This was originally for an article writing assignment, but I thought “why not write something I can also post on my blog?” so here are three study methods that I haven’t seen a lot of in the studyblr community but are definitely worth mentioning.
The Leitner System
Flash cards have remained one of the
most popular ways to study. Some people use them to memorize vocabulary,
remember answers to specific questions, or even associate dates with events.
Although the use of flash cards is convenient, their effectiveness has been
reduced due to most people’s habits of prioritizing each card equally and
therefore spending too much time memorizing the information on them.
The Leitner System, created by a German
popularizer of science named Sebastian Leitner, is a more efficient method of
studying that implements the concept of spaced repetition. All the cards start
off in one pile. You would first scan through these cards, then test yourself.
Each card you answer correctly goes to a second pile, while those you answer
incorrectly should be revised then placed at the bottom of the pile. When you
review the cards in the second pile and get them correct, they will be promoted
to a third pile. An incorrect card will always get demoted to the first pile,
even if they had previously been promoted to the last pile.
The reason why this method is so
effective is that you end up reviewing the first pile of cards more frequently—the
cards you don’t know very well. Some people choose to review their Stack 1
cards every day, Stack 2 cards every other day, Stack 3 cards once every three
days, and so on.
Once all your cards have been promoted
to the highest box, study them thoroughly and then start over. The continuous
revision trains your speed so that you may reach fluency, which allows you to
recall the information faster.
Timed Memorization
The name tells it all: you memorize a
certain text within a time limit, normally around five to ten minutes depending
on your fluency and memorization abilities. When the timer starts, you begin
memorizing. When time is up, you flip to the next page, even if you haven’t
finished the previous page yet. Continue until you’ve gone through all your
material.
Timed
memorization helps you to discipline yourself because your brain thinks
that there’s no time for messing around; you have to do this here and now. Make
sure to repeat the things you missed and revise everything frequently. This
method is actually one of the most effective for cramming as it gives a better
coverage than if you spend a whole half hour memorizing one subtopic.
The Memory Palace or Mind Palace
Sound
familiar? In BBC’s Sherlock, the ‘highly functioning sociopath’ uses this
method to remember vital information and facts. A mind palace is a systematic
arrangement of information, each detail corresponding to a specific object in a
familiar place. To ensure that you really remember everything, the objects have
to appear shocking and conspicuous.
Here’s an
example: if I wanted to memorize “crimson, 11, delight, petrichor (the smell
after rain)”, aside from imagining Amy Pond or the Doctor saying it, I would
first choose a place, let’s say my school. I’d imagine myself walking up to the
front gate and seeing that the entire building has been painted the color of
blood—crimson. The building would then rise as though it were lifted from the
earth and crumble into rubble, controlled by Eleven, the character from
Stranger Things. Now, since I can’t really picture delight specifically, I’d
probably end up visualizing a colossal sign that simply reads “delight” posted
in front of my school. As for petrichor, I’d imagine curves rising out of the
puddles on the asphalt after a rainy night, a visual representation of the
smell of the rain. Of course, these visualizations have been created to suit my
memory. (I wouldn’t know if you watched Stranger Things.)
I used this
method when memorizing case studies for geography, although I chose to
visualize fictional places from television series and cartoons. Some people do
opt to create artificial places, but these often become blurry and are easily
forgotten.
As with any
study method, repetition is vital to storing the information in your long-term
memory. Visit your “palace” as often as you can. Soon enough, you’ll remember
the data as well as you remember the place associated with the data.
So there you have it, three lesser known methods of studying that have proven to be immensely efficient. Now, there is no “correct” way to study, but there are methods that can ease your learning process.
Finals are officially over!! These are all the flashcards I used to prepare for exams throughout the semester. I’m so glad school is over lol. Even though I still have no idea what to do with my life (career wise), I’m excited to see what the next school year brings. Senior year here I come~
Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived up to your full potential? Would your body be healthier? Your skin clearer? Bank account bigger? I think about these things all the time, and, judging my a previous post, you guys do to. Below is a chart designed to help all of us live up to our full potential. I’ve broken it down into time frames to help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Write the chart down and hang it someplace where you can see it all the time. I will be starting this challenge tomorrow, 9/8. I’ll check in with you guys every Sunday to track my progress. I have specific goals in mind for myself, and you guys should make some too! I really want to know how you guys are doing. Tag your progress posts with #sbfpc so I can track it and take a look. Let’s get to it!
