Welcome to the new semester, a fresh start ripe with possibilities for reinventing our study routines and embracing new approaches! As someone who's just returned to college after completing a bachelor's degree, I completely relate to the challenges of getting back into the swing of studying. Last semester was a learning curve, and I've gathered some tips and tricks that have proven invaluable in navigating through the academic landscape.
Just Start: The simple act of beginning can feel like scaling a mountain, especially when the workload looms large. But trust me, just picking up that textbook and reading one page can work wonders. Starting small diminishes the overwhelming feeling and sets the momentum for productive study sessions.
Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash
Find Your Study Spots: Establishing designated study spots, both at home and on campus, has been instrumental in maintaining focus and efficiency. Whether it's a cozy nook in my bedroom or a quiet corner in the library, having predetermined study sanctuaries eliminates the stress of hunting for a suitable spot and ensures uninterrupted study sessions.
Break Down Tasks: Semester syllabi can resemble a labyrinth at first glance, but breaking down tasks into manageable weekly goals has been a game-changer. Instead of fixating on the entirety of the workload, I tackle each week's objectives methodically, which feels far more achievable.
Craft a Study Playlist: Music is my faithful companion during study sessions, but not all tunes are created equal. That's why curating a study playlist tailored to my mood and the subject at hand has been crucial. From energizing beats to serene melodies, having a playlist ready to match any study vibe enhances concentration and productivity.
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Attend Class: It may seem like stating the obvious, but the importance of attending classes cannot be overstated. Making the effort to show up and actively participate lays the foundation for academic success. Trust me, those seemingly mundane lectures often hold nuggets of wisdom crucial for acing exams and assignments.
Embracing these strategies has transformed my approach to studying, making this semester a promising journey of growth and achievement. I hope these insights prove helpful to fellow students embarking on their academic endeavors. Share your thoughts and additional tips in the comments below—let's make this semester one to remember!
5 Essential Study Tips for a Successful Semester: From Starting Strong to Crafting the Perfect Playlist
30.1.24
Welcome to the new semester, a fresh start ripe with possibilities for reinventing our study routines and embracing new approaches! As someone who's just returned to college after completing a bachelor's degree, I completely relate to the challenges of getting back into the swing of studying. Last semester was a learning curve, and I've gathered some tips and tricks that have proven invaluable in navigating through the academic landscape.
Just Start: The simple act of beginning can feel like scaling a mountain, especially when the workload looms large. But trust me, just picking up that textbook and reading one page can work wonders. Starting small diminishes the overwhelming feeling and sets the momentum for productive study sessions.
Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash
Find Your Study Spots: Establishing designated study spots, both at home and on campus, has been instrumental in maintaining focus and efficiency. Whether it's a cozy nook in my bedroom or a quiet corner in the library, having predetermined study sanctuaries eliminates the stress of hunting for a suitable spot and ensures uninterrupted study sessions.
Break Down Tasks: Semester syllabi can resemble a labyrinth at first glance, but breaking down tasks into manageable weekly goals has been a game-changer. Instead of fixating on the entirety of the workload, I tackle each week's objectives methodically, which feels far more achievable.
Craft a Study Playlist: Music is my faithful companion during study sessions, but not all tunes are created equal. That's why curating a study playlist tailored to my mood and the subject at hand has been crucial. From energizing beats to serene melodies, having a playlist ready to match any study vibe enhances concentration and productivity.
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Attend Class: It may seem like stating the obvious, but the importance of attending classes cannot be overstated. Making the effort to show up and actively participate lays the foundation for academic success. Trust me, those seemingly mundane lectures often hold nuggets of wisdom crucial for acing exams and assignments.
Embracing these strategies has transformed my approach to studying, making this semester a promising journey of growth and achievement. I hope these insights prove helpful to fellow students embarking on their academic endeavors. Share your thoughts and additional tips in the comments below—let's make this semester one to remember!
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Happy new year well I really don’t know where to begin. It has really been a long time since I took the time to write a blog post. Being a blogger is part of me and is just part of who I am. I have been a blogger since 2016 and for some weird reason, I find comfort in writing. I believe it is therapeutic in a way. this is not because I want people to read what I write but mote that it makes me feel good inside which to me is the crucial thing here. okay, enough rambling let me give your guys a little summary of what the past 2 years have been for me because y’all it has been crazy.
QUESTION: where have you been and what have you been up to?
