Uni Student - Tumblr Posts

you know she's unstoppable when she randomly decides to learn a new language completely by herself and sticks to her plan.

Hi. So, I really love your posts and you give really good advice. I need your help. I know it's just my nerves. I am going to tutor this girl tomorrow. She is around 8. I am going to teach her computer. I'm just really scared. I have never done this before. I have only taught a friend. I am really nervous and I start stuttering when I am about to talk. And this is my first tutoring thing so I don't want to mess it up.

hii! welcome to my blog 💕 so I never tutored such a young kid but my suggestions are:

do not stress too much, take the first day as an opportunity to get to know your student and start to get an idea of what strategies might work better in order to optimise learning. for examples I tutored some kids who would understand things so much better if I showed them how to do them first, but also kids that needed examples and metaphors in order to understand some concept and so on...

try not to be a "professor". kids get bored when you give them plain frontal lessons, try to interact as much as possible. the goal is to help them learning things, not putting directly the information into their brain, it's useless.

focus on comprehension, especially if this girl is just 8 years old. it doesn't matter if she isn't good at it at first, prioritize improvement and try to achieve a small goal every lesson.

I hope you find it helpful. I have only tutored teenagers and I have always had a good time. try to act like a friend rather than a teacher, they will learn much more.

"i'm too tired to study" do it tired then.

enough making petty excuses for yourself. as your scrolling midlessley through tiktok, your competition (aka the version of yourself you want to become) has sat there studying hours on end, moving further and further away from where you are now. "i'm not smart enough" you don't need to be naturally gifted to excel, you just need consistency and good study habits. not everyone who scores high is einstein, they just worked their ass off. turn "one day" into day one and start now.

starve your ego, find your peace

these are my personal thoughts, an outburst. if you want to share your opinion in the comments, i welcome it, but please be kind. if you just want to insult, go elsewhere. if you're not interested, don't read <3 i remind you that english is not my first language, so there may be a few mistakes.

ego, what an interesting word. it is a latin lemma which literally means "I", it indicates

the self, especially with a sense of self-importance.

(psychology, freudian) the most central part of the mind, which mediates with one's surroundings.

a person's self-esteem and opinion of themselves.

in a society like ours, we fight against our ego every day, the anxiety of constantly being in the spotlight, the overwhelming thought of having all eyes on us.

the idea we have of ourselves is the strongest chain that prevents us from freeing ourselves from this mental cage. both positively and negatively. if you have a distorted idea of yourself and low self-esteem, you will never be able to become your higher-self, to take that extra step that allows you to transform your daydreams into a solid reality, if you think you are unintelligent, you will tend to take this truth for granted. "i'm not smart enough for this" and you'll give up your dreams of a higher education, or of getting all A's on your finals, or of having a great and fulfilling job.

but sometimes we think too highly of ourselves too. i always joke that i make study plans like i'm a genius who studies 200 pages in a day, but the truth is, i'm not joking at all.

many of you will recognize themselves in the stereotype of the burned-out gifted kid, especially when you move to a higher level of education (from middle school to high school, or from high school to university) and at that moment all certainty of your acclaimed intelligence collapses. you are no longer in the pond with the small fish, now you are in the big tank with the big fish, relating to a much bigger world (at least in italy, the difference between high school and university is abysmal) and your brain will do everything to maintain an accurate simulacrum of your self-image.

in fact, your brain spends less energy processing two pieces of information that agrees rather than disagreeing information and since our biology is based on self-preservation, your mind will do everything to preserve its rightness. when i started university i was incredibly afraid of taking my first exam, why? because i didn't want to find out that i wasn't good enough for a more advanced education, that i wasn't the straight A's student i thought i was.

but waiting for the fear to go away will lead to you staying in the same place forever, because the fear only goes away if you face what you are afraid of, and yes, being afraid of exams may seem silly, but i'm sure many people who follow this blog will understand what it means to identify so much with your grades and to crave academic validation more than anything else.

