The Really Big Studying Masterpost

hey guys!!!

so this entire past month has been extremely, extremely stressful for me because i had so many exams and i only realised how hideously unprepared i was for them on the day before the exam, which was really really awful. so in the middle of september i created a studyblr to keep myself motivated + get some helpful tips from the studyblr community on how to go abt studying for tests. the results proved to be super helpful and ive resolved to keep running this blog for as long as i can, because it really helps me stay motivated and i’ve already learned so many things from the community, despite the fact that i’ve only been here for around a month.

but anyways, i decided to create this masterpost in order to help others stay motivated + keep studying not only well but also properly i.e. not necessarily studying for exams but life in general, if that makes sense.

~ staying motivated + focused

coffitivity

download the forest app

chrome site blocker

self control app

try the pomodoro technique

pomodoro printable

getting back on track

guide to staying motivated

an excellent post full of great advice

lots of great advice from an a levels student

masterpost full of motivational quotes

how to avoid procrastinating

100 reasons to study

how to study like a harvard student

motivational movies/shows

types of learners [what method of learning works for u]

motivation for harvard students [and basically all other students]

~ staying organized

5 habits of organized students

set up a bullet journal [1][2][3]

keeping school notes organized

use dropbox to store important files

masterpost on organizing schoolwork

a super awesome n helpful video tutorial

how to organize ur desk

how to study space

study space guide

study space tips and guidance

guide to study guides

atracker - track ur time and stop procrastinating [mobile app]

minimalist organization

masterpost on time management

time management tips

how to be productive

how to use a planner

effective planning system

~ note-taking

notability [ios app - best note-taking app imo]

note taking overview

cornell method

summary foldables

fastest way to take notes

simple, creative note-taking

how to make ur notes look pretty [infographic]

how to make ur notes look pretty [video]

taking notes from textbooks

taking notes during lectures

for: maths [1]

for: history

how to make mind maps

great supplies and stationery u could use to keep notes pretty and organized

what is visual note-taking?

how to: visual note-taking

what are sketchnotes?

how to: sketchnotes

masterpost on note taking methods

~ research techniques

how to google effectively

use google scholar as an alternative to google

one of the best websites for research [esp. while doing science projects at the last minute…i would know]

alternative to wikipedia

find books in nearby libraries

openlibrary [ebook library]

online journal search engine [find scientific publications]

~ essay writing

guide to writing a great essay

HUGE general writing masterpost [including essays]

a huuuge essay writing masterpost

how to write a university-level essay

how to connect ur points and ideas: transition words

editing checklist

advice: college application essays

improve ur vocabulary 

check the readibility of ur essay

website which grades ur papers and essays

~ free online resources & courses

openculture 

mit opencourseware 

the open university 

coursera 

khanacademy

codecademy [how to code]

memrise

study geography

online calculator

maths masterpost

amazing maths + general knowledge site [u must check this out!!!]

maths cheat sheets

mathway [solves any maths equation]

website that balances chemical reactions for u

study guides for many subjects

windows apps [not all study-related, but useful anyways]

more phone apps for productivity

list of great apps every student must have

crash course: psychology

crash course: world history + world history 2

crash course: anatomy and physiology

crash course: astronomy

crash course: big history

crash course: chemistry

crash course: biology

crash course: literature

crash course: us history

crash course: economics

crash course: us government and politics

crash course: intellectual property

crash course: ecology

free ebooks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

masterpost of free ebooks

~ languages

memrise

duolingo [20+ languages - very fun and interactive]

lang-8

thesaurus

reverse dictionary [1]

learning vocabulary

how to learn any language

HUUUUUGE language masterpost [so many languages and resources]

literature masterpost [for english - reading something other than textbooks is important yo]

english literature for college students [masterpost]

english literature: sparknotes

english literature: cliffnotes

english literature: shmoop

english literature: crash course

english literature: novel guide

no fear shakespeare

self-studying languages

spanish: advice

spanish: getting started

spanish: vocab

spanish: grammar and spelling checker

french: advice

french: getting started

french: vocab

french: grammar and spelling checker

french: masterpost of amazing resources

japanese: getting started

korean: masterpost of amazing resources

~ survival tips + advice

how to study for ANY subject

10 mistakes when studying

101 study tips

studying for a test

general study tips

how to study

how to survive high school

how to survive college

college survival masterpost

things to avoid doing

college: applying for scholarships

giving presentations

improve ur handwriting

resume cheat sheet

productive + relaxing afterschool routine

productive study breaks

emergency life hack: send last minute assignments after the last minute without getting into too much trouble

