Kinda Cool To Think How Someone Somewhere Is Having The Best Day Of Their Life Today. Someone’s Hearing

Do u have any advice on studying a subject that you really can't understand? (Chemistry in my case)

HOW TO STUDY A DIFFICULT SUBJECT?

STEP ONE, ALWAYS, is MINDSET.

Eliminate “can’t understand” from your vocabulary. Transform it to “will find out”. This way you open your mind to accepting new information, without it hitting the wall inside your mind that would have said, “Can’t. It’s too much. It’s too difficult.”

Appreciate the fact that you get the opportunity to learn the amazing science to know the world at an elemental level.

Remember that no one is born with knowledge, we all learn it, some topics just take a little longer, esp if were aren’t that familiar with the related concepts. Don’t compare the fact that others in your class are learning things at a different speed. Because you’re living your own journey. You’re in a lane of your own.

So allow yourself to spend extra time exploring the topic. There are two parts to learning: understanding and memorising. This helps with the understanding.

Familiarise yourself with the concept from various points of view, not just the way the teacher is teaching it. Because often the way you are taught something can make something seem more difficult, vs a teacher who really takes the time to make it seem easy.

Take the time to learn the basics.

Find other ways to learn the same info. Have multiple sources of info: YOUTUBE (helped me personally), textbooks, google the topic.

Ask a fellow student who knows it better and ask them to talk about some of the points with you.

Relate what you learn and see how they impact and exist in the real world - turn it more practical, beyond theory. Connect it with other disciplines.

Read the textbook - slowly. Give yourself time to understand it esp the early paragraphs

Practice the questions at your own pace allowing yourself to see how it works.

SewBeautifulx on Etsy

ap classes can be super stressful, especially if you’re taking multiple. here’s the best advice i have on being successful in them after surviving high school! also, please feel free to add any advice in the reblogs or comments<3 thank you! 

• read your textbook (and take notes!!) i quickly learned that i did so much better in a class when i had done the textbook readings for each chapter. usually teachers go about a chapter a week, which isn’t super tough to keep up with if you divide it into chunks (i’ll make a post soon on how i took notes from the textbook) 

• do your homework, and do it well. some nights, your homework will be a lot. but you really should do as much of it as you can. (i’m emphasizing this for math classes because math homework is usually super similar to what you’ll see on the test, but it is important review for every class). Work with the book next to you, use khan academy, mark questions that you need help with (and get help), and do it on time. your grades will thank you, and so will your teacher!! 

• my strategy to review for in class tests: 

1.) review vocabulary using flash cards or quizlet (i’d actually recommend making quizlets for each chapter so u can use it to review for the ap test later)

2.) use your notes or textbook summaries to create your own summaries of the current chapter(s) on blank pieces of paper (take notes on your notes, explain important concepts/main ideas, write down important dates/people/equations, include practice problems for math/science courses) (keep these summary pages in a folder & organized for when you’re reviewing for the ap test) 

3.) know how to explain all of the concepts (either out loud or in writing) without looking at the textbook for answers. (i usually try to answer the textbook’s essential questions/ section questions using as much concrete evidence as possible to prove the answer)  

(do this over 3 separate days AT LEAST for in class tests (day one vocab, day two create summaries of chapters, day three explain chapters outloud), and over several weeks for the ap test) 

• DO! NOT! PROCRASTINATE!

literally everyone says this, but seriously do not procrastinate and high school won’t be as miserable for you as it is for other people. do your homework on time, divide your note taking into different days, plan ahead, do work right as you get home or during class. 

• talk to your teacher if you’re seriously struggling with the work load, and let them know if you’re going through a hard time in life and it’s affecting your school work. this can be scary, but usually they don’t want you to want to die! so just let them know, and they’ll give you advice / help with it and will support you. communication is so important. 

possible structure for an email to communicate an issue with them: 

“hi _____(teachers name)_____, 

i’m having a hard time completing my work recently because of (reason why, be honest). is it okay if i can have an extension until (date in the near future that you can turn it in and please stick to this date btw) (please)? 

thank you, __(your name)__” 

(just for more explanation: my dog died in march during my senior year. i emailed my ap environmental science teacher, my ap statistics teacher, and my ap lit teacher the same email: “hi, my dog died today and i’m having a hard time concentrating on my work, so i won’t be able to finish it today. may i have an extension for my work this week until (day i knew i could turn it in abt a week later)? thank you! -jillian” they all were understanding and gave me an extension. i said the same thing when my aunt died, and the same thing when i was in the hospital after a long boarding accident. i also let teachers know during junior year when i was having anxiety, or during first sem senior year when i was working heavy hours) 

• limit the amount of ap classes you take, and only take classes that you’re interested in. i know colleges “like ap classes,” but they also like mentally sane students, students that sleep, well rounded students, students with decent gpas, etc. just in my opinion, you’ll be so much happier and more successful if you only take 1-3 ap classes that you’re truly interested in. (i took 1 my sophomore year, 3 junior year, and 3 senior year. my rule was to never take more than 3 because that’s the most that i could still get all a’s in without suffering. but know yourself and your limits) 

look: the right people will get it. the right people will see you and appreciate you for the person that you are. the right people won’t require you to dilute, censor, or edit yourself in order to be worthy of their time and affection. you don’t need to waste your time on people who are committed to misunderstanding you 

life’s too short to not fill each moment with love. Choose to buy that plant you saw at the shops and nurture it. Choose to take a study break and spend it sketching or day dreaming. Choose to keep that picture you took of you with your s/o for yourself to enjoy instead of watching for the likes coming on social media. Put love into how you do your hair or maybe whack it into a messy bun and put love into creating art. Put love into how you treat others and value all members of society, treating everyone with love and respect. Choose to love yourself as you would others, respecting yourself and loving yourself, especially after failure. Choose love.

reasons to live: winter edition

cold and crisp air making you feel alive

your breath freezing and the wind making your skin tight

pitch black nights

heavy snowfall making even the ugliest landscapes breathtakingly beautiful

wrapping yourself in a huge blanket to keep yourself warm

frozen cold hands against your bare skin

ugly sweaters and fuzzy socks

hot chocolate after a long time out in the cold

the warmth and comfort you’ll experience due to increasing intimacy

christmas and the joy of giving

less partying and more intimate movie nights with your loved ones

the hundreds of blankets you’ll end up sleeping with

the smell of something freshly baked filling the entire house

the goose bumps you’ll notice everywhere on your body

where is that renaissance painting with those two fellers and a giant fucking random skull on the floor that looks like it was accidentally stretched out in photoshop

casting spell of pass your exams for anyone going through exams right now

please realize that it gets better. realize that one day you will go to sleep fully content. that one day you will be comfortable enough to smile and not second guess it. sure, you won’t have all the answers. no one ever does. but it will be better. everything will be better and your heart will feel lighter. you’ll believe it when they say i love you and you’ll look at a sunset and instead of wishing on the pink clouds you will close your eyes and say ‘thank u’. it gets better. it always does.

[ 25.02.19 ] “have some fire. be unstoppable. be a force of nature.”