Concept: Me, Living In My Dream City, Speaking Multiple Languages, Working At My Dream Job, Having Multiple

concept: me, living in my dream city, speaking multiple languages, working at my dream job, having multiple nerd friends who I love and who love me

hELLO! I’ve recently reached an incredible milestone and I’ve decided to hold a smol international giveaway as thanks to everyone who’s following me!! I hope you would all participate hehe. Do reblog and share as much as possible :)

(Also so sorry for the low quality pic :’))

There will be 2 winners and both will be receiving (equally) + i might be adding some extra goodies! :

- Muji a5 notebook (customisable!)

- Mildliner highlighters

- Muji 0.38 pens

- polar bear sticky tabs 

- a stack of sticky notes

- A follow from me (if i’m not following you atm)

- Maybe a new friend? ;D hmu HAHAHAHA

Rules:

1. You must be following me (@academiics). You can also check out my studygram! 2. Only reblogs are counted, likes are bookmarks.

3. Participants should be comfortable with giving out their addresses since I’ll be mailing to the winners! (But if you’re in Singapore, a meetup is possible)

4. Winners will have to respond within 24 hours or new ones will be picked!

Closing date: 21 Feb 2017 2359 UTC +8 / SGT

Announcing date: 24 Feb 2017

i was terrified of doing this in undergrad, and now that i’m asked to write them fairly often, i am fondly exasperated when my students don’t know how to ask for them. obviously there’s no single way, but here’s the way i usually do it.

THE FIRST EMAIL

should be short & should mainly be asking whether they’re willing to write you the letter

should provide only the basics - what the professor absolutely needs to know.

the position you’re applying for

when the letter would be due

optional: if you’re afraid they won’t remember you, a quick line identifying yourself & your relation to them

i like to provide an “out,” in case they don’t want to or are unable to write the letter

SAMPLE Dear Professor X, I’m applying for a job as an English tutor at the University Student Resource Center, and was wondering if you’d be willing to write me a letter of recommendation for the position. [optional identification: I really enjoyed taking English 300 with you in Winter 2016, and I’m hoping to develop and pass on those skills to other students through this job.] The letter would be due by September 1st - I know you’re very busy, so I completely understand if you’re not able to write one.  All best, Your Name

THE SECOND EMAIL

they said yes!! amazing.

this one can provide a little more information – a link to the job posting, if there is one, or you can write a quick summary of the position, plus a sentence or two about why you’re excited/interested in the job.

also tell them where to send the letter!! 

directly to the recruiter for the job

to you, to add to your application packet

upload to an online LoR service or to an application website

99% of the time folks are fine with receiving electronic copies, but if they need to mail a hard copy, let them know up front.

SAMPLE: Dear Professor X, Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Here’s the link to the job listing; the letter should be sent as a .pdf file to the email address at the bottom of the page, anytime before 9/1. Thanks again – I’m hoping that this job will provide me with some teaching experience and the opportunity to work on my own writing. Please let me know if you need any more information! Best,  Your Name

WHEN TO SEND A FOLLOW-UP

these stress me out real bad but here’s the deal: most professors have a very shaky relationship to deadlines (especially when they have half a dozen more important ones than your piddly LoR). 

the upshot: do not be afraid to nudge them. 

often they need the nudge and are appreciative of it.

when that nudge happens is up to you and how much room you’ve given them before the deadline, and it’ll look different depending on your relationship with that professor.

GRAD SCHOOL LETTERS

i offered to send my professors essays that i had written for their classes, especially if i had taken those classes more than a year before asking them to write the letter, just so they could refamiliarize themselves with my work. you can also offer to send them your writing sample, if you haven’t already asked them to look it over for you.

honestly i’d recommend asking for these in person bc it’ll give you a chance to talk to them about their grad school experience and your own hopes & aspirations, which will help them write a more personal, fleshed-out letter.

one important note: if this letter is intended for use in grad school applications, do not stress out if it’s a little late. most programs do not care, and pretty much all of them accept late letters without a problem. your professor’s ability to meet deadlines does not reflect on you, and professors are intimately familiar with running late on LoRs. they really honestly don’t care. as long as it gets there before too long, you’ll be fine.

thank-yous are up to you! keep in mind that many departments have policies about gift-giving. i did give thank-yous to my three major letter writers, but they were handwritten cards & homemade cookies, nothing store-bought or expensive.