~ mental/physical health

the thoughts room

the dawn room

the quiet place

it will be okay

international suicide hotlines

iphone feature [to use in case of emergency]

emergency chat [mobile app]

sleeping tips [1]

dealing w insomnia

bedtime calculator [1]

stress management

how to reduce stress

staying calm during exams

grief masterpost

list of happy things

motivation for when ur not feeling so good

~ stress reliefs

clear ur mind

healthy study snacks

mug cake masterpost

smoothie masterpost

salads masterpost

more study snacks to boost brain activity

creepy sites

taylor swift tumblr replies

draw cool neon things

musical sea creature

watch a cool dream

watch any tv show/movie

just shower thoughts

poptropica [so underrated, my favourite game site, it’s for kids but it’s so entertaining and so much fun]

plant personality quiz

cookie clicker

make cool colourful silk

make virtual sand art

fake tweet generator

fake text generator

listen to calming sounds

huge masterpost full of fun stuff

~ music

ghibli music

coffee shop blues

classical music masterpost

masterpost of studying music

classical vocal music masterpost

cute nostalgic piano music playlist

my favourite instrumental playlist of all time

my studying/instrumental playlist collection on 8tracks

i think that includes most of the best resources i could find!!! feel free to message me in case 1) any of the links are broken, 2) u want me to add on to something, 3) u have a suggestion for a masterpost [i would love that so go ahead and ask if u do] or if u just wanna talk! also, feel free to reblog and add ur own comments/resources. hope this helped!! 

- mli

知识好像地下的泉水，掘得越深，水就越清。

Knowledge is like the spring underground — the deeper you dig, the clearer the water is.

Final Exam Tips

If you couldn’t tell by the things I’ve been reposting lately, finals week has arrived. My first exam is at 8am tomorrow (wish me luck), and I wanted to share some tips and things I’ve learned over the years. Most of this applies to both college and high school, but everyone’s method is gonna be a little different. You do you boo. 

Self Care

This is super important. It may seem like you don’t have time to worry about these things but your body is just as important as your mind. Nurture it. 

Make your bed. Every morning. If you have to wake up early to give yourself more time, do it. Someone somewhere once said “the state of your bed is the state of your head.”

Brush your teeth. Floss if you can. I know it’s a pain in the ass but it’s literally 2 minutes of your time. 

Put on chap-stick. Bring it everywhere, to all your exams, leave some in your car, in your pocket. It’s never fun to have chapped lips. 

Wash your face. Morning and night, depending on skin type, etc. This is super important to wash away all of the dirt, makeup, and toxins your skin is exposed to. It also helps to wake you up and get you started. And if you’re anything like me, stress breakouts are always a possibility.

Moisturize. Your face, your arms, your legs, etc. A good facial moisturizer and body lotion can do wonders for your skin and your mood. Do a face mask too, if you really wanna pamper yourself. 

Keep your space clean. Where you sleep, where you get ready for bed, and especially where you study. This goes back to making your bed, your surroundings play an important role in your mood and state of mind. 

Eat Healthy. Don’t skip meals, your brain needs good nutrition to function. Take it easy on the sugar, you might be on a high for a little while but the crash is real. 

Drink. Water. Lots of it. I’m terrible when it comes to this, but I find that keeping a refillable water bottle on me, one that’s easy to take quick sips from, helps a lot. You need to be hydrated in order to function properly. Drink juice to help you stay awake if you’re not a fan of coffee or tea (Idk why but this really helps). 

Stay active. Keep moving, get that blood circulating. Whether it’s running, yoga, or a walk in the park, the movement is sure to clear your mind and get those endorphins kicking. 

SLEEP. 7-8 hours, ideally. No all-nighters. Don’t even think about it. I limit myself to one all-nighter a semester, and never on the night before an exam. Your brain works to learn and memorize at night, so get your rest and study in the process.Take catnaps between study sessions if you get tired during the day, but don’t sacrifice that sacred sleep for a few extra hours of studying that will haunt you the entire next day. 

Studying

Now that you’re all zenned out, you can fill your brain with all that dope knowledge. 

Go to review days. Your teacher should explain what’s on the exam and what she expects of you, and if you skip you could miss out on important details like room and time. It may seem like skipping gives you more time to study, but you’ll be at a disadvantage in the end.

Summarize. Outline/summarize/prep class content expected on the exam. Being able to summarize content and place it in an order that makes sense shows understanding, and it’ll help you figure out what you need to work on most.  

Find study stations. Coffee shops, the campus library, bookstores, diners, you name it. Study anywhere but home, at least not alone. I sometimes crash at my friend’s place and we’ll have silent study sessions, keeping each other in check. 

Use a time management tool. I use the app Forest, or the chrome extension. When you use the timer, you plant a tree or a bush and it grows until the timer is up. I like it because when I use it on my phone, I set the timer for 25 minutes and I can’t exit the app or the tree dies. On chrome, you can blacklist certain websites that distract you, and if you visit that website during your study session, the tree dies. Don’t kill trees people. 

