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Wishing you all the success in your studies and have a great day!

tysm! you too,, and have a great day :D

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What I learned during one year of online school, and what another year may look like

Just some raw facts

first and foremost, pay attention in class, or at least try to. I spent the majority of my classes browsing through meaningless memes on Pinterest or chatting with my friends, and I regretted it as soon as exams came around.

try doing something physical doing your class, as this reduces the chances of you drifting off and/or losing focus (I personally chose to doodle mindlessly, nothing that involved too much brain power and focus)

all your organization systems fail you

and finding a planning system takes months, but once you find it, STICK TO IT. mine was a hybrid weekly and daily planner with absolutely no other spreads (except a separate calendar). efficient and less time-consuming to make.

you feel motivated in random bursts and will plan out the entirety of your remaining year and then forget about that plan the next day

routines seem appealing as you try to get your life together from the ever-increasing slumps but then your realize they just make everything even more monotonous that they already are

sticky notes are the shit. like seriously. I had sticky notes in my textbooks, past papers, study notes, and even other sticky notes. they’re versatile and a great way to jot down information quickly and right on top of where you want it (a paragraph on your textbook, for examples)

do not rely on just your textbooks, especially since it’s 10 times harder to ask for help (and by the time you get around to meeting your teacher, you might actually forget about it). ask anyone around you for help – friends, family – and use all the resources you have.

online learning resources are astronomically underrated. while I was struggling in multiple subjects all by myself, I decided to expand the resources I used for studying. My favourites through my senior year were:

OpenStax (FREE textbooks on a variety of subjects groups, by Rice University)

Khan Academy (need I say more?)

Crash Course on youtube, especially for AP Exams (I’m not a part of the US education system btw, and the resources I’m mentioning are applicable to everything)

online pdf versions of textbooks

tons of youtube channels (too many to list here,)

use your phone/computer’s night light. trust me it works wonders. plus, it’s cheaper than blue light glasses if you already own a phone/computer (most have it built in). also known as a blue light filter/yellow light.

a little bit of gratitude each week will help you keep your sanity (coming from a former skeptic)

sleepless nights will be common, especially with all the screen time, but you’ll learn to live with that.

and mental health will just go down the drain

but it will all be okay

you get both your grades and confidence high

i speak from experience

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my quick tips for working / studying from home

- get dressed and style your hair as if you’re going to school/work - even use the same perfume/ cologne as you normally do  (trick your mind into being motivated)

- plan things out - everything (plan out your week, day, meal, etc. you can make these as specific as you’d like. this will help you stay on top of your work as well as stay healthy, especially if you live alone.)

- make studying/ working the first thing you do each day - best if you can start in the morning (minimize the tendency to procrastinate)

- just start - don’t worry too much about perfecting or finishing anything yet (if you don’t start then there’s nothing for you to perfect or get done. and it will never get done)

- listen to old and simple (aka non-distracting) podcasts, Youtube videos, or café/ chattering white-noise, etc. simply leave them as background noise to create an illusion of being outside your room (bring the presence of people to you. my favorites lately have been slam poems from 2016, Mae Martin’s stages, and Awsten Knight’s crackhead podcasts)

- set timers, for both study sessions and breaks (so that you don’t overwork, burn out, or procrastinate. the Pomodoro technique works great here)

- take advantage of the comfort of your own home (light a candle, have crunchy snacks, play loud music, review notes out loud while pacing around, wrap yourself in a blanket burrito, study on your bed if you can focus there like me, etc. basically anything you can’t do in a classroom, office, or the library)

- if you miss your friends, call/ text/ facetime them, make a study group chat with them, etc. (that is what technology is for)

- choose recreational activities/ self-care for your breaks instead of going on social media (go on walks, make small art, play an instrument, stretch, take a nap, etc. I usually reach for my guitar, brainstorm writing ideas, or sketch very simple line art.)

- if you want to go on social media, do it during meal times - or the 15 minutes after your meals that you can’t work just yet (it also doesn’t make you feel like you’re wasting time)

- study in different rooms for a change of scenery (dining room, living room, the patio, etc. I have an armchair next to the window that I study in whenever I need some sunlight and don’t have to write anything down. however, if you need a designated place to focus on your work, you can also use these alternative spaces as designated “relax” or “creative” place for your breaks)

- use this as an opportunity to take care of yourself (get enough sleep, drink water, exercise, talk to your family, take your meds, be mindful of your mental health, etc.)

