WRITING HELP/CHARACTER

hey guys!! so many of us want to do well in our education but we don’t have the motivation to do it so we end up procrastinating but here i’ll give you some reasons why you should get off your butt + start working!!!

why should i study?

100 reasons to study

so you can get the job u want when you’re older

to help other people

stop finding excuses not to

that tv show/film/game/whatever can wait till your exams are over

to get the $$$$$

to grow

for success

to be the best you can be + a little effort will lead you to it

to continuously make progress

for more confidence

the result will be worth it in the end

studying doesn’t suck as much as failing

important quote

some nice positive stuff

keep trying

your current situation is not your final destination

you will get there

believe in yourself

you can do it

i believe in you

so far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days; you’re doing great!

quitting is not an option

don’t keep thinking about that mistake you made, be kind to yourself. after all, you’re human too!

you’re making progress. keep it up!!!

you are valid

stop comparing yourself to others and be the best you can be

stay determined + positive

everything will be very good so soon so hang in there + don’t worry about it too much!

calm down + focus

you’ll be surprised how much work you can get done in half an hour if you just focus

keep moving forward

you can do anything you want to

what you are going through right now will be over soon just remember to take care of yourself first

your imagination is wonderful!

you can + you will

shout-out to you for trying your best!!

+more

what if i fail?

it’s okay, you can always retake the exam

my love chris evans’ words of wisdom

failure is simply the opportunity to begin again; this time more intelligently.

doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will

failure is your teacher, not your judge

don’t confuse a single failure with a final defeat

self care for when you don’t feel motivated

have a bath

light some candles [be careful]

go flower picking

tidy your desks

write in a journal

listen to some nice music [take a look at my 8tracks]

go outside and just breathe

do some exercise

climb a tree

find a free local event + go to it

visit an animal shelter

pets some pups

doodle

call a friend

take a nap

watch some animal videos

eat some chocolate

head to toe self care

talk to me if you want to??

other links

what am i going to do with my life?

my motivation tag

my positivity tag

+ my masterposts

notes, studying, and self-study resources

self-study resources

supplies

igcse resources

literature masterpost

organisation

aesthetically pleasing notes

annotating

studying a foreign language

really great apps

math

college + uni

biology

space!!!!

chemistry

physics

summary writing

the discursive/argumentative essay

the narrative essay + the descriptive essay

the ultimate english masterpost!!

stress relief

what i’ve learnt throughout my years of being a student

how to stay productive during holidays

bullet journals

melodic studying

philosophy

stay sated whilst you’re motivated

shakespeare

summer productivity

+ more

hope this helps you guys + if you need anything ever please don’t hesitate to talk to me!!! i love you all xxxx

hey guys!!!

so this entire past month has been extremely, extremely stressful for me because i had so many exams and i only realised how hideously unprepared i was for them on the day before the exam, which was really really awful. so in the middle of september i created a studyblr to keep myself motivated + get some helpful tips from the studyblr community on how to go abt studying for tests. the results proved to be super helpful and ive resolved to keep running this blog for as long as i can, because it really helps me stay motivated and i’ve already learned so many things from the community, despite the fact that i’ve only been here for around a month.

but anyways, i decided to create this masterpost in order to help others stay motivated + keep studying not only well but also properly i.e. not necessarily studying for exams but life in general, if that makes sense.

~ staying motivated + focused

coffitivity

download the forest app

chrome site blocker

self control app

try the pomodoro technique

pomodoro printable

getting back on track

guide to staying motivated

an excellent post full of great advice

lots of great advice from an a levels student

masterpost full of motivational quotes

how to avoid procrastinating

100 reasons to study

how to study like a harvard student

motivational movies/shows

types of learners [what method of learning works for u]

motivation for harvard students [and basically all other students]

~ staying organized

5 habits of organized students

set up a bullet journal [1][2][3]

keeping school notes organized

use dropbox to store important files

masterpost on organizing schoolwork

a super awesome n helpful video tutorial

how to organize ur desk

how to study space

study space guide

study space tips and guidance

guide to study guides

atracker - track ur time and stop procrastinating [mobile app]

minimalist organization

masterpost on time management

time management tips

how to be productive

how to use a planner

effective planning system

~ note-taking

notability [ios app - best note-taking app imo]

note taking overview

cornell method

summary foldables

fastest way to take notes

simple, creative note-taking

how to make ur notes look pretty [infographic]

how to make ur notes look pretty [video]

taking notes from textbooks

taking notes during lectures

for: maths [1]

for: history

how to make mind maps

great supplies and stationery u could use to keep notes pretty and organized

what is visual note-taking?

how to: visual note-taking

what are sketchnotes?

