reblog if ur a cryptid gen z-millennial like me (born between 1994-2003)

23.7.18 // Reposting this again!

I have to re-post this photo because I forgot to watermark it yesterday! My Monday has been quite productive, as I’ve written 3 back to school blog posts so far! Stay tuned, the first ones will be published this week!

Follow me on Instagram @academic.eve

Running a blog in English when it’s not your native language is hardcore af

College Haxx

1. For some reason, Google Docs makes papers appear a little bit longer than they actually are. Be wary of this when printing off your final paper; you may end up just shy of meeting the required page count.

2. Download the Video Speed Controller extension for Chrome (or an equivalent for other browsers). Save time when rewatching recorded lectures by speeding them up, or slow them down to make fast professors speak more slowly. 

3. Make stupid jokes and references in your notes. Don’t be afraid to use curse words and memes. Forming some kind of association will help you remember material better than just rote memorization. 

4. A few days before a quiz or a test, ask some of your classmates if they want to collaborate on a google doc review sheet. If you don’t know anyone in the class, ask the person next to you and the person who participates the most in class, or ask the prof if you can make an announcement at the beginning of class. Odds are, your classmates will spread the word, and at least one person will add something to the doc that you hadn’t thought of. 

5. Invest in a bulk pack of granola bars. A granola bar and some fresh fruit can suffice as a meal on particularly tough days. 

6. You will meet so many people who seem like they’re better versions of you than you could ever be. It’s hard, but try to ignore them. You’re the only person who can be you the best. But also know that you aren’t alone, and your peers probably feel the same insecurity that you do.

7. Take lots of photos with the intention of uploading them absolutely nowhere. Candids, photos with bad lighting, photos of nature and architecture, photos of yourself messing around with snapchat filters. You’ll back on these photos years down the road and cherish the associated memories. 

8. Keep looking for scholarships! No one told me you could apply for scholarships after you entered college, and by the time I figured it out myself, I was a semester away from graduating. 

9. An easy way to meet people and make a name for yourself is to hand out stickers to your classmates before exams and wish them good luck.

10. Don’t buy books for a pass/fail class. Even if you think you’ll need them. Even if the professor says you’ll fail the class without them. You can get most of the knowledge you need out of class discussion and review sessions with your classmates. 

📚📚STUDYBLRS📚📚 🌼🌼LISTEN UP!🌼🌼

My feed is a little bit out of control and really slow because I follow many inactive blogs so if you are a studyblr like this or reblog so I can follow you :)

Every once and a while you get a glimpse of the person you could be. Grab that. Hold on to that. Work for it. Nothing is out of reach.

concept: you & i on FaceTime. comfortable silence as be both work on our assignments. we’re trying to get our education right so we can be together. i just needed to feel your presence. we both smile uncontrollably when we glance up at each other. we’re investing in our future.

The 'No Excuses' Study System to Get That A

I  School Days 

1. Show up to class a little early. It’ll give you time to set up, read over some old notes, put your water bottle/thermos on your desk, fill out your planner if you couldn’t in the previous period(s), check your planner to see if you have something on that day etc.

2. Sit in the front or second row. I’m serious, you will definitely benefit. Write detailed class notes. Pick whatever system works for you. I usually write my titles in red pen, notes in black pen, underline points that are repeated/emphasised, highlight keywords at home

3. If you have time at school, do as much homework as you can. If you know you have commitments that day, please for the love of your education do your homework at lunch. I know you might feel awkward, but your friends will understand. 

4. When you get home, first list down all the homework received that day on a q card (cross off as you go). Then write the same tasks in your bullet journal, but as a daily spread. Use stayfocusd or self control for mac + leave phone in a different room. FINISH ALL OF YOUR HOMEWORK. If for some reason you couldn’t complete a homework task, write it on a sticky note and place it on your wall. After homework is done, write your revision notes (flashcard the info as well). Place the notes in your accordion folder/binder. If you have some loose sheets at any point, place them in a ‘To Be Filed’ box. Sort that out when you’re packing your bag for the next day.

5. Go through the flashcards made that day and the flashcards made on the previous days.  List out all assignments/assessments on another q card with their due dates. This will come in handy later.

6. Pack your bag the night before. Remember your accordion folder + make sure your ‘To Be Filed’ box is empty. Put water bottle in the fridge and make meals for the next day.

7. The next day, wake up early, complete any unfinished homework, go through flashcards again, read through revision notes, make lunch for the day, put laptop in bag, put food + water in bag, exercise (esp if you have commitments after school), shower, change, blah blah blah. Only do this if your schedule is packed, and in my case, this is a must.

