I Want To Take Cute Pictures Of My Studying But My Room Is Disgusting, My Desk Is Broken, I Am Barely

DO: Plan thoroughly. Use a project planner such as this one to map out exactly what you need and your partners need to do in order to complete your project, who’s going to do each task and how much time it’s all going to take. Planning is essential in order to stay on track, as well as avoiding any confusions like someone not completing something because they thought some else was going to do it.

DON’T: Have a bad attitude. I know it’s frustrating when you’re paired up with lazy people or people you don’t like, but approaching the project with a bad attitude won’t help. So suck it up and be positive and nice with your fellow members. It’ll make working together so much easier.

DO: Divide work according to strengths. I’m sure most if not all of your partners will have a special skill set that will be a great contribution to your project. If someone has great writing skills, let them proofread everything before you send it in. If someone else is good at graphic design, make sure that they design your slides (if applicable). Whatever it might be, find out about everyone’s strengths and let them shine.

DON’T: Use your teacher’s due date. By this, I mean that you should plan to finish a couple of days before your project’s due. Why? Because life happens. Some people might be busy with other classes, have an emergency or just slack off. By aiming to finish a couple of days before the due date, you can ensure the completion and quality of your projects.

DO: Check in with your group mates often. Communication is key! Talk to ensure often to ensure that everyone is on track and know the status of the individual parts of the project. You’ll also figure out if anyone’s struggling and will then be able to help them. Also, a few compliments here and there like: “This paragraph is really well written” and “I love the fonts and colors you used. Nice eye” will make your partners happy and improve their confidence. You’ll work better with happy partners and good partnership will improve the quality of your project.

DON’T: Be afraid to disagree with others. You don’t want to be insulting or over dominate your group, but if you disagree with how something is being done or know a better way to do it, speak up. Your grade shouldn’t suffer because of a simple mistake.

DO: Use online collaborative tools. As much as I love Word and Powerpoint, Google Docs and Google Slides are some of the best tools for group work. You can all work on something at the same time as well as see who did what and at what time.

you’ve gotten a bad grade. the assignment you turned in was not as good as you expected. the exam just went awful. we all know the feeling when this happens. but i’m here to help you!! don’t stress my friend everything will be okay

first of all: it’s okay!!!!!! everybody fails sometimes! i know it feels awful because you worked your ass off and now this happens. what’s important is that you don’t give up. academic success is not everything, so don’t beat yourself up too much. (also like there’s so much wrong with this system, but that’s a topic for another time)

- ̗̀ right after  ̖́-

give yourself some time to be sad, angry, frustrated, etc. talk to someone or journal your thoughts down and just get everything out. (it would be best to talk someone who isn’t in the same situation, so instead of maybe making your classmate uncomfortable, talk to somebody who will listen and give emotional support)

nobody excepts you to go right back to studying. in fact it would be better to get your mind off of things and distract yourself a bit. do something you love and relax a little.

but! don’t forget to pick yourself up again and take the next step:

- ̗̀ mindset  ̖́-

put your “failing“ into perspective. how bad is it really? is it the end of the world (no it isn’t). do you only think it’s a bad grade because you keep comparing yourself to your classmates?

don’t!!!!! compare!!!! yourself to others!!! focus on yourself. you don’t know all the other things your classmates may struggle with and your academic performance does not determine your self-worth. so what you didn’t do that good? there are so many other great things about you, believe me mwah

- ̗̀ identify the cause  ̖́-

what was the cause you didn’t do as well you expected?

did you study the wrong things? or did you study them the wrong way? were the concepts just way to complicated and you didn’t understand them?

did you panic while taking the exam?

didn’t pay attention in class?

did you not start early enough?

is your teacher just awful™?

whatever the reason try to identify it and find a solution. try to apply it the next time. but remember that there is not always a cause, sometimes things are just like they are. if that seems to be the case, just remember that it’s probably not your fault and try to continue doing your best.

- ̗̀ solutions  ̖́-

ha you thought you have to figure out the solution all by yourself. but i’m here to (hopefully) help you.

don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher/prof! most of the time they want to see you succeed, so maybe there is something you could do to improve the grade or you could try to tackle the issue you have/had.

find a study method that suits you and make it a routine. there’re so many helpful posts on here (just search up “study tips”) so there is to 100% something that works for you.

study schedule? some people do better with one, some don’t. with one, you can exactly plan out when and what to study for the upcoming tests, so you’ll be able to improve your grade. also, try to plan in when you’re going to revise hard topics again or the ones you didn’t understand if there were any.

do your homework and assignments! they help so much with improving your grade and the teacher/prof sees that you’re willing to make an effort.

join a study group or visit a tutor. they are a great way to find help and make you remember that you’re not alone and that there’s a solution to everything.

be a pro at exam taking. i’ll maybe do a separate post on that because there is so much i could say, but the most important thing is: be positive. give yourself a pep talk and don’t stress. you got this.

okay, that’s everything i have to say! i hope i could help u a bit <3 remember: you got this!!

Tips for cleaning from someone who is lazy af and used to be gross but now genuinely enjoys cleaning:

Tip 1: When I decide I’m gonna clean, I devote a whole day/half day to it so I’m not rushed. It also helps to wait until you’re the only one home, so no one can interrupt your vibe.

