Linguine

How to Handle Having TOO MUCH To Do

So let’s say you’re in the same boat I am (this is a running theme, have you noticed?) and you’ve just got, like, SO MUCH STUFF that HAS to get done YESTERDAY or you will DIE (or fail/get fired/mope). Everything needs to be done yesterday, you’re sick, and for whatever reason you are focusing on the least important stuff first. What to do!

Take a deep breath, because this is a boot camp in prioritization.

Make a 3 by 4 grid. Make it pretty big. The line above your top row goes like this: Due YESTERDAY - due TOMORROW - due LATER. Along the side, write: Takes 5 min - Takes 30 min - Takes hours - Takes DAYS.

Divide ALL your tasks into one of these squares, based on how much work you still have to do. A thank you note for a present you received two weeks ago? That takes 5 minutes and was due YESTERDAY. Put it in that square. A five page paper that’s due tomorrow? That takes an hour/hours, place it appropriately. Tomorrow’s speech you just need to rehearse? Half an hour, due TOMORROW. Do the same for ALL of your tasks

Your priority goes like this:

5 minutes due YESTERDAY

5 minutes due TOMORROW

Half-hour due YESTERDAY

Half-hour due TOMORROW

Hours due YESTERDAY

Hours due TOMORROW

5 minutes due LATER

Half-hour due LATER

Hours due LATER

DAYS due YESTERDAY

DAYS due TOMORROW

DAYS due LATER

At this point you just go down the list in each section. If something feels especially urgent, for whatever reason - a certain professor is hounding you, you’re especially worried about that speech, whatever - you can bump that up to the top of the entire list. However, going through the list like this is what I find most efficient.

Some people do like to save the 5 minute tasks for kind of a break between longer-running tasks. If that’s what you want to try, go for it! You’re the one studying here.

So that’s how to prioritize. Now, how to actually do shit? That’s where the 20/10 method comes in. It’s simple: do stuff like a stuff-doing FIEND for 20 minutes, then take a ten minute break and do whatever you want. Repeat ad infinitum. It’s how I’ve gotten through my to do list, concussed and everything.

You’ve got this. Get a drink and start - we can do our stuff together!

i’ve compiled a masterpost of tips that i have reblogged over the past few months and i thought it would be easier to have it all in one place. none of these posts are by me! huge thanks to everyone that has created these tips.

exams

finals: survival guide for the brave

pennyfynotes’ guide to exam season

study tips for exams

tips for doing well on exams

how to

how to accept and grow from failure

how to avoid education burnout

how to be an efficient test-taker

how to cope with exams

how to get straight a’s

how to get straight a’s 2

how to overcome failure

how to study effectively

how to study as a busy student

how to study when you don’t want to

how to utilise your studyblr

how to do well in a class taught by a crappy teacher

improve your handwriting

improve your life

productivity

5 easy productivity tips

7 productivity tips

productivity 101

the no bullshit guide to getting your shit together

school

4 tips for delivering a perfect presentation

a self care masterpost to help you get through school

school cheat sheet

back to school

back to school advice

habits of successful students

search google like a pro

useful things for those going back 2 school

study tips

6 things people don’t always tell you about studying

effective note taking

memory tips

my 3 steps in studying

memorisation tips for different types of learners

random study tips

study habits

study methods

study smarter

study tips

strategies for writing good conclusions

things not to do when studying

tips + tricks for learning a language

types of study breaks for every situation

unconventional study tips

when to use

work smarter, not harder

misc.

four rules for a disciplined life

self discipline tips

self soothing techniques

small gestures of self-love

tips on how to get up earlier if you aren’t a morning person

i found this super helpful so I thought I’d share

I’ve decided to do a sleep masterpost, because people are always saying that you need to sleep early so you can wake up early, but if you’re like me and have insomnia, sleeping early is not always an option. This masterpost is supposed to help you sleep.

NEW HABITS:

Stick to a sleeping schedule: always go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends, 

Avoid naps: I know how naps can be a gift of God, but napping during the day make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you really need a nap, limit it to 30 mins before 3:00PM. 

Get regular exercise: exercise can improve symptoms of insomnia, but it’s not a quick fix. Aim for 30 mins or more of exercise every day, but not too close to bedtime. 

Avoid late meals: Try to avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours before bed. Fatty foods can take a lot of work for your stomach to digest. Spicy foods can cause heartburn. 

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine: Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep, and nicotine is a stimulant.

DEVELOP A BETTER BEDTIME ROUTINE:

Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool: Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to hide outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light.

Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime:  This includes vigorous exercise, big discussions or arguments, or catching up on work. Instead, focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music, while keeping lights low.

Turn off screens one hour before bedtime: The light emitted from TV, tablets, smartphones, and computers suppresses your body’s production of melatonin and can severely disrupt your sleep. Instead of emailing, texting, watching TV, or playing video games, try listening to a book on tape, a podcast, or reading by a soft light.

