#sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

How I'm managing to organise my life and achieve my goals

A year and a half ago, I was a mess. I didn't have any hobbies or anything I was passionate about, not even my degree excited me. I failed 6 courses out of 10.

This year, I managed to pass all of my courses, achive an A1 level in japanese, start reading, painting and writing, learn programming in LaTeX and Python, and do a research project in astrophysics. I am nowhere near being brilliant or smart, but this system has helped me a lot:

1. First of all, I write all of my life goals. Everything I'd like to achive or do, from writing a book to buying a house. I write every little thing, as unrealistic as they sound.

2. From those life goals, I make a list of yearly goals. Not all of your life goals might be realistic at the time (maybe you don't plan on buying a house until you finish your degree, for example), so just write the ones that are doable for your next year. This goals have to be a bit more especific and they have to take you closer to your life goals in the long term. For example, if you plan on publishing a book, your yearly goal might be to write your first draft, or take a writing course.

3. Then, having my goals for the year, I break them down into monthly goals. Some of them might be reserved for the summer, or for a specific month. I only plan in more detail the following month. From the book example, a monthly goal could be to write a certain number of pages or write the outline of the novel.

4. Now, I write my daily and weekly goals for that next month. These ones have to be VERY specific. I first make a weekly routine, where I put everything I need to get done each day: on mondays and wednesdays I workout for an hour, on tuesdays I practice piano for 20 minutes, everyday I read for half an hour, etc. I try to make each day of the week balanced and also write quantifiable goals.

5. When you have organised your entire life, there comes the easier part: to-do lists. I use a calendar where I write for each day some other stuff I need to get done. Appoinments, uni stuff, trips, etc. For instance, I usually have a lot to do for my uni courses and I have to study daily. What I do is organise all the work in my calendar, making sure each day is not packed with stuff (if I have homework for different classes, I try to do each in a different day of the week). Now, each day you check your schedule for that day of the week AND also your calendar, and make a to-do list for the day. This way, on each day you only have to check the things you already wrote and foccus on DOING THEM, and not thinking about what you should do (which takes a lot of energy). With this small daily effort, you will get ahead on many things. Also, when I have to do lots of stuff (in exams season for example), I sometimes write my to-do's down by the hour, so that I can't even get distracted.

#sunlighttbabe #study tips #studyblr #studyspo #university #productivity #organization #school #success

[alltruedreamersdied]

Hi! I really like your blog! I'm currently an undergrad studying physics and I'm considering pursuing a career in astrophysics and research, but it looks very scary as there are not many jobs. I was wondering if you could tell a bit about your path or some tips in succeding? Thank you!

Hi! First of all, good choice ;) Physics is great, especially astrophysics!

It is quite scary, and I know how you feel! I will shorty talk about what my path was/is, and then tell you a few things I heard from other people and from conferences!

Where I am from, I was able to already start astronomy/astrophysics as an undergrad, and also then do the master’s program at the same university. I found my area of interest already in the third semester (extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology) so I was able to take a lot of classes, specialising in that area.

When you apply for PhD positions in astrophysics, people apply who have studied ‘regular physics’ as well as astrophysics. In my case, my intensive specialisation in the topic already put me in a high ranking, as other people lacked a lot of the background knowledge i already had. This of course does not mean that if you have not specialised in anything that you don’t have any chances, my current supervisor has not done anything in the field of astrophysics before starting her PhD and is now quite successful! But it definitely helps to have a specialisation, and if you already know that you want to go towards astrophysics, the best thing it to do as much astrophysics related classes as you can!

Academia is very competitive, and there are A LOT of people applying to the same positions (for the position I got there were 57 applications, and for a different one I applied for there were 250. I was shortlisted together with 66 others for another position), so it can be really difficult to get positions

For now, it is important to get through your undergrad. You probably already know that working in groups is key, and that the basics are really important fundaments of your future studies. Grades are somewhat important, depending on the system of your country, but it is also important to look after yourself and your mental health. I’ve seen a lot of people who i started with, being unable to cope with the stress and leaving university. That is also why it is important to have a good network of friends/people to study with. In these times of covid this is probably way more difficult than it used to be, but it is still very important.

Another things that is really useful is to get into programming. Usually your undergrad program should include some programming classes, and they will be important if you want to go into research. For astrophysics, Python is often used, in physics Fortran and C/C++. There are free resources to get into coding and practice that!

While working in research is really exciting, it also has a lot of downsides. There are usually no regular working hours, and (at least in my current institute) people have to be forces to take their holidays, and sit in their offices until late at night. Deadlines and stuff like that are tight, and for example if there is a big data release, people work non stop. It can be very taxing, and it can be hard to remind yourself to stop working at 11pm. I had a lot of very smart people stop after their masters, as they found that working in research was not for them after all. The good thing is, that as a physicist you can find work quickly, especially if you can program.

