#study tips
Why flexibility is important in your language studies
Being flexible so you adapt to your circumstances, unexpected changes or new goals can decrease your stress by a lot.
Making a schedule that you hope you’ll follow can sometimes create useless pressure. Taking into consideration how you feel or what you should focus on, will work better in the long run.
Being flexible also allows you to improve faster in a language. If you notice that your listening skills are the worst, you won’t be able to improve too much with the rest. There will be limitations.
Prioritizing your enjoyment instead of your immediate progress, can make you study for longer too.
Changing your plans or goals to suit you better is 100 times better than pressuring yourself to stick to a rigid schedule.
I used to get so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information i had to remember for exams in school!!! Endless dates and names in history, formulas in maths, essay points for psychology, the list goes on! Here are the tips i use myself to help you retain all those facts and figures you need to remember - that have all been scientifically proven to help! ❤️
Immersion is surrounding yourself with the language you learn. However, that doesn’t mean travelling to your target language’s country or talking only in your target language for X days/weeks/months only.
There are also some easy ways.
- listen to music daily
- watch a movie or a series, maybe cartoons, with dubs or subs
- write your grocery list in your TL
- change the settings of your phone or a particular site you use a lot
- have some books in your TL (also read them)
- read motivational quotes in the language you learn
- play a game
- write in your agenda
- keep a diary
- learn new recipes written in your target language
- talk to yourself in that language
- watch videos on youtube
- keep a blog/make posts in that language
- read the news
- fanfiction
- comics, webtoons
- any activity you enjoy and can be found on the internet in your TL, just be consistent ^^
Tips on how to study a STEM subject, from a physics student
1. Go to class
Going to class and paying attention is key in this kind of subjects. I used to think that if I just read the notes I would understand the same, but this is a mistake. It took me way longer to grasp the concepts than if I had simply listened to my professor.
2. Understand the theory
I thought that jumping straight into doing exercises was easier to do and would prepare me for the exam, but this is a mistake. I found myself struggling with most problems just because I hadn’t understood the theory behind them.
3. Exercises
When you feel that you get the concepts you can jump into the exercises. Do as many as you can, and try to really understand where you make mistakes and how your teacher’s solutions differ from yours. I recommend you do them when the exam is close, so you have all of them fresh in your memory.
4. Practice exams
This is the last thing you should do before the exam, and it is optional, just do it if you are really pushing for that A. Pretend it’s a real one and it will really make you feel confident when the actual day comes.
- put your phone on silent and put it across the room
- listen to classical/soundtrack music without lyrics
- make index cards for important vocab
- wear pajamas
- make diagrams and pictures. they don’t have to look pretty, as long as you understand it
- make timelines for historical events
- have a light snack
- drink coffee or tea to keep you going
- take a break every hour or so
- have one pencil/black pen and one colored pen or highlighter. anything more will just distract you. the aesthetics aren’t important, your knowledge is
- don’t be afraid to email/message your teacher or a classmate if you don’t understand something. the last thing you want to do is learn the incorrect information
- know that sleep and health is more important than your grade. you cannot perform as well on a test if you are tired or sick. take care of yourself
- it’s not a race. it’s not about who can learn something in the quickest time, it’s about learning
- take a deep breath
- prioritize your homework by how long it will take you and when it’s due
- plan some you time in between studying and school
- if you’re mentally exhausted, set a timer for 30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll wake up even more tired
- don’t understand something? that’s perfectly fine, don’t stress over it. ask for help rather than complaining
- have a goal in mind and write them down. say things like “i am getting an education so i can get the job of my dreams. the life that i want. the happiness that i deserve”
- be thankful. it is a privilege that you get to go to school and get an education.
- you got this.
from a girl who’s going back to school soon!
hi there! to celebrate the new school year (i start this feb!) i decided to compile a masterpost of study tips + lifestyle tips that i’ve seen on tumblr over the past few months, that i thought were super helpful! hopefully these will help you guys too (:
general for school :
- how to stay productive during sick days
- subjects resources list
- cool english words to use in your writing (synonyms!)
- connecting words for essay writing !
- recovering from a bad semester !