RELAXING TECHNIQUES:

Abdominal breathing: Breathing deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, can help relaxation. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Progressive muscle relaxation: Make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

Mindfulness meditation: (This one is my favorite one) Sit quietly and focus on your natural breathing and on the way your body feels in the moment. Allow thoughts and emotions to come and go without judgment, always returning to focus on breath and your body.

PLAYLISTS:

Piano at 3pm (instrumental)

Meditation/sleep/study/yoga (white sounds)

Amazing classics (instrumental)

Nature Escape (white sounds)

City wanderer (instrumental)

Sweetest Female Vocals (acoustic)

APPS:

I only have an Iphone, so these apps are the ones I found at the App Store. 

Sleep Cycle alarm clock. 

Digipill - Sleep, Relaxation and Mindfulness.

Stop, Breathe & Think.

Headspace

APPS AND WEBSITES YOUR STUDENT SELF NEEDS

Citations: - bibme.org - easybib.com

Homework/Textbook Answers: - stackexchange.com // answers to any question - wolframalpha.com // math question answers - slader.com // answers to any textbook - MathPapa // shows the work

Studying: - quizlet.com // create or search for practice quizzes and flash cards - cheatography.com // make your own cheat sheet - Khan Academy // study basically any subject - Magoosh ACT Flashcards - StudySync - That Quiz - Brilliant

Free Textbooks: - textbooknova.com - ebookee.org - manybooks.net - feedurbrain.com

Note Taking: - OneNote - Notability - SuperNotes - StudyBlue - Bento - QuickOffice - Simplenote - Squid

Royalty Free Music: - purple-planet.com - freemusicarchive.com

Résumé Help: - monster.com

Money Saving: - finaid.org // info on financial aid and scholarships - studentrate.com // great deals on textbooks, uniforms, etc. - lozo.com // coupons for your shopping list - Amazon PrimeStudent // free for the first 6 months

Planner: -MyHomework Student Planner - Timeful - Listastic - Remember THE Milk - Finish - ClassManager

Language Learning: - Duolingo - Memrise - Busuu - Babbel - MindSnacks

College Search: - campustours.com // online campus tours - collegeboard.org // help for finding and choosing a college

Other: - dropbox.com // upload files to share, store, or move them to a different device - wordhippo.com // find the word that you can’t think of but can describe - scholar.google.com // narrows the search to more reliable information - essaytyper.com // type in a topic and get an essay - Desmos // a free graphing calculator - roomsurf.com // find a roommate - WiFi Finder

thought this might be of help

Self-Injury Recovery Masterpost (Version 2.0!)

How to care for cuts

How to care for burns

Helping to calm down: 1, 2, 3

Alternatives to self-harm

Natural antidepressants

How to fade and cover scars

What to say when someone sees

Helpful websites

Tips for stopping

Suicidal?

Friend self-harms?