so i did it, even though i was scared, i had to have the certainty that this was the right place for me, i studied hard, and i definitely rocked my exams. but then the spring exam session arrived, and the fear returned. tired and burned-out from the winter session i had little or no desire to study, so when the exam date approached, i was afraid of not achieving the same results as just two months before, so i postponed, i procrastinated, until the day before, i knew i had to study otherwise i wouldn't pass the exam, yet my brain continued to do everything to protect itself, to protect that completely crazy idea of myself that i could study the entire program in two days (i wish). i don't even have social media (tumblr and pinterest excluded), which is why i found every excuse possible not to study. i didn't want to sit at my desk and realize that i wasn't going to pass that exam, that i should have studied harder, try harder.

that is until i realized that it wasn't laziness or procrastination that was stopping me, or rather, procrastination was just a symptom of a bigger cause: a distorted image of myself. understanding this in my first year of university will perhaps change my next academic years, or perhaps not. i don't know how many of you have drawn these things or reached these conclusions, i just hope that you soon understand that you are not lazy, nor procrastinators, you are just humans who are afraid of failure like all other humans.

the problem arises now, how to change this image? i don't know yet, honestly, but i won't let it stop me from living my life.

uptade in the end i was so fucking lucky and got a 30/30 on my exam yesterday, but still at the cost of a lot of sanity, sleep and unjustified stress.

push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.

Some advices for online courses (because I've been homeschooled my whole life):

Make a plan: plan the subjects that you want to do, working hours (and of course, make a bit of time for yourself)

A dedicated space for work: working in bed or in a space where there is a lot of interactions can make it hard for you to focus so dedicate a space only for work (like a room only for work or a desk in your bedroom...)

No distractions: if you want to work effectively, put away all the things that you know could distract you (like phone, games or even books..)

Take breaks: it's very important to breath a little bit in between the work sessions so go walk outside or make yourself something good to eat..

Use the promodoro technique: very effective to focus and to know when to take breaks.

Discipline, discipline, discipline: remember that motivation is never constant when discipline is constant. You'll need a lot more of discipline during online courses and working from home.

Take care of yourself, eat healthy, drink and sleep well.

Anyway, I hope that helped some of you and I wish you all the best!!

ehyy! so this kind anonymous shared their tips and advices for online classes, thank you so much, I hope that this is going to be helpful for everyone interested!

OKAY but why paperwork for students it's SO STRESSFUL? i'm literally a 19yo girl, no one tells me what to do and when i ask they treat me so bad like i'm stupid? i mean– sorry if i don't know what these damn acronyms means. can someone please make this easier or at least give me some damn instructions ??

i have a question: why do you keep sabotaging yourself? why is it that as soon as you think something is just out of your reach you do everything you can to get in your own way? why is it that as soon as things seem to be going right, you plant your feet and sit on the ground with your legs crossed?

you're not fucking lucky. you worked for it, you sweated, and you cried, and you sacrificed so much to reach the level of knowledge and skill you have now.

have you worked so hard only to say "how lucky"? no, damn it, i won't let you. you may not be a genius, you may not be the best in the world, but do you fucking think anyone could do what you did? do you think anyone could get to where you are? do you believe that anyone has the possibilities that you have?

put this in your head, you are not unexpressed potential, you are exceptional and with your hard work you can achieve unimaginable things. stop wasting your dreams just because they seem too big for the drawer.

edit : in italian we say "dream in the drawer" when we refer to a hope that is unlikely to come true, but not impossible.

ex. my dream in the drawer is to become a famous singer all over the world

(just in case you didn't understand the last sentence)

reconnecting with nature after whatever the heck this semester was.

hi angels,

i'm moving to spain in a couple of weeks for university, do you have any tips or advice for me? it's the first time i go abroad for a long period of time (one year) and also the first time i live without my family. i'd be lying if i said i'm not scared lol.

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 ( just pretend i wasn't gone for months guys )

between smartphones, computers, ipads, and screens everywhere, sometimes i feel like i have pudding instead of a brain and i need to engage in three-dimensional activities that don't involve staring at pixels all day, here are some ideas to get in touch with creativity and real word again.

𝟭. drawing and colouring ( 🎨 )

whether it's drawing landscapes, characters from your favorite series or simple doodles, putting the pen on the paper relaxes me instantly. if you are not good at freehand drawing or you're simply lazy, there are many coloring books for adults with mandalas (my personal favorites) or animals/natural landscapes, also online you can find many drawings to color that you can print. in discount stores you can find packs of colored markers at a great price, after all we don't need to be professionals.

