I’m On Summer Break Right Now.

day 1 |  back to school challenge |  🎶winner - island

next semester is going to be my first year in university, so i’m super excited!! to stay focused this semester, here is my list of goals for fall 2017. (this is me talking to myself, so it’s gonna be in 2nd person)

goals for: school

make a study schedule

use google calendar to build a schedule w enough study time allotted to each class, as well as imp assignments and tests

and stick to it! 

build self-discipline!

5-minute rule: if you don’t want to do it, just do it for 5 minutes. just 5

no zero days. a day shouldn’t go by, that you did nothing for your dreams and aspirations

there’s no way around the hard work! if you wanna graduate early, buckle up and get to work

obliterate procrastination!

set early deadlines, and convince yourself they’re as imp as the real deadlines

when you don’t feel like it, remember the snowball effect. leave it now, and it will become a bigger problem later

tell your friends that you’re gonna do something, and you’re for sure gonna have it done by a certain time

block tumblr and youtube. forreal

classes & academics

learn who sits beside you and make friends with them

read the entire syllabus!! 

join at least two student groups

practice making small talk. they’re midwest people, they’re gonna be nice, they won’t bite, don’t worry,

participate in class! answer questions! make sure the prof/ta knows you! 

talk to the prof/ta if you’re struggling. don’t try to do it all alone all the time

goals for: self

mental health

don’t be too hard on yourself

follow advice from people who have gone thru uni w/ mental health issues 

build self-confidence in yourself

stop apologizing. you are enough

go to counseling/therapy when it gets bad, there’s counseling that won’t cost you

explain to friends / tell them i’m not ignoring them, just, my brain is kinda not working well sometimes

daily routines

fix your sleep schedule. please. go to sleep: 10-11. wake up: 5-6

set up a schedule for skincare routine and stick to it. get some better moisturizer asap and stick! to! the! routine!

make a fitness schedule as well. aim for a certain amount of physical time per day, and neck/arm/back excercises for everyday

diet: increase fruit/veg intake slowly; one fruit/veg/smoothie a day. drink water when you want sugar

even tho this post turned out super long and specific, feel free to use any of these if you would like!!

-ria

windows 10 is garbage so every time i boot up the computer i have to run command prompt and enter

net.exe stop “Windows Search”

so that the shitty goddamned search/cortana feature that i never fucking use stops running in the background taking up all my fucking disk space

HOW TO WIN AT FRESHMAN YEAR IN COLLEGE Pt 1. (Academics)

Aight here we gooo

Don’t think about when it’s due, think about when you can get it done by. Always try to get work done as soon as you get it, because the information/motivation is a lot more likely to make you productive immediately after. Don’t backward plan and leave things to the last minute.

Research your course. Find out about the electives you have to take, the ideal course load and the progression requirements. Don’t graduate a semester late because you forgot to take one 1000 level English course.

 Make a nice schedule! You’re going to be stuck with this for a year, so definitely invest a couple hours into making a good one. (Separate post on drafting a schedule coming up.)

Try to live on campus, preferably in a traditional dorm set up. Not only does it improve the ‘college experience’ but also really helps with networking. 

Do not invest in a loooot of expensive stationery. I know, I know, ironic to say as a studyblr. But coming out of high school where we all took notes on paper, a huge stationery haul might be obvious. But definitely wait a couple weeks into school to see if you want to stick to paper notes or if you’re more comfortable with the laptop. 

Sit. At. The. Front. Beginning in the first week. Freshman year, it’s super tempting to abuse your freedom and just not show up to class. It is imperative that you put yourself in the field of vision with the teacher, not only to make a good impression but also to hold yourself accountable to actually show up to class, because the professor will probably notice your absence and might discount you a little bit. It also helps with the ‘halo effect’, where you stand out right in the beginning, and that’ll tide you over. 

Don’t just show up to office hours, take your notes/solve a mock paper, and get feedback. Doing this a couple times before the exam will help you put together the perfect rubric for answering just about any style of question. If it’s an essay course, the teacher will often make corrections and even send you helpful resources to improve. 

Create/join a Facebook group for your subject, and exchange notes with people over there. It’s reassuring to know you have a backup if you skip class.

Try to inform your professor before hand if you’re skipping class. This policy might be different for different schools, but telling your professor ahead of time that you won’t be attending, or even just shooting them an email at the time of class might help with making up for lost time, extra credit, and being able to skip with more ease in the future, since the prof thinks you’re serious about this class.

Spend the summer before college chilling, yes (I’ve written a post about it here). But also check this out to make it a little more productive, and learn a few handy day to day skills. 

Pt. 2 about college scheduling will be up tomorrow!

types of study breaks for every situation

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stair at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

if you only half understand a concept: call/message a friend who’s not in the class and try to teach the material to them. this will help you mentally work through the material and will help you remember it as well.