II  Weekends

1. On Friday nights, first off, do homework. You will thank yourself for it. Whip out that list of assessments/assignments and allocate half days to knock off at least two of these little assholes. Work ahead, you will feel much better.

2. Do your readings. For English, knock off some wider reading novels, for HSIE, knock off some textbook unit readings (two units ahead), for science, knock off some more textbook readings. Write summaries of each page. Type these summaries. Print these summaries. Place in accordion folder/binder. Flashcard the info. Spend like half a day doing this lmao.

3. Spend 1-2 hours going through the flashcards you made that week for each subject. This counts as studying my friend. 

III Weekends When You Actually Have Assessments 

1. Due to your working ahead, homework completion and readings, you shouldn’t be panicking too much. Get those revision notes and slot in the textbook readings notes. Highlight, annotate, read aloud, go through flashcards and get someone to test you on the content. Make sure you know all terms, formulae, key concepts, vocabulary etc etc

2. As for assignments, again due to your working ahead just print them out and heavily edit those little asshats. Then type the edits into the doc. Repeat this process four times. Then get someone to read it. Make sure all your assignments are on your USB + email them to yourself because you never fucking know tbh. 

3. You’ll probs have to sacrifice your reading time but that’s chill because the teacher/prof will probably be focusing on prepping you for the actual assessment + you gotta do what you gotta do.

SUMMARY

Seriously, just do your homework the day you receive it, write revision notes, do your readings, write notes on those readings, make flashcards, knock out assignments as soon as you know they actually exist, read every wider reading novel (analyse these novels), read your required readings (analyse this too), go over flashcards every morning/afternoon, make use of spare time in class, do homework at lunch if needed, stick to your schedule, buy coffee/hot chocolate in the mornings and put it in a thermos, keep a necessities pouch in your bag, keep your P.E shoes in your locker, use a planner, track your spending, wash your hair, brush your hair, go to commitments, attend school events, attend events you’re invited to, go shopping, watch movies, be kind to yourself, take bubble baths, light candles, listen to music, SLEEP, get that A and most importantly be proud of yourself. 

my kink: hard working people getting the exam results they deserve

my kink: hard working people getting the exam results they deserve

DNA and the Genetic Code

After a short hiatus, I am back with a post on the nature of DNA, including a summary of what it is, what genes are, and what kinds of mutations occur. Next up is meiosis and I have plans for a post on protein synthesis (transcription, translation). Happy studying!

DNA is a polynucleotide made up of the monomer units of nucleotides. Nucleotides consist of an organic base, a pentose sugar and a phosphate group. In DNA, the bases can either be adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine, and the pentose sugar is deoxyribose. Nucleotides are held together in complementary base pairing using hydrogen bonds – the bond between the sugar and the phosphate are called phosphodiester bonds. DNA exists in a double helix, containing two strands which run antiparallel to each other. Genetic information is stored in the base sequence of DNA.

Prokaryotes have no membrane-bound nucleus and their DNA is usually free-floating in the cytoplasm. Their DNA is arranged into a singular loop (circular) but some bacterium can also have extra circles of DNA called plasmids. Plasmids usually contain additional genes for survival such as antibiotic resistance. Eukaryotes, on the other hand, have linear chromosomes tightly coiled around proteins called histones in the nucleus. The existence of circular DNA in mitochondria or chloroplasts gives evidence that these organelles were derived from prokaryotic cells that had been engulfed.

Genetic information codes for the functions of cells by instructing what proteins the cells should make. There are 20 amino acids, which are the building blocks of polypeptides and therefore proteins. Because there are 20 amino acids, we know that it must be necessary to have three bases coding for each acid. A triplet codon essentially means the three bases which make up a code for a certain amino acid.

However, having three bases coding for each amino acid offers a total of 64 coding combinations means there are 44 which code for things other than amino acids. Some of these remaining codons code for existing amino acids, e.g. UUU and UUC both code for phenylalanine. Therefore, we can say that the genetic code is degenerate, since some of the codes are redundant. Other sequences may code for the start or stop of a polypeptide production.

The genetic code is said to be universal, since most triplets code for the same amino acids in different organisms. It is also said to be non-overlapping, because each base in the sequence is only read once. This means that the code UCCGAC can only be read as UCC GAC and not UCC CCG CGA GAC.

Genes are sections of DNA which code for polypeptides and functional RNA such as rRNA or tRNA. Polypeptides make up proteins so genes essentially code for proteins in an organisms. Genes are always located on a particular position on a section of DNA called a locus. The same genes are found at the same locus on every chromosome.

