19/02/16 Finished With Exchange Rates! 🎲

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

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Read JY Yang’s “Waiting on a Bright Moon”, a story of rebellion among far-flung colonies united by song magic.

Xin is an ansible, using her song magic to connect the originworld of the Imperial Authority and its far-flung colonies— a role that is forced upon magically-gifted women “of a certain closeness”. When a dead body comes through her portal at a time of growing rebellion, Xin is drawn deep into a station-wide conspiracy along with Ouyang Suqing, one of the station’s mysterious, high-ranking starmages.

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If you spend a lot of time on your laptop for work, study, etc., you should definitely check out this app called Noizio. It provides ambient background sounds that help calm you or keep you focused. You can even make and save your own combination of sounds. My personal favourite is winter wind + wind chimes + sea waves. Each sound’s volume can be adjusted individually as well!

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An Overview of Note-Taking Styles

Note-taking is one of the most essential skills a student should master. It allows you to record and review information to be used in the future. But what’s the best way to do so? Here’s an overview of note-taking styles that can help you maximize your learning!

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How to Write a Resume LIKE A BOSS

So you’re ready to assume some responsibility and apply for your first job (or your fifth job or your fiftieth job) and you want some tips on writing a good resume, huh? Well, are you are in luck because 1) I’ve edited and proofed so many resumes I could probably write one for each of my friends without their input and 2) I’ve actually taken some classes on this shit. So, basing this primarily on comments I’ve made while correcting someone else’s resume (and while looking at my own for reference), here are my tips on writing a resume.

Keep reading

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hey guys! i’ve been seeing a lot of master posts going around so I thought I’d compile some together for college students :^)

Discounts (stores):

Amazon Student // 6-month free Prime trial on Amazon if you have an .EDU e-mail. Includes students deals, free shipping, streaming of thousands of content, etc. You can also get one free month here if you don’t have an .EDU e-mail

Ann Taylor // 20% off

ASOS //10% off 

Banana Republic //15% off full-priced items

Club Monaco // 20% off items

Eeastern Mountain Sports // 20% full-priced in-store items

Eddoe Bauer // ask about discounts at local store

Joanns // 10% discount 

Madewell //15% off in-store

Modcloth // 10% off

Sally’s Beauty Supply // sign up online for coupons

Sam’s Club // requires membership 

Target // varies, mainly online

Tom’s // 10% cash back

Topshop // 10% off

Urban Outfitters // 10% off on Student Days

Discounts (tech):

Adobe // 60% on Creative Cloud

Apple // various savings (You must input your school and other information. Link in name)

AT&T // 10% discount (You must input your school email address. Link in name)

Best Buy // sign up for student discounts and coupons

Das Keyboard // special pricing through website

Dell // discounts on laptops and tablets

Fujitsu // 5% on LIFEBOOK notebook and PCs. (You must call 1-800-FUJITSU for the deal)

HP // various discounts through website

Journeyed // various discounts through website

Microsoft // various discounts. (Check through your school as well to see if they have partnerships with Microsoft)

Norton // various discounts through website

Sony // up to 10% off (You must register to get the discount. Link in name)

Sprint // various discounts (Check with your provider. Link in name)

T-mobile // 10% off monthly bill (Check with your provider. Link in name)

Verizon // up to 20% off monthly bill (Link in name is to the EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS page. Input your school email to see if you qualify.)

Food:

Chick-Fil-A // free small drink with order

Chipotle // free small drink with order

Dairy Queen // their website says they have one but I haven’t gotten a chance to go in and ask yet. Their Student Discount section is towards the bottom under local community partnerships.

Firehouse Subs // their discounts may require a partnership with the school so please ask about the discount to see if stores not near campus still offer the discount with your ID

Hard Rock Cafe // offers a student/discounted menu. Hard Rock cafes are located in Hard Rock Casinos.