Anxiety

How to tell someone

Hotlines

Stelena vs Delena; Neither Ship is Better…

As an avid fan of The Vampire Diaries I have been waiting with barely contained anticipation for the, unfortunately, what is to be the last season of this thrill-inducing show. Season 8 premiers in October and because I was impatient (and missing my weekly dose of Delena scenes) I read a few article about which ship they believed would be endgame. I stumbled upon an article that inspired me to write my own take on the main love triangle in the show.  I know this is debate has been going on for as long as TVDhas been airing and even when the books were written by LJ Smith. I haven't completed reading the books yet so my opinion is based solely on the TV show. I would just like to remind anyone commenting/reposting/reading this that offensive comments are not appreciated even if you are defending your OTP and dissing someone's favourite character or actor is rude and usually uncalled for.  Now moving onto the debate. I read an article explaining why nine commonly used argument for why Delena would not be a good ship are utterly rubbish. I believe the author was right because a lot of these arguments were completely invalid (The link for the article is at the bottom). I would also like to mention that while I do prefer Delena as a ship I do not hate Stelena. In fact I think they are cute and I ship them but they are not one of my OTPs (and yes I am aware I said one of. I just can't decide). To begin with I would like to address the issue of trust between Damon and Elena in contrast to Stefan and Elena. While Stefan technically didn’t lie to Elena about being a vampire he also tried to conceal for as long as possible; this, of course, is understandable. What person tells their potential crush/love/romantic interest that they are a creature of the night whose species drains people of their blood for survival?   However, while Damon doesn't exactly lie to Elena he does conceal the fact that they met first from her. Some of you might argue that it is because he loved her and didn't want her to feel guilty about being with Stefan or because he thought he didn't deserve her but he still concealed the truth from her. Relationships work on trust. However we can all rest assured knowing that Elena also lied to both Salvatore brothers. She lied to Damon when she helped Stefan hide the fact that he had killed Enzo (although if you think about it Enzo was the one who moved out of Stefan's grip) in season 5 episode 19. She lied to Stefan when he came back from his time with Klaus and she pretended that nothing was happening between her and Damon in the end of season 3.   My second argument is that many watchers of the show assume that Elena will end up with Stefan because he is the “good” brother; however, let’s not forget that Damon isn’t just the “bad guy”. The Salvatore brothers have complex personalities and both possess equal sides of malevolence and benevolence depending on the occasion. In fact, it appears that when one of them is being the “bad guy” the other is being the “good guy”. When Stefan leaves with Klaus after becoming a ripper; Damon is there to help and protect Elena through the tough time. Although in the beginning Damon threatened to turn Elena into a vampire to get Emily Bennett’s grimoire (spell book) to help rescue Katherine from the tomb and Stefan was the one who protected her. A reason many people use when saying they ship Stelena is that they are cute. Now I understand we all love cute things like me I love cute kittens for example but I don't think that's an actual explanation for why you ship it or why it's better than Delena because a lot of people can tell you that they are cute too. So, therefore, this is not an actual argument and I tend to disregard it whenever it is set during a debate. Don’t you agree?   Lastly, considering that this is also vital to the building of a long term relationship I would like to focus on each couples communication skills or lack of thereof. It is stated on more than one occasion that Damon and Elena have a connection, an understanding that helps them to communicate without words and only with looks or simple gestures. However it appears that the same cannot be said for Stefan and Elena as it seems that they miscommunicate the wrong idea to each other more often than they actually communicate effectively. Many times during season 4 Stefan pressures Elena into adopting his “animal diet”. However good his intentions it still does not change the fact that it made Elena feel as if she had to lie to keep his respect and her place on the pedestal that Stefan had erected her on. The same cannot be said for Damon and Elena because, as I mentioned above, Damon understood Elena’s struggle and tried to help her through moderation not abstaining completely (opinions on whether this was a better solution or not are for another argument).   During the funeral when he helps her with her “throwing up blood” problem, it showcases their connection so well. This is why I believe that Damon and Elena communicate better than Stefan and Elena. That is, of course, not to disrespect the epic love that Stefan and Elena shared for the first two seasons. They might not have Damon and Elena’s wordless understanding but their immediate chemistry from their first scene as Elena bumps into Stefan as she exits the boys’ bathroom made, us fans, ship them from the beginning. In conclusion, I think that neither of the Salvatores is essentially “better” for Elena but that each of them helped her in the time that she needed them the most and that it is up to each viewer to judge whichever brother is more suited to being with Elena.   Link for Article; 9 arguments against DE that don’t make sense: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/damon-and-elena/articles/81318/title/9-crimes-nine-arguments-against-de-dont-make-sense    

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Notetaking

Sound Note - take notes while you record audio

Evernote - notetaking that syncs across platforms

Paper 53 - minimal notetaking that syncs

Microsoft OneNote - collaboration and syncing, best for Office users

Google Keep - jot things down, best for Google suite users

Notability - take notes and annotate PDFs

Mindly - create mind maps

Day One - a digital journal

Flash Cards

Quizlet - the quintessential flash card app

StudyBlue - another commonly used app

Cram - best for its “cram mode”

Eidetic - uses spaced repetition for effective memorization

Planner 

My Study Life - schedules, tasks, reminders, and more

StudyCal - keeps track of tasks, exams, and grades

24me - automated reminders and event planning

iStudiez - schedule and prioritized task list

Google Calendar - a calendar, best for Google users

Glass Planner - a calendar and to do list with incredible functionality

To Do List

Clear - organized to-do and reminders

MinimaList - simple to-do and focus timer

Trello - collaborative project organizer

Todoist - clean and functional task manager

Default notes app on your phone

Time Management

Forest - plant trees by staying focused

Pomotodo - pomodoro timer with to-do list

Timeglass - custom timers

Tide - pomodoro with white noise

Alarmy - forces you out of bed 

Pillow - smart alarm that tracks sleep cycles

Productivity

Workflow - automate tasks

Habitica - turn your habits into an RPG

Continuo - simple, colorful activity tracking

Freedom - block distracting apps

Free Learning

Coursera - free MOOCs

TED - listen to Ted Talks

Duolingo - language learning

Memrise - spaced repetition language vocabulary

Khan Academy - free video lessons

Ambient Noise

8tracks - curated playlists

Spotify - online music streaming

Coffitivity - cafe ambience

Noisli - background sound generator

Rain Rain - rain sounds

Binaural - binaural beats

Health

Rockin Ramen - recipes based on ramen

MealBoard - meal planning

Lifesum - healthy eating

Stop Breath And Think - mindfulness meditation

Pacifica - mental health management

Sworkit - personalized video workouts

Waterlogged - hydration tracker

Reference

WolframAlpha - Google on steroids

Oxford Dictionary - all of English at your fingertips

RefMe - citation generator

PhotoMath - solve math problems by taking a photo

Mathway - step by step math help

Desmos - free graphing calculator

Wikipedia - not the best source, but it’s handy

Miscellaneous 

Companion - stay safe when walking alone

Mint - money management

Toshl - finance manager

Tiny Scanner - scan documents

Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie (paleo, nut-free option)

Shiro x Keith 😢

@guiyuy