EVERY MORNING
Stretch. First thing. Really give your body enough time to wake up. Touch your toes. Roll out your shoulders. Do not hit snooze!
Do your full skincare routine. I have mine detailed here, but do whatever works for you and your complexion. Be gentle and consistent.
Brush your teeth and floss. I used to be a big floss-skipper too, but you’d be amazed at how dig of a difference it makes. Rinse with a whitening mouthwash. I use one by Crest, and I notice a major difference in my teeth’s overall whiteness in just a few days.
Give yourself enough time to get ready. Whether you’re a wash-and-go kind of girl, or someone who spends an hour doing a full contouring routine before class (and either one is fine!), make sure you aren’t rushing. If you need to wake up a few minutes earlier than normal, so be it. Rushing sets an awful, stressed-out tone for the rest of the day. Allow yourself to be relaxed before taking on the day.
Eat something. I’m not going to say eat a big breakfast, because some people (myself included) just can’t eat in the morning. But you should eat, or at least bring a little something with you to work or school. If you can’t eat a full breakfast, grab a fruit! You won’t be as hungry come lunch time, making you less likely to gorge yourself.
Shower. You can do this at night, in the morning, whatever. Again, this is something you should allow some time for. I don’t wash my hair every day, but I do condition it every day (from the ears down). Scrub yourself with a delicious-smelling body wash. If you shave, make yourself as smooth as a dolphin, dude. If you don’t, then don’t and don’t ever ever ever let anyone make you feel bad or weird about it. When you get out of the shower, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and totally slather your sexy self with lotion. Top to bottom. Do it as soon as you can post-shower so it can really sink in.
Put leave-in condition throughout your damp hair and comb it through.
Put on an outfit that makes you feel good! So important!
Take a look at your daily to-do list. Knock out the most pressing stuff first. Take pride when you cross things off your list.
Make your bed! Oh my god, make your bed. Do it. Do it. Do it.
EVERY AFTERNOON
Follow the “touch it once” approach. This is a truly life-changing thing. When a task is in front of you, no matter how big or small, just do it right then and there. How many times have you gotten a work email or homework assignment and thought, “Eh, I’ll do it later”? And then later never comes? Once something pops up, do it once. Squash it and be done. Cross things off your list and feel like a badass.
Try to go for a walk at lunch. Even one little lap around the block or campus will reenergize you like nobody’s business.
Be present. This is so hard for me too, but you have to make a major effort to be present in whatever you’re doing. Be engaged and plugged-in and just exist in the moment. Give 100 percent.
Be friendly to friends and strangers. A smile goes a long way.
Eat something. Eat what you packed for lunch (see below) and take a break from working while you do it. You need “you time”!
EVERY EVENING
Take your makeup off as soon as you’re in for the night. Wash your face with your full routine and let your skin have a break.
Workout. You can also do this in the morning. Whatever works for you. Make a great playlist and go hard af. Get your cardio in. Get your strength training in. Earn every freaking sweat bead forming on your forehead. Earn your shower!
Knock out your homework. Life is infinitely better you don’t have anything hanging over your head. Half the time, the energy and emotion you spent dreading/putting off your work is ten times worse than the work itself.
Make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow. It’ll set you up for success the next day, and you won’t forget anything!
Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This will save you SO MUCH TIME in the morning omg I can’t even tell you how important this is.
Eat something great. And once you’ve decided to be done eating for the night, be done. Brush your teeth so you can’t eat again.
After brushing, do a whitening treatment. Whether it’s classic baking soda, a Crest white strip, or a laser. Do something. And floss! Retainers in too, ladies 0:)
Relax! Take a few hours to do what YOU want to do. Scroll through Tumblr, binge on some Netflix, FaceTime gossip with your friends, anything. Do whatever makes you happiest.
Shut the electronics off an hour before you want to go to bed. Put your phone on sleep mode. If you stare at the screen, it will keep you awake and alert and you won’t be able to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for weightless and general happiness lol
Do a quick sweep of your room and see if there’s anything you can put away real quick. A clean space is a happy space.
