There Are So Many Study Methods And Techniques To Try Out That It Can Be A Bit Overwhelming Sometimes.

… But then I realized that alcohol existed.

Blaise Zabini, after hearing Draco “complain” about Hermione for hours (via its-hp-bitch)

Yessss

I often think that the night is more vibrant and richly coloured than the day

Van Gogh (via lesamisarty)

→ i get asked very often about bullet journals, so i put together a masterpost; happy journalling..!! —tia ♪ [+++] more masterposts | all | studygram

i. PURPOSE

official website

official set up video

official bullet journal store

bullet journals vs. planners | what is a bullet journal

five reasons why you should keep a planner

ii. STARTING A BULLET JOURNAL

how to start keeping a journal

keeping up with your journal

how to start your bujo (photos)

intro to bullet journalling | + getting started

two planner system for journalling

bullet journals for beginners | how to bullet journal

contents of a bullet journal

complete illustrated guide to bullet journalling

comprehensive guide to bullet journals

set ups: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

inspiration tags:

simple + useful layout

beautifully illustrated!!

cute fonts & use of pictures

v creative n artsy journal

cute & colourful !

pretty + practical spreads

so artistic and innovative

washi tape & calligraphy

soft n pastel layouts

organized and neat layouts

beautifully arranged + stylish !!

clean and adorable style

tasteful and cutesy

pictures + highlighters

v innovative spreads & layouts

simplistic + muted colours !

iii. SUPPLIES

notebooks:

consider your needs:

squared | lined | dotted | blank?

bound | disk | coil | midori style | reporter?

hardcover | softcover? + colours?

popular choice: official ‘bullet journal’ | moleskine | leuchtturm 1917

more journals: cheaper moleskine alternative | grid essentials journal | piccadilly notebook | rhodia notepads | traveler’s journal

pens:

popular choice: zebra mildliners | staedtler triplus fineliners | stabilo point 88 fineliners | muji gel ink pens | pilot frixion

+ alternatives: pilot g-2 | monami aqua plus | pilot hi-tecpoint v5 | star diamond gel | candy colour ballpoint

more studyblr stationery | best school supplies

favourites + alternatives to popular stationery | even more

highlighters: koyuko 3-way highlighter | uni propus window | dong-A twinliner | stabilo boss | staedtler textsurfer highlighters

brush pens: pilot fude-makase | faber-castell | tombow

+ places to purchase stationery

a quick stationery crash course

iv. PAGES

types: daily | weekly | monthly | yearly * denotes i use it myself

front: key | table of contents | year at a glance | goals for this year

monthly: calendar* | goals / deadlines | expenses

weekly: weekly view* | food + habits | exercise | upcoming dates+events

daily: quote / song of the day | the weather | was this a productive day?*

back + other: tv show tracker | books to read* | inspirations page

+ masterpost of more page ideas | another | seasonal spreads

miscellaneous page ideas | more page & journal tips | spread ideas

“how-to” → types of pages

daily:

setting up daily spreads

daily spread layout ideas

+ more layout ideas

spread headers [daily]

5 daily logs + their uses

daily spread inspiration

weekly:

weekly spread layout ideas

+ more weekly layout formats

25 spreads and their uses

cute spread tutorial

inspiration for weeklys!! | + more insp

how to draw out a weekly spread

bullet journal weekly spread video

monthly:

visual monthly bullet journal guide

layout examples

more monthly layouts + uses

5 creative monthly spreads

bullet journal monthly spread video

monthly goals + spreads tut

spread examples:

daily: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

weekly: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

monthly: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

cute yearly spread

movie watchlist !