Well, to answer your question I have been here but life happened and that is the best answer I can give. Let's see I was to graduate in December of 2020 but I failed a class and this was a required class I needed to pass in other to graduate. it was not in my plans at all but I had to add an extra semester to take only one class to be able to graduate in the spring of 2021.
Next, there was this thing called adulting and finding a job. I was able to get a great job 3 weeks after graduation which was a blessing but then I had to adjust from being a full-time student to being a full-time employee. This is a topic for another day but that was a lot more stressful than anticipated. to crown it all I had to move out of my own. campus housing and find my own place. If you have gone through a move and found your own apartment then you know how stressful this process is. I kid you not it has been crazy. All this happened within a couple of months in 2021, to be honest blogging did not even cross my mind because I was so busy.
Then let’s talk a little bit about 2022. Well this year I really was committed to getting back into content creation but I started the year with covid and that really took me by surprise but am all better now and that is in the past. That was a nasty little bugger but hey such is life. Another thing I really did not anticipate is work-life balance. Nobody told me, honey. I really struggled with it all of last year and this year too. feeling like I don't have enough hours in the day to even breathe talk less or do things that I consider a hobby impossible. One thing I am learning to do is to structure my time to be able to do the things I want to do and that has been working out great for me so fart. Keep you updated on that.
Lastly one of the big decisions I made at the beginning of the year was to go back to school. Yes, you heard me. I decided to go back to school to get my graduate degree. I am really excited about this because I start in the summer and this makes me really happy. this is going to be a dedicated post for that alone because I feel like that needs its own explanation. Because I am going to be a full-time student again, I am going through this phase where I am trying to figure myself out again and rebuild my routine. This has enabled me to do the things I love again like a blog and that is why I am here.
QUESTION: So are we going to receive more content from you this year or is it going to be like previous years.
The answer to that is yes. Not only are you going to receive a lot of content from me, but you are also going to receive different forms of content. I will be relaunching my podcast “ I said that” so stay tuned for that. I will also create a youtube channel in the future, so if you want to subscribe to that, you can. It is called “a new journey with Bertie”. there I will have a lot of long-form content and you would get to see the person behind the blog. I also plan to be more active on Instagram you definitely should be following me on there too., I hope I can live up to all the expectations that I have for myself but I will certainly try my best.
I will really appreciate the love and support on all these different endeavors. it is not going to be easy but I really hope you enjoy the effort I am putting toward making awesome and amazing content for you guys.
I really wanted to just catch you up before I start regularly posting content back on here. I would really appreciate your thoughts and ideas in the comment section. thank you all.
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Happy new year well I really don’t know where to begin. It has really been a long time since I took the time to write a blog post. Being a blogger is part of me and is just part of who I am. I have been a blogger since 2016 and for some weird reason, I find comfort in writing. I believe it is therapeutic in a way. this is not because I want people to read what I write but mote that it makes me feel good inside which to me is the crucial thing here. okay, enough rambling let me give your guys a little summary of what the past 2 years have been for me because y’all it has been crazy.
QUESTION: where have you been and what have you been up to?
Well, to answer your question I have been here but life happened and that is the best answer I can give. Let's see I was to graduate in December of 2020 but I failed a class and this was a required class I needed to pass in other to graduate. it was not in my plans at all but I had to add an extra semester to take only one class to be able to graduate in the spring of 2021.
Next, there was this thing called adulting and finding a job. I was able to get a great job 3 weeks after graduation which was a blessing but then I had to adjust from being a full-time student to being a full-time employee. This is a topic for another day but that was a lot more stressful than anticipated. to crown it all I had to move out of my own. campus housing and find my own place. If you have gone through a move and found your own apartment then you know how stressful this process is. I kid you not it has been crazy. All this happened within a couple of months in 2021, to be honest blogging did not even cross my mind because I was so busy.
Then let’s talk a little bit about 2022. Well this year I really was committed to getting back into content creation but I started the year with covid and that really took me by surprise but am all better now and that is in the past. That was a nasty little bugger but hey such is life. Another thing I really did not anticipate is work-life balance. Nobody told me, honey. I really struggled with it all of last year and this year too. feeling like I don't have enough hours in the day to even breathe talk less or do things that I consider a hobby impossible. One thing I am learning to do is to structure my time to be able to do the things I want to do and that has been working out great for me so fart. Keep you updated on that.
