Just a bunch of useful websites

12ft – Hate paywalls? Try this site out.

My Fridge Food – No idea what to make? Tell this site what ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipes to cook.

Project Gutenberg – Always ends up on these type of lists and for very good reason. All works that are copyright free in one place.

Ninite – New PC? Install all of your programs in one go with no bloat or unnecessary crap.

Unchecky – Tired of software trying to install additional unwanted programs? This will stop it completely by unchecking the necessary boxes when you install.

Sci-Hub – Research papers galore! Check here before shelling out money. And if it’s not here, try the next link in our list.

LibGen – Lots of free PDFs relate primarily to the sciences.

Zotero – A free and easy to use program to collect, organize, cite and share research.

Car Complaints – Buying a used car? Check out what other owners of the same model have to say about it first.

CamelCamelCamel – Check the historical prices of items on Amazon and set alerts for when prices drop.

Have I Been Pawned – Still the king when it comes to checking if your online accounts have been released in a data breach. Also able to sign up for email alerts if you’ve ever a victim of a breach.

Radio Garden – Think Google Earth but wherever you zoom, you get the radio station of that place.

Just The Recipe – Paste in the url and get just the recipe as a result. No life story or adverts.

Tineye – An Amazing reverse image search tool.

My 90s TV – Simulates 90’s TV using YouTube videos. Also has My80sTV, My70sTV, My60sTV and for the younger ones out there, My00sTV. Lose yourself in nostalgia.

Foto Forensics – Free image analysis tools.

Old Games Download – A repository of games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. Get your fix of nostalgia here.

Online OCR – Convert pictures of text into actual text and output it in the format you need.

Remove Background – An amazingly quick and accurate way to remove backgrounds from your pictures.

Twoseven – Allows you to sync videos from providers such as Netflix, Youtube, Disney+ etc and watch them with your friends. Ad free and also has the ability to do real time video and text chat.

Coolors – Struggling to get a good combination of colors? This site will generate color palettes for you.

This To That – Need to glue two things together? This’ll help.

Photopea – A free online alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Does everything in your browser.

BitWarden – Free open source password manager.

Atlas Obscura – Travelling to a new place? Find out the hidden treasures you should go to with Atlas Obscura.

ID Ransomware – Ever get ransomware on your computer? Use this to see if the virus infecting your pc has been cracked yet or not. Potentially saving you money. You can also sign up for email notifications if your particular problem hasn’t been cracked yet.

Way Back Machine – The Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites and loads more.

Rome2Rio – Directions from anywhere to anywhere by bus, train, plane, car and ferry.

Splitter – Seperate different audio tracks audio. Allowing you to split out music from the words for example.

myNoise – Gives you beautiful noises to match your mood. Increase your productivity, calm down and need help sleeping? All here for you.

DeepL – Best language translation tool on the web.

Forvo – Alternatively, if you need to hear a local speaking a word, this is the site for you.

Source: lifehacksthatwork.com

whoisdisahahaha

rabbitstudy

metamorphesque

musings on hands

— ocean vuong, yves pires, berenice abbott, jean-baptiste carpeaux, auguste rodin, james croak, gian lorenzo bernini, david altmejd, roland faunte

whoisdisahahaha

deactivated22-hollandprkr-deact

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY BABIES🤍

As you know, I haven’t been very active on here as of late (writing wise) and I’m so sorry about that!! However, I’ve got some exciting projects planned for the new year that I hope you will enjoy!!

Here is what’s coming for 2022 :

I’m confessin’ (that i love you) - Peter Parker x reader

Trope : bestfriends to lovers

Summary : You know how the story goes...two bestfriends who are in love with each other but are completely oblivious. What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter one - 31/12/2021

Dynamite Touch - Peter Parker x reader

Trope : enemies to lovers

Summary : You cannot stand Peter Parker, and he can’t stand you. You know that you have to try and put your differences aside when you are paired together for an upcoming school project.

Chapter one - 1/2/2022

Rent a relationship - Tom Holland x reader

Trope : co-stars to lovers

Summary : When you are asked to star in a rom com alongside Tom Holland, all you can say is yes. Everything is perfect. However, you forget about a certain rule in the contract when filming comes to an end. You must fake a relationship for PR.

Chapter one - TBA

Darling Dearest - Tom Holland x reader

Trope : best friends brother

Summary : You’ve been best friends with Harry and Sam every since you were little. Their older brother Tom was always mean to you. Luckily for you, you haven’t seen him in years due to his busy schedule...however your luck may be about to run out as he comes back home.

