The Basics Of Research Methods. There’s So Much To Learn In AS And More Is Added In The Second Year.

i made some biochemistry flashcards for carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism! they’re basically condensed notes but they’re much more convenient and organised this way as each side of the card is a different subtopic plus now i can study on the go!

[ from my instagram @studyingg ☄ ]

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hi chelsea!! i'm an undergrad student right now, considering a career in academia. my adviser and all my professors tell me i have a lot of potential and i love the idea of spending my life teaching and doing research, but i've read so many horror stories about people trying to find & keep jobs and eventually leaving academia. i was wondering if you had any insight or advice, maybe even places where i could find a more positive & encouraging (but still realistic) perspective. thank u!!

i’m not sure i’m in a great place to answer this for you! the realistic picture is just… not encouraging. finding someone who’ll say “of course you’re going to get a job!” might make you feel better temporarily, but that person is lying to you, and the lie is going to come back around and hurt worse in five years or so. 

in other words, the horror stories are ubiquitous because the experience is ubiquitous (and tbh, though quit lit has def blossomed over the last few years, there’s still a far greater number of people leaving academia than are represented in those accounts–many people see leaving as “washing out” or admitting defeat, and don’t talk about their decisions to go). 

this is not to say that you shouldn’t go into academia. but as i tell my own mentees, you should not go into academia with the expectation of getting a job at the end. i went into grad school because i liked doing the work, and because i did some self-assessment and concluded that even if i didn’t leave six years later with a tenure-track teaching job, i wouldn’t regret taking the time & doing the work to get the doctorate. then i sat down and had a little chat with myself two-ish years ago and decided that yes, i was going to Go For It, which has meant avoiding quit lit for my own mental health and focusing on the positives (your professors! those are the extant examples of people who got the kind of research & teaching job you want!). asking your advisors about this directly is a great place to start; you can also read karen kelsky’s the professor is in, which i’ve mentioned here a few times, for a fairly realistic description of what the market is like at the moment. 

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hello! precalculus is a pretty interesting class if you put your mind to it, and i found some great resources for it so i thought i would share! also, since trigonometry is part of this subject, that’s included too!

khanacademy

purplemath

precalc dictionary!

math forum

mathbff

course notes

notes by topic

amazing formula sheet

sparknotes: math

edX course!!

math study tips

video lessons

ucl instructional videos

quadratic formula song

math professor quotes

+ trig specific

khanacademy!

course notes

how to learn trig

great formula sheet

interactive unit circle

trig identities hexagon

basic trig + graphing

identities and equations

unit circle song!

more masterposts!!

algebra

AP chemistry

AP world history

studyblr-ing

the Everything Book

the pomodoro method

how to use flashcards

how to use sticky notes

welcome to high school

tiny study spaces

what’s in a pencil case

i hope this was of help to you! keep shining like the star you are and remember to be awesome today!!

- Aza

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54 | Now accepting recommendations for a winter candle scent…

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i’ve gotten a million asks about presentations! and presentation nerves! and presentation prep! so here is a long-ass post about:

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS!

every presentation is different and will have a different context. this advice is for seminar/class presentations, not conference panels, and based on my experience as an english lit grad student (and teacher). some classes you feel comfortable joking in; others, the vibe (or the professor’s expectations) will be more formal. read the room!! 

a good presentation is one that communicates clearly. in other words, it’s more important to be legible to your audience than it is to “sound smart.” usually when you’re consciously working to sound smart, you sound like an asshole. as the genie in aladdin once said, bee yourself. 

be generous to your audience. if you conceptualize your presentation as having two parts, let them know that! “i want to do two things with this presentation: talk about this secondary text, and then identify some examples that we can talk about in the primary.” signpost that shit! let your audience know where you’re heading and what you want them to understand.

related: present on something interesting. this does not mean objectively interesting. it means you should find something that really gets you curious or passionate or annoyed! 99% of the time, if you’re invested, your audience will be invested.

K.I.S.S. only use a powerpoint if you have images that support or contribute to your presentation. no distracting backgrounds, special effects, or clip art, it’s not 1998 (unless you are going for a retro vibe, in which case, don’t let me stop you). no big blocks of text. only use prezi if you want to make your audience nauseous. if you’re using a handout for quotations or major points, keep it basic and readable. 

plan your ending. there is nothing worse than a presentation that ends with a “so uh… yeah………………..” suggestions:

stick the landing. in other words, do the oral version of an essay conclusion: why it matters, how your presentation impacts the understanding of the topic, etc.

questions for further discussion, the kind you have some answers for or thoughts about.

legitimate questions that you don’t have answers for! not factual ones, obviously, but questions about a tricky scene in the text, how a particular narrative form is working, moments that you’ve identified that actually work against your conclusions, etc. it’s okay to admit that you don’t have all the answers; in fact, it’s a sign that you’re really engaging with the material. just make sure you use this one on a presentation where you’ve already proven that you did a lot of work and know your shit.