Another thing, that is also criticised a lot is the work contracts you will have. PhD students are (usually) more or less exploited, and you will have to work a lot of very little pay (i am very lucky that norway has a minimum wage for phd students, but in a lot of other countries you make way below minimum wage). After that you usually have 3-4 year contracts, and will have to move a lot, until you will maybe one day get a semi-permanent position (aka 3-4 year contracts that get renewed) or a really permanent position like assistance prof or something like that. So keep that in mind.

It is difficult to say what really makes you succeed. I think it is important to stay focused on your goal, and to try to finish in time. It is not the end of the world if you have to study one or two years longer, it gives you more time to take more classes if you want, but if you want to stay in academia, it is important not to have 1-2 years where you do almost nothing.

Grades are, as i mentioned, somewhat important and some institutes really focus on that. Others not so much.

Try to keep up with research, ask questions and learn to think critically. Learn how to interpret what you see and learn (this is very difficult and i am still struggling with this).

Have passion for your work. Find a topic that interests you and try to specialise early on, while also making sure that you have enough ‘general knowledge’ (e.g. due to me having astrophysics as an undergrad, i had less regular physics classes than people studying physics, and i am lacking in quantum mechanics and statistics).

This is a giant wall of text, but I hope that helps! If you have more specific questions about anything, don’t hesitate to ask! Good luck in your studies! :D

#ask #studyblr #physicsblr #mine #sunlighttbabe

[sabstudies]

Handwriting tag game

I was tagged 173926 years ago by @blve-orion and @music-of-physics! Thank you so much pals! 💕✨

Rules:  

•  Say hello :) 

•  Write numbers 1-9  

•  Write the latin alphabet  

•  Write the quote: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.  

•  Write whatever you want (quote, lyrics, etc.)  

•  Write down everyone you’re tagging  

•  Post the photo

The quote is from “Demons” by Dostoevsky cause it’s the book I’m currently reading.

Since I’m late, I saw that some of my mutuals have already did this, I’m tagging those who /hopefully/ haven’t done it yet!

@gamma-cray @crispyengineers-blog @stokes-theorem @messy-does-cosmology @sunlighttbabe @starrystvdy @studyhardandsucceed @sadcypher @sunlit-cashmere @studyingchemeng

#sabstudies #games #tag game

[sunlit-cashmere]

Thank you @study-clouds for tagging me!!

Last song I listened to: My Jinji by Sunset Rollercoasters

Last movie I watched: Moneyball

Currently watching: Gilmore Girls 🤪

Currently reading: The Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (whenever I get the time which is not a lot these days)

Thank you so much again!! I really liked this cuz it’s small and cute

Tagging @nothingifnotobsessive @bisexual-bifurcations @sunlighttbabe @mmmmaaria @softpurplesock

Feel free to ignore if you don’t wanna do it!

[sunlighttbabe]

Tips on how to study a STEM subject, from a physics student

1. Go to class

Going to class and paying attention is key in this kind of subjects. I used to think that if I just read the notes I would understand the same, but this is a mistake. It took me way longer to grasp the concepts than if I had simply listened to my professor.

2. Understand the theory

I thought that jumping straight into doing exercises was easier to do and would prepare me for the exam, but this is a mistake. I found myself struggling with most problems just because I hadn't understood the theory behind them.

3. Exercises

When you feel that you get the concepts you can jump into the exercises. Do as many as you can, and try to really understand where you make mistakes and how your teacher's solutions differ from yours. I recommend you do them when the exam is close, so you have all of them fresh in your memory.

4. Practice exams

This is the last thing you should do before the exam, and it is optional, just do it if you are really pushing for that A. Pretend it's a real one and it will really make you feel confident when the actual day comes.

#sunlighttbabe #physics #physicsblr #stem #women in stem #university #tips #studyspo #studyblr #maths #mathsblr #college #stem academia #study tips

[sunlighttbabe]

10/08/21

I wanted to spend this summer doing everything I haven't been able to do while I had university classes.

I'm taking a japanese course, a Coursera course on astronomy data, and next week I will be doing research on an astrophysics project.

I also wanted to have time for my hobbies: reading, writing and painting. Turns out, the day only has 24 hours and I am pretty busy with the projects I already have (although I actually enjoy being busy, it keeps me away from spiriling into anxiety thoughts).

Last month I chose my university courses for my final year and I am really excited for all of them. I can't wait to start university feeling like I have had a productive summer, and ready to have the most productive university semester too.

Hope you are all having an amazing summer!!

#sunlighttbabe #physics #physicsblr #study #studyblr #studyspo #university #college #astrophysics #programming

[sunlighttbabe]

27/01/21

My first final exam is on a couple of days and my desk is already looking pretty messy.

