Tag: studying

How to Tackle Test Anxiety

~ Brooke F. ~ 8 Comments

Welp, my winter break will be over next week, as much as it saddens me to say. So, in honor of that, I’ve decided to do yet another college/school related post to help all the students out there. If you’re like me, you struggle with a little bit of test anxiety so below I’m going to leave my personal tips on how you can tackle the little testing butterflies. Enjoy, readers & fellow students!

★Make a study plan.

Be prepared for this test. Know in your mind that you’re doing what you can. Don’t burn yourself out studying but definitely make a plan of attack so you can walk into your test feeling more confident in yourself and your abilities.

★Practice positive self talk.

Encourage yourself. Tell yourself that you are capable. But also remind yourself that your worth is not derived from your performance.

★Get plenty of sleep the night before.

This plays into your mindset going into the test. You will feel worse about yourself if your sluggish and exhausted from studying all night.

★Have a nice breakfast or meal before leaving for school in the morning.

You want your brain ready for this test. Plus, sometimes having something on your stomach can squelch that “pukey” feeling. Coffee on an empty stomach can sometimes make that feeling worse as it’s pretty acidic.

★Visualize Success.

Think about how good it will feel to have the test out of the way and, even better, making a good grade on it.

★Give yourself practice tests.

This will help you get used to the feeling of being tested on these things and will help you study the material itself.

★Separate your fears.

Some fears are ridiculous and sometimes you gotta recognize that. Some are founded and I would recommend talking those fears out with someone close to you or a teacher or even writing them down. But the fear that “everyone will think I’m a moron and a failure” is probably not a very realistic one. It definitely exists in your head sometimes as I know it can exist in mine, but it is vital to label these fears as lies that we agonize over.

★Let go of perfectionism

You’re not going to make all A’s all the time. That’s not realistic. Definitely study in hopes of getting an A, but please don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect all the time. College is hard and can be even harder if we heap insane expectations upon ourselves.

★During the test, remember to breath and think positively

Take it one question at a time. Select the answers you know are correct first and then go back. If you find yourself spiraling into fear and self doubt, take a moment to take a deep breath and remind yourself of your past successes and that you can do this.

★Don’t obsess over questions

Agonizing over a question can often result in you changing the correct answer (your gut answer) to a wrong one as you second guess yourself. Check your answers but don’t obsess over them.

★Keep it in perspective.

Your life doesn’t hang in the balance here. This is a test. And while you want to do well, sometimes you’ve just gotta do your best and what will be will be. Besides, you’ll probably do worse on the test if you’re feeling rattled. It is in your best interest to keep it all in perspective and have a healthy mindset going into it.

Remember, you can do this!

How to Romanticize Studying

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

Studying doesn’t have to be a “cute” experience all the time, but sometimes it just feel nice to pretend you’re in a dark academia film or something. And for those of us who sometimes struggle to come up with the motivation to study, makin the process a little fun when we can is a nice thing to do our ourselves.

★Make a playlist

With whatever music you love. Though I do personally recommend something that fits the “vibe” of your study session. This could be orchestral or lo-fi or whatever feels “right”.

★Find Inspo

Make yourself a cute little moodboard on pinterest to find inspiration on how to arrange your study space to look pretty and pleasing to the eyes.

★rewrite your notes to be pretty

Not only does this help you study, but it also means your notes look cleaner and more organized, therefore being easier on the eyes.

★A clean desk. and a clean room for that matter

Your brain might feel cluttered if your space is cluttered. Do a quick little room and desk clean and actually try to make your bed. It does wonders.

★Drink/Eat warm things

Tea, coffee, croissants, bread, soup, whatever. Warm things definitely help the vibe. Though remember to not skimp out on your water.

★Make yourself feel cute

Maybe tie your hair up with a ribbon or change into a warm sweater. Anything that makes you feel more put-together.

★Consider fairylights or some sort of cool lighting decor

Totally optional (well, technically this entire list is) but I personally am a huge fan of lamps and fairylights. You can find them pretty cheap on amazon and they really add a cozy touch to your space.

