Omg!!! A Bish Finally Got An Ipad Pro & Now I Can Write My Aesthetic Notes For My Korean Class😭🙌🏽🌸

How to start a studyblr blog

One of the most common questions I am asked is how to start and run a studyblr. Some people consider being a studyblr means having a selection of certain pens or highlighters but that isn’t the case. Having a studyblr is about being part of a community that promotes self-improvement, positive study habits and tips to help yourself and others reach their full potential. Below are a few steps I recommend when starting a studyblr:

1. Decide whether you’re going to start a new blog or a secondary blog. Most studyblrs, myself included, run main blogs and then a studyblr as a side blog. If you’re wanting to have a completely new account, follow only studybrs, message (via asks) with a link to your studyblr then it is best to create a new account. If you’re happy to continue on one account, then creating a side blog is a good option. However, when you use a secondary blog for your studyblr, it will follow as your main account. I prefer having my studyblr as a secondary blog since you can stay logged into one account (so much easier on mobile!). Plus if you wanted to run a collaboration blog, you can add other members. Here is so more detailed information about the differences.

2. Pick a username/URL. You can be super creative like me and just use your name! Otherwise, you can name your studyblr anything you want. Whilst most people have a study related username, that isn’t totally necessary. Find something you like and use it! You do have the option to change it later on it you’re unhappy or think of something better.

3. Choose a theme. My best advice for a theme is pick something that is easy to navigate and nice to look at! Editing HTML can be quite difficult for first time Tumblr users, however many themes make adjusting the appearance of your theme really simple by using the tools on the customise page. Some popular theme makers include:

@pohroro

@modernisethemes

@cyantists

@magnusthemes

@sorrism

@acuite

@themesbyflorels

@roxiestheme

@felinum

@bychloethemes

@wonderfullythemes

Once you’ve picked a theme, follow the instructions the theme maker has left in the caption of the post. When you’re using a theme, remember to leave credit visible to the owner. By removing credit you’re breaking the conditions set by the creator. 

4. Make an icon. This is relatively optional. Most studyblrs just use a random picture for their icon however others create personalised ones just for their blog. You can create your own icon using applications like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Canva or Word/Pages. Canva is probably the easiest way to make your own, plus it is free! If you’re looking for something a little fancier, you can commission @annistudio to make one! Depending on the level of complexity, she charges between $3-9. She created my icon and it is so amazing!

5. Write up an introductory post. Once your blog is up and running, you should create a post to introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you’re from, what you’re studying, your hobbies, etc. It is always nice to tag some of your favourite studyblrs! If someone has mentioned me or tagged #emmastudies in their post, I might see it and reblog it. Most blogs do the same! Making these posts will hopefully get you some new followers!

6. Post your own content. A great way to promote your blog is to upload your own posts. This can be anything, either pictures of your notes, advice posts, or infographics! Remember to update the content source and click-through links when uploading your posts. A little guide to taking photos can be found here. My editing process can also be found here. If you upload your own tips posts, feel free to submit them to @studyblrmasterposts.

7. Use popular hashtags. Before publishing your post remember to add hashtags. The most popular ones include #studyblr, #studyspo, #study. I track the tag #emmastudies so include that in your tags and I’ll see it! Most blogs also track their usernames so tag some of your favourites.

8. Join studyblr networks. You’ll often see these floating around Tumblr so if you see one, join it! There are ones dedicated to people graduating in a specific year, others for specific majors, or people who share a common trait/hobby! Alternatively, you can be added to my studyblr directory. It is a collection bloggers which can be filtered by categories such as education level, country, and exam system. You can apply here.

9. Use the queue option. By using the queue option, you don’t have to come on Tumblr every day to stay active. Set up a queue, select the number of posts and when you’d like them to be published and you’re ready to go. This option is great if you’re having a bit of an off-week and don’t fancy coming online or aren’t able to access the Internet!

10. Use other social media platforms. Whilst studyblr originated on Tumblr, we have since diversified across numerous different social networks. I’d totally recommend having a studygram! Mine is @emmastudiess if you wanted to check it out! Other accounts have YouTube (emma studies), Snapchat (@emmastudies), Spotify, Twitter, etc. Remember to provide links to your each account!

11. Be nice, friendly and polite. I think this is the golden rule for any blogger. Treat everyone with respect. Be kind when answering questions. Be grateful for your followers. Please, please, please don’t send anonymous hate! If you receive it, remember to delete and block that person. The studyblr community is one of the nicest I’ve come across and we want to keep it that way. 