#physicsblr #physics #study #studyblr #studyspo #stem #university #productivity #science #women in stem #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

Hey, im in the final semester of my bachelors degree in physics, what would you recommend for a confused physics student who doesn’t know what kind of masters they want to pursue?

I'm in my final semester too! And I also was confused about that until very recently. I think choosing a master depends on what you want to do afterwards. If you wanna go into research you could pick one that is oriented towards that and not overthink which one. It's very common that you don't know what you wanna specialise in when you haven't worked in every area (or any area) and you are probably gonna figure out what you enjoy along your career. Many people switch interests after their masters and end up doing a Phd in a different field. Think of your masters as a title that will allow you to take the next step in your career or have contact with the right people.

Having said that, I think talking to your proffesors about their research or trying out internships in different fields could really help you see what actually interests you the most.

#physics #physicsblr #studyblr #masters #university #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

04/03/21

Been a bit lazy lately but I'm still on top of my studies as much as I can. I'm focusing on my hobbies now that I've finished exams. I started reading again, playing chess and working out.

I'm currently watching Attack on Titan with my boyfriend now that it's trendybon Netflix and also the first season of Doctor Who, since he hasn't watched it.

Hope you have an amazing day!

#physics #physicsblr #study #studyblr #studyspo #university #productivity #science #stem #women in stem #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

I'm still not sure of what I want to do with my degree. I think I'd like to be a researcher but I'm always wondering if I'm good enough for that.

Also I like literally every branch of physics so I don't know what to choose. One of my interests would be astrophysics, but I also dream of getting into geophysics and do field work. Like, I'd love to do reasearch and actually going to Antarctica.

#physics #physicsblr #study #studyblr #studyspo #sunlighttbabe #university

[sunlighttbabe]

29/01/21

Had my statistical physics exam yesterday and it didn't go so bad.

No time to rest tho because I have my (very dense and theory based) astrophysics exam in a week.

I decided to spend my mornings with astro and then keep my evenings to study classical mechanics.

So far, I'm actually very motivated!

#physics #physicsblr #study #studyblr #studyspo #university #productivity #science #stem #women in stem #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

19/02/21

I started the new semester this week, only had two days to rest after my exams. I'm very anxious waiting for the grades!

This semester I will have even more workload but I'm very excited with the subjects I have.

This is me in Structure of Matter class. I have two more clases and then I am free today!

I'm going to have lunch with my boyfriend in a cute little restaurant after weeks of not being able to see him because of covid, so today will be a great day.

#physics #physicsblr #study #studyblr #studyspo #university #productivity #science #stem #women in stem #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

Top 5 informative books you need to read if you like physics

A brief history of time. From the big bang to black holes, by Stephen Hawking. This is kind of the obvious one, but it is for a good reason. It's a short summary of the history of physics and how the view of science changed over the years. The first one I read, although right now it is a bit outdated.

The elegant universe, by Brian B. Greene. This is quite a big book about everything cool in physics such as relativity, string theory and everything we know about the universe so far.

The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen, by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw. This is a great book if you're into quantum physics. It is very easy to read and every phenomena is well explained.

The Universe in Your Hand. A Journey through Space, Time and Beyond, by Christophe Galfard. If you know nothing about physics and you want an easy read, this book's for you. Similar to the former one but explained in a much more informative way.

What We Cannot Know, by Marcus du Sautoy. My absolute fav book about physics. It's a journey of every boundary we have in the knowledge of physics and everything we don't know and might never know. Really makes you want to go into reasearch and find those answers yourself!

#physics #books #informative #reading #studyspo #studyblr #study #science #physicsblr #university #motivation #productivity #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

finally finished this long ass quantum physics homework yay!

#studyblr #studyspo #study #study motivation #physicsblr #physics #university #college #stem #women in stem #student #science #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

Today has been a really productive day ✨. I had 5 hours of classes, had lunch with some friends and then commute while listening to an audio book. I spent all afternoon revising and trying to make my classnotes look pretty (although I'm really bad at it).

Oh! And I also bought chai tea :D

#studyblr #study #productivity #motivation #physicsblr #physics #studyspo #university #sunlighttbabe

[sunlighttbabe]

Hi! It has been a long time since I've posted here so I just wanted to tell you guys what has been going on! ✨

I passed some of my final exams but I have 3 that I have to retake in september so I've been studying pretty much all summer. I also studied a bit of french and bought a grammar book since I really want to master it this year and right now I'm terrible at it.

I got back into reading and I'm currently finishing up The Two Towers. Also I'm obssesed with Taylor Swift's new album!

For today I want to study units 2, 3 and 4 of my mathematical methods subject and do some exercises. I also want to finish the book and continue Caliban's War.

And that's all! Thank you for reading me! ✨

#physicsblr #physics #study #studyblr #studyspo #university #langblr #maths #mathsblr #reading #books #productivity #motivation #french #sunlighttbabe