7even11eleven-blog - This Is Me For Now

Hey babes! As requested, here’s a roundup of my favorite study tips that I’ve picked up over the years. Happy studying!

studying for exams

Create a study group and meet regularly (not just before exams!)

“Teach” the material to someone – your pet works well!

Keep a list in the front of your notebook/binder of topics or points that seem important enough to be on the exam, that confuse you, or that you’re interested in so you can go back and study them.

Study a little over a long period when you can, instead of cramming for an entire exam in one night.

Create a “cheat sheet” of important information for studying on the go.

Try the Pomodoro method to keep from getting burnt out.

Try creating a timetable for studying so you don’t spend too long on a certain subject and run out of time for the others.

Knock out your least favorite subject first, so you can have the rest of the day to work on more enjoyable subjects and relax. 

Create a study guide for the class using Google Docs that you can all contribute to.

If you’re unclear about something, Google it. There’s more than likely a video that can explain it more clearly than your textbook.

Keep a running list of questions to ask during office hours, & actually go!

Study in a public place (the library, a coffee shop) so that you’re less likely to get distracted watching cat videos knowing people can see what you’re doing. 

Get plenty of rest the night before an exam! Cramming is not worth it.

homework tips

Write everything down, even if you think you’ll remember it.

Keep a planner and check it first thing in the morning.

Do the work for your least favorite class first so that it’s out of the way.

Start early. Way earlier than you have to. That way you have time for delays, to start over if you have to, or to take a night off to go to a party. 

If it’s something quick, like a worksheet, do it as soon as it’s assigned.

If you have a long break between classes, use it to work on small assignments that you can get out of the way.

For big projects, like papers and presentations, break it up into smaller pieces. “Write thesis” is a lot less daunting than “write 8 page paper”.

Do homework before you study, so you’ll know what you’re confused about and need to pay more attention to. 

If there’s an option to buy an ebook rather than a physical copy of the textbook, do it. Not only is it usually cheaper, but it frees up space in your bag and you can search for specific terms easily.

If you have a lot of work to catch up on, set aside a block of time to knock it all out at once (with breaks, of course).

If all the homework for a class is due at the end of the semester, give yourself due dates for the individual assignments so you don’t put it off and have to do it all at once. 

Install a site blocker so you don’t get distracted from your work.

If you have an online class, schedule a regular time to work on it as if it were a traditional class.  

Don’t just Google your way through the homework! It may save time now, but it’ll only make things harder when it’s time for exams.

even more tips!!

More Study Tips

Time Management

Intensive Revision (Cramming)

Public Speaking

Writing Papers Quickly

Study Habits

Final Exams

when you’ve mastered the art of being quietly mentally ill, especially at a young age, being loud only ever feels wrong

someone on tumblr: LISTEN UP MOTHERFUCKERS

me:

The Do’s & Don’ts of eating sushi ...

things i learnt regarding learning languages

recently i finished second stage of linguistic olympiad, which focuses on translating rare languages based on logical analysis, basically you don’t know the language but there is a logic rule you have to guess to translate things, yeah, its fun, now im waiting for the results of the second stage.

the thing is, after practicing, doing many problems from previous years, i found myself understanding languages’ rules easier. i’ve always been convinced that to learn language is not to learn the rules by heart, but to understand them, so here are my tips based on that:

1. native speakers are your best resource. some may disagree due to them often not being aware of certain grammar rules, but thats the point. learn the usage, not the rules. rules will come naturally to you when you analyse them for yourself based on using the language. 

2. ive been learning russian for almost 2 years now and my teacher has been focusing on remembering the rules, as if thats the best way to learn the language. so we didnt have much access to any context, not to mention poorly made textbooks. but now that ive become familiar with lots of usage, i dont need to stress about the rules, but base the grammar on previous, similiar contexts.

3. you dont need the rules unless youre majoring philology. for real, i understand that its not your native language, but whats so bad about treating it as one? learn it just like kids would. use it.

4. about using it, put yourself in native speaker’s position, change the language of your fav sites, talk to people even if you dont know much yet, stop stressing about grammar. imagine people talking to you without using cases, conjugations - youre still gonna understand them, so why not start with that yourself?

summary:

- analyse the grammar yourself instead of learning written rules (thats also gonna make you remember it better)

- vocabulary > grammar

- make friends with native speakers

- embarass yourself, make mistakes, talk bullshit - its all a way to success

It was a quiet night, and he was talking about his day as he drove her back home. She listened, and somewhere in between his words, her body slowly gave in to exhaustion. She struggled to stay awake but before she knew it, she slipped into the gentle arms of a silent sleep. At a red light, he stopped and turned to her. He let his eyes roam over her sleeping face, as though seeking to memorize every part of her delicate features. He stared long enough to realize that he, had fallen in love.

Lukas W. // She fell asleep, he fell in love (via somepiecesofmyheartandsoul)

By definition, you have to live until you die. Better to make that life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which I suspect it will be.

Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting (via books-n-quotes)

Spirited Away