nickys-study-motivation - Tumblr blog

nickys-study-motivation · 2 years

Text

things i did as a neurodivergent person to get straight a’s for the third year in a row

hi hello hi how’s it going. welcome to the 3am-burst-of-motivation-tumblr-post-of-the-day, where i’m sharing all of my study tips that allowed my adhd/austism/ocd/bpd brain to somehow squeeze out straight a’s for the third year (sixth semester) in a row.

1. study differently for different subjects. contrary to popular belief, flashcards and rewriting your notes does not work for every subject (unless it does for you, in which case ignore me and do what works for you). different subjects, at least for me, require different environments, techniques, and associations.

2. association! sensory stuff works great for me because i tend to associate physical things with emotions and even personality types, so have something be constant every time you study. example: i have two tubes of chapstick, one peppermint and one pomegranate. i put on the peppermint one right before i go to bed and the pomegranate one after i eat breakfast - i associate the different scents with different activities (going to bed and starting my to-do list).

3. to-do lists! mine are written on sticky notes and stuck to my mirror because i hate hate hate having the sticky glue stuff from sticky notes on my mirror and i’m not allowed to clean my mirror until all the sticky notes are off of it. when i can’t see my mirror, they’re on the outside of my backpack because they’re bright pink and the social anxiety makes me think people are staring at me if they are on my backpack.

4. change your location often. specifically for my adhd peeps who have the attention span of an overexcited puppy, walk around. do things. go to a park or a coffee shop or a grocery store or a sidewalk or a bench somewhere or my personal favorite, the bank. when you’re understimulated go somewhere with lots of different noises and when you’re overstimulated so somewhere quiet or control noises (listen to music, noise-cancelling headphones, humming).

5. keep a piece of paper next to you for the Random Thoughts That Come at Inconvenient Times and write down the stuff you want to look up/do/tell someone about and like… i don’t even know why that helps but it does. just having your thoughts out there i guess?

6. body doubling. find a person who will study with you. bonus points if it’s another neurodivergent person. they are depending on you to finish the studying and get the good grade. THEY ARE DEPENDING ON YOU. DON’T DISAPPOINT THEM. (side note anxiety people i would not recommend this for you)

7. go to a place that will remind you to pee and eat and drink things. starbucks is great for this. so are most restaurants.

8. get a new thing to study with every week. i like new things. if i have a new thing i am going to use it until it’s no longer exciting. i get a pencil, just a boring, manual pencil from the drugstore every monday afternoon for like sixty cents. it’s a fantastic method, at least for me.

9. don’t drink something with caffeine in it while studying. you will either fall asleep or end up on a roof. it is not a good situation. caffeine for neurodivergents is like sleep pills, for me at least and most of the other ND’s i’ve met. if not for you, you’re lucky.

10. spaced reps. in other words, find a big pair of dice and write vocab terms on each side, then hurl it at the ground and define each term. do this for like an hour. it’s fun and gets a lot of energy out.

11. stim. vocal stims, physical stims, self-talk, fidget, yelp, squeal, tap your foot, walk around, shrug your shoulders, twitch your nose, jump up and down, ribbit like a frog. stim, stim, stim. it helps.

anyways. it’s 3:17 am. happy studying!

3K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 2 years

Text

Crash

#crash

1 note · View note

nickys-study-motivation · 2 years

Text

Study Motivators That Work

The 3 Minute Rule

When you have a task that you don't want to complete, just get started and keep going for 3 minutes. If you still don't want to complete the task after 3 minutes, stop and start another task

This method can be very challenging during the initial stages of trying it

When you procrastinate, you tend to find something else to do first to dodge the main task at hand

This rule forces you to immediately avoid any deviation from completing the task for 3 solid minutes with the option to stop after those 3 minutes

Discipline plays a crucial role in this motivation technique as starting the 3 minutes requires you to overcome procrastination

Something that helps in this process is trying to slightly mentally detach yourself from the situation to have an objective view on it

You need to look at the situation and acknowledge that you have the freedom to stop the task after 3 minutes if you truly cannot complete it and that you absolutely must start the task immediately

Often times, I keep going once I start which results in significantly improved productivity

Flexibile Schedules

Often times, I plan out the perfect study and work session with my tasks and times detailed to the second

However, sometimes, life gets in the way of these plans and I'm forced to reschedule everything

Something like this can be extremely demotivating, especially if your day revolved around your very detailed plan

To help solve such issues, there are 2 options for 2 different scenarios

The first option is to prevent the situation from occurring at all

Extremely rigid and detailed plans are very easy to disrupt

Preventing the situation would be done by outlining more flexible study and work plans that can be done at most times and don't rely on strict timings (I will post another article on creating a flexible and functional study schedule)

The second option is how to move forward if you do find yourself in a situation where your study plans have been disrupted and you're demotivated

In this instance, the first step is to list the topics you need to cover and sort them from most important to least important

Estimate how much time each topic will take and look at how much time you have available

Evaluate if the time you have available is adequate to completely cover all of your listed topics

If not, choose as many topics with the greatest priority that will be able to be completed within your available time

Remember, these steps should be completed within 5 minutes at most to prevent you from losing any more time

There's always a plan for every situation. It just needs to be found.