12. Don’t be afraid to message other blogs and start a friendship! Interact with other accounts by sending them an ask or a direct message. I cannot begin to tell you how many wonderful people I’ve connected with from the studyblr community. I’d say the majority of studyblrs love receiving messages and would be happy to strike up a friendship with you!

I hope this can inspire you to start a studyblr or helps you set one up! Remember you can tag me in your introductory posts or uploaded pictures. Also, my ask and direct messages are always open if you want to chat xx

Art journal details (Flatsound - We’re Fighting Again)

I'm a big fan of extensive reading apps for language learning, and even collaborated on such an app some 10 years ago. It eventually had to be shut down, sadly enough.

Right now, the biggest one in the market is the paywalled LingQ, which is pretty good, but well, requires money.

There's also the OG programs, LWT (Learning With Texts) and FLTR (Foreign Language Text Reader), which are so cumbersome to set up and use that I'm not going to bother with them.

I presently use Vocab Tracker as my daily driver, but I took a spin around GitHub to see what fresh new stuff is being developed. Here's an overview of what I found, as well as VT itself.

(There were a few more, like Aprelendo and TextLingo, which did not have end-user-friendly installations, so I'm not counting them).

Vocab Tracker

++ Available on web ++ 1-5 word-marking hotkeys and instant meanings makes using it a breeze ++ Supports websites

-- Default meaning/translation is not always reliable -- No custom languages -- Ugliest interface by far -- Does not always recognise user-selected phrases -- Virtually unusable on mobile -- Most likely no longer maintained/developed

Lute

++ Supports virtually all languages (custom language support), including Hindi and Sanskrit ++ Per-language, customisable dictionary settings ++ Excellent, customisable hotkey support

-- No instant meaning look-up makes it cumbersome to use, as you have to load an external dictionary for each word -- Docker installation

LinguaCafe

++ Instant meanings thanks to pre-loaded dictionaries ++ Supports ebooks, YouTube, subtitles, and websites ++ Customisable fonts ++ Best interface of the bunch

== Has 7 word learning levels, which may be too many for some

-- Hotkeys are not customisable (yet) and existing ones are a bit cumbersome (0 for known, for eg.) -- No online dictionary look-up other than DeepL, which requires an API key (not an intuitive process) -- No custom languages -- Supports a maximum of 15,000 characters per "chapter", making organising longer texts cumbersome -- Docker installation

Dzelda

++ Supports pdf and epub ++ Available on web

-- Requires confirming meaning for each word to mark that word, making it less efficient to read through -- No custom languages, supports only some Latin-script languages -- No user-customisable dictionaries (has a Google Form to suggest more dictionaries)

04.08.20 ; 10:48am

quiet morning and a molang sticker

Notion - BASIC and EASY Note taking system FOR STUDENTS

Hello everyone!

I hope you are well!

For this weeks #Microbiologynerddweeklytips post, I shall be sharing my university note taking and organisation system using Notion.

I have been using Notion for roughly 1 year, and have used it to organise my second year university studies, in addition to my voluntary position as the VP of my society.

So below is a very BASIC and EASY to use format you could adapt for yourselves! Enjoy😊

Contents

As a directory to everything I need at university, I have a contents page. Here I have each of my modules, as though they were chapters of a book. Each leading to a separate page of their own.

After this I have the required ‘modules’ for my placement year. I have arranged this slightly differently to my regular university notes - more details on this later.

Below this you can find pages for my summer microtalks hosted by SFAM. I attend these weekly and make notes in that subsection.

And finally I have a section for Taekwondo, to organise tasks I have to complete as the VP of Taekwondo.

Module pages:

So i have tested 2 different methods for module layout, each only having a slight twist.

- Please click the photos to enlarge -

In the photos above, I visualise the 2 different systems. Each of the systems involves having a new cell per lecture. However, in the first 2 photos (from left to right) I have separate pages for my lectures vs my lab notes. Whereas on the right, I have my lectures, labs, extra reading and questions all formulated into one table. Clicking the See All button at the top left of the table, above the search bar, you can choose to view classes by type i.e. just see my lectures or just see my lab notes for example.

The second system I have found works best, otherwise you are just clicking too many buttons to get to the area you need. However, in future I shall implement the ‘breadcrumb’ at the top the page, like i did with the first and second photos. (Breadcrumb = univeristy/ BMS2037:cellu../lecture below the page titles). Breadcrumbs make it easier to shift between pages instead of clicking the back button all the time. They are essientally hyperlinks to other pages.

