If you look at the world and say “Yes, there are enough homes for people, yes, there is enough food for people, but if we give it away for free they won’t have earned it and the economy will collapse.” Then you have chosen money (a constructed medium of exchange) over living beings who only want to continue living in peace and safety.
And I have no qualms telling you, that is the wrong choice, and you have been brainwashed by this destructive, exploitative system.
so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god
August is fast approaching once again! Though I’m all for “starting the year/ school year right”, I think it’s pretty much unavoidable for us to get off track. A lot. Because of that, I put together this infographic to help minimize those stressful moments in your brand new school years.
First of all, get your shit together. And I mean both physically and emotionally.
it’s a new start my friend!! detox your mind of all those negative thoughts (and people) and embrace the opportunity to start over.
gather all the supplies you need. if you’re moving into a dormitory, make sure it’s equipped with everything you need to feel at home.
her campus college packing list
do’s and don’ts
don’t go overboard with this step, but go get yourself some new stationery. choose wisely, and ensure that you’ll actually use it and it’s not just for purposes of aesthetic. we all want nice instagram feeds, but don’t let that be a reason for you to buy too much pretty stationery.
why not think of a note taking system before classes begin?
the cornell system
mind mapping
flashcards
not all may find the idea of going back to school exciting, but you gotta have the motivation to keep that positive mindset in your head throughout the year! go you.
Organize your study space. You may have to stay in it much longer than usual now.
lighting is important. it’s oversaid, but never untrue. opt for natural lighting when you can, but if you can’t or you’re a night owl, get a good study lamp to brighten up those long hours of work.
I did say you’re probably gonna be staying here for some long bouts of time, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. make your desk one of your favorite places to be in. if you want to, make it really pretty. hang up some motivational posters or quotes - perhaps you even want a color scheme with that.
desk inspiration
quote posters to get you going
quotes from writers
have an accessible stash of stationery on your desk at all times so that you don’t have to go looking for a pen and a sticky note when you need to write something down. keep pens, pencils and highlighters in a jar near you.
keep something green on your desk, like a succulent. plants are adorable and the sight of them can boost your productivity.
have a planner or a bullet journal, and make space for that too.
a bujo masterpost
if working with music helps you, have headphones with you as well. always have a study playlist on hand. go for instrumentals or wordless tracks.
study playlist masterpost
make it a habit to keep your space in check every night before you go to bed. it really could make a big difference in how much work you’re gonna be able to do. don’t forget to stay clear of distractions!
Create a stress management system.
okay. this is what i’m telling you to brace yourself for. there are gonna be those days or those moments when you’re gonna feel really depressed or panicked. you’re gonna be okay. feel free to message me or any other studyblr - we’re here to listen =)
take some time out to practice self care and put off work, even for a bit. school is not the most important thing in the world, keeping yourself alive and healthy is. you can sleep, be kind to yourself.
self-care reminders
soothe yourself
go get some food too. you can prep some of your own if you’d prefer.
food masterpost
mood boosting food
never ever ever underestimate the power of exercise. the feeling of finishing a workout is so so so satisfying and I can guarantee you will feel better in no time.
the seven minute workout
popsugar fitness
take out your mat and do some yoga. stretch out all those muscles you held in place for so long sitting at your desk.
I find it important to always have a mini-collection of unread books. if you don’t have any, one of my favorite places to be in is a bookstore or library - and I just read whatever I find. the results can be life changing.
take time to hone your skills in your hobbies. if you can, do it everyday - do that one thing that makes you really happy daily. maybe you like singing. or playing the guitar. or painting. whatever it is, go do it.
write it down! I keep an electronic journal and it really helps to just spill your thoughts out on a notebook or your phone.
honey, please talk to someone if you need to. it won’t hurt.
Get a headstart on academics.
especially on subjects that are easier with advanced reading. if you already know what books you’re going to be tackling for english or literature, go read them.
sparknotes
shmoop
try asking upper years who used to take your classes if they still have their course outlines, or any material they were given before. this can save lives.
gonna be taking a language class? why not start learning it already?
duolingo
memrise
find textbooks and start using them!!
don’t have any idea of what you’re going to study yet? that doesn’t mean you should stop learning something new. you can listen to a ted talk or join an online course.
ted
crash course
coursera
Finally, set SMART goals for the school year. And have a concrete plan for how you’ll reach them.
what average are you aiming for? what organizations do you want to join? make your goals realistic and specific.
motivation is very important, but honestly, you can’t count on it to be with you every single day, every single moment of your life while you’re working for your goals. what will push you forward then? discipline.
building discipline
surround yourself with a community people who support you. like I said in the first step, detox all those negative people from your life. find ways to work with your friends and help each other in attaining goals.
set rewards for yourself too, not just in the long run but for the little things like finishing a good study session or passing a paper early.
study reward ideas
that being said, don’t underestimate the power of setting your short-term goals. those will be your stepping stones to pursuing the bigger picture you envision for yourself.
Tumblr and Pinterest, provided you don’t go too far in using them, can serve your daily doses of inspiration. don’t just use them for the sake of looking at aesthetically pleasing shots, though.
on a final note, don’t let academics take over your life. I hope you have a fantastic year, and good luck!
when you find an academic source that’s perfect for your paper but it’s behind a pay wall
neither lasts
if you’re a small studyblr (<100 followers) and active, reblog this post! i want to queue original content from my fellow small studyblrs
Sometimes you need to get real with yourself. Don’t pretend those tabs of youtube videos and fanfiction take precedence over that maths homework you need to get done. Don’t tell yourself you’ll get up early and do it, because chances are, your alarms will go off and you’ll snooze it automatically. Then right before the dreaded fourth period you will be stressed to no end and you’ll feel the feeling. You know, the feeling. When you can genuinely feel the list of tasks and responsibilities build up on your shoulders. That stationery will do nothing to save your grades if you don’t actually use it to make your revision materials. Don’t click onto youtube as a study break and find that 3 hours and only 4 pages of reading later, the glare of the screen gets a little blurry when you look at the time and look at your to do list with your priorities highlighted. I don’t care how much self control you think you have, or how much discipline you think you’ve honed, because when you make the decision to put of work that needs to get done and you’re relying on this new found immense self discipline that future you will just suddenly obtain, you know you’ve already lost. And it’s a double loss because not only have you lost to laziness and short term ‘happiness’, future you has lost to stress and possibly even not getting the grades or the qualifications you could’ve gotten that would’ve led you to take the path you’ve wanted to take. So please, for the love of your future self, get it done now.
[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
How To Make Your Notes Aesthetic
Here are some Harry Potter inspired monthly phone wallpapers with matching desktop wallpapers. I created versions starting on Monday and Sunday so you can pick the one you use more often!
To download:
mobile: for the best quality, click on the link to the version you would like below, wait for it to load and then simply hold down on the image you would like, press ‘save image’, head to your settings, change wallpaper and select it from your photos.
version one monday / version one sunday
version two monday / version two sunday
version three monday / version three sunday
version four monday / version four sunday
laptop: right click, save image, add image to a phone folder that syncs from your laptop to phone or use airdrop on iPhone.
I hope you enjoy using these and if so, I’d love to see them in action! Feel free to tag me #emmastudies in any photos you upload on Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter. If there are any problems or errors, please let me know via my inbox.
Disclaimer: These backgrounds are for personal use only.
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