What I’ve Learned From College Thus Far

how to write KICK ASS essays!

let me know if it helps! :)

Here’s the guide. Link to doc here.

SAMPLE ESSAY WITH EDITS

April Harry Potter Phone Wallpapers

Here are some Harry Potter inspired monthly phone wallpapers with matching desktop wallpapers. I created versions starting on Monday and Sunday so you can pick the one you use more often!

To download:

mobile: for the best quality, click on the link to the version you would like below, wait for it to load and then simply hold down on the image you would like, press ‘save image’, head to your settings, change wallpaper and select it from your photos.

version one monday / version one sunday

version two monday / version two sunday

version three monday / version three sunday

version four monday / version four sunday

laptop: right click, save image, add image to a phone folder that syncs from your laptop to phone or use airdrop on iPhone.

I hope you enjoy using these and if so, I’d love to see them in action!  Feel free to tag me #emmastudies in any photos you upload on Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter. If there are any problems or errors, please let me know via my inbox.

Disclaimer: These backgrounds are for personal use only.

Other downloads | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Twitter | Etsy Printables Shop

A friendly ghost rest stop before you continue your day! 💗

Loading Penguin Hugs | Instagram | Patreon

Study Techniques:

SQ3R Reading

The Pomodoro technique

Online Pomodoro timer

Feynman Technique

100 Things to do in your study break

Develop active learning strategies

Cramming (last minute option)

Study Methods, Tips, and Resources:

How to make flashcards (electronic and paper)

What to write on flashcards

Uses for flashcards

Creating and using mindmaps

Studying using textbooks

The benefits of textbooks

How to annotate

Tools for referencing

Tips for visual learners

How to read journal articles critically (by marielstudies​)

Top 5 Study Tips to Achieve your Study Goals

How to pull an all nighter

How to pull an all nighter (2)

Studying vocabulary

Study guides

How to create a study guide (by studyspoinspo)

Using whiteboards

Assignment Calculator

Learning how to learn (by strive-for-da-best)

Get good grades (Youtube)

Memory:

Learn how to memorise and find the memory techniques that work best for you.

Here’s an interesting article about long term memory.

6 research tested ways to improve your memory.

Here’s an ask about how to memorise material.

An ask about forgetting material within a few hours.

Some memory tips (by astackoftextbooks)

Learn instead of memorising

Thinking and memorising

Time Management:

How to prioritise tasks

Apps for scheduling

Creating a revision timetable

A post about making a timetable (by grxeek).

How to keep your revision focused

An online study planner.

Motivation/Procrastination:

Reasons to study

Blocking apps/extensions for phones and computers.

Reasons to study now

10 tips for getting started on an academic task

How to deal with family distracting you from study

How to stop procrastinating (Youtube)

10 Tips for managing procrastination

Questions to ask yourself for motivation

How to improve your concentration

Quick concentration tips

Get Motivated (Wikihow)

Choosing the appropriate study environment

Short and sharp motivation

Stress Relief:

Stress relief techniques and ideas

The 10 Best Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Relaxing Yoga Poses for Beginners

20 Easy Steps to Stress Relief

Relaxation Techniques

23 Science Backed Ways to Reduce Stress

25 Destressing Techniques

Deep Breathing Exercises

Three Guided Relaxation Videos

Vent Anonymously Online

A sleep calculator here which will calculate when you should go to sleep/wake up (depending on what you’re working out) based on sleep cycles. This will make sure that you wake up refreshed and ready to work.

Problems with sleep

Failure anxiety

Do nothing for 2 minutes

Calm (meditation site)

Health:

There’s also some information here about studying with mental illness from MIND.

There’s a really great post here about depression in university (by landofstories)

There’s a similar post here about studying with depression (by bloggerforstudentprogress)

Studying with ADHD

Studying maths with dyscalculia

Managing test anxiety

Self help: test anxiety

Emergency Compliment (for when you’re feeling down)

Studying with dyslexia

Revision and exams for people with dyslexia

Study skills for dyslexic students

How I coped with OCD at university

Study skills and OCD

Study skills and OCD PDF

Music:

Nature sounds in calmsound

Sounds of rain

Beethoven

Coffee shop sounds

More coffee shop sounds

Mix sounds (soundrown)

Sounds of the ocean

Whitenoise

Study mixes on 8tracks

Music to boost concentration

For the exam:

Exam preparation

Exam life hacks (by studyblob)

The best ways to prepare for exams

Exam tips

The day before an exam

Tips on Taking Multiple-Choice Tests

How to write a great essay (by englishlit-chic)

Psychology Essay Exams (gives an example and how to answer)

Looking after yourself after exams

Oral tests and exams

Writing and presenting a good speech

Links, Games, etc.:

Live panda camera (for destressing; you wouldn’t believe the amount of time I spend watching this camera).