𝟮. puzzles and diamond paintings ( 🧩 )

i recently discovered diamond paintings and i'm obsessed with them, on amazon you can find many sets with amazing designs and composing them is really relaxing. having something to focus on for a few hours a day is really essential, puzzles are perfect for this purpose too.

𝟯. reading and writing ( 📚 )

this is a more challenging activity, when we are burnout the last thing we want to do is use our brain, but reading a good novel or writing down a few pages in your journal can distract you from the present moment and give you a bit of a break while still keeping you productive. every second spent reading or writing is a second invested in your personal growth.

𝟰. experiment with outfits and makeup ( ✨ )

i have a lot of clothes but zero outfits, my favorite activity is decluttering my closet, putting away things i don't wear anymore and experimenting with new styles. also sitting at my desk and trying new makeup that's different from my usual eyeliner and mascara, i find it so fun and it's a great way to reconnect with my image when i've spent a month stuck in my room studying.

𝟱. cooking and baking ( 🧁 )

i'm not a good cook and i've burned more cakes than i care to admit, but i have to say it's terribly fun and therapeutic, especially if you're cooking with someone. u think anyone who cooks professionally hates having a second person in the kitchen with them, but when friends make a cake (ugly but tasty) and then eat it together in front of a cup of steaming tea - now, now, that's real therapy.

𝟲. working out, dancing, doing yoga ( 🩰 )

put on some music, dance in your room, follow your workout routine, lay out a mat and do stretching or yoga, connect with your body after being locked in your mind, physical activity is very important to keep your mind fresh ( mens sana in corpore sano ). if you can, go to a park, or an open space, just be careful of excessive stimuli.

these are some of the things i do, feel free to comment on your de-stressing activities.

so useful 💞 everyone needs to read this

signs of self-sabotage, a.k.a. inner red flags 🚩 (and my tips to fix them!)

🚩 you set up unmanageably big goals and short deadlines for yourself. (the fix: set up daily, small goals that are in accordance to your skills and possibilities instead of your desires.)

🚩 you beat yourself up whenever something goes wrong, and label yourself as a failure. (the fix: understand that the path of progress demands mistakes so that you can learn, adjust and level up, and that the only way you can fail is by stopping your work.)

🚩 you're constantly comparing yourself to the people around you, and expecting their opinion on you. (the fix: playing the protagonist role in your life doesn't mean performing for an audience, it means writing your own story for yourself. nobody is watching over you, unless you're inviting their gaze, and most people will try to bring you down rather than lift you up because they themselves are insecure and lost. you're risking placing your self-worth in the hands of losers.)

🚩 you complain about your life all the time. (the fix: you're alive, which means you're in charge of the endless project that is you. complaining is just self-pity, and your "poor me" mentality is an excuse you use to not put in effort and hard work.)

your life is your responsibility. your life doesn't "happen" to you, you're in charge whether you like it or not. if you're unsatisfied with your life, it's up to you to find out what you need to do to change it!

you don't want to look back and wish you had worked a little harder.

don't give up on studying; you're capable of achieving your goals with persistence and effort. remember, challenges are a part of the learning process, and every step you take brings you closer to success. keep going.

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶'𝗺 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 as an exchange student who's not a party animal

𝟭. study day by day ( 🪴 )

i am a big procrastinator and when it comes to exams, too often i have left it to the last minute and pulled all-nighters to get high grades, but due to the spanish school system, which includes many more partial exams and midterms than italy (actually there aren't any in italy at all) i will be "forced" to change this tendency of mine, the goal is to study the lessons on the very same day so as to have a greater margin for revision that will allow me to secure my knowledge.

𝟮. allow time to rest/recharge ( 🔌 )

i once read a sentence: "if you have two minutes to do something, it will take you two minutes, but if you have two hours, it will take you the whole two hours". concentrating for a few hours a day, but in an effective and meaningful way is perhaps my biggest dream, this year i will do my best to limit the hours of study and dedicate time to rest and tourist activities that my year in spain will reserve for me (parties and hangouts included).

𝟯. learning a new language ( ⭐ )

i don't speak spanish at all, but i understand it very well. studying and living here for a whole year will definitely help me develop my linguistic/grammatical knowledge to start a deeper study of the language. the more languages ​​you know, the better.

