Oooh, I tried this method in first year physics too! It was very effective, since I got fine details from the pre-reading, which was supplemented during the lecture! This method worked fantastic (as long as I kept a routine)! Good luck with it!
aug 25, 2021
✨2/30 days of productivity✨
started taking notes on QM today. i think i figured out how i want to take notes this year (at least in this course); reading and taking a bit of notes pre lecture and then i made a column of space for adding things during the lecture so i don’t have to write everything down during the lecture, only the things i missed in my notes! this way i can focus more on listening and understanding during the lecture, i damn hope it works lol
my morning coffee / jupiter
I typed a super long ass post about this and the accidentally deleted it before saving and now I’m lying on the cold hard ground
Yohoo potatoes, I’m back with another *whips out a megaphone out of nowhere* “long ass post” (is that my patent now?) for you guys! This one could help out with your studyjo/bujo (if you don’t know what a studyjo is don’t worry I’ll link it later) and organising that potato life to make the most of it!
You’s a student
You’s busy
You’s got life you can’t handle sometimes
You will 120% forget about tat assignment deadline unless you’re reminded of it
You get to laugh at your past self after 20 years or so
It’s therapeutic and all that ish
You’ll like it because it’s being productive while actually kinda procrastinating (aren’t we bosses at procrastinating?)
Memories :)
Bolded ones are the trackers I am using and are potato proofed
1. Study related :
SYLLABUS TRACKER : finals can go a little smoothly if you have it all at one place
PROJECT PLANNER/TRACKER : deadlines + road map of how you’re gonna ace that project
STUDY SESSION TRACKER : time, date, subject and rating your session
GOALS TRACKER : realistic ones, like score 75% or more in this test, or master the concept of integration (ughh). Philosophy ones come later ;)
EXAM PLANNER : plan something for each day a week before your exam and see the magic
PROBLEM TRACKER : shade the box every day you solve “x” number of sums
FORMULA QUIZ : the most difficult ones which you’ll never remember unless they’re carved on your ribs
CONCEPT PLANNER : shade the box every day you learn “x” concept nicely
RANDOM CONCEPTS TO REVISE LIST : super helpful when you’re procrastinating and don’t know what to study - refer to this list and do you ish
READINGS LIST : shade the box every day when you read “x” number of paragraphs from textbooks/notes/books
WORD OF THE DAY PAGE : one word every day
PASSAGE OF THE MONTH : sort of like a journal but in your target language
FAVOURITE SENTENCES/QUOTES /SONGS/ETC IN *TARGET LANGUAGE* PAGE - similar to a journal thing, make it all aesthetic and cool so you’ll want to fill it in more
2. Entertainment related stuff :
MOVIES WATCHED SO FAR - all the movies, maybe stash a ticket or smthn?
MOVIE OF THE MONTH - can pick any one tbh
APPRECIATION PAGE FOR *FAV ACTOR/ACTRESS* - can you guess who’s appreciated by this potato?
SONG OF THE MONTH - only pick one and trust me that is very difficult
APPRECIATION PAGE FOR *FAV SINGER* - guess mine again?
PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH - best songs only
MIX TAPE FOR *FAV PERSON* - you can actually even make a real one and give it to someone you really like ;)
SERIES TRACKER - episodes/seasons number, shade the box as you finish it
REVIEW PAGE - review some movies/TV show you just saw
FAVOURITE MOVIE QUOTES PAGE - “you’re a wizard, Harry”
3. Mind related stuff :
QUOTES PAGE - motivational, sentimental stuff
MEDITATION TRACKER - this potato might try it
CROSSWORD TRACKER - shade the box every time you successfully solve an entire crossword/puzzle
RIDDLE TRACKER - shade the box every day if you solved 1 riddle
CREATIVITY PAGE - doodles, ugly poetry, cringy picky up limes, whatever floats your goat
BRAIN DUMP PAGE - every single thing on your mind transferred on this page. Suggested before sleeping so that you’re light headed and stress-free
IDEAS ORGANISER PAGE - give form to those abstract plots and connect all ideas to make a bigger one
PERSONAL PROJECT PLANNER - like maybe that book you always wanted to write
LIFE IN PIXELS - mad, sad or smad?