Feel free to add your tips. The current situation sure is unpleasant but it is unavoidable. All we can really do now is take care of ourselves, others, and try to make the best out of this.

Good luck to everyone and stay safe! My heart is with you all 💕

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here’s a list of my favourite playlists that i listen to when studying. only one playlist has lyrics so if you find that distracting you can skip it!

1 am study session - lofi hip hop/chill beats (1 hour)

a rainy town - animal crossing ost + thunderstorm ambiance (1 hour)

breath of the wild relaxing music with rain (1 hour)

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to (live radio)

relaxing life is strange music (1 hour) *has lyrics

relaxing music from uncharted series (45 mins)

skyrim music & ambiance - night (1 hour)

skyrim music & ambiance - rainy day (10 hours)

studio ghibli summer night piano collection with nature sounds (7 hours)

the last of us - relaxing music compilation (30 mins)

the legend of zelda - calming & relaxing music compilation (1 hour)

the witcher 3 - peaceful music & nature ambiance (1 hour)

the witcher 3 toussaint - relaxing music for sleep and study (1 hour)

uncharted - ambient music & ambience (1 hour)

all playlists

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[5/2/21]

new chinese packet!

pf debate - two practice debates

finishing schoolwork

exercising ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

sat prep

piano practice

organized workspace a bit!

well a new month has come by again! it's definitely going to be more of a busy month this may, but hopefully i'll be able to handle it :D

i've always had the really bad habit of multitasking, since i'm always like "well i mean i can still work while watching this...its fInE" and then barely do any work...so that's probably going to be my new goal this month!

also something i have trouble with is getting out of the "if im not busy then im being lazy" since i always feel like i need to work or be doing something. however, i need to remind myself that doing nothing is also doing something, and its okay to take some rest from the hustle!

💬 no one is perfect - that's why pencils have erasers

🎵 "Baby Blue Shades" by Bad Suns

❤️ take a rest and just do nothing for once and a while ❤️

also my most recent fav playlist:

#studyblr #study blog #study motivation #studyspo #student #studying #blog post #academic #study dairy #study aesthetic

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Here's a gentle reminder that you don't have to spend money to achieve an academic aesthetic. While dark academia is fun and beautiful, it's hard to afford, especially for students and those financially struggling. Money is not required to have an aesthetic! You don't need the brand new leather binders and the expensive pens and the beautiful paper; all you need is a passion for learning and you will experience all the wonders and joys that accompany an academic journey. 🤍🖤🤎💕

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[4/27/21]

today was actually a good day! tho i was pretty distracted in class, afterwards i cleaned my room while listening to music, which was pretty fun. i did a decent amount of schoolwork, chinese, sat prep and pf debate homework!

i also got to go and get some starbucks with a friend, which was really nice since i have been seriously lacking social interaction 😅 we went to the park and just sat around and talked for a while :]

also, the first picture is a picture of the backyard, and the second some old aops notes.

💬 focus on being productive instead of being busy

🎵 "Dontmakemefallinlove" by Cuco

❤️ get up and stretch for a bit! ❤️

#studyblr #study blog #study motivation #studyspo #student #studying #blog post #academic #study dairy #study aesthetic

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biology notes on ecology 

trying to incentivise myself to sleep early 🤡

i’ll let myself go shopping if i sleep 8ish hours daily from now until the end of may

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Redefining My Bullet Journal System

The bullet journal is probably something you’re no stranger to. It’s been circulating around the internet for a while, and it’s one of the main subjects of studyblr posts. However, when I started college last semester, I found that I no longer relied on my bullet journal to organize my tasks and structure my responsibilities anymore. Instead, I tried out a bunch of productivity/task-organization apps: Taskade, Actions by Moleskine, Any.do, Todoist, Wunderlist. None of them seemed to have what I needed, so I decided to give the bullet journal method another try.