Lastly one of the big decisions I made at the beginning of the year was to go back to school. Yes, you heard me. I decided to go back to school to get my graduate degree. I am really excited about this because I start in the summer and this makes me really happy. this is going to be a dedicated post for that alone because I feel like that needs its own explanation. Because I am going to be a full-time student again, I am going through this phase where I am trying to figure myself out again and rebuild my routine. This has enabled me to do the things I love again like a blog and that is why I am here.
QUESTION: So are we going to receive more content from you this year or is it going to be like previous years.
The answer to that is yes. Not only are you going to receive a lot of content from me, but you are also going to receive different forms of content. I will be relaunching my podcast “ I said that” so stay tuned for that. I will also create a youtube channel in the future, so if you want to subscribe to that, you can. It is called “a new journey with Bertie”. there I will have a lot of long-form content and you would get to see the person behind the blog. I also plan to be more active on Instagram you definitely should be following me on there too., I hope I can live up to all the expectations that I have for myself but I will certainly try my best.
I will really appreciate the love and support on all these different endeavors. it is not going to be easy but I really hope you enjoy the effort I am putting toward making awesome and amazing content for you guys.
I really wanted to just catch you up before I start regularly posting content back on here. I would really appreciate your thoughts and ideas in the comment section. thank you all.
Hey guys! so I have been trying my best to bring you as much content as I possibly can, I am so excited to have a little more time to myself to concentrate on my blog. if you want more content from me I have been posting more often on Instagram as well as on my podcast so please don't forget to check out those other platforms as well for more content from me.
So most of us are going through self-quarantine and as a college student starting on Monday things have to go back to normal because the spring break is over and school resumes. tell me about it what a spring break. I had two weeks of spring break but I already feel like the semester is over and I should just pack up my books. But that is not the case I have to get ready for the next half of the semester and adjust to having my classes fully online. Some tips and tricks for staying motivated and studying during this time of self-quarantine are as follow;
Create a schedule:
Creating a schedule is one way to stay motivated. Having a clear vision about your day helps you get in the mood and it also helps you see what you have to do and that will push you to keep on track. with creating a schedule you could do it any way you want. you could make it as detailed as you want using the bullet journal method, a calendar or just by jotting it down on a sticky note, again it's up to you how you want to tackle this.
Clean your environment:
Yes I said it clean your space. a clean space is a clean mind at least I believe so. I don't know about you guys but for me if my space is dirty or just messy I find that I am very lazy and also very distracted. taking even if it 10 minutes to tidy up your space will do you some good. in that regard making up your bed also is a good way to get motivated. I am the type of person that when my bed is made up I really don't want to climb into it until its time to go to bed. so doing the small things all help in the long run.
Exercise:
yes I know that there is a lot of stress on exercising during this period but actually it is very true. when you stay home all day you get weak and lazy and just don't feel yourself. exercise releases endorphins and also just makes your mind sharp and you are ready to tackle the day.
Eat:
It is important to eat when staying at home and working from home or studying from home. again I don't know about you but when I am at home I tend to have very bad eating habits. I tend to eat late or not at all which brings down my energy and messes with my mojo so eating regularly and on time will really help you stay motivated.
Keep your schedule as simple and as normal as it was:
keeping your schedule simple is very important. I have the tendency to over cramp things in a short time. It can be very overwhelming when you have too many things to do and it can end up being too much and in the end you end up not doing anything.
Hey guys! so I have been trying my best to bring you as much content as I possibly can, I am so excited to have a little more time to myself to concentrate on my blog. if you want more content from me I have been posting more often on Instagram as well as on my podcast so please don't forget to check out those other platforms as well for more content from me.
So most of us are going through self-quarantine and as a college student starting on Monday things have to go back to normal because the spring break is over and school resumes. tell me about it what a spring break. I had two weeks of spring break but I already feel like the semester is over and I should just pack up my books. But that is not the case I have to get ready for the next half of the semester and adjust to having my classes fully online. Some tips and tricks for staying motivated and studying during this time of self-quarantine are as follow;
Create a schedule:
Creating a schedule is one way to stay motivated. Having a clear vision about your day helps you get in the mood and it also helps you see what you have to do and that will push you to keep on track. with creating a schedule you could do it any way you want. you could make it as detailed as you want using the bullet journal method, a calendar or just by jotting it down on a sticky note, again it's up to you how you want to tackle this.