Prioritize. What exam do you have first? How prepared are you for it? Which exam will be the hardest/are you least prepared for? Use your sessions wisely and focus on the material you don’t know as well. 

Method. What works for you? Are you an auditory learner? Record your notes and listen to them in the car or while you work out. Kinesthetic? Rewrite your notes, make models, etc. Visual? Find good pictoral representations of your content and try drawing diagrams. It’s super important to find a study method that works for you, and everyone’s is gonna be a little different.

Come prepared. Buy pencils, scantrons, and erasers beforehand and come to your exam with everything you need (i.e. calculator). Hand lotion, chap-stick, and deep breathing are great ways to calm yourself before an exam. If you’re religious - pray, spiritual - meditate/center yourself, non of the above - have faith in yourself and your abilities. 

Dress comfy. If sweats are the way you roll, then go with it. If you feel more productive dressing a little nicer, have at it. 

Trust yourself. Stop second guessing yourself. Trust in your work. Honestly, we doubt ourselves way more than we should. Don’t underestimate yourself, love. You show that exam who’s boss. 

Celebrate. You’re done! Congrats on another exam finished, another day slayed, and another semester behind you. 

things that should be completly normal:

not going to uni

taking as much time as needed before going to uni

changing your majors many times before finding what you like

changing your career path

not knowing what you want

attending a community college 

valuing your health over your grades

人们需要知道他们的行为会影响其他人。所以谨言慎行，不只是为了你自己。

People need to learn that their actions do affect other people. So be careful what you say and do, its not always just about you.

想象的力量，给予我们无限可能。 The power of imagination makes us infinite.

真正的朋友愿意理解你的过去，相信你的未来，接受你的现在。

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.

being a responsible adult (or even college student) in chinese

appliances：

洗衣机 xǐyījī washing machine

烘干机 hōnggānjī dryer

洗碗机 xǐwǎnjī dishwasher

吸尘器 xīchénqì vacuum cleaner

冰箱 bīngxiāng refrigerator/fridge

炉子 lúzi stove

烤箱 kǎoxiāng oven

热水器 rèshuǐqì hot water heater

微波炉 wēibōlú microwave

加湿器 jiāshīqì humidifier 

热水壶 rèshuǐhú kettle

面包机 miànbāojī toaster

chores：

洗衣服 xǐ yīfu to wash clothes

烘衣服 hōng yīfu to dry clothes

叠衣服 dié yīfu to fold clothes

挂衣服 guà yīfu to hang clothes

打扫 dǎsǎo to sweep

收拾房间 shōushi fángjiān to tidy up a room

吸地 xīdì to vacuum the floor

擦地 cādì to mop the floor

铺床 pūchuáng to make the bed

摆桌子 bǎi zhuōzi to set the table

擦窗户 cā chuānghu to clean the windows

洗碗 xǐwǎn to wash the dishes

喂狗／猫 wèi gǒu/māo to feed the dog/cat

other stuff：

脏 zāng dirty

乱 luàn messy, sloppy, disorderly

干净 gānjìng clean

整齐 zhěngqí neat, tidy, in order

正式 zhèngshì formal, official

随便 suíbiàn casual, informal

简单 jiǎndān simple

不行 bùxíng won’t do, be out of the question, be no good

洗衣房 xǐyīfáng laundry room

用 yòng to use

铺 pū to spread, to extend

愿意 yuànyì to be willing to, want to

Super helpful Chinese grammar post! 😄

Chinese Grammar: Comparisons

My first grammar post! I hope there will be more to come. =}

Here are ways to compare things whether they be the same, or different, and also how something has improved/changed.

比 - bǐ: to compare/something is more ___ than something

我弟弟的个子比我的高。 (Wŏ dìdi de gèzi bĭ wŏ de gāo.) - My little brother is taller than me./ My little brother’s height is taller than mine.

我不比她高。 (Wŏ bùbĭ tā gāo.) - I am not taller than her.

…跟… 一样 - …gēn… yiyang: the same; as… as…

这本书跟那本一样长。(Zhè běn shū gēn nà běn yīyàng cháng.) - This book and that one are both long.

这个故事跟那个不一样好笑。 (Zhè ge gùshi gēn nà ge bù yīyàng hăo xiào.) - This story is not as funny as that one.

越来越 - yue lai yue: more and more

他的个子越来越高。 (Tā de gèzi yuè lái yuè gāo.) - His height gets more and more tall.

Now, with these types of comparisons, you never add 很 (hěn) before the adjective. Usually to really add depth or exaggeration to just how something is much more than something else, add 多了(duō le) after the adjective.

e.g： 他比我高多了。 (Tā bĭ wŏ gāo duō le.) - He’s much taller than me.