Justify It

If you truly feel like there's no reason to compete the task, find a reason

If the task is important enough for you to lament over it, it's certainly important enough for you to complete it as soon as possible

Clear your mind of any frustration and just relax

Think of what the purpose of the task is

Do you need to complete an assignment that will be a part of your final grade?

Do you need to complete a report for your job?

Will this benefit you in the future - near or far?

If you need to study, what is your end goal?

When I hesitate with my studying, I always remind myself that what I'm learning now will one day help me improve as a doctor

Once you identify a reason, act on it and complete the task

The reason will help you sense that what you're doing has meaning and purpose, making the task less of an inconvenience and more of a duty

Knowledge is always valuable.

4K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 2 years

Text

How people think studying law is like: heavy books, post its, big old libraries, dark academia vibes, very serious

How it looks like when I'm studying law: sits in front of Tabaluga, pen twirling in my hand while aggressively gesticulating at a stuffed dragon "so the seller is no longer liable for what happens to your CD after he sent it off to you. So If anything happened during transport and the CD was damaged he doesn't have to do anything anymore legally, right? But of course his client would think he's a dickhead and leave a bad review on his shop so obviously the seller has to do something to appease the client. Cuz client is king and yadda yadda yk? So basically if you dont want beef with the client you cant just say "but legally I don't have to do shit anymore doesnt matter if its broken or not" because that's just a really dumb way to run a business right? Read §§ 363, 477 BGB if you want to know more

116 notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 2 years

Text

Apollo, god who rules education; please aid me with concentration and success with my studies

Athena, goddess of wisdom; please aid me the ability to think critically and form connections between information

Coeus, the inquisitive titan; please inspire curiosity and intrigue with my studies

Hermes, the cunning god; please aid me in honing my intelligence

849 notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

Hello, lovelies! I’ve gotten a couple of asks about studying so I decided to condense them into one post for you guys! I’m trying to hit a bunch of different topics so if you need an even more specific post you can send an ask! Without any further ado, have some tips! My studyblr is @spacey-scholar

Prep

First, you always need a good base for your day! Especially if you’re studying a lot.

Make a good full breakfast! Ex. Eggs and Toast, Smoothie and fruit, Pancakes and a cup of juice.

How’s your hygiene? Do you need to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, condition your hair? Do it! You’ll be distracted if you feel messy!

Get dressed like it’s a normal day. Staying in PJ’s is okay! But being ready for the day seriously helps focus!

Likewise, your space should be clean. A clean space is a clean mind! Remove dishes, trash, scrap paper, and extra items. Wide down your desk, organize your pens and books. Your space should feel like your space!

Now make a list of what you need to get done! What needs to be done Now, what needs to be done Soon, and what needs to be done Later?

Order your list how you want your day to go, and don’t put super-tough subjects back to back, or subjects that are similar exercises i.e. reading thirty pages of two different books back to back is no fun.

The Studying

It’s important to buckle down with No Distractions! If you find yourself distracted put your phone away! If you need your phone, put it on Do Not Disturb until you’re done. I also do this at night for better sleep.

Pick the best technique for you, Pomodoro, reward-based, group studying, etc.

Play music but only if it will not distract you! If you sing along or daydream it’s the wrong music! Classical, Lo-fi, and White noise are all good! My Spotify Here has some good ones.

Use a nice journal (I don’t mean expensive!) and pens/pencils you enjoy using. I like to have a specific journal and color dedicated to each subject.

Take notes on recorded lectures and classes, if you’re doing online classes right now try to screen record or record the audio! That way if you space out you can play it later and take notes, and you can absorb the lesson better instead of being distracted.

Don’t worry about your notes, stationary, pictures, being beautiful and your grades being perfect. Life doesn’t always look the way it does on Instagram. And the people who spend hours trying to get a good photo of their coffee are not studying!