𝟰. get out of my comfort zone ( 🦋 )

as an introvert, i often find myself, especially during stressful times, retreating to my room, wrapped in the comfort of my favorite books and series. the real challenge will be to abandon the safe place for the unknown and finally embrace the idea that the unknown is beautiful, that it has breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, and that any scars that might come from it are as precious as diamonds.

𝟱. being proud of myself ( 🍋 )

realizing that i'm doing well, that the me from a year ago who was afraid of failing the university entrance exam has not only now completed her first year of architecture with excellent results, but now lives alone in a foreign country. a year ago i would never have believed it, so i should be proud of it, and not fear that i'm not enough. there is a lot to improve, but celebrating victories is equally important as aiming for the top.

saturday morning. making pancakes for me and my flatmates in my apartment in madrid. planning to finish up my assignment for next week and going out shopping. life sounds good.

it gets easier. everyday, it gets a little easier, but you gotta do it everyday. that's the hard part. but i promise it gets easier.

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘀 pros and cons

a girl asked me to talk about my erasmus experience in the questions box and she inspired me to make this post. if you have posts to request don't be shy! unfortunately i don't have all the time i would like to uptade but i will try to keep up.

erasmus is a student mobility program of the european union that allows a european student to attend a school in another EU country for a period of time legally recognized by their home institution.

it is a temporary experience with many benefits, enabling students to engage with different cultures and customs. due to its non-permanent nature, i believe it is one of the most beautiful opportunities for a student to feel completely free to explore and understand themselves, to figure out what they want and do not want from their life and educational path.

but let’s start by discussing its downsides. unfortunately, not everything is perfect.

𝟭. paperwork ( 📄 )

hey, i know, guys, i'm not the first or the only one to say this, but the paperwork for erasmus is a pain in the ass. it's not only extremely complicated, but universities (mine for sure, but i know it's a common experience) provide zero help in filling out the documentation. especially if you're not familiar with bureaucracy (and at 20 it’s normal not to be familiar with these things), it can seem like an insurmountable mountain. but if i, someone who doesn’t understand anything about this stuff, managed to get through it, you can do it too. typically, the documentation includes:

various information like ID, health card, and the IBAN of an account in your name (or joint name) where they will deposit the scholarship.

learning agreement, another plague sent from hell because you usually have to deal with two professors, one from your university and one from the host university, who clearly would prefer to mop the sea than help you fill out your learning agreement.

financial agreement for the scholarship, which has specific deadlines by which you need to submit documents (usually IBAN, learning agreement, and acceptance letter from the host university). fun fact: i almost missed this and didn’t receive the scholarship because these deadlines were buried deep in my university’s website (don’t be like me, make sure to be informed well about the financial agreement or you risk being left without money).

the best advice i can give you is to find someone from your university who has already done the erasmus where you’re supposed to go and ask them for some information. they, having gone through it, know what mistakes to avoid and what’s best to do. the offices often assume too many things and give you insufficient and hasty information.

𝟮. finding an accomodation ( 🏡 )

this too, another pain in the ass. it depends on the city, but here in madrid, finding a place to live has been a nightmare (and indeed, i've significantly overshot the budget i had set for rent). you have various options for accommodation:

student dormitories these solutions may seem the best at first glance, but they aren’t always. here in madrid, the fees for the dormitories at my campus cost more than my current rent, plus having only one kitchen for an entire floor is not exactly optimal comfort, especially if, like me, you cook a lot.

apartment studio/flat this is definitely the most comfortable option, but also the most expensive. a studio outside the center in big cities can cost up to €1000 a month. however, if you can afford it and prefer privacy, then go for it. at first, living alone might not be easy, especially if it’s your first time away from family, but you’ll get through it quickly.

room in an apartment this can be the best or the worst option depending on your luck because having flatmates means cohabitation, which is not always pleasant. if you're going in erasmus with someone you know, it might be optimal to share an apartment or take two rooms in a larger flat. personally, i rented a room in an apartment with three other people (two bathrooms and a kitchen), and i couldn’t be happier; i love my flatmates, and we quickly became friends. we cook together, go out together, spend entire evenings chatting and joking and they helped me a lot overcoming the first crisis. i realize, though, that i am an exception, so choose your accommodation carefully.

in short, consider your choice based on 3 factors:

proximity to the university/public transport links i study outside of madrid, almost an hour by bus from my place, but i live practically across from the bus stop, so it’s not a problem at all.

centrality/connection to the city center you're in erasmus to experience the city!

comfort of the place such as private bathroom (very hard to find but not impossible), utensils, AC, appliances (we have a dishwasher at home, and i assure you it saves our lives everytime).