Chapter one - TBA

As well as all of this, I will also be working to finish MTSAY by the end of March, so watch out for that aswell!!!

Thank you so much for your patience, have an amazing christmas and new year!!!

whoisdisahahaha

tbhstudying

eintsein

A Guide to Planning Systems

It’s important to have a system of getting things done, whether it’s tackling tasks as the day progresses or having a carefully planned schedule for every single hour of the week. How can you create an effective personal planning system that suits your needs and preferences?

Mentioned in this post:

My other posts

N.B. some categories include a few examples but they are no means limited to the ones listed here, e.g. there may be methods of organizing tasks other than the five listed here.

whoisdisahahaha

tbhstudying

apricitystudies

every minute spent on planning saves you ten minutes spent on execution. short essays probably don't require that much preparation beforehand, but if you're writing something longer you should probably spend some time planning first. this is the process i go through when planning my essays, and i find it works really well!

whoisdisahahaha

rabbitstudy

apricitystudies

this is a breakdown of how i go about doing research for my essays! do keep in mind i am an arts student, so i don’t know how well this method carries over into other disciplines. check out my other guides to writing essays here and here!

whoisdisahahaha

rabbitstudy

apricitystudies

here’s a quick guide on how i proofread and edit my essays as an humanities undergrad! i tend to spend more time on research and editing and much less time on writing and my first drafts are often horrendous, so editing is really important for me :^)

i’ve also created guides on essay preparation, the 5-paragraph essay, how to research, and how to write essays. you can find all my other masterposts here.

transcript below:

whoisdisahahaha

rabbitstudy

traumasurvivors

Grounding Techniques

For anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks and/or nightmares.

In those moments, it can be hard to think of what to do. Please consider writing yourself a to do list for those moments that you can go through. Whether it is things from this list I am sharing with you or your own grounding methods you have thought of. Write a step by step of how to get yourself grounded that you can have on your phone or notebook.

Physical Sensations

Put your hands in cold water (you could even hold an ice cube.)
Squeeze something soft like a blanket or stuffed animal.
Hold a favourite item like a stimming toy or something you love. If you are outside, consider picking up a leaf (or rock etc) and examining it and how it feels.
Put your hand over your heart and feel it. You are here. You are present. Inhale (through your nose) for four seconds and Exhale (through your mouth) for six seconds.
Cuddle or pet your dog/cat if you have one.

Think of things you enjoy touching. I know someone who keeps bubble wrap around so they can pop it when they feel distressed.

Taste

Drink or eat something (if you can) with a strong taste. (Something really sour, maybe something spicy, or anything with a strong taste.)
Chew gum or suck on a mint or similar.
Let a chocolate or similar melt in your mouth. Really focus on the taste and the sensation.
Drink a cold or hot beverage.

Please be aware of your limits. Are you going to be able to focus on this? Is there risk of you choking if you panic and/or dissociate heavily?

Sight

What do you see now? What colours are the walls? What is the floor made of? Name five items in the room with you?

Scent

Spray a scent that is non triggering like a body spray, or air freshener.
Have some essential oils to smell when you need.
Do not light a candle if there is a risk of you dissociating too much to remember it. This can be dangerous. Please only light a scented candle if you are certain it is safe to do so.

Sound

Put on a non-triggering movie/show/youtube video
Put on some non-triggering music.
Listen to the sounds where you are and list them off. Are there bugs chirping outside? Are people doing work outside? Do you hear a heater/fan going? Etc.
Play nature sounds (there are apps that do relaxing sounds. Consider downloading one.)
Call a friend. (If this happens in the middle of the night, maybe ask a trusted friend to send you some recordings you can play of them saying calming things for you?)
Listen to an audio book or read a book you like out loud.

Other

Have an anchoring phrase/mantra like: “My name is ___. I am ___ years old. I live in ___. I am safe. ”
Have a soothing or distracting app you go to on your phone. (There are colouring apps and just nice games or activities to do.)

Remember that even if it does not feel like it right now, you are going to be okay. You’ve gotten through this before and you can do it again. I believe in you. I hope you believe in you, too.