★Light a candle

Candles are pretty plus they make your room smell great. Double points!

And that’s all for now! Good luck, my fellow students! Study hard!

An Open Letter to Freshman Me

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Wow! Where to begin, where to begin…

First off, hey there freshman me. Hope you’re doing well.

But I know you’re not doing well. You can’t hide it from others and most importantly, you can’t hide it from yourself. I know you’ve been trying but it just makes stuff all that much hard. When you’re hurting, sometimes it makes it worse to walk around on that broken leg or with that emotional wound exposed to the world. And all the while you’re telling yourself “yeah, I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m gonna be okay.”

Girl, stop it.

Truthfully, if this letter really could reach back in time, I think you really just needed to be served some hard truths mixed with what you were really craving during that time: a little bit of hope. Funny how those things can walk hand and hand.

Loving truth.

Those words shouldn’t be separate. They shouldn’t be seen as opposites that you must balance equally on a scale. They are partners. Perfect partners.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Dear Freshman Me,

You’re tired, aren’t you? You’ve been here before, haven’t you? And that frustrates you.

In middle school and high school, you fought tooth and nail to just be comfortable in your own skin. You desperately wanted to see some self-worth in that mirror of yours and you thought you finally had it a few years ago. You thought, Wow, glad I figured that out! Now I’m good for life!

You were not good for life.

Loving yourself and figuring out how to be a healthy individual is not a one time thing and you’re done. You have to relearn how to be comfortable with who you are and where you’re at every single time a big change comes along. (And sometimes it doesnt even have to be a big change).

And now you’re learning it in college. Which, turns out, is a lot harder than you imagined. And so you’re in denial while simultaneously being mad at yourself for not being happy or the least bit healthy. You are a champion at beating yourself up and that needs to stop because it will quite literally kill you.

This lens that you’re viewing life from is also jacked up. You’re stressing waaaaay to much over the stuff that doesn’t matter. The stuff that is out of your control. You have a work ethic, and I’m proud of you. But no amount of work will guarantee you EVERYTHING to go your way. And I know that’s going to be hard to accept.

As much as I want you to believe that you can work hard for nearly anything and reach that goal… that’s not 100% true. This is a good philosophy to hold but it is not a promise. It was never a promise.

So when you get crappy teachers, lose your job because of a pandemic, get mistreated and let down by friends and family alike, don’t quite meet the criteria for that scholarship, don’t pass that midterm despite studying for days… don’t internalize it. Take a deep breath and evaluate. Don’t blame. Evaluate.

Because sometimes, as I’m sure you’re aware of, you are going to be the bad guy, sometimes it will be your fault, and sometimes you COULD have done better. But that’s not the case here. You tried your best and you know it. And that’s where it should end. None of this beating yourself up and SEARCHING for reasons that it was your fault, because if it was, that implies you had some sort of control in the situation.

So stop! Be proud of yourself for just a couple seconds. Please. You got here and that’s worth celebrating, whether or not you choose to continue down this path or reavluate.

Secondly, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And I know you can’t see it and there will be more days in the future when you can’t see it, but you’ve gotta hold your feelings loosely. Yes, they’re important and they should be addressed but feelings can be a big ol’ liar too. So have a little faith.

Did you know, you’d finish the rough draft of your novel this year? You’re going to do that! Four years in the making and you’ll be able to print it out and begin the editing process and showing it to your friends! It’s going to be awesome!

You’re going to meet new people and they’re going to be great. I know some stuff hasn’t gone how you expected when it came to your social life, but people are going to let you done and sometimes you’re going to have to make the hard decision to move on without them, BUT (and there’s always a but) there are going to be some really neat new people for you to meet out there. That, and the ones who’ve stuck around, your friendships with them will only continue to strengthen.

You remember that saying? The one that goes “when a meeting occurs, a parting is sure to follow?” Well, I’m pretty sure the reverse is also true. Because when a parting occurs, a meeting is sure to follow. I promise you.

Gosh, this is getting long, but I still have so much to tell you.

