Latest Posts by time-wasters-blog - Page 2

realizing that sticking to the "do it bad" "do it scared" mentality implies theres also a "do it bored"

This is so important and always a great reminder!

Information is worth almost nothing if you're not in the (physical or mental) state to use it.

To answer qotd: im struggling with giving up on the "bright kid" mentality. Learning and understanding new things require time and energy and active and constant studying. I'm aware of that. But i sometimes still feel frustrated and stressed out when I don't instantly know or understand a concept.

It's been a process getting better and letting go of the way things used to be, but it now means that i am always excited to learn new things and it feels so rewarding to know stuff because i worked hard for it!

october 5 /24

Self-love, right now, is taking up a large portion of my brain. I don’t have a ton to say about it, but I know that over the years spent on academia pulling all-nighters and placing so much emphasis on blame I’ve learned that having mercy for yourself is so important. I’ve had great mentors and teachers that have taught me that flexibility and balance is so much more important than a 4.0 GPA. So, moving forward since I last spoke to you guys all those years ago, I’ve put in a serious effort to not run myself down. And, I’m proud of being able to see the world as a place to enjoy as well as a place to progress slowly and efficiently towards my goals. I’ve been taking more time off to spend with friends, to connect with new people, to do yoga and singing and reading, all while balancing school and my career goals. It’s been a difficult task, but I’m glad I’m taking it on. Here’s a picture of me halfway through my choir session, learning Laura Jēkasbone’s “Jumalo” 🎵. Always show yourself mercy!

QOTD: what is something you often stress about, when you know you shouldn’t?

🎧 lie still and fade — exist strategy

📖 A Swim in a Pond in the Rain — George Saunders

10.05.24

i just finished doing anki for hours (quite a load to catch up to because i studied a lot yesterday) and now i want to nap before my PM OB ER duty. i’m happy and grateful, despite the toxicness of every duty. despite our emergency OR yesterday that lasted until 530am. i really feel like i’m in the right place.

Studying isn't about grades, it's about falling in love with a subject.

I've officially started my last year of college and have never felt more excited. These years have been a process of learning to love learning new things, but i think I've finally started fully appreciating the opportunity to study subjects that not only interest me, but will also help me in my life and career post-university.

I'm grateful to have professors that are passionate about the courses they teach, I'm grateful for the friends that are just as dedicated to learning as I am, with whom I can always discuss interesting details and debatable theories.

It's a new year and I'm grateful to become a new me.

stop ignoring yourself. fix your posture, get a new hair cut, do your nails, take care of your skin, brush your teeth, drink water, eat foods that give you energy. get strong, stop looking sloppy. when you feel good, you do good. invest in yourself.

friday | october 4

i'll spend the weekend catching up on readings and prepping for my first exam of the term, but friday evenings are the time to curl up with a good book and forget about homework.

you're getting distracted again. focus.

drink a cup of water, tie your hair up, pull on your comfiest clothes, get your desk clean and ready, print out past papers, set your notes out, turn your laptop on, turn off all distractions, take out your stationary, open your books, take a deep breath, and just start.

09.21.24 || all my studying photos look the same except the drink assortment which is very funny to me

day 1

i don't think I am (or could ever be) the kind of person who takes nice notes or has nice notebooks for each subject. i end up scrawling all over and tearing pages out and stapling them together.

i've been trying to fight the urge to not eat. i've been drinking a lot of coffee. i'm really scared but i think that's a good thing because you're only scared when you give a shit and i want to give a shit.

You’re never too old to learn something new. Never stop studying. 

16.11.2021

only one exam left and i’m up to my ears in analytic philosophy. it’s definitely one of the most difficult philosophy modules i’ve taken, but that makes coming to understand it all the more rewarding! wishing everyone busy with exams the best!

🎧: use me like you used to // vlad holiday

24.08.2024—see how i study on the weekends? very demure, very cutesy, very academic weapon

Dream big and dare to fail

Absolutely adorable

Will try soon!

study tip:

dress up in a nice dress and do your makeup and pretend you're going on a date with the study material. I like having candles and fancy snacks

While studying for this class right before exams, every time i felt like i needed a break i would make a tiny drawing.

Now my book is full of this type of lil guys.

I am once again going through this book and thought that I'd share the doodles that kept me sane(debatable) during exam season.

Exam season is officially over for me!

I started studying during the year, trying to stay afloat (towards the end it was a bit too much too soon for me), and when exam season started i tried to be kind to myself.

I never gave up reading fantasy books, watching sports, going out with friends; if i got home late at night, tired after a day of studying out, i just went to bed, even though i could've forced some more studying.

It felt like i could've pushed more, spent more time going over the courses, but it was enough - i prioritized myself, avoided burnout, made studying more enjoyable and it all paid off.