- editor’s secrets to help you write like a pro
- college masterpost : a survival guide
- exams masterpost
- a sister’s guide on how to college
- academic writing resources
- web apps
- time management
- school masterpost
preparing for school! :
- back to school advice !!
- how to wake up early (:
- ‘ready to rock this semester’ masterpost
- changing your study habits for 2016
- tips that will make your school year easier
- 26 reminds for going to school like a badass
- getting up early
- 13 study methods to try this year
- back to school essentials
- back to school adviceee !
- tips for all new freshman
- preparing for 2016
study tips :
- cool study method involving a wheel + colouring !
- upgrade your notes
- how to mentally prep yourself for a test
- study methods
- how to get organised !
- study tips
- 3 ways to annotate your eng text
- 5 easy steps to prepare for exams
- a stash of tiny study tips
- how to study like a straight a student
resources :
life style :
- focusing on a long-term goal
- sleep hygiene
- the money masterpost : a student’s guide to saving, budgeting, and spending
- life lessons
- 8 habits of highly productive people
- all-nighter survival kit
- why you should drink a shitload of water daily
- four rules for a disciplined life
- writing adult emails
- rules for living well
- why being clean and organised brings you more success !
Hello, lovelies! I’ve gotten a couple of asks about studying so I decided to condense them into one post for you guys! I’m trying to hit a bunch of different topics so if you need an even more specific post you can send an ask! Without any further ado, have some tips! My studyblr is @spacey-scholar
Prep
- First, you always need a good base for your day! Especially if you’re studying a lot.
- Make a good full breakfast! Ex. Eggs and Toast, Smoothie and fruit, Pancakes and a cup of juice.
- How’s your hygiene? Do you need to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, condition your hair? Do it! You’ll be distracted if you feel messy!
- Get dressed like it’s a normal day. Staying in PJ’s is okay! But being ready for the day seriously helps focus!
- Likewise, your space should be clean. A clean space is a clean mind! Remove dishes, trash, scrap paper, and extra items. Wide down your desk, organize your pens and books. Your space should feel like your space!
- Now make a list of what you need to get done! What needs to be done Now, what needs to be done Soon, and what needs to be done Later?
- Order your list how you want your day to go, and don’t put super-tough subjects back to back, or subjects that are similar exercises i.e. reading thirty pages of two different books back to back is no fun.
The Studying
- It’s important to buckle down with No Distractions! If you find yourself distracted put your phone away! If you need your phone, put it on Do Not Disturb until you’re done. I also do this at night for better sleep.
- Pick the best technique for you, Pomodoro, reward-based, group studying, etc.
- Play music but only if it will not distract you! If you sing along or daydream it’s the wrong music! Classical, Lo-fi, and White noise are all good! My Spotify Here has some good ones.
- Use a nice journal (I don’t mean expensive!) and pens/pencils you enjoy using. I like to have a specific journal and color dedicated to each subject.
- Take notes on recorded lectures and classes, if you’re doing online classes right now try to screen record or record the audio! That way if you space out you can play it later and take notes, and you can absorb the lesson better instead of being distracted.
- Don’t worry about your notes, stationary, pictures, being beautiful and your grades being perfect. Life doesn’t always look the way it does on Instagram. And the people who spend hours trying to get a good photo of their coffee are not studying!
- Use flashcards! Quizlet is good if you need premade ones! If you can save up and buy them, Barrons AP Flash Cards are the best in my opinion. Very clean, not too long, very durable, and cover all subjects.
Feeling Distracted
- If you catch yourself drifting off and getting into your head, get up and take a quick walk, stretch, or energizer.
- It’s okay if this happens, don’t guilt yourself! practice affirmation. The best and smartest still get distracted.
- If you are drifting, why? Are you hungry? Tired? Thirsty? Bored? Get a snack and some water, take a break and rest, find a way to make your studying more enjoyable.
- Remember that Motivation and Discipline are different things. Sometimes we just won’t be motivated, we won’t want to do it and it will be rather frustrating. But the cure to this is not shaming its discipline. Remind yourself “This may be hard, and I may not want to do this, but I want to reach my goals and If this is what It takes I will make it happen.