how to: sketchnotes

masterpost on note taking methods

~ research techniques

how to google effectively

use google scholar as an alternative to google

one of the best websites for research [esp. while doing science projects at the last minute…i would know]

alternative to wikipedia

find books in nearby libraries

openlibrary [ebook library]

online journal search engine [find scientific publications]

~ essay writing

guide to writing a great essay

HUGE general writing masterpost [including essays]

a huuuge essay writing masterpost

how to write a university-level essay

how to connect ur points and ideas: transition words

editing checklist

advice: college application essays

improve ur vocabulary 

check the readibility of ur essay

website which grades ur papers and essays

~ free online resources & courses

openculture 

mit opencourseware 

the open university 

coursera 

khanacademy

codecademy [how to code]

memrise

study geography

online calculator

maths masterpost

amazing maths + general knowledge site [u must check this out!!!]

maths cheat sheets

mathway [solves any maths equation]

website that balances chemical reactions for u

study guides for many subjects

windows apps [not all study-related, but useful anyways]

more phone apps for productivity

list of great apps every student must have

crash course: psychology

crash course: world history + world history 2

crash course: anatomy and physiology

crash course: astronomy

crash course: big history

crash course: chemistry

crash course: biology

crash course: literature

crash course: us history

crash course: economics

crash course: us government and politics

crash course: intellectual property

crash course: ecology

free ebooks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

masterpost of free ebooks

~ languages

memrise

duolingo [20+ languages - very fun and interactive]

lang-8

thesaurus

reverse dictionary [1]

learning vocabulary

how to learn any language

HUUUUUGE language masterpost [so many languages and resources]

literature masterpost [for english - reading something other than textbooks is important yo]

english literature for college students [masterpost]

english literature: sparknotes

english literature: cliffnotes

english literature: shmoop

english literature: crash course

english literature: novel guide

no fear shakespeare

self-studying languages

spanish: advice

spanish: getting started

spanish: vocab

spanish: grammar and spelling checker

french: advice

french: getting started

french: vocab

french: grammar and spelling checker

french: masterpost of amazing resources

japanese: getting started

korean: masterpost of amazing resources

~ survival tips + advice

how to study for ANY subject

10 mistakes when studying

101 study tips

studying for a test

general study tips

how to study

how to survive high school

how to survive college

college survival masterpost

things to avoid doing

college: applying for scholarships

giving presentations

improve ur handwriting

resume cheat sheet

productive + relaxing afterschool routine

productive study breaks

emergency life hack: send last minute assignments after the last minute without getting into too much trouble

~ mental/physical health

the thoughts room

the dawn room

the quiet place

it will be okay

international suicide hotlines

iphone feature [to use in case of emergency]

emergency chat [mobile app]

sleeping tips [1]

dealing w insomnia

bedtime calculator [1]

stress management

how to reduce stress

staying calm during exams

grief masterpost

list of happy things

motivation for when ur not feeling so good

~ stress reliefs

clear ur mind

healthy study snacks

mug cake masterpost

smoothie masterpost

salads masterpost

more study snacks to boost brain activity

creepy sites

taylor swift tumblr replies

draw cool neon things

musical sea creature

watch a cool dream

watch any tv show/movie

just shower thoughts

poptropica [so underrated, my favourite game site, it’s for kids but it’s so entertaining and so much fun]

plant personality quiz

cookie clicker

make cool colourful silk

make virtual sand art

fake tweet generator

fake text generator

listen to calming sounds

huge masterpost full of fun stuff

~ music

ghibli music

coffee shop blues

classical music masterpost

masterpost of studying music

classical vocal music masterpost

cute nostalgic piano music playlist

my favourite instrumental playlist of all time

my studying/instrumental playlist collection on 8tracks

i think that includes most of the best resources i could find!!! feel free to message me in case 1) any of the links are broken, 2) u want me to add on to something, 3) u have a suggestion for a masterpost [i would love that so go ahead and ask if u do] or if u just wanna talk! also, feel free to reblog and add ur own comments/resources. hope this helped!! 

- mli

09.15// Math isn’t my strong suit so colorful fun notes are a necessity for this class ☀️

An example of how I set up my bullet journal - a fancy page with an overview of to do list and column setup for detailed day to day tasks. Read more about how I use bullet journals here!

last week’s bullet journal spread, legend, indexing key, and reading list!!

notebook: large blank moleskine pens: staedler fineliners, delistar 0.5

(12.07.2015)

Crunch Day Studying:

Maybe you’re super ahead and want some pointers, or maybe you have a day or two before your exam(s) and you aren’t where you wanted to be. Life happens, you procrastinate, have fears of failure, saw your last set of grades, had a shitty schedule and sleep cycles to boot. 

I) First things first:

Go eat breakfast/lunch, keep refined sugar on the down-low to avoid spikes and mood-ruiners. Set a limit to how much caffeine you drink on the days before, because sleep is king. Grab some fruit and water to keep fueled for your trek.