Tip 2: Get that “chilling at home” ambience. I turn on music, light a candle, and sometimes get a drink. There’s nothing wrong with cleaning while you’re intoxicated. Also, put on your comfy clothes. I usually wear pajamas and an apron. It’s your “me time” so be comfy.

Tip 3: Alternate stuff that requires standing/moving with stuff like checking your email/paying bills so that you don’t get tired (I am easily exhausted)

Tip 4: Constantly visualize your goal of how you want your place to be when you’re done, and do things that make a big impact first, like picking up dirty clothes from the floor and putting them in a hamper or washing big pots and pans.

Tip 5: Take breaks! Take naps! When I clean it is my day of luxury. Lounge around and drink wine for an hour and then clean the bathroom. Then take a nap and wash the dishes when you get up. Don’t stress!

Basically, Have A Nice Flipping Time!!

What can you do when you feel completely wiped out or you’re strapped for time, but your home is a mess beyond any acceptable living standards? Here are some things you can do to improve your living space without having to expand all the energy required for a thorough cleaning.

1. Manage the floors

Start with putting items of clothing where they belong. Fold and store away clean clothes, put what is dirty in your laundry basket or bag. If that is too much for you, put everything in a designated spot so most of the floors are not littered with them.

Pick up your trash. If there is anything on the floor that belongs in the recycling bin or the trash, put them there.

Sweep or vacuum where dirty. You don’t have to do the whole thing. Just focus on the dirtiest visible spots: the entrance, around the dining table and in the kitchen tend to be typical ones for me.

2. Manage the kitchen

Put your dishes in soapy water. If you don’t have enough energy to do the dishes, fill your sink with hot water and put in a generous amount of dish soap. That way, the dishes will be easier to clean when you have the energy to do them.

Wipe your counters. Just use a rag or whatever, and don’t focus on making it spotless.

Throw away expired food. Don’t let it litter your refrigerator.

3. Manage the bathroom

Put used towels in the laundry. Fresh towels make you feel cleaner.

Clean the toilet bowl and sink. These are the two most visible dirty things in the bathroom and they don’t take a lot of time to clean.

Rince your shower. You don’t have to clean it. Just rince the walls and the inner shower curtain so it looks a bit fresher.

4. Manage surfaces

Put dishes in the sink and throw away expired food and trash. If you tend to eat at your desk or in your living room, it’s easy to forget to put away those dirty dishes.

Throw away useless paper. It’s easy to let it litter your workspace.

Wipe visibly dirty surfaces. If you eat at your desk or in your living room, it is likely you rarely think of cleaning those places.

5. Practice self-care

You don’t have to do everything on this list. It’s okay to only do the least time/energy-consuming things and leave the rest for later or prioritize an area that has more impact on your well-being than others.

Don’t forget to move around, sleep and eat as much as you need to. These are your basic human needs and neglecting them will impair your performance.

Clean yourself, too. If you don’t have the energy for a shower, baby wipes or a face cloth wet with soapy water will make you feel fresher without requiring a full shower. Dry shampoo is also a life-saver if your hair tends to get oily.

Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the amount of things to do. Don’t forget that you can always break down these tasks into smaller ones that you can do during pomodoro breaks or other short breaks while you’re studying! Take it one step at the time and stay within your limits.

Procrastinating makes me feel really icky, but I can’t help myself. I always wait until the final moment to do something or study for something and then am always rushing, thus I’m always stressed out. This is the way I deal with procrastination. What works for me might or might not work for you, and that’s okay.

Make a list of every single thing you know you have to get done. This doesn’t have to be limited to a certain time, if you know your university applications are due in two months, put this down too! Also include the smaller tasks you may have ignored like changing your sheets or tidying up your room.

Put some sort of symbol next to tasks you want to accomplish first. These can be assignments due soon, or anything you want to get done quick. I usually use exclamation points and for ones with looming deadlines, I put multiple exclamation points.

Assign an estimated duration to each task, ranging from five minutes to two hours, see how much you can realistically get done today.

After making that list, you may have a rush of energy to start checking things off, so start with something that’s high priority and also has a longer time duration. Work on this for at least half an hour, or at most an hour and a half.

Try not to open Netflix or YouTube on this break. Use this time to get something to eat, you can also use this time to finish those small tasks you wrote out, or play with a pet! If you open any addictive apps, you’re probably going to have problems coming back to the tasks.

As soon as your alarm signifies the end of your break, come straight back and attempt a different task now. If you were to do the same task, you might get bored. Work on this task and follow the above mentioned techniques.

After feeling like you’ve accomplished a decent amount, you can reward yourself something. I usually reward myself an episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine or a face mask!

While doing the tasks, keep checking them off, it’s extremely satisfying and once every single task is complete, you’ll feel so good about yourself.

When at least three things have been checked off, you can take a bigger break. This can last anywhere between fifteen minutes to half an hour. During this break, you can use any of the apps previously banned.

Try to remind yourself why you’re studying. Is it because you want to get into a specific university? Is it because you want to make your parents proud? Is it because you want to prove yourself to haters? Whatever the reason is, channel the emotion attached to it and get back to studying.

Just know that no matter what happens, your grades do not define you. You are not just a number or letter on a sheet of paper, you’re a beautiful human being and you can do anything you want to do.