#academla
Omg so I made these notebooks from sketchbooks and I am so proud of them. I couldn’t really find any that I liked so I decided to make my own. (especially my Tom Riddle Diary) I’m actually going to give that one to my sister as a present because she is a huge Harry Potter fan (as am I) but I think she would like it better. I followed a youtube video by Sea Lemon.
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currently working in my new planner from my amazing friend @procrastina-tears
I’ve only been working on the past days so far because I just don’t like having empty space. I am very happy with it so far :)
Also the planner is byban.dō
(Sorry guys I tried with the graphic.) As I’m gearing up for college next year I turned to my blog and combed through to find resources I could reference. Here are the ones I uncovered!
- College pinterest
- Discounts with student ID
- Miscellaneous tips (what to buy, wear, and keep in your backpack)
- The ultimate college masterpost
- DIY dorm decor
- Tumblr resources for college
- Dorm essentials
- Voice recording
- Online college classes
- College/university masterpost
- Guides to college success
- BTS/general masterpost
- BBAB campus checklist
- Student discounts 2
- Quick and easy foil recipes
- Miscellaneous money tips (which will be useful in college especially)
- What I learned in 3 years as an undergraduate
- Tips for college freshmen
- How to college
- Do’s and Don't’s on packing for college
- Everything I actually used in my college frosh dorm
- Dorm shopping 101
- A procrastinator’s guide to university
- Ultimate college packing list
- Guides to life
- Things I wish someone had told me
- Advice for college
- College masterpost
- University advice
- Surviving university
- University year one: academics
- Actual good first time college student advice
- The tiny anthropologist’s advice for college
Hope that was helpful!
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Been super busy lately with a cultural exchange I’m participating in but here are some photos I’ve taken in the last couple days.
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okay studybugs, to celebrate 20k+ (!! thank you so much?? what) i’m venturing into masterposts… so studying loads & loads works to a point, but using time productively is such a helpful skill (I’m still trying to learn) & can help reduce unnecessary study time/cover way more ground far more quickly so why wouldn’t you??
Methods:-
- The right study methods are important, try a few and choose which work for you
- E.g. I know that active study methods work best for me, so I write notes/essay plans, do exercises/tests, make flashcards and test myself, do past papers, and go over them all with a highlighter for good shit/key mistakes
- Condense, condense, condense!! That’s why I use flashcardseven more than full-blown notes now, it’s so much quicker and easier to deal with small chunks of info
- Also flashcards take way less time in my experience – to make larger note-sheets pretty (which is a Big And Important Deal for me) takes a lot more time/planning/rewriting than just a little , A5- sized piece of card
- I repeat: it is way quicker to write out 1 flashcard again than 1 whole A4 sheet of notes
- On that note (ha), feel free to rewrite your notes if they go a bit wrong, but only if you have time and it will be beneficial to you. Re-writing notes can help get the information in better and is not always a complete waste of time. If not, tho, chillax, swallow your pride and keep on writing, even if you just had to cross out three WHOLE WORDS right in the middle of the page. Your examiner is not going to care. Promise :)
- Use online resources we forget about these too much! Use Quizlet for absolutely anything (more on this below) and memrise is great too tho I don’t use/like it as much. If there’s a particular kind of test/resource you need, type it into Google, particularly if it’s for languages of for a set course (e.g. ‘EDXEL A-level History’), chances are someone else has needed it before too and it’ll be ready and waiting
- Teach what you’re learning or discuss it with your mum/friends, anyone. Just talk at them and tell them everything you know on the spot, it’s a great way to help you remember everything and also test gaps in your knowledge
- Alternatively just sit and write everything you know and can possibly think of for a topic it does the same job
General:-
- Let’simprove timemanagement
- Study groups – beware to know thyself tho (if you think you and your friends will just spend ages chatting then avoid avoid avoid) but these can be a great way of keeping focussed and productive over longer periods of time, break up the monotony of studying and be a really helpful support network for a particularly difficult topic
- Checklists! And keep them after you finish the day, they are so so indispensable for planning, staying on track and working out how much you have left to do, as well as reminding you how much you’ve already done (which is so important! Keep tabs on this! V. motivating and rewarding as well as instructive)
- Actually just plan plan plan this cannot be stressed enough. I plan what I’m doing in each session for my entire day in the morning so that I can keep track of how well I’m doing. It doesn’t matter if you fall behind of catch up too quickly (lucky you), sometimes we over-estimate our fabulousness! Planning just gives you a structure (which really helps everyone) and short-term goals to work towards, which are important to keep you working/motivated
- Plan specific activities/topics for each section. If you’re planning and writing in just ‘french’ for 45 mins or ‘latin’ for an hour then you might as well not be planning at all. Instead write ‘french: practise essay – [essay title]’ and ‘latin: four vocab tests (irregular verbs, adjective declensions, masc. & fem. nouns’
- Have a set schedule! Keep to similar timings throughout the day with regular breaks (we all know this but it’s important). Lots of people find Pomodoros helpful, I find them a bit to stop-start-y and I can’t get much done so I prefer to have longer study periods with longer breaks. Do not work for more than 50 minutes at a time it is pointless, unhealthy and it does not work.
