate stage (A2 –> B1)
Vocabulary: I’ve already talked about methods of memorising vocabulary earlier, so I won’t talk about it again. As for what you should be memorising, I would suggest basing it on your interests and topical issues. When you immerse, and come across certain interesting words, then memorise them. You can also explore the tag for your target language on tumblr, and try and memorise some of the in depth vocabulary lists on here.
Grammar: I would suggest finding a specification, or list of grammar structures for the intermediate level, and learn all of them using articles and youtube videos. Then, try and use the rules regularly in your speaking and writing and receive corrections. Also, do practice questions.
Listening:I have gone in depth on how to practice listening in the post I mentioned earlier, so I won’t elaborate too much. Overall, I’d say that it is better to make sure that you are listening to the language a lot, and that what you are listening to is comprehensible input.
Reading: Find some learners exercises online, and keep doing them. You can also just generally try to read more, based on your interests. I would also suggest to apply the methods from the post I mentioned earlier.
Writing: Try and write a few sentences every now and then, and use your new grammar structures and vocabulary as much as possible. Make sure that you receive corrections. I have gone in depth on this subject in thispost.
Speaking:Find a speaking buddy online, and try and organise meetings, where you just try and practice speaking. Look up words you don’t know, and be brave: most people are kind, and won’t mind if you make mistakes, so keep trying to move forward.
Going from intermediate to conversational (B1 –> B2)
Vocabulary: Focus on your interests, and areas that will be useful to you. Make sure that you actually use the words that you are memorising while writing and speaking.
Grammar: I think the same advice as the beginner to intermediate stage is applicable here.
Listening: Listen to both intermediate podcasts and YouTube videos in the target language (innovative languages, iyagi, dreaming spanish, a piece of french, InnerFrench etc.), and also to native material (youtube videos, films, TV shows, vines, tiktoks etc.) that you find interesting. Use transcripts or subtitles (in the target language) to memorise new vocabulary, and then keep repeating the audio until you understand everything.
Reading: Read whatever you can get your hands on, as long as it is reasonably simple enough. I would recommend kids books, and also translations of books that you have already read in your target language.
Writing:Try starting a journal in your target language, and also try writing letters/e-mails to people, and maybe write some essays on topical issues. Once again, make sure that you get corrections.
Speaking:Continue having conversations with people in your target language. Let yourself make mistakes and be corrected, because that is the only way to improve. For your accent and pronunciation, shadow native material (I use Easy Languages for this).
This is as far as I have gotten in terms of my self-study journey, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to offer much more advice. When I eventually reach an advanced C1 level in a language, then I’ll definitely make a post about that. Thank you for reading this post! I hope it was useful to you!
Some of you might have gotten on zoom calls or other platforms with people to do quiet work together and that has been a game-changer for me personally. Especially when I feel very unmotivated.
Having a study routine with a study buddy/buddies can be really helpful if you want to be held accountable for how you spend your day. These can be great to make routines for exercise, meals and self-care too! The pandemic and lockdowns haven’t made school easy so don’t beat yourself up if you mess up. Just keep trying!
Hey y’all! So I know I’ve been terrible about posting this year (adjusting to college + miss rona = struggle), but I’ve honestly missed this blog and would like to start posting more often! Since I have officially finished my first year of college as a Sustainability Studies and Business Management double major, I wanted to share some tips on surviving your first year of college! This first part of the series will focus on academics!
-don’t go crazy with the course load: seriously, don’t be that kid who takes like 18 credits in their first semester. No matter what, adjusting to college life is weird, so give yourself enough time to explore, adjust, meet new people, and practice self-care!
-if you are not a morning person, do not sign up for morning classes (unless you have to!): Since I live off-campus, I have to wake up at 7:30 for my 9:30 classes and it is my personal hell (an 8:30 just might kill me). The early risers will try to convince you it’s not that bad, but schedule your classes at times when you will be the most present and engaged.
-try out some interesting classes! This is the time when you will have some freedom to explore different areas of study, so don’t hesitate to try something new or take a weird class! Who knows, you might accidentally find something you love.
-it is absolutely ok to change your major! No matter how put together some people may seem, no one has their life completely figured out in their first year of college. You may find that the major you have excitedly been waiting to take classes for is absolute ass and that is ok! Talk to advisors and people in your classes to see what is right for you. I actually found my second major (sustainability studies) through a conversation with a random girl in one of my classes.
-sit at the front of your class! if you are easily distracted, like me, it is the only way to stay focused.
-show up to office hours prepared. no matter how confused you are, the second you walk into office hours you are going to forget every single question you had, so make sure to write them down and come with the materials you need so you don’t waste your time and your professor’s time.
-all-nighters are overhyped. I used to hear so many people boast about the all-nighters they pulled to study but I genuinely think it is a waste of time and energy. Unlike a high school schedule, your college schedule is going to leave you with so much free time. Try to finish all of your work in the time between classes so you don’t have to cram it all into one night. I did this, and honestly spent so much time sleeping during the fall semester (oops)
-join Facebook groups/group chats for your classes. this gives you a way to ask questions and get materials when you miss class.
-don’t study in the same place for hours. I’ve found that moving to a new location every now and gave me time to reset and helped me retain more information. The longer I stay in one place, the more distracted I get.