Teuta Matoshi | Spring/Summer 2021

whoisdisahahaha

gnkiss

foodffs

THE BEST BANANA MUFFINS

Follow for recipes

Is this how you roll?

whoisdisahahaha

rabbitstudy

ololygas

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb

whoisdisahahaha

post from hudastudies on instagram!

whoisdisahahaha

peterspideyy

miseducatedmelanicmuse

Please reblog, this is so important.

notoriousthuggg

I needed this

Is this foreal?

miseducatedmelanicmuse

Yes it’s a real service. I do volunteer work for a rape crisis support service in my city and texting is one of the features we provide as well. But just to boost its credibility, I tried it myself:

reblog to save lives!

espressokisses

You can also text “Steve” to 741741 if you’re a young person of color. The website for more info is stevefund.org

My understanding is that it’s more multicultural and some folks feel more comfy with that in mind!

miseducatedmelanicmuse

^^^^^THIS

nikator

get help guys, please. if you’re hurting, don’t let that hurt consume you. seek help.

politicalprof

I never knew this. It’s spectacular.

parkerpeter24

Please, please reblog this!

whoisdisahahaha

parkersbliss

Peter Parker Masterlist

Last Updated ➞ 10/30/20

Requests open ➞ Prompt list

Personal Fav ➞ ♡

Order ➞ Oldest to newest

MASTERLIST

Imagines

Prom Dress

Female reader
You never imagined you’d be crying in the bathroom on prom night. Especially, because of Peter Parker.
“Less talking more swinging. I don’t plan on dying on this trip.”
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes

Okay

Female reader
Alternate ending to Prom Dress. What if you had taken the risk with Peter?
“Anything is possible with love.”
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes

Reality

Female, Romanoff reader
Mysterio knows what he wants, but so do you and Peter.
“You were so beautiful, but your beauty will fade.”
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes

Moral Of The Story ♡

Female reader
Not every guy is as he seems, but you really thought Peter was the one.
“Of course I didn’t say anything, you would’ve started crying.”
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes

Behind That Mask ♡

Female reader
Peter can’t seem to talk to you, at all, but maybe Spiderman can change that.
“Oh, wow. A good girls guide to murder, that sounds lovely.”
Estimated Reading Time: 11 Minutes

Sweetheart

Stark Reader
You had been swept off the board when Tony died, but what happens if you’re finally put back into the game?
“Peter, what if I never get better?”
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes

Stalker

Female, Australian reader
Peter isn’t a stalker, he just wants you to be safe and if watching you walk home every day ensures that then so be it.
“I feel like cactus.”
Estimated Reading Time: 14 Minutes

Savior

Female reader
You can’t deny your feelings of utter failure anymore and Peter’s scared you won’t let him help you.
“I hope you know, you’re beautiful, have you ever been told?”
Estimated Reading Time: 18 Minutes

Toast

Female reader
No matter how many times she tries to ruin your reputation, Peter is always there to save you.
“No, Parker, it looks fucking green.”
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes

Happy ♡♡

Female reader
from the moment you see each other after the break up to the day you first met you and Peter had always loved each other. And all you wanted was for him to be happy.
I always want to be your happiness.”
Estimated Reading Time: 50 Minutes

Headcanons

Being Scared Of Spiders

Gender-neutral reader
Dating Peter and being absolutely terrified of spiders.
“I’ll protect you from all the big scary spiders.”

Blurbs

Nice Cards ♡

Gender-neutral reader
Riding three to seat squished against Peter while playing Crazy eights is not how you imagined this day going.
“Peter!! Stop squishing me!!”

Munchkin

Female reader
Peter may be short but, you’re way shorter. And trying to intimidate him is a whole other thing.
“you’ll always be my little munchkin.”

Fake

Female Reader
After Mysterio exposes Peter you two are forced to break up. Well, fake it at least.
“Did you know he was Spider-Man?”

Just Friends

Gender Neutral Reader
You and Peter are best friends, but cuddling on the couch doesn’t seem like something best friends do.
“You really need to go, Peter.”

Trust Fall

Gender Neutral Reader
You trust Peter to always catch you, but what if he doesn’t?
“I think I’m in love with you.”

Smack into you ♡

Gender Neutral Reader
As if your day couldn’t get any worse, you run into Peter. Literally.
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Rubatosis

Stark Reader
Peter loves you, but not in the way you need him too.
“You don’t love me!”

Is this weird?

Female reader
How to act in front of your friends when you’re dating 101
“You guys do know you’re dating, right?”