- Always do just one more page of you’re tired. One at a time and oh you did it! Maybe just one more? One more? Eh, one more just to finish the train of thought, Oh just- I’m done? Nice!
- If you really can’t focus just move on and come back to this subject, you can always ask for help.
Supplementary Things
- There are so many apps you can use to study, for free! My favorites are Tide, Quizlet, Focus Keeper, Forest, Flora, Egenda, SpanishDict, Photomath, and Kahn Academy.
- You can also join a study group! You may know one, but if you don’t, there are a lot of online ones! I’m in a study Discord and have been for a while! it helps a lot and motivates me to finish my work!
- You can make a studyblr, but don’t do it just for the aesthetics! It’s about studying, and sometimes that gets messy! Sometimes we fail a test, we spill our tea on our notes, we cry because we don’t understand the formula. That’s the part you don’t see!
- Having cute stationery can really help, as well as nice organizers and decorations for your space! I don’t have much money so I get a lot of stuff on Amazon or FB Marketplace.
Health
- Remember that no matter what you are good enough. It’s okay if you fail, it’s okay if you struggle.
- It’s also okay if your path doesn’t go the way you expected! Maybe you go to a different school than expected! Or choose a trade instead! Maybe you take a gap year! Maybe your passion changes! Maybe it changes six times!
- Your health is always more important than your school. If you are in pain, mentally or physically, if you are anxious, exhausted, burnt out, talk to your teachers about it! You matter more than a grade.
- Your best is good enough! And your best doesn’t look the same as someone else’s best! Don’t compare!
- Now go get out there and study!
Anyone got tips on how to beat imposter syndrome and actually become productive
Six revision techniques
Avoid these 7 study mistakes this fall
The title is “Avoid these 7 study mistakes this fall”, and the fall has already gone, for sure but the post is valid any time you study. I really liked this blog post and I highly recommend it.
Study in a brain-friendly way: Some structures you can use in your summaries
Study in a brain-friendly way: The five most common problems when making a long-term plan and solutions
PROBLEM 1: I don’t know how to plan in revision.
By far the most important thing is that you actually plan in time for revision – many students forget about this.
Ideally, you should spread out your revision as much as possible, so you are revising the material more often at the start rather than at the end. Also, you should go over the materials you learned the previous day and you should do it everyday, but it is not necessary to write down that in the long-term plan.
PROBLEM 2: I’m already behind. What should I do?
If you’re already too far behind, it’s sometimes impossible to get everything done.
Sometimes you can still pass your exams if you spend more time studying. This does mean that you’ll have less time for other things in the coming period, such as free time. Are you prepared to do that? And more importantly, is it realistic? If the answer to both questions is yes, make a solid plan and test during the following week whether it’s actually feasible.
Another option is to perform your tasks less perfectly than you normally should do. Are some chapters less important? It’s a question of setting priorities and making choices. If you use this approach, it’s a good idea to test after a week whether you have learnt the material well enough. Sometimes ok is also good enough.
A third option is to postpone examinations or drop courses, if that’s at all possible. If it’s really not going to work, that could be the best decision.
It’s a hard choice, but it’s good to determine that your plan isn’t realistic early on, so that you can adapt it and get back to working efficiently.
PROBLEM 3: I don’t know if my plan is realistic.
This is often difficult to judge. The best thing is to give yourself a week to test it out. Keep track of how much time you spend studying, and check things off your list as you do them. If you do between 80% and 120% of the things you have planned, you’re on the right track. If you get less than 80% done in the first week, it’s probably too much.
PROBLEM 4: We only find out what the assignments are during the actual week we need to hand it in.
This isn’t ideal for creating a plan, but it’s not a deal-breaker. If you know that there will be assignments each week, you can include them in your long-term plan. Once you have done the first assignment, you can estimate how much time you will need to complete the rest. You just have to be sure that the assignments will be evenly spread over the weeks. You can still plan in other activities, such as reading, going to lectures and revision. It’s great if you can get some of the tasks done in advance, so you have some time left if the assignments take longer than expected.
PROBLEM 5: I have to do a written assignment. How should I plan that in?
