How To Learn A Language Fast

since my last masterpost on mind maps was successful i thought i’d make a masterpost about general studying! this way i get to share with you guys what i’ve found out over the years with my personal experience! 

your study space

the space you choose to study is really important! it can be in your bedroom, another place in ur house, library, cafe, a park, etc

it should be somewhere u can focus + concentrate without distractions

have more than one place to pick from in case u ever need to change a little or can’t use one

lighting is really important. good natural lighting is always best; try to find a place where the light comes from your left if you’re a righty or from the right if you’re a lefty – you’ll thank me when ur writing and u can see everything perfectly

if ur in ur room, figure out whether having motivational quotes/pics on your walls help u or distract u – for me, i like to have a couple but not many, and mostly motivational quotes + sticky notes with the stuff i need to get done

keep it organised! u can use drawers to keep ur suplies so that they aren’t all laying around when ur studying if u don’t need them

lay out everything u need when ur about to start studying so that u don’t have to get up to get this or that all the time

study methods

it’s great to try out many different ones!

you’ll always have a couple u prefer but don’t be afraid to experiment

masterpost by @heystudy

masterpost by @etudiance

flashcards are awesome for memorizing + testing yourself! here are some tips for making them by @tbhstudying

here’s a great alternative for flashcards by @studyign!

mind maps are great for linking information + understanding + condensing. here’s a link to my masterpost!

rewriting notes is an awesome way to revise! 

when u rewrite ur notes, u can color code them + add lil drawings + diagrams, make them more visual overall

great masterpost on visual/aesthetically pleasing notes by @areistotle

if they’re available, always try to find old exams and take them to practice! u can take them under exam conditions or not, whatever helps u the most

background music

first of all, u need to figure out whether u work better with or without background music, because it may end up distacting u

if u don’t want music but still need background noise, u can listen to white noise or ambient noise!

classical music is awesome; studies have shown that it benefits the brain, sleep patterns + stress levels

u can listen from playlists on 8tracks, spotify or youtube vids [i prefer 8tracks]

check out my #music tag for great playlists + masterposts!!

pomodoro method

you’ve probably heard of it all over the studyblr community and that’s because it’s awesome

here’s a link to the official site!

it’s great for helping u focus; i work better like this because i couldn’t study for an hour straight if my life depended on it, + i still get everything done!

however, don’t adapt yourself to the times it sets for u but the other way around – if you’re working and the 25 minutes are done but u still feel like u can continue, you’re motivated and focused, go on! 

don’t know what to do in those breaks? here’s the list for u!

i use forest to time myself! it’s great cause it also keeps u from checking ur phone. focusnow is a free alternative for ios

general tips

start revising early, even if u know u can cram and get good results. i used to do the last thing and even though i got really good grades i was always super stressed the day before and it made studying suck even more

avoid checking social media while studying, even tumblr for “motivation”, because you’ll inevitably get sucked into it

form a study group or find a study buddy because they’ll help u focus, u can explain to each other when u don’t understand something, etc

know everything u need to get done and prioritize

make ur notes pretty only if u have the time + it helps u

if u don’t have the time to make ur notes pretty but are a visual learner, grab a highlighter and colour code them – e.g. green for terms, yellow for definitions, pink for dates/people

figure out whether u work best in the morning, afternoon or evening. try not to study at night unless necessary + get good rest bc it helps ur brain work better

+ masterposts

studyblr-ing 101

apps for ur life

how to mind map

i hope you found this masterpost helpful!! if u have any questions or request for a masterpost, send me a message!

sofi xx

The ABCDE Method: Accomplish Tasks more Efficiently

I recently came across the ABCDE method that’s similar to what I do to stay productive each day: instead of lumping up all your tasks, sort them into categories and tackle each of them differently. Here’s an outline of the method. Hope it helps :)

so i had a couple weeks where my motivation just… seemed to have taken time off. these 5 tips are those that helped me the most when i couldn’t seem to bring myself to start studying. i hope they’re helpful to others as well!

SO HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO START STUDYING

have a ritual

i’ll bring myself as an example: before i study i always follow these steps, in this order: i clean the desk, even if the books i need are already there, i clean it; i take a glass of water and a small plate with some almonds and ½ chocolates; i get a timer for the pomodoro technique (i’ll talk about this later); i brain dump (i’ll talk about this too); start a playlist; take a deep breath, sit down, and actually start. now, this is mine, it doesn’t have to be yours, but it was to help you understand. when you’re on the couch with your phone and you just don’t want to start an afternoon of studying, just… try the first step. clean that desk. then get the glass of water. and from then on it will be easier and easier to actually get to it. the important thing is to start.

start small (the pomodoro technique)

if you feel that your brain just… refuses to focus on that textbook, don’t strain it. start small. if you’ve never heard about the pomodoro method, i suggest you look it up online, i’ll try to explain it briefly: all you need is a timer; you study for 25/30 minutes, get a 5/10 minutes break in which you get up, go to the bathroom, drink, do a mini-workout… then you start again. it really helps if the idea of sitting at your desk for ours makes you want to vomit. if even 25 minutes seems too much, don’t worry. study for 5 minutes. have a break. try studying for 10 minutes. but maybe you won’t even need to do that: like i said before the important thing is to start. just that will set your brain in motion, and it will actually be harder to stop.