There

Depressed/sad reader, read at your own risk
You just want to feel okay and Peter just might be the solution
“I just want the pain to stop.”

Not So Secret

Stark Reader
Keeping your relationship secret from Tony is hard enough, but the team makes it harder
“that’s normally what dating means, yes.”

Tripping Right Into Your Arms

Gender Neutral reader
The one where you trip right into Peter’s arms, but that’s not such a bad thing
“Yeah, sorry, I’m high on feminism and a little weed.”

Caught In The Act

Stark!Daughter Reader
Tony catches you and a shirtless Peter, he has a few questions
“You’re using protection, right?”

Really Cute ♡

Gender Neutral Reader
MJ doesn’t want you to do it, she doesn’t want you to tell him he’s cute, but you never listen to her anyway.
“I can’t believe you just did that!”

Goodnight Kiss ♡

Gender Neutral Reader
You want a goodnight kiss, so does Peter, however, the scene requires him not too, but gosh, he really wants too.
“Let me make you some uh… lemons to give to her!”

whoisdisahahaha

fandom

fandom.tumblr.com

2020′s Top Ships

Basically, there is only one OTP, and it’s whoever you like together best.

Reylo +6 Rey & Kylo Ren, the Star Wars universe
Catradora +10 Catra & Adora, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Reddie +1 Richie Tozier & Eddie Kaspbrak, It
Geraskier Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier, The Witcher
Ineffable Husbands -4 Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens
Zukka Zuko & Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Lumity Luz Noceda & Amity Blight, The Owl House
Supercorp +5 Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Supergirl
Jikook -4 Park Jimin & Jeon Jungkook, BTS
Destiel +10 Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural
Kiribaku +3 Kirishima Eijirou & Bakugou Katsuki, Boku No Hero Academia
Bumbleby +3 Yang Xiao Long & Blake Belladonna, RWBY
Wangxian +61 Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Mo Dao Zu Shi
Jonmartin Jonathan Sims & Martin Blackwood, The Magnus Archives
Bakudeku +3 Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku No Hero Academia
Drarry +6 Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, the Harry Potter universe
Gallavich Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Shameless
Stucky -2 Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, the Marvel universe
Zutara Zuko & Katara, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Klance -18 Keith & Lance, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Preath +6 Christen Press & Tobin Heath, Athletes
Korrasami +38 Korra & Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra
Bellarke -14 Bellamy Blake & Clarke Griffin, The 100
ZaDr +23 Zim & Dib, Invader Zim
FinnPoe Finn & Poe Dameron, the Star Wars universe
Buddie Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1
Tododeku -6 Todoroki Shouto & Midoriya Izuku, Boku No Hero Academia
Entrapdak +60 Entrapta & Hordak, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Sasusaku -1 Uchiha Sasuke & Haruno Sakura, Naruto
Wayhaught +21 Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp
Ballum +50 Ben Mitchell & Callum Highway, EastEnders
Harringrove -1 Steve Harrington & Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things
Kagehina Kageyama Tobio & Hinata Shouyou, Haikyuu!!
Joe x Nicky Joe (Yusuf Al-Kaysani) & Nicky (Niccolò di Genova), The Old Guard
Erasermic +4 Aizawa Shouta & Yamada Hizashi, Boku no Hero Academia
Maribat Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Damian Wayne, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir x The DC Universe
Hannigram +31 Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal
Shirbert Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe, Anne with an E
Wolfstar +6 Remus Lupin & Sirius Black, the Harry Potter universe
Harlivy Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, the DC Universe
Phan -35 Daniel Howell & Phil Lester, YouTubers
Merthur +17 Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin
Larry Stylinson +30 Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson, One Direction
Rayllum +42 Callum & Rayla, The Dragon Prince
Malex -1 Michael Guerin & Alex Manes, Roswell, New Mexico
Adrienette -13 Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Ladynoir -7 Ladybug & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Connverse Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Steven Universe
Sterek -3 Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale, Teen Wolf
Marichat -14 Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Stony -32 Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, the Marvel universe
Dabihawks Dabi & Hawks, Boku no Hero Academia
Villaneve Villanelle & Eve Polastri, Killing Eve
Prinxiety +30 Princey & Anxiety, Thomas Sanders
IronStrange -30 Tony Stark & Dr. Steven Strange, the Marvel universe
Robbe x Sander Robbe Ijzermans & Sander Driesen, WTFock
Percabeth Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Taekook -23 Kim Taehyung & Jeon Jungkook, BTS
Kataang Katara & Aang, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Bughead -19 Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Riverdale
Kaylor -23 Karlie Kloss & Taylor Swift, celebrities
Sprousehart -32 Cole Sprouse & Lili Reinhart, Actors
Narumitsu Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney
Fair Game Clover Ebi & Qrow Branwen, RWBY
NaLu -12 Natsu Dragneel & Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail
Caryl Carol Peletier & Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead
Beaujester Beauregard & Jester Lavorre, Critical Role
Dramione Draco Malfoy & Hermione Granger, the Harry Potter universe
Radiodust Alastor & Angel Dust, Hazbin Hotel
Deckerstar Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Lucifer
Bokuaka Bokuto Kotarou & Akaashi Keiji, Haikyuu!!
Malec -64 Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunters
Spirk +18 Spock & James Kirk, Star Trek
Davekat +24 Dave Strider & Karkat Vantas, Homestuck
Charlastor Charlie Magne & Hazbin Alastor, Hazbin Hotel
Elsamaren Elsa & Honeymaren, Frozen II
Clexa -1 Clarke Griffin & Commander Lexa, The 100
Cloti Cloud Strife & Tifa Lockhart, the Final Fantasy franchise
Kylux Kylo Ren & General Hux, the Star Wars universe
Glimbow Glimmer & Bow, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
WhiteRose Weiss Schnee & Ruby Rose, RWBY
Juliantina -79 Juliana Valdés & Valentina Carvajal, Amar a muerte
Snowbaz -13 Simon Snow & Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch, Carry On
Vmin -19 Kim Taehyung & Park Jimin, BTS
Zelink +12 Zelda & Link, The Legend of Zelda
Elu -60 Eliott Demaury & Lucas Lallemant, SKAM France
Lukanette -32 Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Tarlos TK Strand & Carlos Reyes, 9-1-1: Lone Star
Peraltiago -4 Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Widojest Caleb Widogast & Jester Lavorre, Critical Role
Dimileth +9 Dimitri & Byleth, Fire Emblem
Solangelo Will Solace & Nico di Angelo, Percy Jackson
Iwaoi Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Haikyuu!!
Johnlock -27 John Watson & Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock
Pynch Adam Parrish & Ronan Lynch, The Raven Cycle
Reed900 Gavin Reed & RK900, Detroit: Become Human
Cazzie Casey Gardner & Izzie, Atypical
Frenrey Gordon Freeman & Benrey, Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware
Todobaku Todoroki Shouto & Bakugou Katsuki, Boku no Hero Academia
Kristanna Kristoff Bjorgman & Anna, Frozen