The first thing I reflected on was why I stopped in the first place. At first I thought it was because the method itself allowed for a lot of freedom and I’d get confused as to what things to include and how to structure everything. But then I realized that it was in fact because I had previously been bullet journaling for other people instead of myself. Since I had what one could call an ‘artsy bullet journal’, I tended to focus more on the artistic aspect so that it would get more likes and reblogs after I posted it, when I should have been focusing on how it can organize my life. I realized that the bullet journal is a tool; the focus should be on life itself, not the bullet journal, but you can use the bullet journal to add value to your life.

At the beginning of the year, I deconstructed my organizational needs and attempted to apply that to my bullet journal method. I stopped looking at other people’s bullet journals and started thinking about my own needs and preferences. I thought about how I would best organize my time so that I could accomplish all of the things I want to accomplish in the different aspects of my life.

Supplies

The fact that I only have 2 main supplies allows me to bullet journal anywhere, anytime.

The Structure

The Practice

Simply having the tool to organize your life isn’t enough - you should also have a practice, a habit, for using it.

Going Forward

One thing I’d like to work on is future logging. As of now, I think in terms of months, since the my main commitment at the moment is my education, and monthly planning has worked out for me. But I think if I’d like to tackle on larger projects - e.g. my YouTube channel that I just started - I’d need to do a lot more future logging.

Another useful thing I want to try out is to summarize my journal entries in the form of notes. Recently I’ve been audio journaling (15-20 minutes of me talking to myself), and it’s been pretty effective. However, I have no way of ‘skimming’ the entries like I would a written journal entry. Summarizing them would help me retain main ideas of each entry and remember the things I said that are or could potentially be important and useful.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t think your bullet journal is adding value to or improving productivity and organization in your life, I think you should reconsider the way you’re approaching the system. I found a method that works for me; yours might be different. While it can be beneficial to draw inspiration from other people, do whatever helps you the most, not what other people tell you you should be doing. After coming up with an appropriate structure, make sure you maintain the practice.  

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Ok but if you "used to read all the time but now you don't #giftedkidburnout" it's literally just these four reasons

1. Books got harder and it takes longer to read Pride and Prejudice than Magic Tree House

2. School got harder and so your brain isnt looking for additional mental stimulation as hard as it used to because you're already getting it

3. You're reading way more words per day than you did then, you're just doing it online, so you're getting reading fatigue without opening a book

4. Life is harder now, you have to cook and clean and go to work and go to the grocery store and that's all taking up a lot of time.

You're not less smart or engaged or invested you're just busy and tired and nobody is busy when they're 7.

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Impostor Syndrome: What it is and how to deal with it

There may be times when you feel like a fraud, like at any moment people will find out that you have no clue what you’re doing and you don’t deserve any of your achievements. You think that you’re unworthy of praise, that you only succeeded out of luck.

This is known as Impostor Syndrome, and around 70% of people have struggled with it in their lives. The problem arises when high achievers fail to internalize their success, i.e. when you attribute your success not to your own abilities but rather to external factors.

Some say that impostor syndrome could be linked to traits like anxiety or neuroticism. Impostor syndrome has also been commonly attributed to behavioral causes like childhood experiences, e.g. being labeled as “the smart one” or “the talented one”.

Another huge factor is how well you think you fit into a certain group, e.g. impostor syndrome is common among people of a racial/ethnic/cultural minority, women in STEM, and international students at US universities.

Dr. Pauline R. Clance was the first to design a scale to measure impostor syndrome based on six factors

The impostor cycle, where someone is given an achievement-related task and they either (a) overprepare or (b) procrastinate

The need to be special/the best

Superhuman characteristics

Fear of failure

Denial of ability and discounting praise

Feeling fear and guilt about success

There are different types of impostors, as categorized by Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on impostor syndrome (note that these categories aren’t mutually exclusive):

I’ve personally dealt with the first two types. I’m fairly certain I can attribute being ‘the genius’ to childhood/adolescent circumstance: I’ve been known as ‘the smart one’ throughout elementary school and high school - every time I made a mistake, it was met with a chorus of ‘wahh jo made a mistake…’ Even last month when I had a mini-reunion with some of my high school friends, one of them said something along the lines of “I like when Jo makes mistakes because it reminds me that she’s human, too.” I can definitely say I’ve overcome that now because, you know, college - everyone’s as smart or smarter than you and works pretty hard.

