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alexincollege · 4 years

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you were meant to see this post. this post showed up on your screen for a reason. you are loved. whatever issue you may be going through right now, whether it be school or family or love, it will pass. it will pass, and you will be okay in the end. you will survive this.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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I aspire to be a woman who loves to wakes up early in the morning and loves what she does for a living everyday. Travels often, spiritually secured, and financially stable.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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I ship myself with academic success and contentment

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alexincollege · 5 years

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things to do on sundays to recharge and make the upcoming week awesome

• clean ya room (just do it). also, check those pinterest boards you save for “one day” and actually go through them and draw some inspiration, even if you just end up rearranging the books on your bookshelf or putting some flowers from your garden in a mason jar on your desk. this is your home, make it feel like it is.

• do your laundry (also, don’t forget your bed sheets). if you’re in the mood, look at next week’s weather forecast and think about what you’re going to wear. go through your drawers, check the back of your closet. that hat you bought some time ago and forgot about because you didn’t dare to wear it? well… new week, new you, right?

• call a friend/family member you haven’t talked to in a while, tell them you miss them. tell them you love them. remember and appreciate that they are a part of your life even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time.

• draw, paint, journal, write or make some music. something you know you love doing but “never find the time”. sunday is “finding-the-time day”. if you’re not feeling creative, read a book or watch your favorite show. or watch a new show. a scary show. a funny show. laugh as loud as you want. listen to music. listen to your favorite songs, or listen to new songs. even a new genre if you dare. turn the volume all the way up. take a second to consciously feel the music. you can always get up and dance. or sing. or both.

• the great, but still really effective classic: take a bath or a really long shower. if you have this special face or hair mask you’re saving up for a special occasion: congrats, you’re the special occasion today. use it. also, body lotion. we all know you’re going to be running late during the week and skip it one too many times. make yourself feel like the goddess you are.

• sit in silence for a few moments. listen to your breath. listen to your heartbeat. for the love of god PLEASE listen to your thoughts for once in your life. don’t make them feel like they are wrong. or bothersome. they too just want to be heard once in a while. what are they trying to tell you? what could be soothing for them? be compassionate to yourself. it’s okay. you are okay. you are okay.

• think about things you can be grateful for next week. even if you feel like your life sucks atm, think about the small things you take for granted in a different way. for example: “next week, i will have access to clean water. CLEAN. WATER. 844 million people don’t have that.” or “next week, my legs will take me wherever i want to go. not everybody has two fully functioning legs, so i’m lucky in that way.” you’re allowed to feel bad about your life, but you’re also allowed to feel good about things.

• if you’ve stayed home most of the week, go out. go for a walk. go swimming. go to a party or dinner with friends. even if you feel like you don’t need to see the outside world, chances are you’ll feel great after you do. if you feel like you’ve been running around all week, maybe you’d like to stay home today. put on your ugliest sweater, comfiest leggings, and fluffiest socks and curl up under a thousand blankets. you a sloth today and it’s okay.

• eat. i mean honestly: eat THE THING. i don’t care if you’re on a diet. if there’s something you’ve been craving all week that has turned you into the veiny-neck-dude meme just trying to resist it: EAT IT. you deserve it. not because you worked out or ate salads or did well in school, but just because you’re a human and you love to eat and life is short and you should be allowed to eat yummy things. it’s okay. you won’t gain 5 pounds or lose your brain cells no matter how unhealthy it is, i promise.

• plan plan plan yo week. it doesn’t matter if you use a planner, bullet journal, the calendar on your phone or the notes app: write everything down you have going on next week. appointments. events. coffee-dates. when are you going to the gym? what are you going to eat? (meal prep if necessary) also, create reminders on your phone for everything. “i won’t forget it!” is a sweet thought, but oh honey you will. schedule reminders for every event. let your phone remind you that you need to buy toilet paper when the store is nearby. schedule daily reminders for your medications. (once you’ve done this it honestly feels like you just cleaned out 38GB of your brain, you simply don’t have to worry about that anymore, space for more important info, like your new favorite pun to annoy everyone with)

• most importantly: listen to what your mind and your body need today and next week. daily life is so full of “should-do”s that it’s important to find a healthy balance between the “should”s and the “need”s. you will be much more productive, healthy and happy that way. nobody knows you better than you do, take advantage of that and plan accordingly.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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How NOT to study