Krogers // 5% discount off total order

Pizza Hut // 10-20% off  (depending on store)

Sweet Tomatoes // 10% off  (website says many stores but not all so please ask about it at your local store)

Subway // 10% off  (again at specific locations so please ask about it at your local store)

TCBY // 15% off

Waffle House: 10% off

Guides:

How to get your best grades in college

The ultimate guide to college organization

How to write the perfect college essay

The ultimate guide to packing for college 

How to stay calm and reduce stress during college

45 tips for staying organized in college

How to prepare for college over the summer

5 best apps for college students

How to make a study plan for finals

College is not “one size fits all” (and that’s a good thing)

More helpful blogs:

onlinecounsellingcollege

fyeahcooldormrooms

freshmantips

theprospectblog

essay-storage

Studying:

Flashcards

Calculators

Online Ruler

Thinking & Memorizing Tips

Research & Reading Tips

Finals Help Guide

Homework Help

Math Help

Geography Help

Study Playlist

Convert Anything To Anything

Productive Study Break Tips

Pull an All Nighter & Do Well On Your Exam

AP Cram Packets

Textbooks:

Alternatives To Expensive Textbooks

Download Free Books

Download Free Kindle Books

Free Audio Books

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04.29.20—It has indeed been a hot minute.

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5 Things to Probably Never Do on the SAT Essay

Qualifier: Rules are made to be broken, and those below are no exception. Having said that, here are some habits I’d recommend steering clear from on your SAT essay.

1. Probably never use the generic “you.”

Example: “You never know what kind of problems you might get into if you aren’t careful.”

Why this sentence isn’t great: It’s informal, and pretty general.

What to do instead: use “one” in place of “you.” As in, “One never knows what kind of problems one might get into if not careful.” Or, better yet, rewrite the sentence so you to avoid referring to an ambiguous, hypothetical person.

2. Probably never begin an essay with the words “Throughout history…”

Example: “Throughout history, many people have had many different beliefs.”

Why this sentence isn’t great: Again, it’s too general. There isn’t time enough to discuss all recorded history in 25 minutes. So don’t try.

What to do instead: Limit the scope of your argument. Start small, specific. (I’m not going to rewrite the sentence above, as it’d be better to delete it and re-think how to set up the thesis.)

3. Probably avoid generalizations and extreme language.

Example: “Horrible things happen to high school students all the time and they remember those things forever.”

Why this sentence isn’t great: Generalizations like this tend to be either impossible to prove or just plain wrong.

What you can do instead: Qualify your statement, which means to “limit,” “modify” or, as I like to say, “dial it back.”

Rewritten Example: “Certain negative high school experiences are likely to leave a lasting impression.” (Notice how “all” becomes “certain,” I’ve added “likely” and “forever” becomes “lasting impression.”)

A few more words on “qualifying” (because it’s really super important):

We tend to think of “qualifying” as “being eligible” for something. It sometimes mean that, but not here. In this case, I mean taking extreme words and limiting or restricting them. Examples:

Extreme word → Qualified version

“all” → “some” or “certain”

“everyone” → “many people” or better yet, “some people”

“always” → “often,” “in some cases,” “sometimes”

“never” → “rarely” or “seldom”

A few more examples: “My brother is always throwing things at people.” (or) “All men are evil.”

Why these sentences aren’t great: Because these statements aren’t true. And they’re impossible to prove. Read them again and imagine them literally.

Then imagine the evidence you’d need to prove them.

What you can do instead: Qualify ‘em! Dial ‘em back! “My little brother sometimes likes to throw things at people.” (or) “Some argue that all humans have the capacity to do evil.”

*Fun fact: Notice anything about the title of this blog post? #takingmyownadvice

4. Probably never use a hypothetical example.

Example: “When someone says something bad about you it’s like they’re judging you without knowing you.”

What’s not great about this sentence: A few things:

The generic “you.”

It’s general.

It’s a hypothetical example. In other words, it’s not citing something specific that actually happened, so it doesn’t really count as evidence.

What you can do instead: Write about something specific that actually happened. “Last week, when my friend Jac told me that the way I was dressed was “way too preppy,” I felt as if I were being judged.” See how specific?