The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous year. The ones in bold weren’t on the list last year.

whoisdisahahaha

fandom

fandom.tumblr.com

Soooooo…2020, huh?

This is it. It’s December. Only one more month until the year can climb right back into the dumpster fire whence it came. But before the sun sets on this shambolic year, there’s still one thing left to do.

*clears throat*

In 2013, when we first introduced Tumblr’s Year in Review, there was no way to know we’d one day be reviewing a year that in no way, shape, or form deserves a formal assessment. Unless 2020 gave you the gift of prescience, you probably didn’t expect such a complete disaster of a year, either. Nevertheless, here we are!

We all know what didn’t happen this year (life), but what did happen in 2020? We tried (and failed) to make sourdough bread, we loved then quickly got bored of a game we’ve waited eight years to play, we filled our time with fiction while the real world crumbled around us, and we collectively made binge watching a way of life. If nothing else, 2020 gave us time to explore new hobbies and rekindle forgotten ones.

Just as the reality of quarantine began to set in, the world erupted in protest, responding to the killing of George Floyd and systemic issues of racial injustice. Our community took to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and inspired voters across the United States to fight to have their voices heard. And we did it all while navigating the worst pandemic in over a century. No big deal, right?

This year’s YIR posts account for a full 365 days, from October 21, 2019 to October 20, 2020. We know the world imploded right after that window closed, and we’ll talk about that too, but that won’t be reflected in these lists (sorry, Castiel). Sit back, relax and let’s look back at what happened in 2020.

whoisdisahahaha

sadcypher

Goodnotes | 8.99€

[note taking.]

gives you a good structure. Depending on your way of organising things you can divide different subjects/topics/etc into folders and notebooks. You can import scans and highlight things, annotate pdfs, you can include pictures into your notes and much, much more.