Tip: to insert a breadcrumb simply put /breadcrumb and a breadcrumb will appear. This works for anything you are trying to insert e.g. a table

You can also choose to insert materials e.g. any lecture slides or resources you used within that lecture. Personally I dont find this helpful, as our VLE is clearly laid out with our lectures. But it might be something worth trying, as you can also insert pictures or any sort of media you require.

I also use the tick box function to keep track of whether I have written the lecture into Anki cards (flashcards)/ attended the lecture.

Side note: Please ignore my spelling/ how I label lectures, they make sense to me, they dont need to be 100% correct - right?

Internship/Placement Page:

I have recently been dabbling in the layout I would like to use for my internship year, however, I shall update you at a later date with any additional details, as due to COVID-19 the formate of the year and my assessments has changed. I also will find out more when I start my internship... which is soon - yay!

I’ve decided to have reminders at the top, which I inserted using /callout - you can change the emoji to anything you would like. This is for me to know instantly any important documents or tasks that I need to complete.

The external work to that provided by my internship is included in the table. This is essientally the coursework I have to complete on the side of the placement. Here i decided to note the deadlines and percentage of the year that it is worth. This is just to help me grasp the format of this year, since as mentioned above, it is slightly different.

Underneath this I have a selection of details to do with the company. This includes my acceptance letter and any insurance forms I need to send off. I just wanted to have them at hand so i can reference them at any time.

Summer 2020/Taekwondo pages:

These pages I format the same as the ‘Module’ Pages, so I haven’t included any pictures etc.

Miscellaneous things:

- NOTION IS FREE FOR STUDENTS - if you have an educational email, you can sign up for free! If not, packages start at $4 a month, which isn’t too bad for something you use frequently!

- This service is avaliable on tablets and computers, so anyone can take advantage of this organisational software!

- You can change the cover and icon at the top of each page. They include emojis and a standard image database, but you can also upload your own unique images if you desire.

- There are also template designs for pages, with different themes for different needs. So if you don’t want to start one from scratch you have lots of options to choose from. Use those as a base and edit them from there! For example, there are calendars, habit trackers, resume trackers and whole load of other things.

- Using a device for notes, such as notion, allows you access to any notes you have made at ease. It is organised, and you are unlikely to lose your notes. Paper is great until you scrunch up that important sheet, or it rains and the paper gets wet, or you are carrying every single note you have ever made - that can become heavy. Just something to bear in mind, especially if you can afford a laptop/ note taking device of some kind.

- You can create multiple pages for different aspects of your life (photo below). For example I have 2 additional pages, 1 for personal things and another for blog post ideas - to keep you guys entertained... haha! 😆

Conclusion :

What I have shared here is a very BASIC overview of how I use notion. If you desire a detailed in depth report of how notion works, it might be worth checking out Ali Abdaal, who can give you this information. As for me and what I require from the service, Notion has been working really well, keeping me organised with all my notes in one area. Knowing what I am doing, when, and being able to keep up with the speed of lectures - considering my writing speed is questionable. 😂

When you first download notion and look at all the templates, it can be a bit overwhelming/ exciting. Start with what you need, and then explore new ideas that you want to incorporate. There is no point setting up hundreds of pages if you aren’t going to use them, just like writing out pretty notes doesnt help you learn content - but more about that in a future post. Start small, being organised involves consistency, you can’t be consistent if you have given yourself too many things to do daily. Or at least you are unlikely to be.

One word of warning, Notion is not compatible with the Apple Pencil, so if you like writing notes on your iPad, this may not be the best software for you. As well as this, if you are a faster writer than you are typer, DO NOT USE NOTION. The whole basis of this app or at least how I use it, is to stay organised and write notes productively and efficiently. If you prefer writing, keep at it! Don’t just switch because suddenly you hear lots of tapping on keyboards in the lecture theatre.

Play to YOUR STRENGTHS , enhance what you are good at, not what everyone else is doing. As always, you’ve got this 💪

Let me know if you have any questions, or whether you’d like any further posts/details about my notion workflow. I’m happy to answer any queries you have.