Being ‘the expert’ is still something I’m still trying to overcome. Last spring when I was applying to internships, I only dared to apply to those where I met 100% of the requirements. I’ve been coding for like 4 years but I constantly think I’m incompetent. It once got up to the point where I literally took 3 similar courses to assure myself that I actually do know how to do full-stack web programming. I still struggle to draw the line between relearning something because I don’t think I really know it, versus learning something for the expansion of knowledge.

How do I deal with it?

Firstly acknowledge that you have impostor-related thoughts Awareness is the first step to changing how you think and how you act.

How does impostor syndrome look like in a school/college setting? Examples include

You refrain from asking questions because you think other students/TAs/the professor will think you’re dumb;

You don’t respond to questions even though you kind of know the answer but you always think your answers aren’t right enough or that they’re simply wrong;

You don’t participate in discussions because you feel that you won’t add any value; or

You prevent yourself from having an opinion because you feel like you have no right to have one.

Reframe your thoughts

Think of their possible effects Do these thoughts help or hinder me? Will anything useful come out of thinking this? Acknowledge that not speaking up may mean slowing your team down or depriving your classmates of potentially valuable insights.

Separate fact from feeling Are they factual or simply a misinterpretation of my environment?

Differentiate feelings of fraudulence from feeling like an outsider Does my work show that I’m incompetent or is the fact that I’m the only female in a team of males/POC in a team of Caucasians make me think I’m inferior?

Stop comparing yourself to other people You might think something along the lines of “there are already so many people who can do what I do but so much better, so what’s the point in even trying?” However, remember that these people were once where you were, and taking even the smallest of actions could help you get to where they are.

Be more forgiving with yourself

Rethink perfection Not everything has to be perfect. Even if you have high standards, not achieving those standards doesn’t make you any less worthy.

Reframe mistakes and identify areas of improvement It’s okay to be wrong or not to know everything. Think of mistakes as learning opportunities and indicators of gaps in your knowledge/understanding of something, as opposed to a negative measure of your self-worth. Being wrong doesn’t mean you’re fake; it just means you have more to learn.

For example, previously I would only answer a question in class if I was at least 90% sure that was the correct answer. That’s a high threshold, and I don’t think it’s very useful for helping me learn and grow. Over the course of a year, I’ve managed to lower that down to I’d say around 60% (50% with coffee lmao).

Collect positive experience

Remember and reflect on praises Think about the efforts you exerted to help you achieve something and the positive responses you garnered when you finally achieved it. Remind yourself of the words of encouragement other people have told you, no matter how small. You could even keep a folder/document/journal to look back on when you feel like a fraud.

Heck, sometimes I feel like my posts aren’t useful or my designs are terrible, but then you guys tell me such kind things and I think, maybe I’m not as bad as I thought.

However, while it’s good to remember the good words people have said, don’t work just for the sake of praise. Focus on the value of the work itself and not the validation that comes from it.

Focus on providing value

Focus on what you can say Instead of thinking about what you don’t know, focus on what you do know and what you can say. Even if what you say isn’t entirely correct or relevant, it’ll get others around you thinking.

Remind yourself that holding back is like robbing the world of your ideas There’s always some value in your words, even if you don’t initially think so. How that value affects the world or other people may differ. For example, when you put forward an idea/thought in a discussion, it could be that

If there were parts that were incorrect, other people might have had the same misconception and are more than happy for the clarification;

Again, if there were parts that weren’t correct, they might not have had the same misconception but now realize that there is a way in which the subject can be misinterpreted, thus allowing them to have a more comprehensive understanding of the subject; and/or

It’ll stimulate further thinking and discussion and raise more questions, especially if other people wouldn’t normally think what you just thought. Then other people could bounce off your idea and form an equally great one.

Take action You won’t feel as much of a fraud if you’re doing something that brings you a little closer to achieving your goals or that adds value to your work.

However, be careful not to overwork yourself. Every time you start doing something, pause and think: is this really important to my progress or am I just trying to prove myself?

Instead of working on too many things, do something outside your comfort zone each day no matter how small. Once you do this, focus on quality (your growth) instead of quantity (the number of things you do).

Also, for those of you who fall into the ‘expert’ category, this also means practicing just-in-time learning, i.e. learning things when you need it, not just to comfort yourself.