brain dumping

this simple tip has really helped, maybe more than all the others i name here. you have a lot of thoughts rushing through your mind that you just can’t lock away so you can start focusing on that homework? brain. dump. just grab your planner, your bujo, a random piece of paper, and write down what’s on your mind without worrying about the form. just write. write until your mind is blank. then try to start again.

give yourself a reward (if…then)

it can be a small thing like “if i finish this maths equation i’ll eat a candy” or a larger-scale thing like “if i study this chapter i’ll watch another episode of my favourite tv show”. our brain tends to choose the path that requires less effort and gives a bigger reward. but facing a task knowing there’s a reward at the end might help make it seem more effortless.

just don’t wait to “feel like it”

because sometimes you just never will. you will never “feel like” spending an afternoon studying a subject you hate. but you have to do it anyway, so… try your best to make it pleasant. study in your favourite spot, listen to your favorite instrumental piece, buy a nice notebook so it’s easier to actually open it… but you have to start. just start. that’s really the hardest part. i promise it’ll get easier from there.

Totally right 👌😂

lively and ethereal people VS sleep deprived creatures of the night

The 37 best websites for learning a new skill

They can teach you anything.

Forget overpriced schools, long days in a crowded classroom, and pitifully poor results.

These websites and apps cover myriads of science, art, and technology topics.

They will teach you practically anything, from making hummus to building apps in node.js, most of them for free.

There is absolutely no excuse for you not to master a new skill, expand your knowledge, or eventually boost your career.

You can learn interactively at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. It’s hard to imagine how much easier it can possibly be.

Honestly, what are you waiting for?

Take an online course

edX — Take online courses from the world’s best universities.

Coursera — Take the world’s best courses, online, for free.

Coursmos — Take a micro-course anytime you want, on any device.

Highbrow — Get bite-sized daily courses to your inbox.

Skillshare — Online classes and projects that unlock your creativity.

Curious — Grow your skills with online video lessons.

lynda.com — Learn technology, creative and business skills.

CreativeLive — Take free creative classes from the world’s top experts.

Udemy — Learn real world skills online.

Learn how to code

Codecademy — Learn to code interactively, for free.

Stuk.io — Learn how to code from scratch.

Udacity — Earn a Nanodegree recognized by industry leaders.

Platzi — Live streaming classes on design, marketing and code.

Learnable — The best way to learn web development.

Code School — Learn to code by doing.

Thinkful — Advance your career with 1-on-1 mentorship.

Code.org — Start learning today with easy tutorials.

BaseRails — Master Ruby on Rails and other web technologies.

Treehouse — Learn HTML, CSS, iPhone apps & more.

One Month — Learn to code and build web applications in one month.

Dash — Learn to make awesome websites.

Learn to work with data

DataCamp — Online R tutorials and data science courses.

DataQuest — Learn data science in your browser.

DataMonkey — Develop your analytical skills in a simple, yet fun way.

Learn new languages

Duolingo — Learn a language for free.

Lingvist — Learn a language in 200 hours.

Busuu — The free language learning community.

Memrise — Use flashcards to learn vocabulary.

Expand your knowledge

TED-Ed — Find carefully curated educational videos

Khan Academy — Access an extensive library of interactive content.

Guides.co — Search the largest collection of online guides.

Squareknot — Browse beautiful, step-by-step guides.

Learnist — Learn from expertly curated web, print and video content.

Prismatic — Learn interesting things based on social recommendation.

Bonus

Chesscademy — Learn how to play chess for free.

Pianu — A new way to learn piano online, interactively.

Yousician— Your personal guitar tutor for the digital age.

Hi everyone it’s my first sharing and i’m so excited hope you like it 😊

to annotate books that I borrow from the library, I cut up post-its into smaller strips for notes. what are your tips for annotating books without actually marking them? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2umAE5b

Orange is the happiest color. 🍊🌺🍁 -Frank Sinatra

eleven little self care tips for students

Get enough sleep. Your brain needs it. Set yourself a ‘bed time’ and fall into the routine of going to bed and waking up at the same times each day.

Drink water and lots of it. Aim for 2 litres a day. This one’s easy, you can do it. Ditch the juices and carbonated beverages, just add a slice of lemon to your water if you feel like something fancy.

Allow yourself to switch off. Don’t be afraid to read books that have nothing to do with your studies. Go to the cinema. Work out. Take your mind away from your workload.

Take care of your skin. Wash your face every morning and night. Moisturise after every shower and bath. Don’t go to bed with your make-up on, no matter how tired you are.

Talk to your friends and family about something other than school. Don’t let your studies detach you from the things going on around you.

Work out. Even just once a week, or whenever you can. Go for a walk or a run, maybe just for 15 minutes. Follow along with a YouTube exercise video from the comfort of your own home or try out some yoga moves.

Make time for your hobbies. Studying is your full time job, but there’s plenty of hours left in the day. Don’t neglect the things you love.

Cook. Sometimes all we have time for is microwave noodles, but don’t fall into the habit of relying on the basics. You’ll feel the difference.

Don’t forget to laugh. Watch a hilarious film. See a comedian at a local venue. Watch funny videos on YouTube. Reminisce with friends. It’ll do you good.

Ditch the caffeine. Don’t rely on Starbucks. It’s delicious but you don’t need it. Save up all the money you’d usually spend on coffee and treat yourself to something instead.

Make your bed every morning. You’ll be grateful at the end of a long day when you can get into a cosy bed that doesn’t look like you just rolled out of it.