Use flashcards! Quizlet is good if you need premade ones! If you can save up and buy them, Barrons AP Flash Cards are the best in my opinion. Very clean, not too long, very durable, and cover all subjects.

Feeling Distracted

If you catch yourself drifting off and getting into your head, get up and take a quick walk, stretch, or energizer.

It’s okay if this happens, don’t guilt yourself! practice affirmation. The best and smartest still get distracted.

If you are drifting, why? Are you hungry? Tired? Thirsty? Bored? Get a snack and some water, take a break and rest, find a way to make your studying more enjoyable.

Remember that Motivation and Discipline are different things. Sometimes we just won’t be motivated, we won’t want to do it and it will be rather frustrating. But the cure to this is not shaming its discipline. Remind yourself “This may be hard, and I may not want to do this, but I want to reach my goals and If this is what It takes I will make it happen.

Always do just one more page of you’re tired. One at a time and oh you did it! Maybe just one more? One more? Eh, one more just to finish the train of thought, Oh just- I’m done? Nice!

If you really can’t focus just move on and come back to this subject, you can always ask for help.

Supplementary Things

There are so many apps you can use to study, for free! My favorites are Tide, Quizlet, Focus Keeper, Forest, Flora, Egenda, SpanishDict, Photomath, and Kahn Academy.

You can also join a study group! You may know one, but if you don’t, there are a lot of online ones! I’m in a study Discord and have been for a while! it helps a lot and motivates me to finish my work!

You can make a studyblr, but don’t do it just for the aesthetics! It’s about studying, and sometimes that gets messy! Sometimes we fail a test, we spill our tea on our notes, we cry because we don’t understand the formula. That’s the part you don’t see!

Having cute stationery can really help, as well as nice organizers and decorations for your space! I don’t have much money so I get a lot of stuff on Amazon or FB Marketplace.

Health

Remember that no matter what you are good enough. It’s okay if you fail, it’s okay if you struggle.

It’s also okay if your path doesn’t go the way you expected! Maybe you go to a different school than expected! Or choose a trade instead! Maybe you take a gap year! Maybe your passion changes! Maybe it changes six times!

Your health is always more important than your school. If you are in pain, mentally or physically, if you are anxious, exhausted, burnt out, talk to your teachers about it! You matter more than a grade.

Your best is good enough! And your best doesn’t look the same as someone else’s best! Don’t compare!

Now go get out there and study!

17K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

The checklist you need

The summer holidays are over, autumn is just around the corner and the new semester is here faster than you would have expected

What now?

Here are my tips to start the new year in an organised way!

Basic requirements

Of course, it's always helpful to start with a tidy and organised workspace, so if you still have papers lying around on your desk from last year and you haven't cleaned them out yet, you should definitely do so

It's also a good idea to create a study corner where you feel comfortable and safe. Whether your desk is in the basement or you only have a tiny little corner to yourself, try to design it the way you like it and experiment with some decorations and different lights to create a nice atmosphere

Although I'm a big advocate of minimalism, there are still one or two things that you should buy

Materials

Even if you work on the computer most of the time, it is still good to get a notebook to take notes (I prefer to write down my notes by hand and not on the laptop)

To avoid a mess of notes, a folder is essential. I can't stress this enough, GET A FOLDER AND FILE YOUR NOTES/DOCUMENTS

Get nice pens that you can write well with to get the nicest handwriting possible (my handwriting is terrible so I use fountain pens). Of course you also need different markers to highlight the most important things

Get a planner or bullet journal to write down all your important appointments and have everything at a glance

Think of 2-3 meals or snacks that are quick to prepare and whose ingredients you usually have at home to keep you well-fed while studying. Regular meals are important to keep your body and brain working well

Same with hydration, you need to drink regularly and keep yourself hydrated to function properly. So buy your favourite tea/coffee, a cute cup to make it more appealing and your brain will be happy

Are you someone who listens to music whilst studying? Yes? And you don't have your own playlist yet? I think you know what to do in this case

The important questions and answers

In order to be up to date and always well informed, it definitely makes sense to write down a plan at the beginning of each year. The questions are embarrassingly easy but of great importance. This plan really saved my ass, so I can only recommend it to everyone

1. What year/semester am I currently in?

2. When does the semester start and end?

3. How many subjects do I have this year and which lecturer is responsible for which subject?

4. Are there subjects that are more important than others?

5. What do your exams look like in the respective subjects? Are there oral exams, written exams, project work or essays?

6. When will the exams be written/when are the deadlines? Write down each date of each exam/deadline

7. Which topics are covered by which lecturers?

8. What do I know about my lecturers? Are the questions asked easy or difficult to answer? Does he stick to the script or does he expect his students to read into the subject on their own? Does he ask open questions or single choice questions?

