Latest Posts by saurenson - Page 5

long time no see! last week i found out i’ve been accepted into the summer astrophysics programme i applied to which has made me so, so happy :D here’s to hard work paying off!

How to Finish

I drew this poster for Jon Acuff and his FINISH book tour. Big thanks to Jon for this collaboration, his book has some great ideas about how to complete creative and life goals.

bro i just. i just. bro i just love doctor who. i can't. bro i just. i love doctor who. i love how fun it is i love the doctors i love the characters i love its message about love and compassion and kindness i just. i just love doctor who bro. i am going to cry

wholesome student life things that we should collectively start romancizing

waking up and being genuinely thrilled to go to class because today is THAT CLASS you love so much you’d like it to never end

coffee breaks with friends, chatting and joking about this particularly hard essay and the prof’s mannerism

coffee breaks on your own, as you absent-mindedly watch the people around you, while thinking about what you’re working on

finding this book you’ve been dying to read for so long, and borrowing it from the library

the feeling of excitement that goes through you whenever you remember The Book is in your backpack

understanding everything during demanding classes and being genuinely interested in the subject

buying a New Special Pen and taking colorful notes that look super pretty

not being able to shut up about your school projects (no your friends dont really care about the intricate details of what you’re working on, they don’t even have the same major as you, but they’re happy to hear you rant with such a burning passion)

actually doing the extra reading and having your curiosity so piqued by what you’re reading that you go on and on and suddenly its 1am and what happened

printing the project you’ve spent so much time and energy on and feeling the paper’s warmth

actually submitting that project without feeling awful about it because you know you did your best and aren’t responsible for what happens next

when you finally finish this Super Hard And Important Essay at like 3am, open the window and feel the cold night air on your burning cheeks and everything is dark and quiet and you can see the moon and you’re at peace with everything for a few minutes

when this professor you admire says you did a great job and/or that you’re talented!!!!

realizing two concepts that seemed so far away from each other and that you discovered in wildly different contexts are actually interlinked, then Realizing™ things and linking concepts/works/articles to each other at the speed of light & being super excited about it

being so deeply immersed in your work that you didn’t realize two hours have passed

finding the Perfect Spot at the library

that Pure Joy moment when you FINALLY understand that super obscure sentence/text

when you feel anxious because you’re not done with your homework & the deadline is super tight & your friend tells you they aren’t done yet either

same but with an even more intense relief feeling when you realize you both haven’t even started yet

when the professor starts a new reasoning and you can predict what the next idea/the final conclusion will be

when the professor mention your favorite novel/author/fictional character in class and you feel like your internal screech of joy could shatter glass

the Academic Salt™ that has you like 👀👀

when the professor tears apart an author or scholar you hate and you’re like YES I WANT BLOOD GIVE ME BLOOD

when you learn that Cool New Fact that makes you reconsider your whole life

leaving the library after a long productive day and feeling like nothing is real but experiencing everything more intensely

leaving the library at night after a long study session and everybody has left already and its just you and the long neon-lit corridors then stepping outside and smelling the crisp night wind

feel free to add your own!!!

15-01-20

making some physics notes on onenote:) however i am becoming increasingly aware of and annoyed by the fact that our entire physics course is about men, there is not a single woman mentioned in the entire thing.

do things badly. make messy origami that vaguely resembles a crane, play piano with clashing notes, draw like you’re a child and dont care what it looks like, make mistakes and fail and mess up but for the love of god TRY.

that feeling when after doing so so much work and revision that you genuinely feel you know the work you’re doing. you know it inside out and understand it fully and can explain it without checking anything. that feeling is GOLD

the universal bonding experience of being a woman in a classroom where a man thinks he’s smarter than the professor just because he reads the news every other tuesday……unparalleled. 

call for change: studyblrs

I have had this blog for about a year now, and I’ve come to realise the unattainable perfection of studyblrs. I created this account to motivate and educate myself and I feel as though these ‘perfect study notes’ hold unrealistic expectations. This is why I have decided to post things that are more realistic, educational and have a positive impact on the community. Please reblog this to spread the message: You do not need perfect notes, every stationary item, a macbook, top grades or an aesthetic study space to be a studyblr. All you need to do is do the best you can.