Crawl into your bed (aren’t you happy you took the time to make it?!) and read a book by lamplight for a while. When you start to feel sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push it. You kicked ass today and you deserve rest.
EVERY WEEKEND
Do something with your friends. It just has to be one thing. Even if you’re just hanging out at the coffee shop, spending time with your squad will make you a better, happier person.
Do something just for you. Set your laptop up in the bathroom and watch a Netflix marathon while you take a bubble bath. Buy an old school bottle of Mr. Bubbles ($3 at Target!) and really just soak. Relax. Light a candle.
Do something creative. You can read a book, write, blog, draw, code, anything. It just has to be something that speaks to your passion.
Track your progress. Just do this once a week so it doesn’t become all-consuming. And remember that non-scale victories are just as important as shedding pounds.
Take the time to be grateful. Tell your friend how much you admire her taste in music. Mention to your mom how much you love her cooking and how happy you are that she takes care of you. Thank your teaching after an especially interesting lecture. When you do something awesome, take a moment to admire yourself. Be grateful for even the little things.
Anything I missed? Reblog + add yours! Don’t forget to tag your progress!
starting this Monday!
I’ll just reblog and fav cause I need to read this in the morning!
Here are some recipes I have made or have been trying out for spring!
Three Flower Sugar –
1 oz lavender
1 dried rose, just the petals
1 oz dried chamomile or honeysuckle
Grind in a mortal and pestle, add ½ cup of sugar and grind until powder fine. Store in pink jar for love spells, self care spells, and to amplify the properties of the flowers.
Uses: Sprinkle on sugar cookies for Beltane rituals, stir into an herbal tea, sprinkle over offerings for the fae, use in a self care spell jar, use in spells to sweeten relationships or communication, etc.
Floral Tincture –
Great for making drinks, baking, or use in potions for Spring celebrations.
equal parts dried lavender, honeysuckle, chamomile, elder flowers, roses etc (I used chamomile, elder flowers, and honeysuckle.)
1 jar (dark jar if possible)
just enough vodka or other 180 proof alcohol to just cover the flowers, maybe ½ in over the dried materials
Place flowers into jar, cover with alcohol and shake vigorously.
Store in a dark cool place.
Shake periodically
let steep for 4 weeks or more
Strain through a fine mesh strainer/coffee filter or muslin cloth, squeeze excess out of the flowers.
Strain through coffee filter or muslin cloth once more and bottle in a glass bottle/jar.
Uses: Use in cooking recipes like you would vanilla extract or other baking flavorings, use an eye dropper to drop into sparkling water/tea for a refreshing drink, use like bitters in a martini recipe, use for potions or spells, etc.
Lavender Meyer Lemon Mint Tea –
From the book “infuse”
8 sprigs of fresh mint
4 sprigs dried lavender
4 Meyer lemon peels
30 oz of water
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher in the refrigerator over night (for at least 10 hours). A relaxing and refreshing drink for all spring celebrations. 🙂 Also can be used for cleansing and purifying properties to boost your Spring Cleaning, from the inside out.
I actually answered this ask yesterday, had it all nicely laid out, links and what not and then, my stupid ass decides to refresh the page? Like, really?
So, what I did to improve, was try new things. This could be as simple as changing the brush you use on Photoshop, but any change in routine inspires new things. That’s the most basic tip (that I find helps with art block a lot)
Also speedpaints are the single greatest things in existence! They will help so much with how to create lines and how to flow with a drawing. I’ll leave so of my favourite channels at the end. But mine is here if you want to see my youtube channel. I am very determined to finally, properly start doing speedpaints over summer!
Draw fast, and without restraint. Don’t push yourself to be perfect. Draw people IRL in only 15-30 seconds… that helps so much!
Don’t force a drawing if it’s not working. Don’t be precious about your drawings!
It’s been a while since I’ve made a post, and I figured that these tips might be extra helpful with exam season approaching. As someone who struggles a lot with procrastination, I do everything I can to fight the urge to put assignments off until the last minute (even though I’m not always successful).
take time to figure it out 