University Tips:

Keep a calendar and stay on top of your schedule!

Make a timetable of your classes/seminars

Check emails often

Don’t skip lectures!

Sit in the front row. This will make you focus and help your lecturers remember you - which is actually more important than people think

Build a good relationship with your lecturers AND peers

Visit your professors’ office hours regularly and have catch ups

Go to the library to study! You’ll be more distracted trying to study at home/in your room. If you have to study in your room- turn your phone off

It’s okay to not want to party like everyone else :)

Write down your notes in lectures and type them up after

Join a society/club! This will make sure you have a great work-social life balance, and give you the opportunity to learn something new at least once a week

Colour code notes

It’s just as important not to overwork yourself as it is not to procrastinate (too much)

Keep your desk clean and organised! 

Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before lectures and have a good breakfast in the morning. You will be more focused for it

Keep a journal of your experiences and ambitions

Go to counseling services. UK Universities will have counselling services that can tackle anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Your well-being is as important as your grades

Your degree doesn’t define you. You still have time to explore your options. You don’t have to know what you want to be right now. University is about developing yourself as it is finding a career.

Don’t burn bridges with your friends/loved ones at home. They will be there for you should you need to go home

Live on or near campus. This will save money and give you a sense of belonging

Eat well!

:/ Black and diasabled lives really don't matter in the USA or any other countries.

http://chng.it/5Nd5TDgFKD Here's is a petition you can sign to get some justice for AJ and his family.

Change.org

Sign the Petition

Require First Responders to be Educated in Dealing with Mentally Ill

EDIT: GUYS WE'RE ALMOST THERE. KEEP SIGNING

ALSO HERE IS MALIK WILLIAMS'S PETITION ANOTHER DISABLED BLACK MAN MURDERDD BY THE POLICE. SIGN IT TOO

http://chng.it/5KZRQrpxdd

Change.org

Sign the Petition

Fire the Officers That Shot 84 Rounds at Paraplegic Malik Williams and Release Footage

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

difference between a report & a research paper

sources used: my history teacher & “Tips for Writing Analytic Research Papers.” (1998): n. pag. Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center, 19 May 2009. Web. 29 May 2015.

• report

- organized regurgitation of facts gathered from research

- thesis statement is a general statement summarizing what your whole report is about

- thesis statement is NOT opinion or argument to be proven

- topic sentences of body paragraphs summarize what facts you’ll describe in that paragraph

- research + writing facts = report

• research paper

- organized analysis of facts gathered from research

- thesis statement identifies the overall argument or academic opinion that you will prove in your paper

- thesis statement must be (academic) opinion and argumentation

- research + writing facts + analysis = research paper

• so what is analysis? how do i do it?

analysis is basically breaking apart the facts you have found in your research and demonstrating critical thinking about those facts. make your analysis explicit - your reader should not have to infer or guess what your analysis is. it looks like:

• dissecting or breaking down larger events or concepts to explore the smaller parts [“dr. king’s plan comprised of three specific political and social actions” - then the author explains the parts]

• cause/effect [author describes situation that outrages dr. king - “this outrage motivated dr. king to deliver his speech”]

• identification or explanation of significance [“this speech is iconic in american history because…”]

• comparison of ideas from different sources, or differing opinions; examination of counterarguments [“critics of dr. king said…” “historians disagree…” “others have said…”]

• connection to broader ideas and themes in the relevant discipline [“king’s actions exemplify the overall trend in social activism towards nonviolent action to achieve change”]

• connection to experiences, examples in other geographic areas, time periods or disciplines [“this behavior is explained by psychologists as…” “the american civil rights movement was inspired by actions in…” “another leader who inspired people in similar ways was nelson mandela in south africa”]

new quarter/semester checklist

1. turn over a new leaf

not happy with how your first quarter went? now is a good time to change that. do what you wish you’d done differently before. changing things on the middle of quarters can be hard, so now is the time.

2. organize yourself

don’t throw your previous stuff away!! you will probably need your papers and such for midterms later in the year. instead of throwing everything away or keeping it in an unorganized fashion with your new assignments and notes, set aside a space for it in your house. keep it all organized so you know when it’s from. ask your teachers/professors what you should hang on to.

3. prepare yourself

are there any supplies, books, etc you need for the new semester/quarter but don’t have? now is the time to figure out what you have and what you need to get before you get too deep in the semester/quarter

4. check in with yourself

are the systems you’re using working for you? the apps? note taking strategies? the amount of sleep you’re getting? make sure things are working for you. if they aren’t, try something else that might work

5. don’t worry

yes, school is important. yes, it will help you in the future. but it doesn’t define you. it’ll be okay if you don’t ace everything. you aren’t a failure and you aren’t worthless. it’s okay.

good luck, you’re going to do amazing