- Maybe try to keep roughly to your school day timings to limit the amount of work you’re doing to a healthy level? I do 45 mins with a 15 min break each time (my printable schedule is here sorry it’s a bit messy)
- This means even when I’m at school I can do 2/3 sessions in the evening still sticking to the same timings
- What to do in breaks – make tea, small exercises, browse social media, have a chat
- What to eat whilst studying – blueberries (the food of the gods got me thru my GCSEs), nuts, any fruit (your brain runs mainly on natural sugars – not refined), anything green (smoothie, kale, avocado), fish (maybe not for a snack but hey whatever floats your boat (ha))
- Drink lots of water (tea counts! especially if it’s black (leaf-water)), eat well and exercise it’s actually beneficial to your energy levels, mood and information retention
- Work in a well-lit (preferably natural light), comfortable and sensible atmosphere so you can FOcus – preferably quiet (exam practise) or if you need some noise make sure it’s low in the background so it won’t distract you – distractions = timewasting
- Feel free to go somewhere other than your room if you know this is going to be more helpful! I find myself losing focus surrounded by my books etc. sometimes so coffee shops/libraries are a really good option (especially with classical music in my headphones)
- I like soft piano music when studying as it’s calming and easy listening without any concentration but if you want to have a look at other background noise go here for music or here for general noise
Apps &c.:-
Disclaimer – I don’t often use apps to study. Almost all of these notes are just from brief interactions. I usually just use the default timer on my phone as my timings don’t fit the usual Pomodoro apps, but if you’re looking for something a little more snazzy my all-time faves (they’re all free) are:
- Momentum (chrome extension for laptop) – studyblr stalwart; I actually use this every day & I love it. Aesthetic motivating new-tab/home screen with gorgeous landscapes, clock, inspirational quote and to-do lists
- Quizlet (website and app) – as I mentioned, my absolute fave app for on the go revision. Any quiz/test you need will be there (within reason). I way prefer it to memrise as I find that just takes too long. 4 different ways to learn on the app + more online, once you’ve saved the quiz it doesn’t need wifi so you can use it literally anywhere
- Flat Tomato – fave timer I’ve found. Based on Pomodoro but I’ve changed the settings and it works perfectly with the way I like to schedule my time (which is rare). To-do list from which you can name each session & also looks pretty with nice colours. V. simple, no habit tracker or anything but works really nicely & well
- FocusNow – Bye delay – free version of Forest which I’ve never used tho I know both are v. famous in the community (and for a reason!). Has an adaptable timer (based on Pomodoro). Grows a ‘castle-farm’ square-by-square for every session you go without clicking off the app. Habit tracker & everything and v. sweet
- MinimaList – v. simple but lovely-looking and accessible to-do lists. If you click on a to-do a timer for 15/30/45 mins comes up, and if you pick up your phone a dialogue box tells you to put it back down
- Pomotodo–really nice app from what I can see, just as good if not better/more aesthetic than Flat Tomato, with habit tracker &c. and v. v. cleverly designed. The only thing for me is that you can’t change the timings – it’s Pomodoro or nothing, but if that works for you would deffo recommend
(FYI I have an iPhone so the above apps are all from the app store. Some good google play ones I’ve seen are: Pomotodo(again),Brain Focus,ClearFocus,Focus LockandForest which is on google and apple too (but: ££))
plus! focus & study more effectively; study better; study tips for lazy people
hopefully this helps, feel free to ask if you have any questions or requests (also 1st masterpost eekso please be nice and let me know what you think!). striving for maximum productivity is the interminable struggle - good luck
xxx e
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4th June ~ 17:06
Oops forgot post these yesterday - nothing like a bit of revision to spice up a birthday…
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17th April ~ 12:15
English essay planning & finishing off holiday homework this morning. I’ve started doing that thing where you plan each day on post-its? We’ll see how it goes. Also I’m running low on post-its.
