I’m Taking The AB Calc AP This Year (yikes), So Here Are Some Of The Resources I’ve Found So Far!

kinda cool to think how someone somewhere is having the best day of their life today. someone’s hearing “i love you” for the first time today. someone’s gonna meet the love of their life today. someone’s gonna get the job of their dreams today. it’s someone’s best day today. and guess what binch? tomorrow it could be ur best day so keep going

reasons to live: winter edition

cold and crisp air making you feel alive

your breath freezing and the wind making your skin tight

pitch black nights

heavy snowfall making even the ugliest landscapes breathtakingly beautiful

wrapping yourself in a huge blanket to keep yourself warm

frozen cold hands against your bare skin

ugly sweaters and fuzzy socks

hot chocolate after a long time out in the cold

the warmth and comfort you’ll experience due to increasing intimacy

christmas and the joy of giving

less partying and more intimate movie nights with your loved ones

the hundreds of blankets you’ll end up sleeping with

the smell of something freshly baked filling the entire house

the goose bumps you’ll notice everywhere on your body

how i handle my workload

first i review what i’d learned most recently (this is usually quick, but i say everything out loud and repeat terms/concepts i don’t understand)

I do this by either rewriting the notes (handwritten), flashcards, or by going through the study sheet provided (this won’t always be given)

second i work on any essays/assignments that i have to do, priority goes to those due the soonest or the ones that are the most difficult

finally i review for any upcoming tests/labs that i may have, priority goes to those that occur the soonest or are the most difficult (i do this by reviewing my notes, flashcards, power points, studying with friends, or using a study guide)

TIPS

Ask classmates questions about the topic, don’t be afraid of looking dumb - they are in the same position as you

If you didn’t get a study guide, make one yourself! It can be a great study tool, maybe even more effective than one created by a teacher

Don’t cram. Just, don’t.

A late Valentine's comic for Shadikal nation! 🧡🖤

life’s too short to not fill each moment with love. Choose to buy that plant you saw at the shops and nurture it. Choose to take a study break and spend it sketching or day dreaming. Choose to keep that picture you took of you with your s/o for yourself to enjoy instead of watching for the likes coming on social media. Put love into how you do your hair or maybe whack it into a messy bun and put love into creating art. Put love into how you treat others and value all members of society, treating everyone with love and respect. Choose to love yourself as you would others, respecting yourself and loving yourself, especially after failure. Choose love.

snoopy used as an example of a character generated by the hal pcg 6500, advertised in compute! magazine, september/october 1980.

William P. Welsh - Burlesque Queen (1941)

i kinda think life is about finding those people you can do anything with. like you want to share your life with them and feel like you could do anything together. anything from lying around in bed binge watching shows to going on an extremely long road trip to calling each other at 11pm to complain about life. pretty sure that’s one of the meanings of life.

ap classes can be super stressful, especially if you’re taking multiple. here’s the best advice i have on being successful in them after surviving high school! also, please feel free to add any advice in the reblogs or comments<3 thank you! 

• read your textbook (and take notes!!) i quickly learned that i did so much better in a class when i had done the textbook readings for each chapter. usually teachers go about a chapter a week, which isn’t super tough to keep up with if you divide it into chunks (i’ll make a post soon on how i took notes from the textbook) 

• do your homework, and do it well. some nights, your homework will be a lot. but you really should do as much of it as you can. (i’m emphasizing this for math classes because math homework is usually super similar to what you’ll see on the test, but it is important review for every class). Work with the book next to you, use khan academy, mark questions that you need help with (and get help), and do it on time. your grades will thank you, and so will your teacher!! 

• my strategy to review for in class tests: 

1.) review vocabulary using flash cards or quizlet (i’d actually recommend making quizlets for each chapter so u can use it to review for the ap test later)

2.) use your notes or textbook summaries to create your own summaries of the current chapter(s) on blank pieces of paper (take notes on your notes, explain important concepts/main ideas, write down important dates/people/equations, include practice problems for math/science courses) (keep these summary pages in a folder & organized for when you’re reviewing for the ap test) 

3.) know how to explain all of the concepts (either out loud or in writing) without looking at the textbook for answers. (i usually try to answer the textbook’s essential questions/ section questions using as much concrete evidence as possible to prove the answer)  

(do this over 3 separate days AT LEAST for in class tests (day one vocab, day two create summaries of chapters, day three explain chapters outloud), and over several weeks for the ap test) 

• DO! NOT! PROCRASTINATE!

literally everyone says this, but seriously do not procrastinate and high school won’t be as miserable for you as it is for other people. do your homework on time, divide your note taking into different days, plan ahead, do work right as you get home or during class. 

• talk to your teacher if you’re seriously struggling with the work load, and let them know if you’re going through a hard time in life and it’s affecting your school work. this can be scary, but usually they don’t want you to want to die! so just let them know, and they’ll give you advice / help with it and will support you. communication is so important. 

possible structure for an email to communicate an issue with them: 

“hi _____(teachers name)_____, 

i’m having a hard time completing my work recently because of (reason why, be honest). is it okay if i can have an extension until (date in the near future that you can turn it in and please stick to this date btw) (please)? 

thank you, __(your name)__” 

(just for more explanation: my dog died in march during my senior year. i emailed my ap environmental science teacher, my ap statistics teacher, and my ap lit teacher the same email: “hi, my dog died today and i’m having a hard time concentrating on my work, so i won’t be able to finish it today. may i have an extension for my work this week until (day i knew i could turn it in abt a week later)? thank you! -jillian” they all were understanding and gave me an extension. i said the same thing when my aunt died, and the same thing when i was in the hospital after a long boarding accident. i also let teachers know during junior year when i was having anxiety, or during first sem senior year when i was working heavy hours) 

• limit the amount of ap classes you take, and only take classes that you’re interested in. i know colleges “like ap classes,” but they also like mentally sane students, students that sleep, well rounded students, students with decent gpas, etc. just in my opinion, you’ll be so much happier and more successful if you only take 1-3 ap classes that you’re truly interested in. (i took 1 my sophomore year, 3 junior year, and 3 senior year. my rule was to never take more than 3 because that’s the most that i could still get all a’s in without suffering. but know yourself and your limits) 

Folks with this whole "you're old once you hit 25" mentality are just buying into a repackaged "you need to have your life figured out by 18 and if you're not successful by 22 you're a failure" load of shit. Like....bruh, life doesn't end at 25. Idk how to tell you that the time limit you're silently imposing on yourself and your peers is largely responsible for your dissatisfaction with your life. Stop living your life like happiness has an expiration date. It doesn't.