monthly memories

year at a glance

another one 

ideas + to dos

work/acad/life layout

financial planning

artsy weekview

goals + wishes

v. STYLING YOUR JOURNAL

handwriting & calligraphy:

cursive handwriting | 2 | 3 | 4 | tutorial

tips to neaten writing: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | + for adults | video

fonts to try | the ‘outline’ font | shadow font | + tag

highlighter + pen headers | mildliner headers

formatting headers | title ideas

quotes:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

from: composers | artists (2) | writers | scientists | philosophers | psychologists | + extensive tag

people: leonardo da vinci | shakespeare | slyvia path

who said it? quotes

quotes that will make you shudder (2)

find more: goodreads | brainyquote |  quotationspage | quoteland

get a daily quote & image in your email | +5 more websites

doodles:

reference: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | + tag

types: plants | floral + more flowers | clouds | seasonal | coffee

illustrate your notes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

drawing ribbons | 2 | 3 | 4 | gif tutorial

visual notetaking tutorial + fundamentals

tips on visual journal/diary spreads

+ more ways to be creative with your spreads

sketchnotes:

first time guide to sketchnotes | video

about + how to add them

basic sketchnotes reference + another

reference: 1 | 2 | 3

sketchnotearmy.com

other:

journalling cards

printing on sticky notes

page flag planning

add a chronodex?

study schedules

+35 things to add

vi. ALTERNATIVES

filofax

hobonichi planner

visual journals

fragment journalling

10 types of planners

3 minute journal

gratitude journal

reading journal

apps: 24me | wunderlist | any.Do | 30/30 | iStudiez

websites & extensions: getplan.co | evernote | timetune.center

good emotional skills to know 4 college but also in general

this is stuff that i’ve found helpful and am in the process of working on. they may not be achievable for you without help and may not work for your specific circumstance, but this is a list of suggestions that you might be able to think about. i am also not a mental health professional so please do feel free to contradict me!!

self soothing.  having a toolbox to take care of yourself by yourself. bc sometimes nobody else is available and you just gotta put some lotion on, listen to a tune, and go to bed early. 

checking in. checking in with yourself to see if you’re okay. knowing how to alter your strategies when your strategies aren’t working. knowing when your strategies aren’t working. this is just taking some time every day to reflect on what goals you didn’t meet and why and what you can do to fix that.

there’s nothing you “should” be doing. if you get caught up thinking “i should be doing x” that’s false! stop that! “should” be doing better implies that you have some obligation to do whatever it is that you “should” be doing. you don’t owe anybody except yourself. analyze why you think you should be doing that thing and change that into…. “i want to be doing x because…” or “doing x will make me happier, because…”. overall, more productive and less self-shamey. 

disconnecting from the crowd. eating in a crowded dining hall can be stressful! knowing how to be alone in a crowd and stay calm is helpful

being okay with being alone.  tbh college is kind of… being alone a lot, in my experience. even though you’re surrounded by people, a lot of time is spent alone. making friends is hard. your friends have different schedules. you’re busy. shit sucks. we make the best of it.

knowing yourself. this relates to a lot of what i’ve already said but like. knowing your emotional state and knowing what helps trick the monkey brain is helpful. stop repressing your feelings, friends.

talking to strangers. ordering from a menu! paying library fines. going to office hours. asking for a cashier at the register if there isn’t one. ya this is hard. ya you gotta expose yourself. sometimes i just try playing a persona. like this isn’t me ordering a sandwich. this is a cool me who knows how to talk to people who is ordering a sandwich.

you don’t have to be friends with your roommates. you just have to live together in a way that doesn’t make you two hate each other. ideally, you two will coexist in a way that doesn’t interfere with the other’s daily life.

give and taking. on the topic of roommates, sometimes your roommate can be a shitty person, but sometimes you are the shitty person! give a little but if they’re negatively impacting your life, communicate.

communicating during disagreements. explain what your emotions are instead of blaming them. “i feel hurt when you…” or “i feel frustrated when” or “i feel unappreciated when.” if things get heated, ask if you both can take a ten minute break and then come back. and don’t bring up disagreements when the other party is preoccupied or going somewhere. you can legitimately schedule a discussion.

it’s okay to apologize. learning to swallow your pride gets easier each time.