Clean your environment:
Yes I said it clean your space. a clean space is a clean mind at least I believe so. I don't know about you guys but for me if my space is dirty or just messy I find that I am very lazy and also very distracted. taking even if it 10 minutes to tidy up your space will do you some good. in that regard making up your bed also is a good way to get motivated. I am the type of person that when my bed is made up I really don't want to climb into it until its time to go to bed. so doing the small things all help in the long run.
Exercise:
yes I know that there is a lot of stress on exercising during this period but actually it is very true. when you stay home all day you get weak and lazy and just don't feel yourself. exercise releases endorphins and also just makes your mind sharp and you are ready to tackle the day.
Eat:
It is important to eat when staying at home and working from home or studying from home. again I don't know about you but when I am at home I tend to have very bad eating habits. I tend to eat late or not at all which brings down my energy and messes with my mojo so eating regularly and on time will really help you stay motivated.
Keep your schedule as simple and as normal as it was:
keeping your schedule simple is very important. I have the tendency to over cramp things in a short time. It can be very overwhelming when you have too many things to do and it can end up being too much and in the end you end up not doing anything.
So this is a different post than i normally do but i feel like this is important and i am very very passionate on the topic. As an international student myself I know how it feels in this time of confusion. It is very scary when you live in a different country and in my case a different continent and don't have the option of going home. also a lot of international students don't have family in their host countries and don't have the option of going there and with campuses closing and closing their on campus housing it can be a scary thing. also since most of us work part time and don't have any benefits and don't get assistance from the federal government if you don't have family or guardians or any other source of income then it is difficult. also remember that international students can't work in the US without permission and mostly can only work on campus and with campuses being closed you can only imagine.
in this post i hope you can understand how difficult it is to be an international student and i hope we all can show compassion for one another. also to everyone who is going through this tough time i hope we all can be safe and can overcome this obstacle together because we all need our lives to get back to normal. it has been a crazy couple of days and i hope we all come out of this ok. on the bright side we all have some time to ourselves and i believe we can take it negative experience and turn it into a positive experience. i am hoping that we can use this time wisely. as a student i have a lot of studying to do and i will definitely be posting a lot of content on my social media about school work on my instagram and i hope you follow me on there.
to everyone i wish you all a happy spring break and i hope we all stay safe and in the end we all can get through this together.
So this is a different post than i normally do but i feel like this is important and i am very very passionate on the topic. As an international student myself I know how it feels in this time of confusion. It is very scary when you live in a different country and in my case a different continent and don't have the option of going home. also a lot of international students don't have family in their host countries and don't have the option of going there and with campuses closing and closing their on campus housing it can be a scary thing. also since most of us work part time and don't have any benefits and don't get assistance from the federal government if you don't have family or guardians or any other source of income then it is difficult. also remember that international students can't work in the US without permission and mostly can only work on campus and with campuses being closed you can only imagine.
in this post i hope you can understand how difficult it is to be an international student and i hope we all can show compassion for one another. also to everyone who is going through this tough time i hope we all can be safe and can overcome this obstacle together because we all need our lives to get back to normal. it has been a crazy couple of days and i hope we all come out of this ok. on the bright side we all have some time to ourselves and i believe we can take it negative experience and turn it into a positive experience. i am hoping that we can use this time wisely. as a student i have a lot of studying to do and i will definitely be posting a lot of content on my social media about school work on my instagram and i hope you follow me on there.
to everyone i wish you all a happy spring break and i hope we all stay safe and in the end we all can get through this together.
After a grueling semester it is just unthinkable that some of us have to go back and do some summer classes. Hey a girls got to so what a girls got to do and in this post i will be sharing with you guys some tips and tricks that help me study in an effective manner during the summer.
Set yourself some goals:
Yes its sounds easy right but a lot of people don’t even think about this step when preparing for any semester. This is really important during the summer because you are actually setting yourself a roadmap on how you want the semester to go and this will help you stay focused as well as know what your goal is and what you have to do.You can set your goals any way you want. It all depends on you, you could do it in a to do list fashion or you can decide to do it in a more journals form what ever suits you best do it in that way.
Take some really amazing notes:
Summer classes go by really fast especially because it is so compressed. Six weeks is a really short time to go through things that will normally take 4months, this is why taking amazing notes is important. When you have amazing notes you are basically making the studying process easier on yourself and you have a higher chance of having good grades in that class. Also taking good notes means you are taking the notes in your own way and in the way you understand. This reduce your study time because you will be revising the notes and not trying to make sense of what the text book is saying.