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Bookmark Printables (via Google Drive)
Would you guys be interested in free bookmark printables?
I’ve never done these before so feedback would be appreciated (good or bad!). If you guys like these then I could maybe make a better (more pretty) series or even custom ones.
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7:40am // Gloomy Sunrise - Studygram: @studyingbrains
Revising early in the morning on the train before my last statistics exam. I really struggled all throughout this module. I’ve learnt a big lesson though; if the first lecture leaves you dumbfounded then know at the end of the module you’ll definitely have learnt something.
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Morning Session // Writing up project proposals…
I actually enjoy getting on campus early in the morning, before too many students are around. It gives me time to ease myself into the day (and eat my apple in peace). These pretty red chairs are super comfy too.
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Assignment Checklist Free Printable (PDF in Google Drive)
Keep your assignments looking professional and academic with these checklists that are used once you have completed a piece of work.
Tick off each task to make sure your work is of a presentable standard, for example:
- Single/Double spacing.
- Hanging indent for references.
- Completing title pages; Title, student ID, module code & name.
- Consistent font and font size.
- …And feel free to add your own tasks specific to your course too.
- Bonus: Box at the bottom has common reference styles (MLA, APA, Harvard).
I usually print these, cut them out and keep one with each assignment. It saves me time having to Google what’s required when referencing University/College work. If you can’t print then just write it out on paper/sticky notes. Let me know if this is helpful (and where to improve!).
More help: MLA Referencing//APA Referencing//Harvard Referencing
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Neuroscientist captures an MRI of a mother and child
Professor Rebecca Saxe (MIT) has taken the first ever MR image of a mother and child.
“This picture is an MR image of a mother and a child that I made in my lab at MIT. You might see it as sweet and touching… an image of universal love. We can’t see clothes or hairstyles or even skin colour. From what we do see, the biology and the brains, this could be any mother and child or even father and child at any time and place in history; having an experience that any human can recognise.
Or you might see it as disturbing, a reminder that our human bodies are much too fragile as houses for ourselves. MRI’s are usually medical images and often bad news. Each white spot in that picture is a blood vessel that could clog, each tiny fold of those brains could harbour a tumour. The baby’s brain maybe looks particularly vulnerable pressed against the soft thin shell of its skull.
I see those things, universal emotions and frightening fragility but I also see one of the most amazing transformations in biology.”
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- Once you have purchased an item open the product in-store (or in your car).
- Make sure everything is of an acceptable standard, and that it is what you needed (it usually is but I’ve sometimes made the mistake of buying the wrong cable).
I do this when buying:
- Technology;usually for small items e.g. USB, hard drives, cables, headphones, soldering irons etc… I would do it for laptops only if the box looked like it had taken a knocking. I’d want to check the screen there and then.
- Medical prescriptions; my grandmother was once given out-of-date medicine and the pharmacy also once ran out of the drug she needed and offered an alternative that my grandmother was actually allergic too.
- Textbooks;have a good look at the contents pages and illustrations (some pictures are sooo difficult to understand!) and make sure it has testing questions.
I have social anxiety and hate leaving the house for shopping so this has really saved me the worry of having to return products.
If these help anyone, great!
- Set your timetable as your phone background for the first few weeks. Use this method for no. 6 too if you can be bothered.
- Wear sports bras/bralettes to lectures instead of the ones with a buckle at the back. They tend to poke and prod your back after a while if you’re leaning back. Sports bras don’t.
- Lay a towel on your bed a few days before your period is due. If you leak on a towel you can just wash it or throw it away. Easier than washing and changing the sheets (esp. if you’re in a rush to get to a lecture!).
- When you’re in a lecture taking notes on a laptop remember to turn down the brightness on your screen, especially if the lecturer has dimmed the lights. Otherwise you’ll annoy others and drain your battery.
- Save your recordings at every given break instead of making one continuous one through pausing. Sometimes files are too large to save and you don’t want to risk losing the entire lecture recording. Save as you go along.
- If you need to remember something (e.g. a library book, USB, locker key..) write it on a post-it note and stick it on your shoes before you sleep. Make sure they’re the shoes you intend to wear the next day!
- Don’t shoot me: if you have left an assignment really late, stay up as long as you can completing it (yes, that means an all-nighter may be needed). Sleep as soon as you’ve handed it in.
- If you use tech in a lecture e.g. phone for recording or electronic notetaking on your laptop, then mess around with it before uni begins. Know what buttons to press and when, otherwise you’ll mess up your notes and annoy others, with your excessive clicking.