// and why not give this a go again (and hopefully i havent completely lost touch of the instagram life) — i’m back for my last undergraduate year now at durham after a long summer of travelling, and moved into my new flat with @hstudies !! where are you all now? what universities are you in? how are you?? it’s been too long! ❣️

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!

ninth of november, mmxix

some french speaking test prep and electricity revision qs 🇫🇷💡

eighth of november, mmxix

we’ve been having a real mix of autumn mornings recently, some beautiful crisp sunny mornings where the sun shines through the golden leaves; and some where the leaves are mushed on the ground and the rain falls constantly for days on end.

friday 25 october

some week/month planners from paperchase and a doodle i did while taking a break from maths, which was really stressing me out as i find that drawing helps calm me down when i’m worked up about something. i’ve also been journalling a short paragraph about each day every night which i’m enjoying!

Please reblog if you're a British studyblr! :D

I'm trying to find more people to follow.

wednesday 23rd october

some gatsby annotations for the first day back after half term. hope you had a lovely day <3

monday 21st october

today i’ve done some useful life stuff, including opening a new savings account, doing some research into uni courses, and planning for the next half-term of school. i also went for a walk (taking the scenic route) to the shop to get some stuff for my mum. i love this stage of autumn when everything’s orange and crisp🍁

huh that seemingly unpleasant task only ended up taking eight minutes to complete and was surprisingly satisfying, I may have erred in putting it off for two weeks.

sunday 13 october

hi! long time no see, tumblr. i took a break for the first month or so of school because there was so much to do, including my final silver dofe expedition, but now it’s the break and i’m spending the time off relaxing and catching up on everything.

those who have done gold duke of edinburgh- is it worth it? i’m really questioning whether to do it, as this is a big year for me and on top of 5 highers i’m doing grade 7 violin so i’m not convinced i could take it on and do well in everything. please let me know if you did it and think it’s actually worth it in the long run lol :)

studyblr asks (feel free to add to the list)

What year are you?

What’s your major/what do you think you want to major in?

If applicable, what is your thesis about?

Do you think you picked the right major?

Ultimate educational goals?

Career goals?

Do you think your goals are realistic?

What classes are you taking right now?

Favorite class out of everything you’ve ever taken and why?

Least favorite class ever and why?

Current favorite class and why?

Current least favorite class and why?

Favorite STEM field?

Favorite humanities subject?

Class that you’ve always wanted to take but never had the chance?

Do you use caffeine and if so how much daily?

What’s your preferred method of taking in caffeine?

Have you ever tried study drugs?

Are you a homework-in-the-morning kind of person?

Do you listen to music while you study?

Crowded area or quiet place?

What’s your preferred writing implement?

Do you need to work out before you can study well?

Describe your perfect study environment.

Are you procrastinating right now?

What was the last thing you procrastinated?

Are you a perfectionist?

Do you like easy classes or do you feel bad if you’re not working hard?

Are you a good test taker?

What are you the proudest of out of all the assignments you’ve ever had?

Do you talk to your teachers/professors a lot?

Describe your favorite teacher/professor and why you like them.

Describe your least favorite teacher/professor and why you dislike them.

Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher/professor?

Most profound thing ever said to you by a teacher/professor?

Best feedback you’ve ever gotten on something academic?

Worst study habit and how are you working on it?

Are you an in-class fidgeter?

How’s your handwriting?

Write “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and post a photo.

Neat or messy notes?

A lot of notes or the bare minimum?

Post a photo/scan of your notes from your favorite class.

Are you a doodler?

Post a photo of your doodles if you have any.

Do you have pre-test rituals and what are they?

Are you a tangent-question asker?

Do you make jokes in class?

How many hours do you spend on academics per day?

What’s something more important to you than school?

monday 23rd sept

started back at orchestra today, i missed it so much 🥳 love love love paperchase’s planning pads atm, so useful and i got them in a 3 for 2 sale, so it’s a win win.