Did you know you’re going to stop biting your nails? I know that might sound trivial to others but I think we both know the significance of that. A nervous tick that even braces couldn’t get rid of.

You’re going to wake up for classes every morning next semester and feel good! The first day of classes you’re going to cry in the car on the way home not because you’re sad, but because you’re thankful and oh-so relieved because you had a GOOD day and this semester is going to be nothing like this last one.

You’re new job is going to be hard but it’s going to be what you need. And people are going to appreciate and recognize you for your work ethic. I know that’s always meant a lot to you.

You’re going to be able to get coffee with friends and step away from studying with no self guilt. You’re going to cry and pray with that girl in the school library. You know, the one who you’ve been praying you could share your faith with? Yeah, that’s going to happen. You’re going to dissect things and that’s gonna be pretty awesome (the earth worm is kind of gross though, be warned). You’re going to write and write and write. You’re going to travel a little in the summer. Go on a roadtrip with your best friend (Twice!!). You’re going to attend a new bible study and you’re going to walk away from it every Wednesday feeling filled and happy. You’re going to have things to look forward to (you’re going to see the ocean next year!). You’re going to play DnD with old friends and a new one every other Saturday. You’re going to dress up in costumes, hang out with your sister and no longer feel like you’re walking on egg shells. You’re going to be an aunt soon, hold tight. You’re going to turn twenty in a few months.

Things aren’t just going to be okay, they’re going to be good. And you’ve gotta keep going so you can see it. I’m proud of you and wish you the best. There’s going to be some hard stuff up ahead but you’ll get through it. Because it will be good because God is good. And you’re going to feel that very soon.

Ugh, sorry, this is getting long. I know you probably have a mountain of biology homework to do so I’ll let you go. Take care of yourself, alright?

Love,

Sophomore Me

Tips on Studying for an Exam (especially when memorization is involved)

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

★Flash cards!

And while I know there are a lot of nifty online flashcard making sites like quizlet and so forth, but I personally recommend getting your own index cards and making your own by hand. Making the cards itself can help you study, plus if you’re ever somewhere without access to the internet, your phone, or computer, you can pull your cards out and study. Plus, it just really helps your memory to lay the cards out in various ways and studying them. Remember, the more physical movement involved in your studying, the more likely you are to retain the information.

★Make your own study guide.

Seriously. It helps you study while making it but can also be invaluable when actually studying. Memorize the information by covering up the answers to said study guide and writing the answers out, by hand. Which brings me to my next tip-

★Write things out you need to memorize

Not type. Write. If you’re handwriting is bad, don’t worry about it. That’s not the point. The point is to memorize and studies show that people are more likely to remember something when they write it out by hand.

★Recite and Read Out loud

And if you’re wondering if this is another memory thing, it is. Read your stuff out loud to your sibling, cat, your breakfast, whatever you want. Just solidify those words in your head and attach sounds to them. Again, you’ll be a lot more likely to remember.

★Take breaks

Your brain can only really focus for about an hour before wondering off into oblivion. So, every hour, walk around a little and take a well-deserved break. Study smarter, not harder.

★Don’t wait till the last second to study

We’ve all tried. And it rarely works out. And even when it does, the amount of stress you undergo the day before is not worth it. Do yourself a favor, and start as soon as possible.

★Reward yourself

Try and prevent burnout not only be taking breaks, but rewarding yourself if you can. My favorite way to do this, is if I’ve studied a long time, I’ll allow myself to buy an iced coffee before hitting the books again. Find out what little ways you can give your brain dopamine and integrate that into your study time.

★Eat food. Drink water.

Do you know how utterly useless your brain is when you’re dehydrated and hungry? Pretty darn useless. And even if you feel like you’re making progress, you’re probably are fatigued by a head ache. That’s why I mean it when I say to feed yourself and drink water. Not coffee. Not a smoothie. Water.