-if you have the means invest in an iPad/tablet! I pooled all of my graduation money to buy an iPad and apple pencil and I am so happy with that decision. I got the good notes app and write notes and download readings (so I can highlight them) on there. Also, whenever I have to read novels for class I get them on the kindle app (which is often cheaper than buying a physical copy). This has helped me save a lot of paper and makes my backpack so much lighter.
lmk if I should do more of these / what you would like to see next! (thinking of doing a post on how to cope with remote learning and online classes next)
a small guide on how i battle my essays! (click on an image to view it clearer)
(keep in mind: i’m an english major so a majority of my essays are literature-focused!)
these are just some of the methods i want to share that work for me when i write my innumerable amount of essays! i’m definitely a huge planner so it’s no secret that i spend a lot of time on an essay. if you’re a deadline fighter, these tips might not necessarily be helpful (especially the handwriting one). but i hope this gives you an insight on how i write my essays!
I know it’s been literal years since I posted on here*, but wow, am I glad to be back!
1) Where have you been, man?
Well, basically - I was testing myself and seeing if my theory on procrastination was any good. tl;dr: I’d say so? I finished my BA in English Literature and Linguistics, I founded a Creative Writing Society, I published three anthologies, I got my first real job as a translator and worked at as an independent contractor at a company for three years, I slept a WHOLE lot and I successfully applied for my Masters in Cognitive Science. Right now, I’m enjoying the hell out of my CogSci classes and trying to figure out whether my procrastination thesis holds up not just to personal experience, but also to scientific scrutiny. But most importantly: I had a ball. It’s been a tough few years on a personal level, so I was really grateful to have my productivity and creativity to help me make sense of life in the eye of the storm. And I’d like to help you do the same :)
2) Will you finish your “How to be a good student (again)” series?
I’m certainly planning to! In fact, this is related to the next question.
3) So how about that YouTube channel…?
It’s happening ~ I’ve finally managed to carve out some free time every week for this and I’m very excited about it! I’m thinking old-school, low-budget, cosy-in-your-bedroom YouTube? 1) Because I miss it, 2) because I like it, and 3) because I literally can’t afford anything else.
And this is where you come in!
I’d like to work my way up to the last “How to be a good student (again)” post (in the form of a video), so I’d like to practice my editing, voice-over, etc. skills with smaller, shorter videos on a variety of topics. My head is exploding with ideas, so please let me know which you’d be most interested in - and please suggest topics you think would be cool, as well! This is what I have so far:
Study Advice (obv “How to be a good student (again)”, but also my Notion/Calendar set-up, weekly habits, Building Habits for People Who Hate Habits, balancing work/study & life, Study With Me’s, etc.)
Manga/Anime(An Essay on the Ghibli Generation, Best Detectives in Anime, Best Female-Led Manga/Anime, Best Underrated Manga/Anime (including, but not limited to, Kino’s Journey, Mushishi, Bokurano, Oyasumi Pyun Pyun, the Promised Neverland (WHAT are they doing with the anime??) and the Magic World of Kai), All the Japanese You Learned from Anime, Opinions™ on Detective Conan, etc)
Videogames (Best Otome/Dating Games with Actual Storylines and Fleshed-Out Characters, Underrated Indie Games, On the Magic of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Games/Novels, Best Puzzle Games, Too Many Thoughts on Dragon Age, The Cosiest Games for a Tea and Socks Evening, maybe even Let’s Plays?)
MBTI/Cognitive Functions (Best INTP/INTJ/ISFJ/etc anime/book/series characters, A series on NT characters in anime in general and why they contributed to attracting nerds (like myself) to anime over other art forms, INFP Characters in Anime I Admire And Fear, Why Cognitive Functions Are Superior to MBTI, My Paper on the Scientific Validity of Cognitive Functions, etc)
Cognitive Science (CogSci Concepts that Completely Changed the Way I Look At the World, What Optical Illusions Tell Us About Our Brain, What is Cognitive Science and why is it Detectives?, A novice’s look at Artificial Intelligence, etc)
Books(On the Superiority of Agatha Christie’s Plotlines, Why the Literary Sherlock Holmes is the Best Sherlock Holmes, The Genius Action of Red Rising, Best Underrated Books, Great Books By Marginalised Authors, My Favourite Poems, Opinions™ on Popular Book Series, maybe some of my own poetry/ readings of my bedtime stories for kids, Creative Writing Advice, etc)
Random Info Dumps on Whatever I am Interested in This Week
Artsy Swoosh-Swoosh Whoa Videos
(Oh, and I’d also like to make a video on The Symbolism in “Whisper of the Heart” (where anime study girl below is from) because it’s near and dear to my heart)
And that’s about it! I’d also like to kick things off with a Q&A, so please send me any and all questions (and I mean ANY and ALL questions) to my askbox over here and I’ll get into it on my channel over there.
(That being said, I’ve been gone for a loooong time, so I wouldn’t at all be suprised or offended if only two or three of you are left to look at this post. (…tell me, is the “studyblr” tag even still a thing? Or is it something else now? “studycore”? “quarantisophia”? “Cosy Academia”?) Anyway, to ye veterans that are still around, I’d just like to say: thank you. Thank you for sticking around and for giving this ol’ blog another shot! And to y’all spring chickens - happy to have y’all on board! :D)
Have a good one, Study in Style
*except for the Supernatural rant post which was vital for my continued existence on a three-dimensional plane