— 19th september 2019

i started studying the great gatsby in english this week, i quite like it so far! have a lovely evening/day <3

learning to let go and learning to relax means just freaking sticking those stickers on something. stop worrying if it’s the right place. burn that nice candle you’ve had for a year. it doesn’t need a special occasion. I’m gonna use those fancy soaps I’ve been collecting in a drawer even though they look so pretty and it means I’ll use them up. everything is temporary so just enjoy the littlest pleasures you can possibly have we all need to just let go and enjoy things while they last. the sticker’s gonna look fine on your water bottle I promise

thirty first of august - twenty nineteen

english is much much harder as higher than national 5. insanely high workload compared to last year and i can’t say i’m loving it.

hello !! this is a list of tips for those going to university (as opposed to college). personally, i live at home (off campus) so a lot of these tips are things that i’ve learnt in my first year of uni

you might not have class everyday but that doesn’t mean you should sleep in on the days you don’t

plan time for your friends as well as when you study

you don’t have to join a club but they’re a good way for making friends if you don’t live on campus

follow all the main social media for students - make an effort to find out all the tricks and when the cheap food days are on

try to make at least one friend in your tutorials/labs - a simple “hi, how are you doing?” on the first day can become notes for when you’re sick

when you have early classes, it seems easy to just buy food from uni - try to prep it the night before

have some “set” outfits that you can rely on when you can’t decide on what to wear

you don’t have to hit the gym everyday, getting off a stop early and walking the last part can be an alternative

if you do walk for part of your commute, taking the shortest path might not be the most fun. you can live somewhere yet not know the neighbourhood

if you’re going to nap on your commute, set an alarm for 5 minutes before your stop

in your first weeks of uni, make it your goal to find out where the best bathrooms and drinking fountains are

know the layout of your uni’s library

find a place to study in your university’s library - now find 3 more study spaces around the school

if you have readings, you can do them in cafes with a cup of coffee - reading doesn’t have to be a chore

always carry a pen and a piece of paper in your pocket

be realistic about how much work you can do - pack accordingly

if you have a hard time remembering your timetable, set it as your phone lock screen

always carry a water bottle

your university email will probably give you discounts to services - learn which, know that you don’t need all of them

if you’re a first year, it doesn’t mean you’re inferior to upperclassmen - you are the future so say your opinion, voice what you need, attend faculty meetings, apply for leadership roles

you can go to a lecture and not pay attention but that doesn’t mean you can go to a lecture and distract

you don’t have to be friends with everyone. you won’t be friends with everyone. 

you don’t have to be friends with your tutors, you just have to talk to them if you go through things

writing an apology email for missing studio sessions/tutorials/labs is basic courtesy and could save your grade

i think those are some of the general points i can think of but if anyone has anymore then feel free to add them on !!!

happy learning everyone xx

Let’s face it- even the most motivated and disciplined students can’t study for a couple of hours straight- we all need to rest. Taking a break  from studying every now and then will improve your focus and attention. Below are some of our ideas what to do during study breaks. We divided them into categories depending on the length of  your break. Feel free to try them out to later get back to your books refreshed and motivated!

5-10 minutes

Get some fresh air (either go outside, or simply stand up and go to the nearest window- don’t focus on anything and just breathe)

Leave your room/desk and go for a little walk

Throw yourself a little dance party (Cristina and Meredith did it and trust us, it works- put on some energising music and dace for a song or two)

Stand up and stretch!

10-20 minutes

Make yourself a proper, healthy snack (cut an apple into slices and put peanut butter on every slice or make yourself a healthy smoothie)

Watch a TedTalk on a completely unrelated topic (it will both relax you and still keep your brain working)

Do a little yoga (there are multiple mini-routines on youtube)

Browse the #studyblr tag (or maybe post your own photo with it!)

Take a quick shower (if you have a real study marathon ahead of you, a shower break can be a great way to get energised)

20-40 minutes

Call a friend

Clean your room (sounds pretty boring, but you’ll feel refreshed and super-productive once you’re done- and you won’t have to do this later!)

Take a nap (but really, try not to make it longer than 40 minutes)

Watch ONE episode of Friends (nothing better than a good laugh, right?)

 40-60 minutes

Workout (go for a 30-minute run or find a workout video on youtube- you’ll end up energised and full of endorphins, which will help you to keep going)

Try a new recipe and make yourself dinner for later

Read a chapter of a book you’re currently reading (if you’re not reading any- start a book)

~gomedorgohome

[ one hundred days of productivity — 7/100 ]

thu 22 august

english research for my persuasive folio piece while once again listening to ‘come from away’. god i love that musical.

[ one hundred days of productivity — 6/100 ]

wed 21 august

maths maths maths

[ one hundred days of productivity — 5/100 ]

tue 20 august

finishing up some chemistry notes this afternoon, then onto english essay research. this years gonna be a toughie, i can already tell.

[ one hundred days of productivity : 4/100 ]

mon 19 august

some english annotations on carol ann duffy’s poems, which i’m enjoying much more than last years set :D