The summer time is a great time to meet new people and find new study groups and areas to study. Changing your scenery will actually do wonders to your studying. Try studying outside or moving tables or just build. anew routine and it will make such a huge difference. Also during the summer not all your friends will be taking classes like you so this is the best time to meet new people and find new study groups. If you don't have a study-group don't worry there are so many study with me sessions on youtube so you can definitely still virtually study with new people.
Sync your school and social calendar:
Now this is something I swear by because it actually works. When you have so many different calendars in my opinion it makes it difficult to actually know what you have to do and at what time. When you have your social, work and school calendar in one place it gives you a real sense of what your day looks like and you defiantly can plan more and plan better on how you are going to tackle the pigs for that day.
When retaking a class don't start from the beginning:
Yes sometimes we take summer classes because we didn't do well in a particular class but not to worry you have an advantage over the others. Since you have taken this class before you know the areas you need to focus more on the the parts you just have to gloss over. Also you have your previous notes and things you used in that class so just use them during the summer and you will be golden.
Remember it is still the summer, take breaks and do other things that are not school related this is going to help you study better because you will not feel like you are missing out on something. But as with everything do it with moderation. And remember this will literally be over in no time.
Have an idea of what the test will look like:
It's always good to be prepared and having an idea of what the test is going to look like is a really good ways to go. Look through test preps or quizzes the professor gives as well as ask them what the test will look like and that way you can plan accordingly and know what is your best strategy for studying.
Use all the resources at your disposal:
There are so many resources you can use to make your study experience easier and way mire fun. Try them out and figure out what works for you ad what doesn't. Some of them are;
- reviews with professors
- practice questions
- quizlet
- chegg
- text books
- class notes
- study apps
After a grueling semester it is just unthinkable that some of us have to go back and do some summer classes. Hey a girls got to so what a girls got to do and in this post i will be sharing with you guys some tips and tricks that help me study in an effective manner during the summer.
Set yourself some goals:
Yes its sounds easy right but a lot of people don’t even think about this step when preparing for any semester. This is really important during the summer because you are actually setting yourself a roadmap on how you want the semester to go and this will help you stay focused as well as know what your goal is and what you have to do.You can set your goals any way you want. It all depends on you, you could do it in a to do list fashion or you can decide to do it in a more journals form what ever suits you best do it in that way.
Take some really amazing notes:
Summer classes go by really fast especially because it is so compressed. Six weeks is a really short time to go through things that will normally take 4months, this is why taking amazing notes is important. When you have amazing notes you are basically making the studying process easier on yourself and you have a higher chance of having good grades in that class. Also taking good notes means you are taking the notes in your own way and in the way you understand. This reduce your study time because you will be revising the notes and not trying to make sense of what the text book is saying.
The summer time is a great time to meet new people and find new study groups and areas to study. Changing your scenery will actually do wonders to your studying. Try studying outside or moving tables or just build. anew routine and it will make such a huge difference. Also during the summer not all your friends will be taking classes like you so this is the best time to meet new people and find new study groups. If you don't have a study-group don't worry there are so many study with me sessions on youtube so you can definitely still virtually study with new people.
Sync your school and social calendar:
Now this is something I swear by because it actually works. When you have so many different calendars in my opinion it makes it difficult to actually know what you have to do and at what time. When you have your social, work and school calendar in one place it gives you a real sense of what your day looks like and you defiantly can plan more and plan better on how you are going to tackle the pigs for that day.
When retaking a class don't start from the beginning:
Yes sometimes we take summer classes because we didn't do well in a particular class but not to worry you have an advantage over the others. Since you have taken this class before you know the areas you need to focus more on the the parts you just have to gloss over. Also you have your previous notes and things you used in that class so just use them during the summer and you will be golden.
Remember it is still the summer, take breaks and do other things that are not school related this is going to help you study better because you will not feel like you are missing out on something. But as with everything do it with moderation. And remember this will literally be over in no time.
Have an idea of what the test will look like:
It's always good to be prepared and having an idea of what the test is going to look like is a really good ways to go. Look through test preps or quizzes the professor gives as well as ask them what the test will look like and that way you can plan accordingly and know what is your best strategy for studying.
Use all the resources at your disposal:
There are so many resources you can use to make your study experience easier and way mire fun. Try them out and figure out what works for you ad what doesn't. Some of them are;
- reviews with professors
- practice questions
- quizlet
- chegg
- text books
- class notes
- study apps
Social Icons