imitate what you like to see. i’ll hazard a guess and say that most people enjoy presentations that allow some personality, or we’d just have siri read our papers out loud. my usual presentation style is on the informal side; after 3 years of small seminars with the same people and professors, i feel comfortable joking around with the folks in my area. if i were to present for my whole department, i would not be that chill.

personalize your notes. you’re the only one who’s gonna see them! make them useful to you. 

don’t be nervous. not helpful, i know, but as someone who actually likes giving presentations but still gets anxious: it’s going to be okay. presentations can be a great chance to talk about something you find interesting, to direct class discussion, and to dig deeper into material that you might skim over otherwise. understand that your classmates will usually be generous and sympathetic (see: seminar personalities). treat it like an opportunity, not a punishment.

okay this is not really general advice, but it’s a plug for a grad school presentation favorite that will make your life way easier: the pdf handout.

it doesn’t have to be hard copy (though you should probably bring a few just in case). if everyone in your seminar has a laptop or tablet, email that thing out the night before! they get a lil preview and a document they can refer to in the future; you get to combine hi-res color images, hyperlinks, and whatever text you need to include.

still keep it minimalist. you can go overboard with your personal notes. the only things that should go on the handout are

things that are better written down than spoken (long quotes, statistics, timelines, etc.)

things that will contribute to your audience’s understanding of the material.

and here is an example of the difference b/t notes and handout, from a presentation i did last fall on my husband thomas hoccleve n scholarly fatigue (i was rly tired and wanted to talk abt being Weary) 

my notes on hoccleve’s work life:

the handout version that i emailed to everyone in the course:

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Organic Chemistry Masterpost

As a chemistry major, I’ve taken sophomore organic chemistry and advanced organic chemistry. I know it’s a highly popular class, so given the demand, I figured I’d contribute some materials I’ve used that led me to success in those classes.

Google Drive:

I have set up a Google Drive folder containing much of these resources I’ve used to study from, and eventually tutor, the class. They are organized in folders by semester.

Summary Sheets

Practice “Workshop” Problems

Practice Exams

Class Notes

Research Papers

Lab Reports

“The Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry” PDF (written by my professor!)

If I end up finding additional resources, I will add more to the Drive. But that should do you well! You can check the original post for updates here.

Study Tips:

Preparing for Organic Chemistry by @hexaneandheels

Survivng Orgo Lab w/ Awful Partners by @hexaneandheels

How I Study for Organic Chemistry by @thekimmydiaries

The 10 Commandments of Organic Chemistry by @theorgounderground

Survival 101 In: Organic Chemistry by @chemistrynerd2020

Helpful References from @theorgounderground

Basic Survival Skills

Intermediate Survival Skills

Advanced Combat Skills

Reaction Mechanisms

Master Chart of All Reactions

Substitution vs. Elimination

Printables:

Reaction Table & Reaction Chart by @colllegeruled

Line Reactions & Mechanisms by @studygene

Best YouTube Channels for Orgo:

Leah4Sci (she was my goddess; check out her website, too!)

Khan Academy Organic Chemistry

Master Organic Chemistry (also check out his website!)

The Organic Chemistry Tutor

Other Recommendations:

Organic Chemistry as a Second Langauge (THE BIBLE)

Klein Textbook >>> McMurry Textbook (IMO; my professor assigned McMurry)

Molecular Visions Molecular Modeling Kit

ChemWiki

Really, this class is not as hard as people make it out to be. If you put in the work, it’s easy to understand. Practice problems are your friend. If your professor assigns “optional” homework, do it anyway. My professor did a “mechanism a day”, which is something you should absolutely do on your own if your professor doesn’t! At times it might be frustrating, but be patient. Your hard work will pay off!

Good luck!

– Melissa  (@hexaneandheels )

Study Tips | FAQ in Academia | Printables | YouTube | Instagram

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☆*:.｡. 8.9.17 .｡.:*☆ back with another post!! i’m sure you guys can tell, but the theme for last week was paper airplanes. it’s not shown, but the song of the week was White Line by 天月!

just two days ago, i had walk through registration at school! so far, i only share classes with two of my friends, but i’m happy nonetheless, even if i do feel a bit lonely. i really hope i can use the opportunity to look on the brighter side instead of feeling left out- i can make new friends, and focus better in class! school starts next week and i’m terribly anxious yet somewhat excited…

on a side note, i bought school supplies! my mother was surprisingly okay with me buying a lot of pens… i hope to make a back-to-school haul post, but i’m not sure when it’ll be. i also ordered a lot of stationery off ebay, but they all arrive at different times, so i can’t make a post for those for another two months…