Live animals

Try to find the ten gnomes

Origami

Create your own nebula

Easy magic tricks

DIY Home Spa (BY @recoverykitty)

Brownie in a cup

Cookie in a cup

How to Brace Yourself for a New School Year

August is fast approaching once again! Though I’m all for “starting the year/ school year right”, I think it’s pretty much unavoidable for us to get off track. A lot. Because of that, I put together this infographic to help minimize those stressful moments in your brand new school years.

First of all, get your shit together. And I mean both physically and emotionally.

it’s a new start my friend!! detox your mind of all those negative thoughts (and people) and embrace the opportunity to start over. 

gather all the supplies you need. if you’re moving into a dormitory, make sure it’s equipped with everything you need to feel at home. 

her campus college packing list

do’s and don’ts

don’t go overboard with this step, but go get yourself some new stationery. choose wisely, and ensure that you’ll actually use it and it’s not just for purposes of aesthetic. we all want nice instagram feeds, but don’t let that be a reason for you to buy too much pretty stationery.

why not think of a note taking system before classes begin? 

the cornell system

mind mapping

flashcards

not all may find the idea of going back to school exciting, but you gotta have the motivation to keep that positive mindset in your head throughout the year! go you.

Organize your study space. You may have to stay in it much longer than usual now.

lighting is important. it’s oversaid, but never untrue. opt for natural lighting when you can, but if you can’t or you’re a night owl, get a good study lamp to brighten up those long hours of work.

I did say you’re probably gonna be staying here for some long bouts of time, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. make your desk one of your favorite places to be in. if you want to, make it really pretty. hang up some motivational posters or quotes - perhaps you even want a color scheme with that. 

desk inspiration

quote posters to get you going

quotes from writers

have an accessible stash of stationery on your desk at all times so that you don’t have to go looking for a pen and a sticky note when you need to write something down. keep pens, pencils and highlighters in a jar near you.

keep something green on your desk, like a succulent. plants are adorable and the sight of them can boost your productivity.

have a planner or a bullet journal, and make space for that too.

a bujo masterpost 

if working with music helps you, have headphones with you as well. always have a study playlist on hand. go for instrumentals or wordless tracks.

study playlist masterpost

make it a habit to keep your space in check every night before you go to bed. it really could make a big difference in how much work you’re gonna be able to do. don’t forget to stay clear of distractions!

Create a stress management system.

okay. this is what i’m telling you to brace yourself for. there are gonna be those days or those moments when you’re gonna feel really depressed or panicked. you’re gonna be okay. feel free to message me or any other studyblr - we’re here to listen =)

take some time out to practice self care and put off work, even for a bit. school is not the most important thing in the world, keeping yourself alive and healthy is. you can sleep, be kind to yourself.

self-care reminders

soothe yourself

go get some food too. you can prep some of your own if you’d prefer.

food masterpost

mood boosting food

never ever ever underestimate the power of exercise. the feeling of finishing a workout is so so so satisfying and I can guarantee you will feel better in no time.

the seven minute workout

popsugar fitness

take out your mat and do some yoga. stretch out all those muscles you held in place for so long sitting at your desk.

I find it important to always have a mini-collection of unread books. if you don’t have any, one of my favorite places to be in is a bookstore or library - and I just read whatever I find. the results can be life changing.

take time to hone your skills in your hobbies. if you can, do it everyday - do that one thing that makes you really happy daily. maybe you like singing. or playing the guitar. or painting. whatever it is, go do it.

write it down! I keep an electronic journal and it really helps to just spill your thoughts out on a notebook or your phone.

honey, please talk to someone if you need to. it won’t hurt. 

Get a headstart on academics.

especially on subjects that are easier with advanced reading. if you already know what books you’re going to be tackling for english or literature, go read them.

sparknotes

shmoop

try asking upper years who used to take your classes if they still have their course outlines, or any material they were given before. this can save lives.

gonna be taking a language class? why not start learning it already?

duolingo

memrise

find textbooks and start using them!!

don’t have any idea of what you’re going to study yet? that doesn’t mean you should stop learning something new. you can listen to a ted talk or join an online course.

ted

crash course

coursera

Finally, set SMART goals for the school year. And have a concrete plan for how you’ll reach them.

what average are you aiming for? what organizations do you want to join? make your goals realistic and specific.

motivation is very important, but honestly, you can’t count on it to be with you every single day, every single moment of your life while you’re working for your goals. what will push you forward then? discipline.

building discipline

surround yourself with a community people who support you. like I said in the first step, detox all those negative people from your life. find ways to work with your friends and help each other in attaining goals.

set rewards for yourself too, not just in the long run but for the little things like finishing a good study session or passing a paper early.

study reward ideas

that being said, don’t underestimate the power of setting your short-term goals. those will be your stepping stones to pursuing the bigger picture you envision for yourself.