knowing that people work differently than you. some people are not gonna click with you and it’s gonna seem like they have this whole brain process up there that is totally unlike yours. and yeah! that’s how it is. and that’s chill if they aren’t hurting anyone else. work with them and be flexible!! 

comforting people. you will probably/definitely see someone cry! hell if i know how to comfort people. someone please help. but some things i’ve learned are: 1) different people need different things. different people need different things! 2) people need different things at different times. 3) you can ask them what they want and it won’t be weird. 4) apparently a lot of people like hugs? but ask. and it’s okay to not want a hug. 5) just show that you care in some way if you don’t know what they need. i used to think that if somebody needed to tell me what they needed it was a sign that i just didn’t know them well enough and we weren’t compatible or i wasn’t being a good friend. that’s fake! friendship isn’t based off of fitting naturally in every way and making an effort to be good for them is important.

knowing it’s okay to not be liked by everyone. it’s okay if strangers think you’re dumb because you said something dumb in public. you know you’re not dumb. it’s okay if not everybody you meet likes you. it’s okay if you do something cringey. everybody has their own shit to deal with and you will not shatter their world.  grow and move on!

forgiving yourself. i’m trying this new thing where when i feel embarrassed about something i say. out loud. “i forgive myself.” and then i just try to grow from that and move on without getting caught in a spiral of shame.

knowing what you need vs what you want and what is better at the time. what you need: a shower. what you want: to not do that. solution: take a shower! or maybe what you actually need is to go to sleep? but guess what. you probably know what is good for you. the hard part is actually doing it.

realize that building habits is less work than discipline. emotional effort is expended every time you have to make yourself do something. just make it part of your routine and you’ll just think it’s normal to do all the good things! like, for example, i’m trying to make it a habit to eat structured meals instead of a “eat when i’m hungry” thing because i know that makes me skip meals, which is bad!

you won’t be able to do everything. forgive yourself for that. write down  things that are top priority and focus on them. everything else is not important right now and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not being able to do them.

your health is important. i’m not saying health will solve all your problems. it won’t! but health will cause a lot of your problems to go away. because let’s face it. not sleeping causes a lot of problems. 

it’s okay to ask for help. we say this a lot but it’s hard to internalize it. here’s a thought: there’s so much shame and hesitation about asking for help so by doing that you’re actually being proactive (which is respectable) and mature, and therefore… not weak or stupid. ask for help even before you need it! most people love to help others. and especially take advantage of people who are OFFERING help. for example: counselors at school or TAs. it’s literally their job. they want to do it. and if you don’t want to talk to anybody in real life, my inbox is always open.

time blocking method

Hi all, this is werelivingarts, a new post about time management method: TIME BLOCKING! Time blocking allows you to divide your day into big blocks and helps you to complete similar tasks in one-go without any interruptions! 

You can do your time blocking on:

Google Calendar (simple and easy to use)

Plan (drag your to-do list and organize them in blocks)

TickTick Premium (offer pomodoro timer)

Hope you find this helpful! ⭐️

What a legend. Carrie Fisher is deeply missed.

How to Brace Yourself for a New School Year

August is fast approaching once again! Though I’m all for “starting the year/ school year right”, I think it’s pretty much unavoidable for us to get off track. A lot. Because of that, I put together this infographic to help minimize those stressful moments in your brand new school years.

First of all, get your shit together. And I mean both physically and emotionally.

it’s a new start my friend!! detox your mind of all those negative thoughts (and people) and embrace the opportunity to start over. 

gather all the supplies you need. if you’re moving into a dormitory, make sure it’s equipped with everything you need to feel at home. 

her campus college packing list

do’s and don’ts

don’t go overboard with this step, but go get yourself some new stationery. choose wisely, and ensure that you’ll actually use it and it’s not just for purposes of aesthetic. we all want nice instagram feeds, but don’t let that be a reason for you to buy too much pretty stationery.

why not think of a note taking system before classes begin? 

the cornell system

mind mapping

flashcards

not all may find the idea of going back to school exciting, but you gotta have the motivation to keep that positive mindset in your head throughout the year! go you.