5. Probably never cite facts without proving them.

Example: “The world is getting more peaceful every day.”

What’s not great about this sentence: Is that true? Can you prove it? How?

What you can do instead: Again, get more specific.

Rewritten example: “Using statistical analysis, psychologist Steven Pinker has argued that the gradual decrease of military conflict, genocide, homicide, torture, and other acts of violence over the last few centuries has led to the present era being the most peaceful time in human history.”

Here’s one more:

Unfounded claim:  “You have to see and hear something to learn about it.”

Rewritten:  “Last year in my AP Psych class we read an article that discussed a study in which some participants received information both visually and aurally while others received the same information only visually or aurally. It turned out that those who received both kinds of information were 20% more likely to retain that information a year later.”

Written by Ethan Sawyer

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I was asked to make a masterpost on websites like Codecademy, so I’ve tried to compile a list of the best (and mostly free!!). In no particular order: 

1. Codecademy [x]

I couldn’t not include Codecademy! Just in case you haven’t checked it out, it’s pretty neat. It has courses for learning languages and web developer skills.

Languages: Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, jQuery, JavaScript, HTML/CSS

Extras: Git, SQL, Command Line, AngularJS, Ruby on Rails

2. Code School [x]

This is pretty similar to Codecademy with the in-browser coding and such. It also has additional features like teaching videos. A good introduction to programming languages.

Languages: Python, Ruby, Javascript, HTML/CSS

Extra: iOS development with Objective-C or Swift, Git, SQL

3. Learnaroo [x]

Has tutorials followed by mini challenges based on the concepts you’ve just learnt! It also has some reference pages called “Learn x by Example”. Looks pretty good.

Languages: Python, Java, Ruby, HTML/CSS

Extra: Algorithms, Mathematics, + a bunch of premium membership stuff

4. Learn … 

A set of related websites (see below) which have mini tutorials on language concepts followed by mini challenges, similar to Learnaroo.

Languages: Python, Java, C, C#,  JavaScipt, PHP, Shell

5. Code Combat [x]

Basically, it turns learning to code into a game! As you move through the levels, new concepts are introduced, so the code you need to write to play the game gets harder. 

Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, Clojure, Lua

6. Codingame [x]

Similar idea to Code Combat, but a little more advanced. 

Languages: Python, Java, Ruby, C, C++, C#, Haskell, VB … there’s actually loads it supports.

7. Code Wars [x]

This is more for ‘training’ with a language you already know. It offers plenty of practice through challenges, so it’s really good for improving your coding skills. 

Languages: Python, Ruby, Java, C#, Haskell, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, Clojure

8. Coderbyte [x]

This offers some video tutorials and challenges for a few languages, plus special courses on specific algorithms and bootcamp/interview prep. You need a premium membership for quite a lot of things, though (e.g. I don’t think you can watch any of the videos with a free membership).

Languages: Python, Ruby, JavaScript

Extras: Algorithms, Bootcamp Prep, Job Interview Prep

9. Free Code Camp [x]

Mini tutorials followed by mini challenges. Has a number of courses on the languages below!

Languages: HTML/CSS, jQuery, JavaScript

Extras: Git, Algorithms, + a bunch of projects to complete

10. Programmr [x]

Has courses to learn various languages through doing little exercises/challenges in the browser, similar to previous examples. Also has ‘zones’ for more languages, where you can find challenges, example code and projects people have shared. 

Languages: Python, Java, C++, C#, PHP, jQuery

11. CheckIO [x]

Only offers Python, but I still think it’s really great. You move from level to level, getting challenges which are gradually trickier. Learn by doing!

12. Rails for Zombies [x]

For people who already know a bit of Ruby, but nothing about Ruby on Rails!  Each level begins with a short video followed by interactive challenges where you program Rails in the browser.

That’s all (for now!) Hope this is helpful! (ﾉ^∇^)ﾉﾟ

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This is what my revision wall looked like this time last year. So gutted I got rid of these note cards. I’m so dumb.

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