Written assignments are always difficult to plan. Usually, it’s best to work backwards. When do you have to submit the final assignment? When do you have to submit the first version? And the conclusion or discussion? The other chapters? The first draft? And so you plan your schedule by working backwards.
No idea how much time you will need? Use the number of credits for the assignment as a starting point. Calculate the corresponding number of study hours and divide this by the number of weeks you have for the assignment. Then you have an idea of how many hours per week you will probably need. You can also ask fellow students or your lecturer to share their estimates and experiences.
Study in a brain-friendly way: Tips to enhance growth mindsets
- Read about growth mindsets or watch an interview or film about what happens in your brain when you learn.
- Remember that the aim of learning is to learn. It doesn’t always have to be fun. Being happy or enjoying what you are learning is certainly an advantage, but it’s not a dealbreaker. There is nothing wrong with a little discomfort while you learn. Don’t be put off if you don’t always enjoy learning; it’s really not important.
- Note: making a mistake is a valuable lesson in itself. Most people don’t like making mistakes, but seen as a valuable lesson, mistakes take on a different meaning. You are, after all, learning. And if learning is important to you, mistakes become valuable.
- Try to think of something that you are now better at than you were in the past. What was it that you found difficult, but which has now become easier? How did you achieve this? Thinking about this will put you into a growth mindset.
- When you hear yourself saying ‘I can’t do this!’…….add ‘yet’
Study in a brain-friendly way: Reading and summarizing research articles
What is the most effective method for studying research articles?
FORMULATE THE GOAL
Start by thinking carefully about why you have to read the article. This will help you to determine your approach! What do you need to take out or remember from it? Do you need to read and summarize the entire article or is it sufficient to know the main conclusions?
SELECT PARTS TO READ
An article isn’t a novel: you don’t have to read it from beginning to end. Most articles are structured into sections using clear headings, and you can choose which sections are actually of interest and use to you. And you don’t have to read the sections in order.
A general rule of thumb is:
WHAT TO READ FOR AN EXAM?
Try to find out what the focus of your lecturer is: do you need general understanding of the article’s conclusion (in which case Abstract, Conclusion or Discussion will do), or should you be able to look critically at the methods of the research as well (in which it will be useful to read Methodology chapter)?
If unsure: definitely read the Abstract, followed by the Conclusion and Discussion. When reading the conclusion, it can also help to take a look at the visuals (graphs, tables, charts) in the results section. This will give you the gist of the article. If you don’t know much about the subject yet, consider to read the Introduction as well: this will give you the background information you need.
Reading these sections is usually enough, but there are some exceptions:
- Are you expected to learn more about the data analysis or to formulate an opinion on the quality thereof? Then you will also need to read the Results section carefully.
- Are you expected to compare how different studies are conducted? Or will you have to formulate an opinion on the quality of the research method used? Then you will also need to read the Methodology section.
WHAT TO READ FOR A THESIS OR WRITING ASSIGNMENT?
Are you reading the articles because you have to write about them? If so, you can also read the sections in the order mentioned above: start with the abstract. If it seems interesting and relevant, move on to the discussion and conclusion. If you’re actually going to use the article, read the whole thing.
If you don’t know much about the subject yet and still need some basic background knowledge, read the introduction and/or theory section. This will give you a more general understanding of the topic. Here, too, the goal can help you decide on your approach: If you’re reading articles to help you decide which research methods or analysis methods to use for your own study, then it goes without saying that you should also read those sections!
MAKE A SUMMARY
You can use the TC method to make a summary. When reading for exam, try to include:
- Research question
- Answer / key findings
- Implications
- Limitations
When reading for thesis or paper, also include;
- Citation information (author, date, journal, volume, pages, etc.)
- What you want to use from the article (findings, quotes, etc.)
- References to follow up on
In your summary, only include things you didn’t already know and are relevant to your exam or writing assignment.
Good luck!
Study in a brain-friendly way: What should you do during study breaks?
First, set a timer when you want to start studying again. Then do something that doesn’t require you to think very much. So don’t use your break for difficult matters such as difficult phone calls or emails. Physical activity is a good option because it helps relax your mind. And obviously if you have a 15 minute break, it’s not a good moment to start your favourite new series.