Organize your study space. You may have to stay in it much longer than usual now.

lighting is important. it’s oversaid, but never untrue. opt for natural lighting when you can, but if you can’t or you’re a night owl, get a good study lamp to brighten up those long hours of work.

I did say you’re probably gonna be staying here for some long bouts of time, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. make your desk one of your favorite places to be in. if you want to, make it really pretty. hang up some motivational posters or quotes - perhaps you even want a color scheme with that. 

desk inspiration

quote posters to get you going

quotes from writers

have an accessible stash of stationery on your desk at all times so that you don’t have to go looking for a pen and a sticky note when you need to write something down. keep pens, pencils and highlighters in a jar near you.

keep something green on your desk, like a succulent. plants are adorable and the sight of them can boost your productivity.

have a planner or a bullet journal, and make space for that too.

a bujo masterpost 

if working with music helps you, have headphones with you as well. always have a study playlist on hand. go for instrumentals or wordless tracks.

study playlist masterpost

make it a habit to keep your space in check every night before you go to bed. it really could make a big difference in how much work you’re gonna be able to do. don’t forget to stay clear of distractions!

Create a stress management system.

okay. this is what i’m telling you to brace yourself for. there are gonna be those days or those moments when you’re gonna feel really depressed or panicked. you’re gonna be okay. feel free to message me or any other studyblr - we’re here to listen =)

take some time out to practice self care and put off work, even for a bit. school is not the most important thing in the world, keeping yourself alive and healthy is. you can sleep, be kind to yourself.

self-care reminders

soothe yourself

go get some food too. you can prep some of your own if you’d prefer.

food masterpost

mood boosting food

never ever ever underestimate the power of exercise. the feeling of finishing a workout is so so so satisfying and I can guarantee you will feel better in no time.

the seven minute workout

popsugar fitness

take out your mat and do some yoga. stretch out all those muscles you held in place for so long sitting at your desk.

I find it important to always have a mini-collection of unread books. if you don’t have any, one of my favorite places to be in is a bookstore or library - and I just read whatever I find. the results can be life changing.

take time to hone your skills in your hobbies. if you can, do it everyday - do that one thing that makes you really happy daily. maybe you like singing. or playing the guitar. or painting. whatever it is, go do it.

write it down! I keep an electronic journal and it really helps to just spill your thoughts out on a notebook or your phone.

honey, please talk to someone if you need to. it won’t hurt. 

Get a headstart on academics.

especially on subjects that are easier with advanced reading. if you already know what books you’re going to be tackling for english or literature, go read them.

sparknotes

shmoop

try asking upper years who used to take your classes if they still have their course outlines, or any material they were given before. this can save lives.

gonna be taking a language class? why not start learning it already?

duolingo

memrise

find textbooks and start using them!!

don’t have any idea of what you’re going to study yet? that doesn’t mean you should stop learning something new. you can listen to a ted talk or join an online course.

ted

crash course

coursera

Finally, set SMART goals for the school year. And have a concrete plan for how you’ll reach them.

what average are you aiming for? what organizations do you want to join? make your goals realistic and specific.

motivation is very important, but honestly, you can’t count on it to be with you every single day, every single moment of your life while you’re working for your goals. what will push you forward then? discipline.

building discipline

surround yourself with a community people who support you. like I said in the first step, detox all those negative people from your life. find ways to work with your friends and help each other in attaining goals.

set rewards for yourself too, not just in the long run but for the little things like finishing a good study session or passing a paper early.

study reward ideas

that being said, don’t underestimate the power of setting your short-term goals. those will be your stepping stones to pursuing the bigger picture you envision for yourself.

Tumblr and Pinterest, provided you don’t go too far in using them, can serve your daily doses of inspiration. don’t just use them for the sake of looking at aesthetically pleasing shots, though.

on a final note, don’t let academics take over your life. I hope you have a fantastic year, and good luck!

a few people have asked for a post on how i use onenote, so here’s a quick guide! also obviously not sponsored lol