- Always, always, ALWAYS carry a plastic bag/carrier bag. You might need to make a trip to the library, drink may spill in your bag so you’ll need an alternative. Seriously, just carry one.
- Find out where coursework/assignment are submitted within your first week on campus. Ask admin how the procedure works and make sure you know it inside out.
- Spend a day wondering around campus (before timetabled lectures start). Find out where the library is, talk to the librarians and ask them how to borrow/return books and also how to reserve!
- When you get your timetable be sure to visit the lecture halls and seminar rooms a few days before the term starts so you know where to go. Find out where the toilets are in those buildings too.
- Find out where your lecturers offices are. Know the building and floor that they’re on (they’re usually all in the same place).
- Carry cereal bars and other non perishable foods that take up little room. Sometimes your tummy rumbles really loud in a lecture, give it some love.
- Volunteer in your first year of university, these is the least hectic year (usually!). You want something to put on that CV and those post grad applications!
- In the UK the first year generally doesn’t count toward the final degree classification but those grades WILL show up on your transcript. Make sure they look decent. When you apply for post grad courses, if you don’t have the certificate yet (because you’re still completing the course) the university/institution will ask for your grade transcript. First year grades come up first!
- A huge part of your degree classification/GPA comes from the final year thesis. Talk to as many older students as you can and ask them what topics they picked and how they went about it. A great thesis/dissertation will literally move you from a 2:1 to a 1st.
- When you have a meeting with your supervisor take notes and write up a short summary of what was said, similar to writing up “meeting minutes”. This will be helpful for you and your supervisor. Especially if you take long breaks before meeting again.
I’ll update this list as things come to me. I hope it helps.
9:00 // Royal Holloway, University of London is beautiful.
I’ve been running experiments with a masters student using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). I also got an updated scan of my own brain. Nice nice.
Some cool stuff about fMRI experiments:
- Glasses can’t be worn in the scanner (because they contain metal) so you get to wear these sexy specs instead. The lenses that work best for you are slotted in. They’re like swimming goggles.
- People who wear the hijab or a turban can go in the scanner with their head coverings on. Yay! All pins,metals and hair ties need to be removed though.
- Experiments in fMRI tend to have a maximum running time of 90 minutes.
- There is a panic button (looks like a pump) given to participants in the scanner, if you ever want to leave the scanner all you have to do is press it.
- If it’s not given by default you can ask to have a copy of your brain scan. Download a free software called Mango and play around with your brain!!
- The equipment tends to look old - our comps run Windows XP. You’ll see this in science quite a bit and think “why don’t they update??”. Operating systems (Windows/MAC OS) sometimes have updates that tamper with medical software and it can be hard to pinpoint what’s gone wrong. So if it’s working we don’t update it until there’s a reason on our part e.g. when it breaks.
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How to get links in your description (successfully!) using the tumblr mobile app.
For those who already know what they’re doing here’s the link you need to insert with an example:
Example:
In order for the tumblr mobile app to redirect to something, it has to be a post e.g. /tagged/about - It can’t be an actual page e.g. studyingbrains/about (this won’t work).
A couple extra pointers:
- The accent colour (in the mobile app editor) is the colour of your links.
- Try to use obscure tags for “about” links and “my post” links. Otherwise random posts with the words will pop up. For an about page maybe tag the post as “ab0utm3″ then other posts on your tumblr with the words aboutme won’t be shown.
- The above applies to original content too if you tag your stuff as “personal” all posts with that word will pop up (even other users that you’ve reblogged). Come up with obscure tags for mobile links (this makes it easier for followers to navigate).
- When editing your tumblr theme, links tend to break and need to be reentered. Keep that in mind. Check your links every time, after you edit.
- You can still write in the description box, just write before and after the links. e.g. “Brains | UK | About|”
- You can add as many links as you can fit!
- You can add links via the desktop theme editor (I prefer this way), by writing in the description box:
I hope this helped! Any questions, just ask!
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Friday’s // London is actually really dull today and I am tired.
We’re celebrating as two of my friends are getting married and another is pregnant. Being The Antisocial Trash™ that I am, I decided to bake cakes in lieu of my attendance. I also read some infamous Dahl and sorted out my evergrowing stamp collection in the morning.
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11:00am // Work breaks.
With formal modules over, my breaks consist of reading [Phantoms in the Brain by V. S. Ramachandran] and walks around campus whilst listening to podcasts.
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