9. Are there any special features this year, such as an internship or an excursion or practical lessons?

10. Are there any places nearby (libraries, parks, cafés) where I can study? If not, then you should look around a bit and I'm sure you'll find something quickly

11. Is there anyone besides my lecturer that I can ask for advice? (Maybe other fellow students or students from higher semesters)

12. Facts on the table. How were my performances in the past and where do I want to go this semester? What are my goals and what possible mistakes have I made? Actually write down possible mistakes to visualise them

13. Who can I turn to when I am feeling bad, who is my reference person or is there perhaps a counselling teacher, a psychologist or a safe place to ground myself?

14. Last but not least, remember why you decided to start this study and what motivates you to persevere. Why do I want to do it so badly?

Once you have written this plan, keep it in a place where you can find it easily. Since I started answering these questions over and over again, I have become much more organised and confident in my studies. Of course, these are just the very basics. Feel free to add your own questions or materials, but once these things are checked off, a good start to the new year is definitely assured

Currently listening to: Asking Alexandria - Alone Again 🎶

708 notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

Disclaimer: These are small things that have helped me in the past. If you are struggling from mental illnesses please contact a doctor. If you want to talk to someone else about your feelings, please join our self help group on Discord. We’ll be happy to welcome you.

The 5-4-3-2-1-method when awfully anxious. What are five things you can see right now? Are there four things you can touch? How do they feel? Name three things you can hear. Two things you can smell. And now…one positive thought in your mind.

Cry me a river. Let it all out. Cry for as long as you need. Think about the things that make you sad. Make them heard inside your head. And cry. This will release muscle tension and make you feel more relaxed…maybe even numb.

Escape this world and find yourself again in a fictional one. Read a book or watch a show or a movie. Make yourself feel as though you’re the main character. This will create distance between you and your hectic life and problems.

Move. Right now. Get up and move. Move your body. Go for a walk. Maybe even a run. Just get some movement into the moment. Please. Put on some music and dance as if no one is watching.

Do something good for someone else. This is what I’m doing by writing this. Helping people can help YOU. If you want to do this right now, maybe join our group chats and tell your story so more people will know that they are not alone. What I LOVE to do is buying homeless people food and clothes (socks are super important).

Go take a shower and brush your teeth. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve probably all been there. Not showering for a long time happens. Not brushing your teeth happens. We survive. And that takes up all of our energy. But right now I want you to take that shower and take care of your body. Please.

Accept that you are ill. Have compassion with yourself. I’ve always felt guilty and despised myself for being depressed and anxious. People tell you “Why can’t you be like everyone else? Why can’t you do this and that?”. I just wanted to be like everyone else. Happy. At least that’s what they all seem to be, right? I hated myself for not being able to feel anything anymore, for being messy, for not showering, not being “a normal person”. People judge and look down on you. Yes, I haven’t washed my hair in two weeks. What about it?! But all that is not my fault. I am ill. I can’t live the lives healthy people live. But hey, that’s okay. God didn’t give me mental stability but he did give me intelligence, a wonderful heart and the most amazing boyfriend.

Last but not least: Let’s get to the peak. Do it yourself. Well yes, you can imagine what I mean. It really helps, researches have found. Having umm…you know…the best part in the end…will make you feel better. And everyone does it.

You are not alone in this. There are so many people who suffer. So many people who even take their own lives. But please stay with us. Please go and see a doctor. Talk to someone. Talk to me. You are not alone.

Love, Sophia

826 notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

How to Really Comprehend a Scientific Paper

**credit to my research advisor, she’s an amazing mentor and I aspire to be just like her someday :)

Read the abstract. Write down what the paper says it is going to be about.

Read the introduction. Write down what the paper says it is looking to accomplish and how.

Read the conclusion. Write down what the paper actually did accomplish.

Go through and find all the pictures, graphs, or diagrams. Write notes explaining these images to yourself.

Read the whole paper start to finish. Write a summary of the paper as though you are explaining it to a layperson, and then another summary as though you are explaining it to a colleague.

Throughout all of the above steps:

If there are words you don’t know google them and write down the definitions

If the paper defines a formula, law, variable, etc in a certain way write that down

If there are references to or recommendations of other literature write those down. After the last step if there’s anything you’re uncertain about or would like more information on look to that list for further reading

12K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

things i did as a neurodivergent person to get straight a’s for the third year in a row

7. go to a place that will remind you to pee and eat and drink things. starbucks is great for this. so are most restaurants.

anyways. it’s 3:17 am. happy studying!