“I’m going to start studying right after I’ve ______”…you won’t. “Oooh, I’m going to highlight my notes with 49930 different colours to help me retain information” Highlight key words!! “Everyone else has these amazing, expensive notebooks, pens and Macbooks. Maybe I need them too to be a good student.” Hint: You don’t “There more I manage to cover during this hour, the more I’ll learn” Remember: Quality NOT quantity “Revision is so unnecessary. I have a good memory and I know I’m going to remember this on the test I have in 2 months”… sorry to break this to you but you probably won’t remember a lot. Go through everything you’ve covered during the last week on the weekend. “Oh boy, I’m so tired. I think I’ll just read this chapter in bed.” Hint: You’ll fall asleep “Okay so I need to study this and this much to get a better grade than _____“ wth nonono. Study for yourself?? “Omg, I didn’t study today. I’m such a failure” You don’t have to study every day. You shouldn’t study every day!! Have at least one day a week when you do nothing school related, your brain needs the rest! “I didn’t get a ____ in the test. I must be dumb idiot and a complete failure who won’t accomplish anything in life” One grade doesn’t affect your life one bit. “I must study law, medicine or any other STEM subject to be considered a real hardworking student” Hint: Humanities and other subjects are just as hard, okay? “My teacher is bad and that’s why I won’t ever learn this” Take your computer, open google, google the stuff you don’t get. Was it so hard? Don’t blame your teacher for not understanding something. They’re humans and not perfect. Be ambitious and try to teach yourself with the help of your friends, the internet, youtube, library books etc.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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alexincollege · 5 years

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goodnight to all the ones who never receive a goodnight

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alexincollege · 5 years

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Maki Naro @ The Nib

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alexincollege · 5 years

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7 Rules of Life

1. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

2. What others think of you is none of your business.

3. Time heals almost everything; give it time.

4. Don`t compare your life to others`, and don`t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

5. Stop thinking too much; it`s alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.

6. No-one is in charge of your happiness, except you.

7. Smile. You don`t own all the problems in the world.

Source: Whisper of the heart.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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Please, never let school or work take precedence over your health. Yes, doing well in school or work is important, but it’s not more important than your health. Take time to eat, take time to sleep. If you’re sick, give yourself time to heal. There is no use working yourself to the bone if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy the rewards.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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You can’t grow unless you are willing to take calculated risks and expose yourself to new things. Remain open. What you know right now is only the tip of the iceberg.

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alexincollege · 5 years

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here are 5 of the big things i’ve learned over the past two years and also recently during exams! i feel like i’ve come so far as a student in terms of studying, work ethic and self-discipline, so i wanted to share all the important tips i learned and will definitely re-use in the coming years :)

1: the best way to find your preferred study method is through trial and error

if you are given the chance of taking an end of unit/topic test that doesn’t count towards your final grade, use it to test out revision techniques and find out which one is best for you! throughout all of year 10 i tried different things forevery test i had from simply notes to mind maps to flashcards and to summary sheets in the attempt to find the perfect study method for me. doing this early on in your course where smaller tests don’t really matter is the perfect opportunity for taking risks; this is why it’s called trial and error. some techniques won’t work for you, and you might get a bad grade, but that is how you learn! then, when you get exams that really matter, you’ll know exactly what to do to achieve that dream grade. (although, i understand that in some countries every test counts to your final grade- a work around for this would be to give yourself a mock test deadline if you really want to find out which study method suits you best)

2: self-discipline (rather than motivation) takes time and practice

motivation is temporary; self-discipline is long-lasting. there are a million articles on how to boost motivation, but if you want to develop a consistent work ethic it’s really important to have self-discipline. of course, this can be really hard to achieve; but establishing your goals and sticking to them is crucial. start a study schedule with a corresponding self-care routine (this can be anything from skincare to stretching to journaling) as well as some leisure time and try to stick to it! don’t beat yourself up if you find it hard at the beginning; just remind yourself of your goals, be clear on what you want in the future, and start again. over time it’ll get easier to get up, work hard, and eventually achieve your goals 🤓(also try my study tracker if you need help planning/overviewing your week )

3: active recall is crucial!

i’ve watched many people (myself included) put endless hours in studying and come out with lower grades than they were expecting- while it isn’t always the case, what i’ve noticed is that reading the textbook and making notes from it will help you understand the topic and make you feel like you know everything, but when it comes to recalling specific info it doesn’t really work. although there are some people who can just read the textbook and all the detail is easily deposited into their brain (ugh), for most people an active recall technique is needed. if you hate flashcards, don’t worry! there are plenty of different methods like blurting, teaching others, repeating things out loud until you can say it without looking, solving questions/worksheets etcetera. over time, your brain gets better and better at memorizing and learning that hopefully by the time your exams roll around you’ll be able to recall everything you need 😊

4: create study resources as you are going through your course

this is probably slightly obvious, but so many times during this exam season i’ve kicked myself for not making sets of flashcards or mind maps sooner. instead of making these things and taking huge chunks of time doing passive revision, i could be practicing them and memorizing instead! one of the best things to do during your course when you have free time is to sit down, open the specification/syllabus/textbook and make study resources that you’ll be able to confidently use during exam season. ideally, you could make them after finishing each topic/unit in class, with as much specific information that you think is relevant. it is so much faster to condense flashcards, mind maps or summary sheets when exams come around rather than to have to make whole new ones because there wasn’t enough detail/information.