Tumblr and Pinterest, provided you don’t go too far in using them, can serve your daily doses of inspiration. don’t just use them for the sake of looking at aesthetically pleasing shots, though.

on a final note, don’t let academics take over your life. I hope you have a fantastic year, and good luck!

don’t run without knowing where you’re going anymore.

50 Things To Do For a More Productive Summer

1. Find some work experience  2. Head to the theatre and indulge in a good ol’ play or, even a musical 3. Plan a local trip or a day in the city and soak up all the culture 4. Volunteer your time once a week to a charity/ shelter 5. See if you can get work as a summer temp 6. Deepen your faith 7. Meet up with family and friends that you haven’t seen for ages, take loads of pictures and have an AWESOME time (how about camping in the New Forest? Or in your back garden? Barbecues or a simple trip to the ice rink) 8. Try curing one of your fears 9. Do a movie marathon 10. Develop or find a new hobby 11. Attempt to create a business with your own innovative idea 12. Do a charity challenge 13. Start taking driving lessons 14. Learn a language 15. Give your room a revamp — how about jars filled with multicoloured or fresh pinecones? A fresh coat of paint? A cluster of assorted candles? 16. Begin your #100daysofhappiness 17. Soak up the sun with a load of picnics, beach trips and outdoor games with your friends 18. Have a wardrobe clear out and donate all the clothes to a local charity shop 19. Pick an actor and watch all the films they’ve been in 20. Start a blog! 21. Get baking and come up with some new creations 22. Make a list of all your skills and everything they’ve taught you 23. Become a dog walker for a neighbour 24. Start saving for something worthwhile … 25. … or blow all your money on some concert tickets (you only live once) 26. Designate a whole day to go without a TV, laptop/ computer, internet, music, phone and any other electric devices 27. Begin writing a novel 28. Make proper lemonade and sip reading your favourite book under a tree 29. Go out for a day with nothing but the things that you can fit in your trouser or cardigan pockets or carry in your hands … OR … with as little as possible 30. Read an entire series of books or pick up some classics and get through them 31. Host a tea party with your friends 32. Make an exercise routine and stick to it (for a month, at least) 33. Watch an entire box set 34. Get rid of your anxiety by writing your worries down on a piece of paper, folding it into a bottle and sending it out to sea 35. Make a scrapbook of your favourite memories 36. Get hooked on a new genre of music or a new artist that hardly anyone has ever heard of 37. Head out to the selection of free festivals and carnivals available throughout the country 38. Make a birthday cake for one of your friends or a member of your family 39. Get active 40. Buy dinner for a homeless person 41. Get your body to your ideal size/ weight 42. Set yourself a budget and see how far you can get on public transport with it 43. Read a collection of children’s books 44. Go to a book signing, find someone famous or attend a celebrity event to get a glimpse of the stars 45. Plan and execute a 3 course meal for yourself or your family 46. Spend a day being a child again 47. Start a diary 48. Spend a day detoxing your body – drinking green tea, eat plenty of fruit and veg, guzzling water and meditating 49. Re-work the way you view yourself 50. Write your bucket list

if you are seeing this, you are going to prosper. you are experiencing a new part of your life where you will bloom into a better version of yourself and flourish. abundance is coming your way; love is coming your way; peace and clarity are coming your way. you have nothing to fear and even less to worry about. the darkness around you has been the soil and you are now getting ready to sprout. you are going to prosper

A Quick Quarantine Update

Finally, after two weeks I can write about my academic struggles! How are you, folks? How are you all holding up?

Last September 10, UP decided to resume classes even after the students’ and the faculty’s numerous calls to postpone it. Some students, even teachers, got confused with their class schedule and were met with various technical difficulties like power shortages and poor internet connection.  It was chaotic and pretty exhausting.

Luckily, some teachers were kind enough to let students adjust to the new mode of teaching first before getting right into the discussions. They explained to us how they were only given 14 weeks to teach the whole material for this semester. This made me realize how hard they simplified the lessons to make it easier and clearer to understand and so their generosity weighed heavier than before.

I also started to get the hang of using Notion, and as someone who was intimidated by it before I can say Notion is a very useful app. I think I’ll write about my template on future posts. I hope I could explain it better, then.

I know I said before that I will try to revive this studyblr, but I realized that I’m doing a pretty shit job at it. If you guys want to be friends or simply just to have someone like and reblog your posts, hit me up! I’ll try to interact better. >____<

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“I was meant to help, not hurt.”

“You don’t have to be so gentle with my hand. You can squeeze it if you want.”

“I was attempting to be poetic. Did it not work?”

“When the sky is a dark blue and the city lights almost hurt my eyes, I feel at ease.”

“It’s so hot outside, I’m more puddle than human.”

“Stop flirting with my roommate. They’re a villain!”