3K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Photo

artist: wednesday holmes (ig @hellomynameiswednesday)

7K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

The school system continues to fail neurodiverse students

Neurodivergence in academic settings is highly misunderstood & under discussed. Below is a master list of information on the reality of being a neurodivergent student in an education system built for neurotypicals; as well as resources and tools to aid students with autism, adhd, dyslexia and more in higher education. Please share this post so it can reach, educate and assist and many people as possible.

**this will be continuously updated. if you have any additions please feel free to message me or send me an ask and i’ll add it to the list!

✰ EDUCATE YOURSELF

NEURODIVERSITY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

VALUING DIFFERENCES: NEURODIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM

ADHD EDUCATION CARRD

AUTISM EDUCATION CARRD

MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM

DEALING WITH DYSLEXIA CARRD

TONE INDICATORS CARRD

✰ HELPFUL READS/SELF HELP

NEURODIVERSE SELF-CARE: MANAGING ANXIETY THROUGH CONNECTION

NEURODIVERSITY WELLNESS: LINKS TO SOME GREAT COVID-19 RESOURCES

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE WITH DYSLEXIA

AT UNIVERSITY: THE ART OF SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY

HACKING YOUR ADHD - where you can learn techniques for helping your adhd brain

SURVIVING COLLEGE WITH ADHD

GOING TO COLLEGE WITH AUTISM

5 TIPS FOR AUTISTIC STUDENTS STARTING UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE

✰ TOOLS

FOCUS@WILL: an ios & android app designed to increase your focus and attention, Focus@Will uses specially engineered audio in which frequencies similar to the human voice are removed. Why? We are wired to pay attention to them, and they distract us.

FINISH: an app that lets you add tasks and divide them into “short term,” “mid term,” or “long term,” as defined by you.

CLAROSPEAK: ClaroSpeak offers the option of visual highlighting in-sync with the spoken words, a great range of colour and font settings to allow for optimum reading and word prediction to help with writing.

C PEN: The C-Pen Reader is a totally portable, pocket-sized device that reads text aloud with an English, Spanish or French human-like digital voice.

3K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

college tips

ya girl is graduating in a couple of weeks so i wanted to dish out some last minute advice extracting every bit of wisdom possible from my last brain cell for those of y’all going to college soon

general stuff

you don’t really understand how gross communal bathrooms are until you’ve been in one. they might say they’re cleaned regularly, but they’re not. get shower flip flops (the plastic ones) and use them so you don’t get some weird foot fungus

when selecting a dorm room (if you can), always take into account the fact that the elevator is probably going to break at some point. and also that it will probably smell pretty bad most of the time.

get a nice backpack. one that’s big and roomy, that can hold a lot of stuff and fits comfortably on your back. sometimes when your dorm is far from the rest of your classes, you’re not going to go back to your room until late, so it’s best to just carry everything around with you all day and you don’t want to break your back doing so.

keep an emergency stash of stuff in your backpack at all times. you never know what will happen during the day and you don’t want to have to go back to your room to get it. my emergency pack consisted of stationery stuff (pen, pencil, highlighter in case i left my pencil bag at home), medicine like advil and pepto bismol, feminine hygiene products, a phone charger, eyeglass cleaning wipes, and vaseline. always keep a second phone charger in your bag, even if it’s one of those cheap dinky ones. you NEVER want to be without a phone charger.

whenever i was in the cafeteria, i used the coffee cups to load up on cereal or fruit in case i got hungry and wanted a snack during class. professors generally don’t care whether you eat or not in class. just do it quietly.

never, ever, ever run out of snacks in your dorm room. you never know when you’ll get hungry at night and want something to eat, and you do not want to put in the effort to leave and get food, OR spend money for grubhub.

hydroflasks are heavy and expensive. don’t get one. get something cheaper and easier to lug around campus, and if you’re into iced tea or coffee, get something you can put that in too.

bring an umbrella and comfortable rain boots. rain coats will not do jack, i tell you, when you’re getting soaked. just get an umbrella

if you’re from the southern US or from california, trust me on this: get a winter jacket. a good winter jacket. you never know when the next cold snap will be in the fall or winter and you don’t want to be walking around campus freezing your ass off.

set your clothes out the night before. this will save you a couple minutes of sleep when you have to wake up and go to class, plus checking the weather before you head out is always helpful.