Adobe Scan | free

[scanner]

turns your ipad/iphone into a scanner. Absolutely a life saver.

Minimalist | free version

[productivity | to-do list]

simple. Minimalistic. Effective. Offers a built-in pomodoro timer, countdown & more. Compatible with apple watch!

Microsoft Office | free for students!

[writing. calculating. presenting. basically everything]

Your school or university might offer Office for free! Just check if you’re eligible and sign up with your university email.

Dropbox OneDrive & GoogleDrive | free

[storage]

If you don’t have a Mac like me try these storage apps. You can transfer files, notes and pictures directly to your laptop. I also use Dropbox for my monthly backup :)

Graphing calc/ Geogebra | free

[maths]

such.an.underrated.app. You can use it as a high school student, as an undergraduate, postgraduate, whatever. It combines tools such as plotting, CAS,3DGeo, spreadsheet, stochastic tools & more. Produces great graphics and can be smoothly exported to LaTeX. + vv interactive!

LEO | free

[dictionary]

Offers: ItalianxGerman, EnglishxGerman, PortuguesexGerman, SpanishxGerman, RussianxGerman, PolishxGerman and ChinesexGerman.

Grammarly | free version

[writing app]

I think we’ve all seen their ads at this point but I still felt the need to mention it. The free version is pretty okay! Especially if you worry excessively about your spelling like me (welcome to the club lol).

Naver Dictionary | free

[dictionary]

Korean-English Dictionary. Even offers hanja to some words! Gives you example sentences, you can even take a picture of the word or sentence you want to translate and it will do its best to help you out. (Still a beta function but works most of the time!)

TED & Podcasts & Khan Academy | free

[free education]

I use these platforms to educate myself on topics I don’t know much about or want to learn more about. Some podcasts I highly recommend are ‘the Minimalist Podcast’, ‘Not Overthinking’ and ‘The Ground Up Show’.

Endel | paid (depending on subscription)

[music. music?]

It’s hard to describe, but in their own words: “Endel creates personalized soundscapes to give your mind and body what it needs to achieve total immersion in any task”. Basically you have four modi: relax, focus, on-the-go and sleep mode. They take into consideration external conditions such as heart rate, weather, time and location to personalize these soundscapes. I personally love sleep mode!

Moodpath | free

[mental health]

It’s a mental health diary but without the excessive writing and the nagging feeling of guilt when you don’t have the time to update it. It helps you to reflect and get information. What I absolutely love about it: you don’t have to write. If you don’t want to at least. They will ask you daily questions about your emotional and physical well-being, that way you’ll get a bi-weekly mental health assessment. You can learn effective methods and techniques + have a reference of your emotional state which you can share with mental health professionals.

whoisdisahahaha

oh-mystudyblr

wakatsukis

I’ll just be compiling a list of tips and things I wish I did/did later in my junior college life. Regardless of which academic level you’re at, I hope some tips may be helpful for you!

TIPS & REMINDERS

1. Reflect on your study strategies and habits, study SMART

Evaluate your current study strategies and relevant habits. What is working for you/helping you? What isn’t working but you’re still continuing to do it? (For example, I tried making notes for Biology & Chemistry, but I found that making notes for Biology was more helpful since it was a lot of detail memorisation, while Chemistry was more conceptual and doing practice would be more beneficial.) Note: what works for you may not work for someone else!
Try different study methods and strategies for a period of time, then see what aspect of it works for you and what doesn’t. Be it flashcards, making notes or using apps like Quizlet, continue or tweak what works and discard what doesn’t. (For example, I tried making flashcards, but I didn’t like them as much as my self-made study guides for my subjects. However, I did find them useful for quick cramming before an exam, so I only took them out before a paper to study)
If you have an exam coming up and you need to rush your studying, you need to be strategic about the order of topics you’re revising. Study those that you’re unsure of, and the topics that haven’t been tested before first, before moving on to other chapters.
Look at the syllabus for each subject when studying for exams to make sure you’ve covered all grounds, and the syllabus often mentions the key concepts and it can be used as a checklist to figure out what you already know and what you need to read up on again.