Meet with a friend. 10 minutes, maybe even with your food. Get a quick hug, exchange a few words, just make sure you see a human face before you lock up so you don’t lose your humanity in the process. 

Take a quick shower if necessary, and at least wash your hands as a gesture to the sanctity of what’s to come.

Take a nap if necessary: trust me, just 20 minutes.

Set a bedtime alarm: and get 8 hours in for as many days as you can before your exam. Studying is all about programming those neurons to do the work on command, not treating them like slaves to your ideals of self-discipline and hardwork.

Clear some headspace: 5-10 minutes so you have a bubble to sit and study in, and nothing smells bad. If you’re feeling really energetic then run and put your laundry in and set up your laundry alarms. 

II) Environment: 

Silence your phone

Prepare your weapons: keep pens, stickies, paper, and printer at hand. And clear off that desk.

Light it up: Bring them over and turn it all on. I have a lamp and a million christmas lights attached to the underside of my bunk/over my desk

Get cozy: I wrap myself in my big fluff blanket and cannot study without it, #noshame

Not too cozy: don’t even look at your bed. Mine is lofted and hours go by if I ever get stuck up there. 

Put on some sounds or earplugs: contrary to popular belief most of us study better in silence, but some atmospheric pieces are listed below.

Gather your materials: printed notes and review questions in a binder

Set up your laptop: if you use it to study at all. I find it helpful if you:

close down all distractions: no steam, no calibre/ebooks, NO NANOWRIMO, no social media, no youtube/music, no anime, no manga, no photoshop, no fruityloops, etc whatever you do. 

have audacity: I record my entire study session, talking to myself in third person/teaching my friend Audacity how to do stuff because I love my friends but can’t trust them with my (academic) life. 

put up motivational photos: I open up some pictures on half my screen, like the one listed above (and more at then end of this post). The trick is to say “this is me, Imma do it” everytime you glance at it. 

use wordpad or evernote: they will suffice to generate that final study guide/practice exam: color code in whatever makes you happy, keep it under 5. Study method below:

III) One of many methods:

Take a practice exam/problem sets to determine your weakest sections (ahaha like the SATs), and to get a feel for the professor’s question style.

Make Outline of entire exam’s topics, thinking of that practice exam.

Fill in points, slide by slide (I digested the slides beforehand and wrote in sample test questions). Very effective for content heavy classes. 

Bold terms/concepts: especially if they showed up in the practice exam. (blue)

Make summary questions for each important bullet/subtopic, as you go (red)

Make test questions - finish each section, reflect, and write higher level, test questions (purple)

Mark down: Highlight anything that you need to review more. 

Test yourself using those questions, add in questions as necessary. Create a second study guide to focus on your weakest points for further refining. 

Have fun:

Sounds: sometimes it’s loud and generated noise is necessary (examples listed from white noise to musical)

SPACE ODYSSEY | Deep White Noise For Focus, Power Naps or Sleep | Sounds Like Star Trek TNG Engine

3 Hour Focus Music: Study Music, Alpha Waves, Calmi ng Music, Concentration Music ☯465

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST- All explore tracks - good if you need to do creative work or want to add emotional memory to your facts. “Broken Road” is exceptionally distracting for me though, so I’d use this at the tail of a study session.

Extended OSTs - mostly video game soundtracks 

More Motivational Photos: keep your favorites on your desktop or something

This Blog

r/getmotivated

not up to buying stabilo or staedtler? restricted access to resources? this post might help!

credit to studyception​ and ray over at fistudy for helping out with this post, because figuring out brands, stores, and prices in america is easier when you have a friend in america to talk to.

** note: i’m an upper class teenager, and i’m not an authority on what is/isn’t cheap. i also haven’t tried all of the things on here.

supplies

walmart has cheap five-star notebooks that are $1-2

at target 1-subject 5-star notebooks are $1.97, 3-subject is $3.87, 5-subject $5/6

also, five-star folders there are ~$2

do not use moleskines, especially if you can’t find them cheap, and i can’t say moleskines are often cheap. they are not worth their price.

a spiral or composition notebook works fine – compositions have sturdier spines, but spirals’ pages are easier to turn or tear out if they’re not perforated, so keep that in mind.

mead composition notebooks at target are $0.50

papermate flair pens can be found at costco, among other places. they’re $12 for a pack of 14 and are quite pretty. also, they’re better quality than stabilo — more ink, bleeds less.

dollar tree. you won’t find anything fancy there, but you don’t need fancy. use dollar tree.

don’t worry about brand names as long as it’s quality. yes, muji is expensive.

don’t buy those sets of 20 colored pens. if you’re into color coding, you need, what, 4-7 colors? three different shades of red isn’t necessary.

or if you don’t want a bunch of colors at all, go with blue and black and maybe a highlighter.