𝟯. homesickness ( 🤧 )

yes, everyone feels homesick, even the most stoic. but guarantee you, you'll get through it. first of all erasmus, fortunately or unfortunately, isn’t forever. it’s a 6 month/1 year experience that is incredibly valuable for your personal growth, at the end of this period of time, you'll be back home. secondly, you can always stay in touch with friends and family in the age of technology. those who truly love you will support you in this project and do everything they can to make you feel less lonely. lastly, during erasmus, you’ll make many amazing friendships and connections that you otherwise would never have the chance to make.

𝟰. language barrier ( 🦜 )

i can’t say much about this, i've never studied spanish in my life, but, since i'm italian, i have no trouble following the lessons and understanding people when they speak, even though i'm still not able to express myself well in this new language. however, by living in another country, you’ll learn the language much faster and more effectively than with any academic course. in just a month, i already feel much more comfortable with spanish, and everyday i learn new things.

and of course, i could talk for hours about the benefits of erasmus, but i might save my praises for a post i'll write later, towards the end of this experience.

i can tell you that in just a month here, a whole new world has opened up for me. not only is the thrill of being in another city, in another country, an electrifying flow of continuous energy, but i’ve also realized things about myself that i might have ignored before.

i have much more confidence in myself; i feel freer, less afraid of making mistakes. it’s true, i’m far from my family and friends, but this also means i’m far from all those eyes under which i always try to appear perfect.

i crave to see and learn, i'm eager to discover new things, and this drives me to do things i probably wouldn’t do in my home country, to appreciate their flavor and indulge in the uncertainty of "maybe i’ll like this".

for the first time, i’m experiencing a new country without the rose-tinted filter of a short vacation. i’ve never felt as rich and full of gratitude as i do now, and i hope this is a feeling every student can experience.

so, erasmus, yes or no? absolutely yes.

i’d love to keep updating you on my experience abroad. what do you think? would you like that? let me know in the comments! star kisses ⭐

Attention please

Studyblrs and academics: If you’re keeping up with Turkish news or have Turkish mutuals posting about some issues, you may have seen the hashtag #AşağıBakmayacağız (we won’t look down) trending. 

Right now, many students and protesters are being subjected to police brutality and injustice due to the recent events happening in one of Turkey’s most prestigious colleges, Boğazici University. 

The only thing they want to is the decision to vote for their own warden. They don’t want any political influence in their university. We, as international students around the globe should also agree on this because academic buildings should be a free place where you can think about what you want. Freedom. 

I’ve seen images and been told that students feel uncomfortable because on the roofs of buildings around the university, there has been snipers. They feel threatened. 

This isn’t how you should treat your youth. This isn’t how you should treat anyone. They just ask for simple democracy rights. Calling them out for ‘terrorists’ or people who want to ‘ruin’ the country. It’s so dangerous to call your own future, own youth words like that. 

It’s time to reblog this important post about what is going on in Turkey. I’ve been posting about it many, many times but I don’t get enough attention of both communities I’m in and I really want you all to share it and pay attention for our fellow Turkish students.

Read more: https://asagibakmayacagiz.carrd.co/

19 Jul 24

Just finished a mini one hour cram session for my linear algebra 2 exam today. Feeling pretty good right now, gonna take a quick walk and crack through some more problems. Though I have been procrastination 50% of the semester, I do want to get at least a B+ in this class. So cheers to the upcoming cramming sessions (old problem sets) that I will be doing for the next couple of weeks.

QoD (question of the day)

What are you favorite ways t get yourself out of a slump and,how do you building positive momentum afterwards?

To Do:

Finish problem sets

Study for my actuarial exam

Start Python Kaggle course

Go to the gym

Daydream about receiving a love letter in a LaTex pdf