teddystudies

[teddystudies]

[teddystudies]

officially moving into university today!!! am i terrified? absolutely

#teddy’s countdown to uni is finally over whey

[teddystudies]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything | how to stop procrastinating series

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

All About Procrastination

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Common Study Mistakes

7 Strategies to Improve Concentration

Keep reading

[teddystudies]

be proud of yourself for

the progress nobody sees

feeling all of your emotions (and learning how to make peace with them + give them space)

standing up for yourself even though you lost people because of it

making time for yourself

doing better

saying no to people

letting go of people for your own sake

no longer allowing others to decide when you can and when you can’t be proud of yourself

[teddystudies]

Hybrid Note Taking Style

A note taking method that blends the best of paper and digital note taking that I’ve been exploring lately. So far it’s working really well for me :) Hope it helps! 

Hybrid Note Taking Method

Problems with other note taking systems

Each note taking system has its pros and cons. Here are some of the problems I found with (fully) paper and (fully) digital note taking systems.

Paper

Can’t use the search function on your notes.

Can’t add images and other types of digital files easily.

Difficult to keep overview between notebooks.

Can’t share these as easily as digital notes.

Digital

Not as ‘romantic’.

Sometimes less engaging.

Lack of physical presence can lead to you forgetting about it.

Can be more difficult to do things like sketching, making schemes, making illustrations etc.

Benefits of Hybrid

I like using hybrid methods because they bring you the best of both worlds.

Easily searchable.

Information in your notes is traceable.

Makes it easier to find and carry out actions e.g. finding extra info.

Doesn’t damage books.

Allows you to embed different types of files.

What you’ll need

Source material (e.g. book, academic paper)

Any kind of notebook :)

Digital note-taking app → I like Notion (it’s free).

Step 1 - Read & number the material

As you go, use a pencil to lightly put numbers into the margins whenever you deem something worthy of noting down or remembering. This will help you locate the source of specific parts of your notes later.

Step 2 - Write Q&A-style notes

Write the information down in question-and-answer style. Come up with useful questions that link to the material you want to remember (e.g. Q → What is the main problem with using platform-based planning for new ventures? A → Assumptions underlying the plan are used as fact rather than best-guess estimates to be tested and questioned). Use the numbers you placed in the margin of the pages to specify the source of the information you used for each answer.

Example → Chapter 1 page 27 note 3 becomes 1.p27.3

Step 3 - Write actions as you go (Supporting notes)

Supporting notes

Write down your thoughts, anything you’re curious about, things you want to look up, things you’re confused about, actions you’ve been inspired to do, etc. For example → ?m Maybe I can apply this to my visualization assignment? / ! Look up what ‘plurality of the future’ is / fex Organizational transformation through design. I find this a great way to support and manage the learning process.

Action key

Keep a small action key in which you have an overview of what your action marks mean (e.g. ?m→ questions to myself, f → find, fex → find example, ?? → I don’t get it, ! → general actions)

Don’t be afraid to customize your actions!

What you’ll get

Actionable notes

Your paper notes will contain a structured and easy to read overview of actionable items that came up during the reading. This can be questions you need answered, reminders to find specific information, etc. This will make them a lot harder to forget to do!

Easily traceable sources

With the codes you’ll be able to tell easily and quickly where the information you’ve written in your notes came from.

Searchable & review-ready notes

Notes will be (mostly) made in question-and-answer style. This will allow you to easily review using active recall. All you need to do is cover/hide the answer and you can check how well you truly know the material.

Thanks for reading!

[teddystudies]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything

[click images for high quality]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

How To Stop Procrastinating

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Active Revision Techniques

[teddystudies]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Active Revision Techniques

How To Do Uni Readings

How to Revise BIG Subjects

Keep reading

[teddystudies]

25% is better than 0%. trying a little is better than not trying at all. eating a protein bar is better than nothing. using dry shampoo is better than not showering. cleaning one section of your room or house is better than not cleaning any of it. writing a paragraph of your essay is better than not starting it. whatever you can manage today is okay. you can try again tomorrow. little steps are to be proud of.

[teddystudies]

“i don’t like writing about my day, but i want to keep a journal”:

quotes and copywork. when reading, if you find something you enjoy, just copy it into the notebook. you can copy a whole chapter if you wish, highlighting what caught your attention the most.

definitions. look up on a dictionary and copy it. you could write your own dictionary as well, making up definitions for words.

lists. a classic, write movies to watch, books to read, the playlist of the month or just the groceries you have to buy.

maps. when going somewhere, you could draw the route you took or just a map of the place itself. just look up the place on google maps and copy it. you can draw a little map of all the places you have lived or the schools you have attended as well.

photos

take “notes” as you watch movies / documentaries. write down phrases that caught your attention or doodle.

illustrations and clippings. if you see an image or piece of art that you liked, put it in your journal. if it’s from a book or from a magazine I would recommend scanning it, tho’. it will serve as a record of what kind of art you enjoy through the years.

newspaper clippings from the day.

tickets and pamphlets. from movies, museums, transportation.

postcards

records. you could record for a month what the temperature was when you woke up and when you went to sleep. if you do that for a year, it gives you a better notion of the passing of seasons. you could record rainfall and other seasonal changes as well. you could choose something (an animal, a plant, an item or object) and write down every time you see it.

rubbings of leaves, coins, landmarks.

count. there’s a scene in the movie Coraline (2009) where Coraline’s dad tells her to go count the windows. you could do the same type of counting game if you are bored and write down.

mindmaps/sketchnotes + timelines of books, movies, music albums.

collages

pressed leafs and flowers

your collections. if you collect anything you could write down an inventory or maybe try to draw the items.

recipes. write down recipes and give it a score every time you try it. you could do the same for drinks you try out.

stickers

comic strips. you can find a bunch of it online, glue your favorites in your notebook.

[teddystudies]

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 🎶

[teddystudies]

a gentle reminder that you just need to make things a tiny bit better for your future self. reading one page, writing one sentence, getting half of a task done, it’s still good.

[teddystudies]

[teddystudies]

Sunny morning book stacks 🤎

[teddystudies]

[teddystudies]

ADHD exam tips

I had an exam today. 

I LITERALLY started studying for it 3 days ago. 

Today’s subject is the hardest subject I’ve done in college. 

But from my calculations, I should have gotten 70ish%. 

3 years ago, I literally failed all my classes. Now I can get Bs and hopefully As.

I’ve made a few changes which I attribute it to, all of which I’ve written about:

Relate everything back to your interests. Thing are easier to understand when you make them related to what you are naturally into.

Related to the first one is to read up associative learning (which is what I’ve noticed most ADHDers use/ are natural at). The goal is to build a web of knowledge; so if I told you to study ice, you should study water and vapor cause its easier to remember related knowledge than isolated ones.

We work best when under time constraints; so why not learn to use it? Learning to understand how much time you’ll need so you can use can finish revising in that time (as we have time blindness). So I would leave study till last day before so I would fuck up everything.. however, this time I had prepared everything before hand so I had a good estimate of how much time I would need.. and I got all the study done in time.

Not gonna lie, going from failing everything to getting good grades feels amazing. It just took me 6 years to figure out. So use these tips and hopefully you’ll save some years :P

[teddystudies]

life update!

so it’s been a long while since my last update post. only a few months left of my gap year now!

i got a full time job waitressing which will help me save up money for uni things, i’m restarting therapy, and i’ve been spoiling myself with books including the MOST beautiful copy of little women (pictures to come if i remember lol)

#teddy's countdown to uni #can't wait to have actual studyblr things to post in a few months

[teddystudies]