Chromosomes become visible at the start of mitosis (cell division). They are shown to be two ‘threads’ joined at the centre. Each thread is called a chromatid and is held together by histones. The centre of a chromosome is a centromere. Eukaryotes have varying numbers of chromosomes – humans have 23 from each parent (haploid) making the diploid number of 46 chromosomes in every cell. Each pair of chromosomes, derived from our mothers and fathers, are called homologous pairs because each one carries the same genes but not the same alleles.

An allele is an alternative form of a gene. For example, everyone has the code for eyes but you may inherit green eyes from your mother and blue eyes from your father. If the alleles are the same, it is likely you will present that characteristic. If they are different, the alleles will have different base sequences so code for a different polypeptide.

Changes in base sequences lead to mutations, meaning a change in the protein’s function. There many kinds of mutation. Imagine we start with the code BIG RED FOX.

Substitution mutations occur when nucleotides are replaced by a different nucleotide. As with any mutation, this could cause no effect (due to the code being degenerate – the replacement may code for the same amino acid as before). However, some substitutions can change a cell entirely. The polypeptide produced will differ by a single amino acid which could be crucial in functions such as forming the tertiary structure of a protein or preventing the contraction of sickle-cell anemia.

Our code may now read correctly but does not mean the same thing:

BUG RED FOX

Another kind of mutation is the deletion of bases, which could cause a frameshift. This occurs when a nucleotide is lost from the normal DNA sequence and usually means the code for the polypeptide completely changes. Since the code is non-overlapping and read in triplets, one deleted nucleotide causes the sequence to be read differently.

Our code would read:

BIR EDF OX (and would continue with the rest of the sequence – remember, everything is read in triplets!)

A sub-type of a frameshift mutation would be the insertion of a base. As you can see, it also throws the way the code is read:

BIG RED FLO X

Chromosome mutations are not uncommon. These are where whole chromosomes or parts of chromosomes change in structure. They can happen in two ways: the addition of entire chromosomes (e.g. having three or more sets of homologous chromosomes), often called polyploidy, or in a process called non-disjunction.

Non-disjunction is where pairs of chromosomes fail to separate in meiosis. This usually results in gametes with one more or one less chromosome. A typical example of non-disjunction in humans is Down’s syndrome, which is an additional chromosome 21.

SUMMARY

Happy studying!

i’ve got a sore throat for a couple of days, it’s not unbearing but it’s a little bit annoying everything I swallow, anyone have any easy tips that I would be able to do at home?

Kardha: a thing that's personally helped me and basically every Bengali I know get over colds and sore throats in a couple of days.

Boil water. Add quite a bit of fresh ginger, chopped (NOT minced,) basil leaves (we use tulsi, I have been led to believe it's the same thing,) black pepper (whole pods, not crushed,) and cloves, and boil for a few minutes.

Strain. Add a little honey.

Drink while still warm.

17:18 | 🎧 el latido de mi corazón- coco

ig: procrastudiinn | od- nov 22

Comparative anatomy of feet

Image source: http://superoceras.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/well-this-is-long-overdue.html

Plantigrade

From Latin planta (sole of the foot) + gradi (to walk, to step). Plantigrade animals, which include humans, bears, and raccoons, walk on their phalanges (finger/toe bones), metapodials, and podials (the bones of the wrist/heel & ankle).

Digitigrade

From Latin digitus (finger, toe) + gradi. Digitigrade animals, such as cats, dogs, and birds, walk on multiple phalanges, but not metapodials or podials.

Unguligrade

From Latin ungulua (hoof) + gradi. Unguligrade animals, such as horses and cows, walk only on the distal phalanx.

it was golden hour and everything looked so pretty, just thought i would share. also thank you for 800 followers!! maybe my goal of 1000 by the end of summer will actually come true, who would’ve thought? 

currently listening to: UFO by mallrat feat. allday

once you stop fantasizing about that ideal version of yourself and start working towards becoming that person by setting your alarm clock earlier and actually going to the gym and actually volunteering at places and actually eating healthier and not procrastinating and working just a little bit harder you’ll realize that it was so easy all along. becoming your ideal self will only ever exist in your mind until you make the decision to work towards becoming that person. get up!! get going!! it’s now or never!! there is no light at the end of the tunnel!! get that flashlight and pave your own path bitch bc no one else is going to do it for u!!

36 | Sister’s desk, New Paltz, NY. Guess the plant obsession runs in the family. 

here is a gif showing how blood flows through the heart in case you need extra motivation