★Don’t attach your performance on this test to your self-worth

This is more of a mindset tip, but it concerns your preparation for this test. No matter what, PLEASE do not attach your performance on this test to your grade. Please. Speaking as someone who lived this her freshman semester, this does not help your testing abilities. You will probably find yourself a nervous wreck before, after, and during the test, therefore hindering your memory. The more stressed out you are, the more likely you are to forget stuff. And then if you don’t get the grade you wanted, you feel super defeated and it’s much harder to bounce back from a bad grade or a failed test when you possess this mindset. So do yourself a favor, and trash it. Try your hardest and the rest of it will workout.

How to spend your college break

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been meaning to write this for awhile. Far too often I find myself at loose ends as to what to do on my college breaks so with it currently being fall break for me, like, right this very second as a I type this, I figured now was a good of a time as any to give people advice on how to spend their college breaks. Sometimes it can be hard to balance the resting and the still wanting to get stuff done. Breaks should be relaxing and you should give yourself a break, but if you also want to use that time to do some minorly productive things to get ahead, I respect that too.

So, here’s a few suggestions on what you can do on your college break!

Do some well-needed cleaning and organization

I don’t know about you, but my backpack is sort of a mess by the middle of the semester. Old papers I don’t need, random straw wrappers, and bits of trash I don’t need can be found in near every pocket. My pencils need to be sharpened badly and overall my backpack could use a washing. And let’s not get me started on my desk space.

So a break is the perfect opportunity to remedy such problems.

Catch up on any show that you’ve been meaning to watch

You’ve earned some rest! This is a perfect way to unwind, especially with a snack.

Schedule some social time

College can make it difficult for people to get together with classes and homework quickly overtaking everyone’s schedule. But we all need to see people sometimes so scheduling a well-earned coffee date with a gal friend is one of the best ways you can spend your break.

Dabble in something

Take this time during your break so try something new that you would otherwise not be able to. Or stick to your old neglected hobbies and maybe start painting or drawing again? Overall, I highly encourage people to do at least one creative thing on their break.

Relax but also PAY ATTENTION TO ANY ASSIGNED HOMEWORK OR READINGS

In an ideal world, professors would not assign homework over a break. But I don’t think I have to tell you that we don’t live in an ideal world. It surprised me too how much homework teachers would sometimes assign over your break, as if they didn’t fully understand the meaning of the very word “break”. But sometimes we just gotta deal, and your life will be a little stressful if you put off any homework last minute. The goal is to emerge from your break refreshed, not panicked. So slowly work on and pay attention to any assigned reading or homework that you have been expected to complete over the course of the break.

Make a game plan for returning back to school

Sometimes your break is a good time to revaluate and readjust some of your approaches to your classes and homework. Whether this means reexamining your study strategies or completely reorganizing your meal plan, your break is a good time to do any of these things.

And finally write a blog post on what to do with your break

And that’s where I’ll leave it. Rest up, lovely students!

How to bounce back from failing an exam (or even a class)

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Yeah, I know this isn’t fun to write about or even read about. As a student who grew accustomed to A’s and B’s in highschool, I found myself a little shell-shocked when I got to college and failed my first big test (RIP my biology midterm grade-you will be missed). And it was… an adjustment to say the least. Really this one grade should not have made me question my identity like it did but a someone who prides myself on how well I do at school, it was definitely a blow to my pride. I questioned whether or not I was really cut-out for college or even my major (I am a bio major by the way). But in the end, what I really ended up doing was dusting myself off and trying again. And here’s how I did it…

I had a grieving period

And boy, did it stink. I cried over this grade a lot (probably a bit more than I should have). But I really do think it is good to allow yourself to feel sad over this grade, especially if you worked really hard and did not receive the mark you feel you had earned or expected. Don’t wallow of course. You should not tie your self worth to your grades. But do allow yourself the time to be sad. Cry. Shower. And Take a nap.

I had a forgiveness period

And then I had to forgive myself. I know it may seem strange to some, but when I get a bad grade, I have to forgive myself for it because usually it means I disappointed myself. But wallowing in self-hatred is not a recipe for doing well in a class or even doing well in general for that matter. So there eventually came a point where I just had to accept it and move on.