23/4/2017 — yes, another mindmap we’re learning isometric drawings in visual communication and our assignment this term is to design a cot/bed! 

soft day (ig: tinyrosegrl)

this post will consist of more general tips than how to, for instance, study intensively. i’ve linked some other helpful masterposts that’ll cover that more in depth than i will. good luck in all of your classes! you can do it!

there’s always gotta be that one class that’s harder than the rest to beat and maybe even harder just to pass. here are some tips and tricks that i hope can get you by and even exceed your expectations!

the night before:

review any and all material taught before your next class. skim over older notes that you have reviewed more in depth before and really begin to understand the ones from last class or a few before that. 

you can do this by rewriting the notes from the previous class, making flashcards of definitions, or do whatever suits your studying style like walking around and reading notes aloud or making a mind map.

pack your bag! this is a general tip for all your school days but it’s important that you don’t forget anything for this class. one day without your notebook or binder can really set you back.

get a lot of rest. again, another general tip but depending on how early or late in the day your class is, you’re going to want to be energized and focused. 

the morning of:

go through your normal routine with notes close by or flashcards in hand. it’s important for classes like these that you stay on top of things because things can move fast and you don’t want to be stuck on chapter one while the teacher is on chapter six.

a good way to implement this is read your notes while you’re eating breakfast or brushing your teeth. keep your mind active!

drink your tea or coffee, any boost will help. again, you’re going to want to stay focused and not asleep during this new lesson.

give yourself a pep talk! if the teacher is tough or lesson plan is seemingly impossible, let yourself know before you walk in the room that you can do it and everything will be okay.

during class:

stay diligent! if the time seems to be passing slower and slower try to remind yourself of what you need to be doing in that class. motivate yourself to keep going!

take thorough notes. write down as much as possible and if there are powerpoints online, print those out and write your notes next to it of what the teacher doesn’t mention on those slides. 

try to sit close to the middle, a little towards the front. if this is a class with an intimidating teacher, it’s understandable to stay away from the very front. just make sure that you’re in a place where you can pay close attention to what is going on. 

after class:

if you have any questions that didn’t get addressed in class, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher or a star student what something means or how it works. 

stay away from the material for a bit. take a break! you can study later, just don’t let this class consume you.

get in touch with a friend in the class to do the homework with so you both can have someone to help you out if you get stuck on a question.

when receiving a bad grade:

everyone is bound to get that less than satisfactory grade at least once every semester (unless they’re a literal genius) and you’ll definitely get your fair share in a tough class like this one. here are some tips for dealing with it:

know that you can come back from it. check your grades as they are now and make sure you show yourself that you’re not doomed.

talk to a friend who is in the same boat as you and gripe about the test or quiz. it really helps to vent!

go over questions you got wrong if you can and understand how to do them right for the next time around. 

if you can’t access the questions, review the material that the test focused on and go over any weak points. 

improving your grade:

start a study group! chances are you’re not the only one struggling and having two or more other people that can progress with you through the class can really help!

if you’re more of lone wolf, make your own fun! play some games with yourself to liven up the studying and set rewards!

talk to your teacher about what you can do. don’t be afraid to ask for help from them! if you’re really in a pickle, they’ll be able to tell you what you have to do to get yourself out.

do any and all extra credit even if it’s inconvenient or tough to do. 

links!

how to study for a subject you hate by @llterature

mp of study skills by @schoollifeandstuff

how to start studying by @littleant-studies