emergen-c is a vitamin c supplement that you can put in your water and drink. if you feel a bit drowsy or sick, you will feel better after drinking this. tip from a doctor i shadowed

academic stuff

sometimes sitting in the front isn’t helpful at all. maybe you’re someone who wants to fidget or doodle without distracting people, maybe you’re just uncomfortable sitting close to the professor if they’re one of those types who goes around calling on people, or maybe you want to sit near friends who can clarify things as the class drags on. that is ok. do what works for you. but sometimes people talk pretty loudly in the back and in that case you have to move. just move. it doesn’t matter if you seem rude, just move because you have to focus.

ask questions. you are probably not the only person with that question in the room. i know some profs can make it feel awkward to ask because they can act elitist, but it’s your right to learn in that class. you paid to be there. you’re paying them to be there

if you email a professor and they don’t reply within five days, email them again. don’t feel like you’re bothering them. they’re probably just busy and forgot to reply.

office hours aren’t always necessary. some people love office hours because they’re good at hanging out with people and talking to them, and they can basically have the professor teach the material again. some people, like me, want to learn what’s going on before going, or even without going. most of the time you might not even need it. the one time i would always recommend you go is figuring out what you did wrong on a test if you don’t already know what you did.

don’t study in your room. i’m actually serious about this, don’t study in your room. study somewhere outside your room, whether it’s in a dorm communal space or the library, a coffee shop, or whatever. separate your schoolwork from your place of rest, and keep them separate. once work and rest time begin to blur together, you’ll start having a much worse time in school.

if you get a drop on a test, don’t slack off for the first one just because you have a drop. study for each one like it’s the last one you’ll take. you never know when you might get sick or have some emergency

social stuff

if you’re not into clubs or parties, just don’t bother. they’re loud and a lot of people get drunk and throw up on the floor so. don’t even

join a club because you actually care about it, not for the brownie points. don’t get roped into doing a bunch of stuff you hate

you won’t find your best friends in the first semester of college unless you have impeccable luck. if you’re like the rest of us, you have to be patient for them to fall into your life. when you do find them, you’ll know.

you also might not find a significant other in college. you might not even want a significant other. all of this is ok. you might see everyone dating but remember you’re living your best life right now and it doesn’t matter in the long run

do what you need to do for you, not other people. in college you have the freedom to do what you want with friends, but if you need to get stuff done or you’re just not in the mindset or physical health to hang out, say no. you need to live your life for you

i hope even one piece of advice here will help you. if you have any other specific questions, please feel free to ask or drop into my inbox :)))

1K notes · View notes

nickys-study-motivation · 3 years

Text

College Freshman Mental Health/General Reminders

Hi just as a disclaimer I'm going to be a college freshman this fall so I therefore don't have the experience I've just been checking with myself and some friends with mental health struggles and have compiled a list of reminders for anyone who will be going into college and living essentially alone (without an authoritative figure). Also note that this list doesn't consist of every single reminder and that it's solely based on my personal experiences and thoughts prior to starting college.

Food Reminders

If you struggle with food (which is a personal struggle of mine) here are some tips to make sure you're eating at least a bit

Keep safe foods in your dorm/apartment. This will allow you to always have an option

Try to find a meal replacement bar or shake for when you're really struggling and/or rushed to the point where you can't seem to find the time to eat.

Eat whenever you're hungry. Any food rules previously set by an authoritative figure are no longer there. If you're staying up late to do work or you work a night shift somewhere and you get hungry EAT. Your body needs the fuel.

Eat if you're just craving something honoring physical and mental hunger is important. You should avoid restricting in either area.

If you're struggling with meals whether it be remembering or you're just avoiding meals. Have something that reminds you. Have a close friend remind you and encourage (in a way that you're comfortable with remember to establish proper boundaries so you're not upset by their care). If you'd rather not have a person remind you set phone reminders.

If you notice yourself spiraling into poor eating habits or developing severely disordered eating college campuses by law are required to provide basic mental health services and it should be included in your tuition.

Stress Management

Keep assignments organized and broken into manageable chunks if possible. You can organize assignments however you wish. Some ways to organize include: google calendar, notion, momentum, traditional planner, bullet journaling etc. (If you want an organization post just comment)

Remember that an all-nighter in most people's case is inevitable it will happen at some point. When you pull an all-nighter remember some key things: coffee drink it slow throughout the night, something like matcha might work better and won't have such a severe crash, proteins and carbs are key.