I had an evaluation period

I had to think about why I flunked. This, in turn, and lead you to forming a better game plan for this class in the future. I had to ask myself how I got this bad grade and what led to it and whether or not it was in my control. I’ve done poorly on a few tests since the bio midterm mishap and did so for a variety of different reasons. Some were simply due to ineffective study methods or spreading of study time. And every now and then, the class itself is just plain difficult (or maybe even a professor is). This doesn’t give you an excuse to give up of course but you should definitely recognize what is and isn’t in your control.

I made a new game plan

Once I identified why exactly I did badly, I made a new game plan. Usually this step involves a new study strategy that focuses on where I was weak before and compensates for where I messed up. I recommend making this plan and then STICKING TO IT (it doesn’t do you any good to make it and not follow through).

I Tried to avoid burnout by taking breaks

I know for me it was hard to accept that I still needed breaks after my bad grade. When I don’t do well, I have a bad habit of depriving myself of such things because I felt I didn’t deserve it. But trust me, not taking-breaks just results in burn-out and that helps no one. Breaks are not optional. Stick to your game plan but your game plan should consist of a well-needed break every now and then. This step took me a few weeks to grasp but after completely wearing myself thin, I got the message that I need to rest as any normal person does.

I accepted that this happens

To the majority of people actually. College is hard. But I can do it because I can do hard things. Even if I fail sometimes. That’s a part of succeeding actually I’ve discovered. For every success I have about 100 little failures that allowed me to get there. And that’s alright. So best of luck to you. Go and achieve your goals. Because you can do hard things!

The 6 Stages of a Study Session

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Steps of Studying

1. The Motivation

Whenever I need to study for something, at first, I’m pumped. I tell myself this’ll be a breeze and I’ll ace the test and I’ll be so scholarly and wear cool glasses even though I have perfect vision… but when the breeze turns into a hurricane, this motivation quickly leaves, leading me to step 2…

2. The Procrastination

I am a procrastinator. If getting distracted was a sport, I’d be on a Wheaties box. I suppose you could say I’m a pro (crastinator). In this stage Youtube is my biggest enemy and friend at the same time.

3. The Guilt

All through step 2 you are probably pushing back this nagging guilt. In step three this feeling resurfaces, leaving you on the edge of panic. If you are good student, then you’ll probably get your rear and gear and actually study but if you’re anything like me, you will proceed to step 4…

4. The Rationalization

This step is how you get reality to go away when it knocks on your door…

You will rationalize with yourself that you have plenty of time to get your book work done! One of the signs your a rationalizer is you use phrases similar to these:

Just one more episode of Andy Griffith and you’ll study…

Just another game of free cell…

It’s not procrastination if your drinking coffee… it’s procaffinating.

Well, another sentence read! I should reward myself with another study break and another box of pop tarts!

I wonder if iisuperwomanii came out with a new video….

They say if you say something enough, it’ll come true but what about if you ignore it? It’ll go away right? That’s how real life works, right?

Then comes along inevitable step 5…

5. The Realization/Panic

When reality goes from knocking on your door to repeatedly ringing your doorbell, to breaking the door down like some sort of Ninja Chuck Norris. But reality always seem to do this at the last second when you are an hour away from taking that test and you realize you are not toast, but charcoal that is covered in gasoline and gun powder that is on fire as it’s being thrown into an active valcano that is about to errupt! This is when you hit full on panic mode… and when you’re greatest ideas and inspiration comes, leading you to step 6…

6. The Scramble

No, I’m not talking about eggs. This step is also known as the cram. This step is usually about one morning as far time. This is where you cram so many factoids down your brain’s throat (I don’t even know how that works), that it practically shrieks in protest. In this step you burn like 12397 brain cells which is really sad considering you could of killed those cells doing something a lot more enjoyable, like watching Gilgan’s Island or smelling gasoline.

Then you usually end up taking the test, get a passable grade, and then come home, realizing, that the only thing you learned is… oh wait! You didn’t learn anything because all these steps are repeated the next time you have to study for a test! Live and don’t learn, that’s humanity for you!