I hope that was helpful, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions/comments/suggestions :)

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Gosh I hate grind culture. My little sister just started medical school and all of her orientation leaders are like “you absolutely cannot have a life WHATsoever you WILL have to give up EVERYTHING besides this program say GOODBYE to your hobbies and relationships” and now she’s calling me feeling guilty for running and going to the grocery store and that’s just WRONG! And that is exactly what I was told starting law school as well, and rejecting that mentality was the best thing I ever did but it was so hard not to buy into. Anyway if any of you are in an intense academic program PLEASE take time to sleep and eat and exercise and maintain your relationships and keep up your hobbies! you are not a robot who exists solely to study and I promise that living a life and staying physically and mentally healthy is not going to make you fail

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19|04|2021

Day 23 of 60 Days of Productivity

i’ve got a german mock today which i’m probably only half confident about. i partly know all of my oral questions but not completely yet so we’ll see how it goes… also i go back to school tomorrow so i’m not entirely sure how/when i’m going to post so i guess we’ll see about that too

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student self-care: but not necessarily the feel-good kind edition

1. what have you been procrastinating on? afraid to do? make a list. put it on your google calendar. be very honest with yourself. put every single task you have to do, schedule it, block out your calendar if you have to. it’ll help you in the long run even if it’s scary at first.  2. sort the loose papers settled at the bottom of your backpack. don’t risk losing precious class notes or syllabi or readings. use folders to classify them by subject. label them clearly. sort them by chronological order and label what class and what part of the syllabus they’re from. you’ll thank me during exam season. 3. evaluate your finances. have a way of keeping track of them. personally, i tend to spend a lot on food and coffee when i’m stressed. make a budget and stick to it.  4. if you’re struggling in a certain subject, make some time for it. i know it’s painful and easier to procrastinate, but make time. set a certain quota of pages to read. email your professor for help and consult if you have to. 

5. eating healthy isn’t necessarily eating delicious. i know everyone posts their croissants and lattes and cakes (guilty) but eat that salad, eat your vegetables, eat a balanced diet. it’s brain food and it’ll sustain you and help you focus better. 6. take the time to really care for yourself. make it a routine. take daily walks, count the glasses of water you have, make sure to shower regularly. do your laundry and clean your room. take your medication regularly, schedule doctor’s appointments if you need to. your health is much more important than school, and your wellbeing will help your performance. 7. sleep is good. regular sleep is good and necessary. but know when you have to sacrifice a little sleep to get things some very hard things done. then sleep after.  self-care isn’t always pretty. sometimes it’s about being disciplined and confronting what you’re afraid of. but it will make things easier and lighter for you in the long run. just one day at a time. 

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☀️ [4/25/21] ☀️ the weather has been nice this month, which has had me in a good mood :D i've definitely been really stressed like especially yesterday i was very much freaking out but i think i have my work under control rn which is good :]

today i mostly had extracurricular classes, and then after just watched some ytube (since today's more of a relaxed day), then worked on schoolwork, aops hw, Chinese and sat prep! so it was a pretty productive day lol

i want to try working outside, though I'm not exactly sure how that would work but i do wanna try and get outside while the sunshine lasts :) just like working and reading in the shade under a blossom tree or something... also it's like the perfect weather and mood for jane austen novels! very much recommend her books <-

💬 failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently

🎵 "Hey Stupid, I Love You" by JP Saxe

❤️ take breaks and study hydrated! ❤️

#studyblr #study blog #study motivation #studyspo #student #studying #blog post #academic #study dairy #study aesthetic

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Painful electromagnetism notes 21.04.21

Yesterday was a national holiday, but my physics professor decided to keep the class anyway *nervous laughter*

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🔮 [4/21/21] 🔮

today was a good day! i finished all the schoolwork that i needed to do, practiced piano, finished aops notes for the section, worked on pf debate and chinese, and got to watch some criminal minds as well :D

also the arch thing in the picture above (i honest don't know what it's called lol) is a great place to sit and read :) especially when its sunny, and it's pretty peaceful too! 😌

💬 "its a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up"

🎵 "GUY.exe" by superfruit

❤️ you've done a good job today! ❤️

#studyblr #study blog #study motivation #studyspo #student #studying #blog post #academic #study dairy #study aesthetic