if looking for basic pens with black ink, do not bother with anything fancy just get one of those packs of 10 gel pens that are for like $2 or something (they better have these in the usa)

paperback books are cheaper. just make sure to treat them well.

free sat/ap prep materials here

english class: for finding novels (need that book for english?), tuebl has free epubs, you just need to know how to search it (there’s no viruses, though!). if you can’t read epubs because of the format, then download the epub and convert it to pdf (or another format). if you need a hard copy, book depository can be cheap but isn’t free.

if you need a laptop or tablet cheap, like <$100 cheap, pls try reading this post!!

for color coding, walmart and staples sell sets of four colored pens for $2-3 each

like the kipling 100 case? this is similar and $9 to kipling’s $40

advice

if you have a job or too many activities and get home late, squeeze in studying when you can – breaks between classes, at lunch, whatever you’ve got. if you’ve got a free period, use it. a’s before baes.

also, sometimes overworking yourself is your only option, especially if you’re short on time. do your best to prevent it — remember to eat something, don’t procrastinate, don’t get distracted.

want to use the pomodoro technique for studying, but you don’t have a computer or phone? use any clock you have and mark down the times on a piece of paper

if you want to minimize the amount of supplies: pens. highlighters. paper + cheap notebooks. i don’t recommend much else

workspaces

to be a studyblr, you do not need a pretty workspace (or even have one, use the floor, dinner table, couch, whatever), but if you want one, here’s some cheaper ways of keeping your workspace looking nice!

don’t clutter — put your paper in stacks, and if you have drawers/cabinets, use them

but if you don’t have too many papers put them in folders or binders

if you have boxes small enough to do so but large enough to hold your clutter, put the extra papers + stuff you don’t need often but may need later in the boxes and shove them under the desk.

containers help, esp. for pens, but they cost money. try using cups — the tiny, flimsy disposable ones will tip over for sure, but you can put smaller things like tape or erasers in there. bigger, more stable ones for pens.

want decorations? try making paper flowers [x x x x x] or glitter jars [x x x x x]. put up drawings if you’ve got the space.

buy washi tape if you can use up money on something pointlessly pretty, michael’s has so many varieties, and they’re $1-2 each. target also has some with thicker rolls, but it’s more expensive + less variety. costco has some as well! i’m recommending it for decorating. as far as its function as tape, you can use it as a label, but don’t try to actually hold anything together with it.

don’t like the look of those pen containers? add a strip of washi tape around the brim. put it on boring notebook covers. loop it through some paper clips and use that as bookmarks. you can try this [x] for inspiration, but it’s buzzfeed and i don’t recommend you try to washi tape your car or use it as wallpaper. some other suggestions: [x x x x x x]

(hint: yes, we use filters. photo editing is a thing.)

highlight your notes omg if you want to spend hours rewriting them to look pretty, that’s awesome, but highlighters will work

software

sometimes it’s easier to do things online than wasting paper or notebooks on it! means less stuff to carry around with you, too.

however, not everyone owns a macbook (or even has their own computer), so i tried to post sites that can be accessed across all computers and aren’t mac-only.

here, some websites — wolframalpha and mathway, and you can google some math things!

sparknotes will probably save you at some point

check your writing for things like cliches, passive voice, adverbs, etc, or just for grammar with:

prowritingaid editminion hemingwayapp autocrit spellcheckplus

search engines: ipl, orion’s arm (for science), ecoasia (save trees!), library of congress (about the usa), sweet search

also, if you don’t want to buy a planner/sticky notes/whatever that involves to-do lists, try todoist - available on the web, ios, android, chrome, firefox, windows, and os x / or wunderlist - available on windows, mac, android, iphone, ipad, windows phone, chromebook. i’m fond of both!

create citations with bibme or easybib

need somewhere quiet to study and don’t have much of a workspace? find uncrowded places in your area with avoidhumans

microsoft word costs so much money. use libre office. it’s free and basically the same thing. or try openoffice.

if you need to use public computers (there are probably some at your library or something): get a gmail account and use google chrome. when you’re using it, log into the account. bookmark all the things you need. as long as you log into that account when you get on a computer, those bookmarks will be with you, as well as your browser data/settings.

speaking of syncing across computers, evernote is cool for notetaking & google drive is your friend

other posts

internet resources

if you don’t have much money and you’re getting your first apartment

free online courses

sat help [because expensive prep books/classes, ew]

find cheaper or free textbooks/classics online [2] / but maybe read this post first [warning, all bold]

“i’m so poor because i buy too many books”

cheap online colleges

100 recipes for the starving student / similar: [x x x]

feel free to add onto this post x

Feel motivated by Hell yeah! http://ift.tt/17OaFWv

4.4.16+3:50pm // 28/100 days of productivity // made a title + subheaders reference page since i needed some inspiration for my notes. hope you find it useful, too!