Speak soon,

Lucinda x

- take an ebook in your target language that you wanna read - convert epub to txt - copy txt into unique wordlist maker (http://caerphoto.com/uwc/) - remove words in the list you already know - maybe focus on keeping the high frequency new words - make this list into flashcard deck badda bing badda boom

I did this with my Turkish copy of Animal Farm and pulled 212 new words for my Quizlet deck

If you’re a stationery lover there is no doubt that you’re always looking for new places to shop because you can never have enough notebooks or pens! Buying stationery gives us all an illusion of productivity and who isn’t willing to pay for that? I’ve compiled a list of stores I’ve come across and think deserve sharing! Just to note some of these do have physical stores or only ship to certain places. I’ve tried to find out their shipping policy but be sure to double check. Anyways, here is a list of all the stores (I’ve * my faves). 

Stationery stores 

Appointed (worldwide shipping)

Amazon (international websites)

Bando (worldwide shipping)

Bloom Daily Planners (US only)

Blue Sky Planner (US only)

Bricksxcastle (worldwide shipping) (get 10% off using ‘emma10′)

Cobbery (worldwide shipping)

Daiso (US only)

Day Designer (US and Canada only)

Ella Iconic (worldwide shipping)

Emily Ley* (worldwide shipping)

Erin Condren (worldwide shipping)

Fox and Star (worldwide shipping)

Frank Stationery (worldwide shipping)

Glam and Paper (worldwide shipping)

The Happiness Planner (worldwide shipping)

Inky Co (Australian and New Zealand only)

Jet Pens* (worldwide shipping)

Jo & Jody (ships to most countries)

Jot It Down* (worldwide shipping)

Kate Spade (ships to some countries)

Kawaii Pen Shop (worldwide shipping)

Kikki K* (worldwide shipping)

Knock Knock (worldwide shipping)

Leuchtturm 1917 (ships to most countries)

Little Paper Lane (Australia only)

Makadai (worldwide shipping)

Meggies (UK only)

Mi Goals (worldwide shipping)

Mochi Things (worldwide shipping)

Moleskine (international websites)

Mossery* (worldwide shipping)

Muji* (international websites)

Notemaker (ships to most countries)

Officeworks* (Australia only)

Orenda (Australia only)

Paperchase (ships to some countries + US website)

Papier D’amour (Australia + New Zealand only)

Paperdorable (worldwide shipping)

Passion Planner (worldwide shipping)

Pepperpot (worldwide shipping)

Personal Planner (worldwide shipping)

Plum Paper (ships to most countries)

Poketo (worldwide shipping)

Public Supply (worldwide shipping)

Quill London (worldwide shipping)

Raven Press Co (worldwide shipping ex. Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, or Carribbean states)

Rifle Paper Co (worldwide shipping)

Ryman (UK only)

Scratch & Jotter (Australia only)

SalteaWashi* (worldwide shipping) (get 5% off with ‘emma5′)

Sessa Vee (worldwide shipping)

StationeryStoreCo* (worldwide shipping)

Staples* (international websites)

Studio Stationery (worldwide shipping)

Smiggle (worldwide shipping)

Sugar Paper (worldwide shipping)

Tabiyo Shop (international shipping)

Target (international websites)

The Paper Stone (worldwide shipping)

Tokyo Pen Shop (ships to some countries)

Typo (worldwide shipping)

Up & Atem (worldwide shipping)

Urban Outfitters (ships to most countries)

WHSmith (UK only)

Etsy stores

EmmaStudies***** obviously my favourite?!? (all instant downloads so goes anywhere!)

Fox and Fallow (worldwide shipping)

Karma Paper Co (ships to US and Canada - international on request)

Letter Love Designs (worldwide shipping)

Little Papeterie (worldwide shipping)

Made to Plan (worldwide shipping)

Moon Lume* (worldwide shipping)

Plan Bright Planners (worldwide shipping)

SHP Planners (worldwide shipping)

She Plans (worldwide shipping)

Simply Notebooks (worldwide shipping)

Sugar and Type (worldwide shipping)

Posy Paper (worldwide shipping)

Purple Trail (ships to some countries)

If you’ve got a store you’d like to recommend, don’t hesitate to message me! Hope you like this post and find some cool new stores to shop at x

20211220 // 9:18am

A collage spread inspired by my trips to St Paul’s Cathedral and Greenwich.

I really had fun with this one, just putting things together as they feel right and exploring aesthetics. It’s my first time making a journal spread like this - I’ve definitely learned a lot from it!

☞ studygram

saturday 25th january

wanted to start fresh for 2020, so i got a journal and wrote down the things i want to work on this year. hopefully i’ll continue to use it to remind myself of the things i love, big and small ✨