If you're having a situation whether it be mental health, physical health, something at home, etc. and this situation is preventing you from completing/starting an assignment. Reach out to your professor early on. This is key so they know ahead of time that you're struggling so if you happen to ask for an extension they've known for a while. (I'm aware this will not work in every scenario however it's worth a shot)

Be sure that between school work, clubs, and work you're making time for yourself and doing things you genuinely enjoy. Yes you love what you're studying in college and maybe you love your clubs and your job. However, there's still stress that comes from all those things whether it be a grade or your performance. Find something you enjoy doing that doesn't have the pressure of being graded or reviewed. This could be any hobby: painting, dancing, singing, drawing, weaving, etc.

Have someone to turn to when stressed. Someone who will be there for you and possibly offer a hug or something comforting. Don't try to do everything alone.

On that note of avoiding doing everything alone. A study buddy could help with managing stress and loneliness in college.

Don't forget breaks burnout is real. You need to take break days/mental health days. Recharging is important. College often promotes perfectionism in students. And makes it seem as though you constantly need to be studying and on top of ish. Where in reality breaks are productive. You're ability to get ish done is reduced when burnt out.

Studying

So some stuff was already covered in stress management however this section will have some more in depth tips and reminders

Remember college is mostly self studying. In high school you may have been forced to take notes a certain way or had some sort of fill in the blank. Whatever it was that's not college. You need to find the note taking method that works for you.

You're not going to be able to get word for word notes from your lectures nor can you copy the whole textbook into your notes. You need to understand how you're going to be tested and what the exam will be like.

Ask around and see what your professor is like. Find out their exam structure if it's primarily based on what was said in the lecture or if it is primarily the textbook. Or if it's a healthy mix. Based on that figure out how heavy your notes should be.

Find what time works best for your studying. Not everyone is a morning person and can focus at 4:30 AM nor is everyone a night owl who can focus at 10:30 PM. Find out what works best for you and your schedule.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to professors via email or go to office hours.

Have a study spot. This cannot be stressed enough. You need a space where you're focused. If you cannot work where you sleep due to roommates or just the temptation of your bed find somewhere else like a café or a library or just outside in a park.

Be sure you're taking breaks while you study. Pomodoro may work for you as it works for many people. It doesn't work for me ngl. But it's a really good method so you don't forget breaks and get burnt out. However, some people like me get into the flow state which is a psychological phenomenon in which our sense of self falls away and we become hyper-focused on an activity or task. If this is you be sure to take a break following the tasks completion or to keep some stuff like snacks by your workspace so you don't undereat.

For those times where you face some mental resistance but absolutely need to get something done. Do something small quick and simple first then the big thing. For example, clean your bathroom first so you have a sense of gratification and productivity and then keep it rolling with that huge paper you need to get done that day. Now if you cannot get over this mental resistance it may mean you're in need of a serious break. Burnout is real. Take mental health days take break days. Breaks are productive you need to recharge.

Don't be afraid to highlight and color code. Sounds weird? But people may or may not tell you you're wasting your time or they don't need to do that. Again though you need to find the note taking method and study method that works for you.

On the topic of studying methods. Active studying/recall is more effective than passive studying.

Active Studying Mini Explanation with Examples

Active studying involves interacting with what you're studying.

Practice closed book note-taking. Read the section of your textbook, close it, write what you recall, then fill in any key things you missed.

Ask yourself questions as you go through the notes and answer them. During closed book note-taking while the book is closed write the question and when you're filling in key things go back and answer the question.

Create a mnemonic or a song.

Recite stuff out loud without staring at your notes.

Make a mind map. Closed book note-taking works well here as well if you use headings as main bubbles and have branches of notes.

Quizlet and Anki are two sites that promote active recall.

Teaching someone/something else. Explain a concept to a friend who's willing to listen or a sibling or a stuffed animal.

Make your own connections and examples to the content.

"hot dog paper" Fold a paper hot dog style and cut a number of flaps into one side similar to a foldable write questions on the outside and explanations on the inside. Use this to ask yourself questions.

Sleep

Everyone's most dreaded section.

As I stated earlier the occasional all-nighter is okay however occasional needs to stay true to it's definition. You need to practice healthy sleeping habits and try to sleep prior to midnight or earlier depending on the time you want/need to wake up.

Save late night parties for when you can afford them. Like when you have a day to recharge (Friday or Saturday night). You need to avoid running on empty (this includes sleep and an empty stomach).

Getting 8-10 hours is important. Remember you're brain continues to develop until your 25 so sleep is important for that.

Sleep so that your caffeine intake is normal meaning 2-3 cups of coffee without energy drinks or one energy drink. You can overdose on caffeine and it's common among college students. Not only that but the long term effects of that much caffeine on your heart aren't pretty.

