22.4.17 || 3/100 Days Of Productivity

22.4.17 || 3/100 days of productivity

Sittin in my pjs, catching up on some notes for my principles of management class and trying so hard not to fall asleep. I’m in dire need of a coffee.

Btw I have a studygram and I’m really feelin’ my feed right now so take a peek: @the_girlygeek ✌🏻

Hi lovelies! Today I decided to make a small post on a few note taking tips I’ve used whilst in my final year of high school. It’s always useful to hear what other people have tried and what’s worked for them, so hopefully this will be of use you too. 

Always add a title and dates to your notes - Knowing when you learnt a particular topic can be handy for when exams are coming up and you need to study or when you need to organise your notes. Dates can also give you an indication of when you should be revising the material to ensure your remember it. Have a look at this post, it outlines the curve of forgetting and can help you determine when you should start studying.

Read the textbook prior to your class - This helps give you an outline of the material so you can summarise and shorten your notes. You also have the opportunity to clarify anything you might not have understood from just reading.

Use the layout of the textbook or syllabus to organise your notes - I found copying the headings and subheadings really helped simplify my notes and helped to ensure I was learning each section. If this is not for you, use the titles given by your teachers as mentioned before!

Include different ways to show the information - Use mindmaps, bullet points, graphs, flow chats and symbols to help visualise the content. This also helps break up large blocks of text which can be boring to read.

Remember to (try to) write legibly - It sucks having to spend ages trying to figure out something you wrote so find a writing style that is comfortable for long periods of writing. Some tips on improving your handwriting can be found here. If you want to change your writing, check out this post for some examples!

Have a small colour coding system - An extensive colour coding system is tricky to use in fast-paced classes where the teacher is quick to move on. Using a mixture of black, blue and red pens can help differentiate parts of your notes without having to change your pen constantly. My colour coding system can be found here.

Make note of what your teacher is saying - They’re knowledgable in your subjects so be sure to pay attention to what is being said and not just what is on the board or powerpoint. You can use small post-it notes for this kind of thing!

Add your own personal touch - Draw doodles, acronyms, ribbons and abbreviations in your notes. You can check out this and this as inspiration. Also this masterpost has some links to help illustrate your notes.

Avoid distractions - Whilst in class it’s obviously best to be focused. Try sitting where you can see and hear well, put away your phone and only use your laptop if necessary. Chatting to friends can also make you miss important information so if you don’t help but talk, sit away from them.

Don’t be shy - If you don’t understand something, raise your hand and ask! You’ll be able to add to your notes and understand more deeply if you thoroughly know what you’re learning. If you struggle to speak up during class, ask your teacher after the lesson has finished or send them an email!

After class - Use a binder or folder to organise your notes in order after you’ve finished. Remember to review your notes after class, highlight them and add any extra information you have. Also compare your notes with friends or a study group! 

I hope these few simple tips can help you out. If you have any questions or suggestions for future posts, feel free to send me a message. Thank you for reading. Love, Emma x

Glad to spend my second color run with such wonderful people

something to remember! [font credit]

- Clean your backpack and organize your books, notebooks, laptop and study materials you will be needing for the week

- Clean your pencil pouch in case you have random things that have ended up there

- Meal prep- if this is something you don’t do at all, maybe see how it works for you for a week. If you are not a meal prepper, try setting aside the food you’ll have for breakfast the next day

- Clean your bedroom and study space- this will help clear your mind. Having a clutter-free space will relax you aswell

- Update your bujo/agenda with the upcoming events of the week- also, remember to re-write any tasks that you haven’t done from the previous week

- Make a to-do-list for Monday- categorize according to priorities. Also, try starting your list with a task you know you will easily accomplish, such as “eat breakfast”, so that you are motivated to keep on crossing tasks

- Work out- maybe go for a walk to breath some fresh air and fuel your brain with oxygen, or do whatever helps you move a little bit more than what you usually do during the weekdays

- Have a set beauty routine- paint your nails if that’s what you like, apply a hair or face mask, exfoliate your skin, have a bubble bath, or do whatever you know that will relax you and set you in a good mood

- Review your goals, short, medium, and long term- if you have not written any, this is a good time. It’s always a good thing to check your accomplishments and remind yourself of your future plans. This will help motivate you and will give you an extra boost of energy for the start of the week to keep yourself focused on working on your dreams

- Check the weather for the next day and prepare the clothes, makeup, perfume, etc, that you’ll be wearing for the week- having some extra time in the morning is always nice, as you don’t end up wasting 30 minutes of your time deciding what to wear (as it has happened to me plenty of times)

- Have a tray dedicated to store all the necessary things you can’t forget before leaving your house- gather all of them, such as your keys, your wallet, a water bottle or anything you know you will be needing and place them on the tray

- Water your plants- if you don’t have a set schedule for watering your plats, Sundays are the perfect days for that

- Empty your binders, notebooks or bag from lose pieces of paper and place them where they should be- this way you’ll make sure you’re not misplacing any important information that you might need in the future

- Check your fridge and pantry, make a grocery list and go shopping- by doing this, you’ll be certain that you won’t be running out of the foods you mostly eat in the middle of the week. If your grocery shop is located at a walking distance, you can take advantage of this and use that opportunity to breath fresh air

- Finally, have some time for yourself!- watch a movie, catch up on your favourite show, watch some youtube videos, read a book, write on your journal, play your favourite instrument, have some tea, or do whatever makes you happy. Taking care of yourself will never not be a productive thing to do.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

                                                                                             -TheLawStudy

6.11.17 - It’s been a while since the last time I posted!!! Second semester was such a blur I didn’t have time to post anymore. Second year here I come!! School is in two days and I’m not mentally and emotionally prepared. This is what I gathered from my recent trip to Japan.