4. Health related stuff :
EXERCISE TRACKER - shade the box every day if you did “x” duration/amount of exercise
FOOD TRACKER - keep record of what junk you munched on today and try to avoid it sometimes
WATER TRACKER - ughh so important
CARBS TRACKER - kill a puppy next time you overeat
MOOD TRACKER - graphs look fancy tbh
ROLE MODEL’S PAGE - everything hermione granger does/says
5. Money related stuff :
BUDGET TRACKER - note down every little thing you spent on, figure out where you can save up
SAVINGS TRACKER - fill that little jar and buy those pens you always wanted to
Aaand that’s about it for now! I’ll be back with another long ass post so have fun bullet journaling till then!
Feel free to hmu if you aren’t clear about how to use a certain tracker!
Etudaire ~
When I first started in physics, I was utterly clueless about propagating error. After three years of college, I have a better grasp of it and feel more comfortable using it in the lab. Have a look if you’re having trouble with error propagation!
Error: an unknown quantity in the realm of the state of nature
Uncertainty: a parameter in the realm of our state of knowledge about nature
Type A uncertainty: statistical in nature (an example of this would be if you were launching an object 15 times and recorded each distance)
Type B uncertainty: not statistical in nature (an example of this would be a digital reading on a scale - no matter how many times you put the same object on the scale, you will get the same reading)
Random Error
environmental fluctuations
equipment noise
natural processes
Systematic Error
environment: fixed beyond a relevant parameter
measurement technique: assumptions, experimenter bias
equipment with an offset or using equipment beyond its limits
uninformed choices
You can reduce random error by taking more measurements.
You can reduce systematic error through thoroughness, properly calibrating equipment, reading manuals, and ensuring reproducibility.
This is the standard equation for error propagation:
This represents the uncertainty in the measurement of some value x. Suppose you are measuring this value based on this equation:
You took three measurements, a, b, and c, and plugged them into this equation to get x. However, there is some uncertainty associated with each of these three values. Let’s say you measured a on a scale, b on an oscilloscope, and c with a ruler. There is uncertainty associated with all of those measurements. When you’re reading the scale, you read it as 15.45g. Let’s assume there is an uncertainty of 0.01g in that reading. Similarly, you read your oscilloscope to be 3V, and there is an uncertainty of 0.05V. You read your ruler to be 3.45cm, and there is an uncertainty of 0.05cm. We now have our uncertainties for the three values:
a = 15.45g +/- 0.01g
b = 3V +/- 0.05V
c = 3.45cm +/- 0.05cm
The other aspect of the uncertainty equation is taking the partial derivative. Those are the dx/da and dx/db parts of the equation. We will take the partial with respect of each term.
The partial derivative of the equation for x with respect to a is 2a2
The partial derivative of the equation for x with respect to b is 2
The partial derivative of the equation for x with respect to c is 4.5
Now, we can plug into our equation:
Your uncertainty in your measurement for x is +/- 22.86.
I hoped this helped you if you’re struggling with uncertainty!
literally though if you feel like your life is slipping through your fingers and every day goes too fast… try doing hard things, not just taking the easy route, like reading and making art and exercising and cooking a meal from scratch and journaling, doing these things without distraction, without being absorbed on a screen… the time will stretch and you’ll be reminded that life is long and beautiful if you make it so.
starting 25th October 2023 ending 2nd February 2024
Success or failure -- just show up
No #ZeroDays -- No matter how hard it feels, do a little thing, a bare minimum. Don't let any day become a zero day
Do at least one PhD-related task everyday
Read a journal article everyday. Skim, AIC, full workout - anything
Weekends are excluded, but counted -- because rest is productive
Learn & practice mindfulness
Take two pictures everyday to represent the day (post them here)
Daily update of task list here. Perfection is the enemy of done. So don't overthink, just post - even if it feels half-baked.
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I’m currently in the final quarter of my PhD. I feel quite demotivated and I find it hard to gain momentum. So I thought I'll take up an accountability challenge to help me stay motivated and eventually build a routine.
If you are already doing a 100 days of productivity challenge, or would like to take on one, please do comment/like this post. I'd love to have some company and inspiration! Please help me find similar accounts! <3
Astronomers are the funniest people on earth actually