5: if you are given a specification or syllabus, use it!!

my favorite teacher always told us that our specs should be printed out, annotated, highlighted, and worn from so much use; i didn’t really heed his advice until right before exams, but it was probably the best advice i ever received for the sciences. your specification/syllabus literally tells you everything that might be in the exam, so use it! print them out at 85% so that you have enough margin space to scribble; i used a traffic light method where i highlighted things i knew well in green, things that i needed to revise a bit further in orange and stuff that i really don’t understand and needed to study in red. if you’re struggling to grasp the content within your subject or feel like you’ve got gaps in your knowledge, this method literally points out your strengths and weaknesses for you!

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alexincollege · 5 years

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What i’ve learned from college thus far pt. 2

Over the last couple of months since i made part one i came up with new tips that i would like to share with you

Think short term: having long term goals gives you the best direction, like getting that degree, but don’t spend time thinking and daydreaming about whats after the next five years cause you’ll only get impacient and frustated for not getting there yet. Pay more attention to shorter goals such as finals, they feel like baby steps but by the time you realize you will be graduating!

Turbo focus: during the class don’t just sit there to listen and space out. Read and highlight your material previous to the class, then follow the topics as the lecturer speaks and make little annotations on the sides. By doing this you have reviewed the material 2 times plus audio memory. Less work for mid terms!

Stay a little active: in the past i used to just go to class, study and watch netflix in my spare time. Needless to say those were my least productive years, so I’ve signed up to a gym and the difference is HUGE! My stress levels are lower and i don’t feel guilty for dedicating time to something else anymore since i’m getting better grades

Carry a snack and a bottle of water: sometimes you won’t have much time for breakfast for waking up late so for emergencies always have a cereal bar in your bag and a refillable bottle for water. You won’t be able to concentrate on anything else if i’m hungry or thirsty. (Make sure it’s not plastic, save the sea life and get hydrated at the same time)

Feel free to add more if you have any! Staying active and thinking short term have made the biggest difference this semester. Hope you try them!

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alexincollege · 5 years

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What i’ve learned from college thus far

Stop studying the night before. I have noticed that if i keep forcing myself to learn until last minute (which it’s not gonna happen, you know what you have been processing for a while not just right before they hand the paper sheets) i start doubting myself more

Go with an “i don’t care anymore” attitude to the exam. This one is my fave. With this i mean letting go of every single worry you may have of failing in that moment (not ignoring your books the whole semester) If you don’t care about failing there’s no tension or stress during the exam, therefore you will be able to think more clearly than under pressure.

Figure out your minimum hours of sleep. I learned that i need at least 5 hours to function properly. Find yours and use it in your favor.

Relationships with classmates. You probably will only see your friends in some classes or just one, dont let this unmotivate you and not attend to lectures!! Everyone is asleep and no one will think you’re awkward for sitting alone. Don’t force friendships or try acting like someone you’re not, people can see it and repells them.

Relationships with teachers. Can’t stress this enough, if you’re gonna put effort in creating a bond with someone in college, it has to be your teachers. Try getting there early and pick a seat in the front, make questions via email or in person, if you’re shy like me wait until the end of the lecture and talk to the teacher instead of asking out loud.

Learn from failure. Don’t waste precious time giving yourself a hard time, it won’t make you any smarter. Pay attention to details and correct them for the next time, that’s how champs do it AND YOU’RE ONE OF THEM!

Relaxing. I know how guilty you feel when it’s been days and you haven’t looked at your notes, but hey we all go through that. It’s important to disconnect a little sometimes and come back with a %100 battery instead of a %35, am i right? Just don’t let the relaxation become 2 weeks or a whole month.

Hope these few tips may help you if you need them ♡

Part 2

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alexincollege · 5 years

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I’ve moved my entire life in two suitcases from Singapore to Munich to Boston to Munich to Singapore in 7 months. Most of my stuff is still packed in anticipation of moving to France next month. Ahh!

#alex speaks

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alexincollege · 5 years

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hogwarts houses: study edition

gryffindor:

creating study groups with your friends

studying to do good in the world

flashcards!!

coffee at 2 am

being obsessed with highlighters

finding a secret spot to study

the perfect study playlist

hufflepuff

sitting in the park, studying

texting your friends little motivational quotes

beautiful bullet journals

Camomile tea

scented candles

creating the perfect study environment

calming yourself before an exam

studying to help and create

ravenclaw

procrastinating. a. lot

“oh look I spent 2 hours on wikipedia again”

studying to finally understand everything

embellishing notes with cute little drawings

ancient libraries

helping friends on the night before the exam

pretty desktop backgrounds

the sound of turning a page in a book

finding the perfect word to use in your essay

slytherin

to-do lists and vision boards

knowing exactly what you have to do to achieve your goal

finishing your essay in the middle of the night

„intellect without ambition is like a bird without wings“

succulents on your desk

the feeling of getting that A

studying to achieve greatness

#slytherin through and through

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alexincollege · 5 years

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