This is me temporarily signing off

- a student who passed all of her exams with flying colors

You can do this too.

07/01/2024

a month left and i'm not panicking (i am)...! sorry to juxtapose beautiful flowers with a cursed picture of memorizing crim at like 3 am lmao. hope everyone's having a lovely summer and good luck to those who are also studying over the summer ! summer study squad🌞📚, let's go!!! may we be blessed with good grades, passing scores, and a stress-free autumn🙏

And at the end of the day... What matters most is if you felt alive

What is the point of high grades if you went days in a row without feeling the sun on your skin, without hearing the birds and without smelling a flower?

Studying is important. Being prepared for your future is important.

But living is even more so.

Don't forget to cherish the small joys of life

1/6 exams to go

June 26th

today’s work:

Irritable Bowel Disease

Celiac Disease

Colorectal Cancer

Gastrointestinal bleeding

Started with hep B which I’m finishing tomorrow

Had a little moment of realization on my way home today that right now I have everything I have ever prayed for and I just couldn’t be more grateful, really. Felt sorry for myself for letting myself down sometimes when I have everything I have ever prayed for right here right now. Time to work hard to get that degree and to finally start helping patients because this degree is for them too and for their lives and I feel more motivated than ever to make as many lives as I can into better and healthier lives and as many people into happier and more hopeful people 🤍I love this path with my whole soul I really do

| 10 june 2024 |

back at the library to continue on with my paper,, my dad gave me his headphones that he barely uses (they're like 6 years old). I just had to buy new ear coverings and they look almost new! I think I might put some stickers on it to make it look less gray 🤔

🎧 tumbao - goyo

Painting my nails and putting makeup to sit and study is insane (im insane)

I'm in my "I don't know how but i will" era

getting ready to study

Some pictures from recent studies and working from home. Now I'm done with taking classes for the rest of my phd, but that means it's officially time to start studying for my qualifying exam. My goal was to finish the first draft of my proposal by the end of this month but it's been so hard to make myself work on it for some reason. We'll see what happens.

19.06.24 my child 🧸

🩷 15.06.2025 // I studied with a 90/15 schedule today and I'm feeling wayyy better than yesterday :)))

I did some physics, chemical analysis, a lot of immunopathology and some pharmacology! I'm glad my bf is here to help me do the past papers because everytime I'm reading one I'm panicking ://

I "only" studied 8 hours today but first I slept in a bit so it was nearly impossible to study more ahah (tomorrow I hope that I'll wake up earlier tho)

Also, tell me if you want more pictures of my cat as she spend all day in my bedroom, sleeping on my bed ahah

June 23rd, 2024

I had hoped to make some progress on my research for the defence but I really didn't. At least I took some time off, which was nice and necessary. I painted, watched Netflix, spent time with my family and in my garden. I even went out for dinner and it was lovely. This weekend feels very long and I'm glad it does. Last week was so hectic and a whirlwind of emotions. I'm glad I had some calmer days.

However, as I made no progress regarding my PhD defence, I'll have to tackle that tomorrow...

[research life]

Relaxing at a cute cafe while it’s pouring rain outside😭 Also managed to finish proofreading my last term paper!!! 🤍🫶🏻⛈️✨

hi, sorry if this is a random ask, but do you have any advice for wasting less time between studying sessions? i'm a big fan of pomodoro so I know I am getting 5 hours of work done, but it seems to take me eight or nine hours to do it

so sorry i got to this late, i didn't see it in my inbox !! oh gosh, this is such a good question because i always feel like i'm wasting time in between studying sessions. for me, i force myself to do a few things, which i feel like have helped me these past few years:

go to a slightly uncomfortable place with a few goals to achieve, usually a café or casual restaurant. this is why i'm always at cafés instead of the library or my room—if i study at a place that's too comfortable, i find myself wasting more time. if i'm at a café, i feel pressured to stay no more than 2 hours (a little more if i get another drink!) so i end up trying to finish my tasks as soon as possible because i don't want to spend more money than i have to. i usually go to the library at night when cafés are closed

dress up (makeup, cute outfit + heeled boots, the whole nine yards). i find myself more productive when i'm feeling pretty and good about myself. there's been scientific studies about it! if i'm too chill in pjs or sweats, i find that i'm too relaxed and spend more time scrolling on my phone during breaks. this sounds silly but i'm extremely dressed up when i take exams—someone asked me why i was wearing red lipstick for our financial accounting exam lolol. but i felt confident and it translates! i actually don't even own any sweats anymore haha

if you're not feeling productive at night, just call it a night and start again early in the morning. i'm admittedly a night owl but if it's like 2 a.m. and i just find myself scrolling on twitter and feeling shitty about not being productive, i just call it a night and start again the next morning :))

hope this helps !!

Last revisions before the day of the exam...