Friends/Relationships/Sex

First things first remember you are your priority. You must be able to prioritize yourself, your needs, and your goals.

Making friends in college is different than high school. You're not going to become friends super easily with whoever is sitting next to you. You have to put in more effort and reach out.

For the introverts out there try starting small maybe whoever you happen to sit next to ask their major or something of that nature or ask to borrow something.

Some other ways to make friends is through clubs, doing homework outside your living space, introducing yourself to each individual you sit next to (a simple introduction like: "Hi I'm [insert your name] and I use [insert your pronouns]" You can always add stuff like your major or whatever"

People who dorm/live on campus or just have roommates in an off campus living situation you need to form relationships with these people and make sure you get along and are able to respect one another's boundaries and space. Remember that sometimes living with your friends isn't always the smartest if your living habits are vastly different.

Also note you may not keep all the friends you make freshman year (think about high school and how your friend group evolved to being "your people" same thing will happen) and you definitely will not stay in contact with majority of people from high school (maybe "your group" will stay in contact but relationships won't be as tight in a lot of cases)

Remember not all your friends have to go to college with you. If you make friends in the workplace that's great.

Make friends with people through study groups.

Don't feel forced into any romantic relationship and don't feel forced to maintain a romantic relation you have from HS. People change and grow in college unless your partner is changing and growing with you they might not be the person for you. The same goes for friends they should be changing and growing with you.

The biggest thing with relationships is consent and that's for anything. Whether it be information, touching, sex, etc.

Remember to practice safe sex and to get checked for STDs if anything seems funky or at least once a year.

Respect people not wanting to be friends or in a relationship with you. Do NOT harass them.

Remember to define your relationship with whoever you're having potential romantic and/or sexual relations with.

With your major breakups treat your ex the way you want them to treat you. Keep the breakup as civil as you can and try not to drag too many third parties into the picture, it can tend to escalate drama.

When purchasing condoms, lubricant, and other safe sex supplies know which lubricants are safe to use with condoms (hint: do not use oil based lubricants with latex condoms) using guides like AVERT. Know what size condom to buy (condom-sizes.org can help you figure it out). Do not assume that your partner will provide protection. Always take an active role in having safer sex. Do not use expired condoms.

When it's your first time or you're still new to having sex talk openly with your partner about what you are comfortable with doing and what you are not. Make sure you know how to use the type of protection you have picked by using resources like Scarleteen’s guide for putting on a condom or Condom Depot’s explanation of dental dams. Do not go beyond what you are comfortable with. Do not expect your partner to go beyond what they are comfortable with either. Talking mean you’ll “ruin the mood”, use these tips from Consent is Sexy to get more comfortable communicating about your needs and boundaries.

If while having sex the condom breaks or sex without protection occurs stay calm. Get tested and, if pregnancy is a possibility, consider taking a morning-after pill. Do not ignore the seriousness of what happened. Even if you’re not sure, it’s best to talk to your doctor or a campus health professional and be safe. They will be able to help you figure out why this happened and what you can do to prevent it from happening again in the future.

Remember using two condoms (sometimes called “double-bagging”) during sex is actually less effective: friction created between the two condoms makes them both more likely to rip or break. This can happen when using two external condoms or when using one external condom with one internal condom.

Also note some specific prescriptions, like those used to treat meningitis and tuberculosis, are known to hinder The Pill’s effectiveness. The effect that other antibiotics have on birth control varies from user to user.

Remember STDs and STIs can be transmitted through oral sex, it is important to always use protection. Condoms should be used when performing oral sex on a penis, and dental dams should be used for anal or vaginal oral sex. The Center for Disease Control has a useful guide on how to properly use a dental dam. Remember to only use one condom or one dental dam per sex act. Reusing them makes tears more likely and also increases the risk of STD and STI transmission.

Something to note: PEP and PrEP are both used to prevent the transmission of HIV. PEP is short for post-exposure prophylaxis and PrEP refers to pre-exposure prophylaxis. PrEP should be taken before having sex with someone who is positive for HIV or AIDS (for example, if your partner is HIV positive). PrEP is most commonly taken as a daily pill and is available on a prescription-only basis. PEP, on the other hand, should be taken after potential exposure to HIV (such as unprotected sex). PEP is a four-week course of medication that is typically prescribed at clinics and hospitals. The first course of PEP needs to be taken within 72 hours of potential exposure, but the sooner the better. PEP is not 100 percent effective at preventing HIV and should not be used in place of safer sex practices such as condoms.

897 notes · View notes