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scholarships are the bomb!! free money to get urself an education!! here’s my best advice aaand resources for applying + getting some of that sweet sweet money :D

advice

use all of the databases!! the scholarships are right there for you. Take advantage of them, srsly!!! many let you input your criteria + they’ll match you up with some, and they help to organize your applications. You can subscribe to their newsletter and get alerts for new scholarships. there’s a whole bundle below all this advice to getchu started :D

start early + don’t stop: your eligibility for scholarships starts pretty much freshman year of high school, and basically doesn’t stop until you’re out of education, so take advantage of them!!! Logically, applying to more gives you a higher chance of winning one, so keep ploughing through them

don’t let essays scare you off: sweepstakes scholarships are easiest to apply for, but this also means they have more applicants. Do your best work + put time into essay-based scholarship contests, and up your chance of winning something!! Factor them into your normal routine like you would a homework assignment and just keep at it.

keep track of what you’ve applied for: seriously. Do it. It’ll motivate you when you’re not feeling like it, + keep you organized. Set up a spreadsheet (google sheets, excel, whatever floats your boat) and give it 5 columns: title of the scholarship, amount worth, whether or not you’ve applied, if you were successful, + the organization offering it. It’s also a great reminder of scholarships to reapply for next year.

check local scholarships: they’re waayyyy more restricted so the applicant pool is a lot smaller!!! Check your school, organizations you belong to, your parents’ companies, + local businesses. You’ll be competing against people in your town/county/district + it’ll give you a much better shot at winning. Check out your school’s website + talk to your guidance counsellors!

be specific: narrow down that applicant pool early. When you’re googling, look for scholarships that will apply only to you, so don’t just search ‘scholarships’. Look for ‘scholarships for bisexual women’, or ‘scholarships for international students’, or ‘scholarships for left-handed volleyball players’. Less applicants=better outcomes.

don’t apply to scams: be wary!!! Two big things: be careful of scholarships which want you to pay to apply, and guaranteed scholarships. Research pay-to-apply ones to make sure they’re legit. There’s more info here, here, and here on avoiding scholarship scams. Stay safe!!

scholarship databases

unigo goodcall scholarships.com niche scholarshipmonkey fastweb chegg cappex dosomething scholarshippoints nextstudent college board

more scholarship masterposts

college scholarships masterpost by @wonderstudying​ 

how to search for scholarships by @adamparresh​ 

scholarships! by @the-regular-student​

it’s ya girl’s college scholarship masterpost by @jesussbabymomma  

scholarship 101 by @thisexpedition​

scholarships: how to find them and apply by @futurecristinayang​

good luck!! you’ve got this :D

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[6.6.2020] still trying to keep up with studying Korean each day, feeling much more confident with hangul and the repetition is kicking in and I feel like it’s finally starting to stick! vowels are pretty much down so it’s on to consonants, dipthongs are still giving me a bit of trouble but overall I’d say my alphabet learning is going well!

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idk just with school starting soon i thought it would be a good idea 

For Studying

formulas & equations fill-in sheet

organic chemistry resources

essay checklist

exam checklist

template for summarizing academic articles

language practicing pack

writing/planning essay pack

correction sheets

assessment schedule

pomodoro technique

primary source analysis

 exam study pack

overcoming the curve of forgetting

key people/character tracker

review pack

study schedule

vocabulary

For Sticky Notes

blank template

to-do strips

to-do strips, stickers, sticky note outline

different sticky note templates (water tracker, to-do, etc.)

For Note-Taking

blank dot grid pages

semi-cornell note taking outlines

novel note-taking

line/dotted note templates

several note outlines

unicorn notes!!

grey, pink, blue, yellow, & black grid paper

Planners

undated planner (365 days calendar, month calendar, & week  calendar)

undated academic calendars (May 2016-May 2017)

weekly goals

timetable schedule

daily to-do list

4 to-do list variations (one of my faves!!)

daily planner (fave!)

weekly dotted planner

dotted monthly planner

b&w serious weekly planner

daily planner v.1 v.2 (fave!)

weekly planner

to-do list (hackers/x-files/spy?? theme)

essay planner

full year planner inserts

monthly overview

habit/goal trackers

weekly planner

simple daily planner

long-term goals

daily grid planner

project planner

100 days of productivity & to-do list

steven universe planning kit

plain planner bundle

summer calendars 

blog planning kit

ultimate blog planner kit

habit tracker

20 to-do lists!

pastel daily printable

summer goals

august calendars

goal printables pack

Expenses

monthly budget

monthly in/out expenses and spendings (really useful tbh)

school supply list

finance tracker

Etc. 

reading list

song list/music log

productivity log

folder inserts

font references!!! (also a fave)

insp. posters 2

self-care 

water tracker

study break activity book

inspiring wallpapers!!

really good kit containing a planner, quote sheet, book tracker, & more!

class information 

Other Masterposts for Printables!

studiyng’s

studie-s’s

studywithnerdyglasses’s

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