2. Clarify any doubts ASAP

If you’re unsure of a concept or something mentioned in class, don’t leave it there and forget about it. Particularly when learning topics in J1/the earlier chapters of a subject, these form the foundation of later and more difficult chapters. Ask your teachers after the lesson, arrange a consult, or ask your peers if they understand the concept well enough.
Personally, asking the teacher right after class has worked the best for me and I highly recommend you to do that as well. Leaving doubts and unclarified basic concepts to snowball will only cause regret in the future.
On that note, don’t feel pressured to frequently ask for consults with teachers just because your classmates are doing that. Why ask for consults when you can ask your teacher after class immediately? Arrange a consult if you have several practice questions you’re unsure of, or you know that the explanation for things you’re unsure of will take a while, or if you and a group of friends require explanations on the same thing.

3. Mark out important information, questions to review and sections you’re unsure of

This sounds rather obvious, yet is crucial when it comes to exam revision. I tend to circle question numbers for questions that I can’t solve in tutorials, and highlight the question number in pink for questions that are important and want to revise. Also write down or keep a mental note of topics you’re not so good at, and these will be the topics you focus on first when it comes to revision.

4. Consistency is key

It’s difficult to keep a fixed study schedule in JC from my experience, but treasure whatever spare pockets of time you have to put in a bit of revision. It’s good to read through the lecture notes on the day after the lecture, and review any tutorials done by the end of the week.

5. Skim through your lecture notes before going for lecture

You don’t need to read in detail (if you can it’s even better), often a quick skim of headings, subheadings, diagrams and concept maps (if available) is sufficient. Even a brief idea of the topic can help tremendously.
If you have time to read in detail, mark out in pencil portions of the notes you don’t understand so you know when to pay even more attention during the lecture when the lecturer reaches that part of the topic!

6. During lectures and tutorials: LISTEN, annotate, highlight and follow point 3

Again, self-explanatory but important. Don’t sleep during lectures! Listen out for things that are emphasised, or extra but useful information that isn’t in the notes.
Don’t end up highlighting everything, annotating is often more beneficial than highlighting.
Personally, I tend to follow my highlighting with whatever the lecturer highlights, but that is personal preference. My line of logic is that what the lecturer highlights is important, rather than if you highlight after the lecture on your own, it may seem important to you but it may not actually be that important.

7. Napping

I understand naps don’t work for everyone, but I do think they’re beneficial. Napping helped me so much when it came to revision. After lessons I’d often be too tired to study, and my brain tends to shut down in the late afternoon, so I use that time to nap. By napping, I have energy to continue studying at night, rather than trying to study when I’m tired and not focussing, and it ends up being highly unproductive.
A note of caution: do not take excessively long naps - a mistake I made for an entire year. BE DISCIPLINED! I tend to just continue sleeping because I don’t want to wake up… By taking a nap that’s too long, you end up in deep sleep mode and you wake up more tired than before.
A power nap of 30 mins to 1 hour works sufficiently. If you’re really tired and you can afford a longer nap, the maximum should be 1.5 hours. I suggest reading up on sleep cycles so you have a better understanding of why these timings!

8. Your study location(s)

Don’t feel like you have to go to a cafe, Starbucks or the like to study just because a lot of other studyblrs do it.
Know where you are most productive: somewhere quiet, free from distractions, with sufficient table space. For me it’s the school library.
At home: have an area dedicated for studying. Keep it neat whenever you can, I find that a neat table gives me slightly more motivation to study. For me I try to clear my table every night after my studying and before I sleep, and it’s a good practice that will become a habit over time. Can’t say the same about exam period though, my table becomes a mess during that time haha.

9. Keeping away from distractions

Ah, my mortal enemy. My phone and (especially) my laptop are my biggest distractions. I try not to turn on my laptop at all unless I absolutely have to, and there are apps available that block certain websites for you when you’re studying. As for my phone, I try to keep it out of sight (e.g. left charging outside my room), as I have an urge to check it whenever I see it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Most people use the Forest app which you have to pay for but I can recommend a free alternative, it’s called FocusNow! Use this if you absolutely need music when studying and therefore need your phone around.
If studying at home is not conducive, refer to point 8 and find another place to study at.

10. Mental Health

This is really really important. Your mental health comes before your grades. Several times I felt a bit depressed and wanted to give up studying. Don’t give up and I believe in you! I think just doing your best is good enough!
Find someone to confide in about your worries. For me it was my best friend who tided me through my JC life, her being a constant listening ear to my rants and anxieties. If your grades are suffering because of it, it may be good to speak up to a trusted teacher about it.
Practice some self care! Taking good care of yourself is important for academics too!

All the best! If there’s anything else you’d like to ask me feel free to! I’ll try to reply whenever I can :-)