02 06 2019

Sometimes it’s not our fault. Most of the time we do it unconsciously, and we simply forget basic things we need to do in order to keep our body in a healthy state while being busy taking care of our brains and working it constantly for our assignments, exams, and so on. Still, remembering to do a few things every now and then every day, or pushing yourself to create new and uncomplicated habits can help you immensely on the long run - by making sure we’re healthy, we’re making it easier for our brain to retain information and focus for a longer period of time.

This post contains a few tips followed by a series of resources that will helpfully aid you get your healthy habits on track! 

Drinking more water

This might not be a priority while you’re revising for your subjects, but while it won’t take you more than a few seconds every now and then to take a sip or two from your water bottle, it can also bring you a bunch of benefits. You’re losing great amounts of water every day, so you need to   replace it by drinking it back - it will help you think more clearly, relieve fatigue and keep concentrated.

It can be hard if you’re not used to it, so you can start small, with 1 liter a day (33 oz).

Try to slowly increase you intake to 2 liters (which is about eight 8-ounce glasses of water, and hence why people say you should drink about 8 glasses of water per day)

Keeping a water bottle with you to track your intake is the best way to go about it!

Using apps such as the Drink Water app is really useful so you remember throughout the day how much you’ve drank and how much you still have left. This app is my favorite but is only available for iOS, but there are tons of similar apps for any kinds of devices out there!

Eating healthier

You don’t need to change your entire diet overnight and suddenly start incorporating veggies to every meal (but, if you already do, great!), but you can always do a few things that will slowly improve your diet without having to spend a lot of money or having to learn how to cook complex recipes. 

Try switching soft drinks during meals with water more often - this way you’ll also help achieving your daily water intake goal faster

You don’t have to stop eating junk food - just leave it for the weekend

If you don’t have a lot of time to prepare meals, instead of eating instant food like ramen all the time, try healthier alternatives such as sandwiches which are really easy to prepare and that can contain a bunch of nutritional ingredients

Another idea for students who don’t have a lot of time to prepare meals, you could try meal prepping (further reading + resources on this bellow)

Use your favorite fruits as your quick, to-go snack instead of processed snacks

Meal Prep 101

38+ Meal Prep Easy Ideas

19 Healthy Sandwiches with 5 Ingredients or Less

Exercising

By exercising I don’t mean that you have to start going to the gym a few times a week or going for a run every day. However, moving your body a little more every week can help you tremendously. Exercising can help reduce anxiety and stress and increases your energy levels. By increasing you heart rate, you’re aiding the flow of oxygen and blood to your brain, and it later can help you relax and improve your sleep, too. There’s a few easy ways that you can start moving around more without having to go hardcore or even leaving your home: 

Try pilates! There are so many quality youtube channels online that have great videos on apartment-friendly pilates workouts, and most of them are pretty quick too

Yoga is also a good alternative - it works your muscles and flexibility and there are a bunch of yoga routines that have the aim of specifically helping with anxiety, stress, insomnia, and other things you might be going through because of school

If you’re not a fan of running, you can always try power-walking (or just regularly walking, if you prefer) around your neighborhood or at the gym for an hour or so, every day or a few days a week

If you wish to join and gym and complete full, heavy workouts but don’t find the time to do so, remember that exercising two days a week for an hour - or even less than that - can also bring you benefits and you don’t have to sacrifice a lot of time. By keeping a healthy diet throughout the week and working out two days a week, you can also achieve your fitness goals without compromising your school time!

Youtube Channel: blogilates (pilates)

Youtube Channel: POPSUGAR Fitness (pilates)

Youtube Channel: Yoga with Adriene (for yoga, obviously - one of my fave channels!)

Improving your sleep

Sleep has a major influence in our day since it affects our mood and our energy levels. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, here are some tips: 

Bit obvious, but don’t consume caffeine drinks later in the day, even if you have to stay up a little bit later to complete an assignment - once you’re done and ready to sleep, you’ll find that you can’t! 

You can power-naps, but remember to keep them short (not longer than 30min) and not frequent

Try to keep a consistent sleeping pattern - your body will get used to it if you start going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day

Don’t use your phone/computer before going to sleep. Try to stop using your devices an hour before going to bed, because the bright lights might affect your sleep. If absolutely necessary, turn on the night shift on your phone, and you can also download F.lux for your device, which automatically “warms up” your computer display as it gets nearer to your bedtime, so the blue lights exposure is not present and therefore doesn’t hurt your eyes.

If you think you’re suffering from insomnia or any other kind of sleep disorders, please seek professional help - this way you can treat it clinically if necessary

Having fun and relaxing

Getting away from our work every now and then is an important step to keep motivated and focused. If you only study and revise every day, even if breaks, but don’t have any distractions, hobbies or other “light" ways to spend your time, please consider taking some time off for yourself. This will help you avoid burnout, and you’ll be able to keep on track for longer! 

Going out every weekend with your friends is not a bad thing. Outings one day per week won’t harm you, as long as you don’t have anything crazily important for the start of the following week.

On the same note, socializing is very important for our mental health, so make sure you’re in contact with your family and friends and meeting them every now and then, in case it’s something you forget to do

Choose a specific part of your day to have a longer break so you have the time to work on a hobby, watch your favorite TV show, or even take the time to prepare a full meal! Anything you consider pleasurable and relaxing other than academic-related things

Taking part in clubs with other students might also be a great way of working on your academic life while having fun with other people - it can be something related to sports, arts, and so on!

Relaxing is also important - choosing one day of the week to wake up a little bit later or do something else that will help you relieve stress is essential to avoid burnout

Hope this has been helpful! :-)

original posts / instagram (new!)

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PSA

You feel like shit is a website set up to help you get out of that funk/improve things just enough to not feel horrible and miserable all the time.  It’s amazing.

Whether you struggle with mental health problems all the time or whether this is a new/temporary state for you, this guide is an easy and judgement-free self-care tool.

PLEASE TRY IT OUT!  Really!  You just click through the questions to answer and follow simple instructions that in the end, ideally, will help you to feel more comfortable and stable on a daily basis. 

Good luck!  Have fun!

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THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

Transition Words For Your Essays

Transition Signals:

Transitions are words and phrases that connect ideas and show how they are related.

To repeat and ideas just stated:

In other words,

That is,

To repeat,

Again,

To illustrate an idea:

For example,

For instance,

In particular,

To illustrate,

In this manner,

Thus,

To announce a contrast, a change in direction:

Yet,

However,

Still,

Nevertheless,

On the other hand,

In contrast,

Instead of,

On the contrary,

Conversely,

Notwithstanding,

In spite of this,

Time:

At once,

In the interim,

At length,

Immediately,

At last,

Meanwhile,

In the meantime,

Presently,

At the same time,

Shortly,

In the end,

Temporarily,

Thereafter,

To restate an idea more precisely:

To be exact,

To be specific,

To be precise,

More specifically,

More precisely,

To mark a new idea as an addition to what has been said:

Similarly,

Also,

Too,

Besides,

Furthermore,

Further,

Moreover,

In addition,

To show cause and effect:

As a result,

For this reason,

Thereafter,

Hence,

Consequently,

Accordingly,

Conclusion:

In short,

To conclude,

In brief,

On the whole,

In summary,

To sum up,

Hey it’s your girl Kat and I’m here with a post on prepping for AP exams! Having taken my fair share of AP tests (you can see them on my about page if you want help in a certain subject or are just curious), I’ve learned a couple things that have really helped me to be prepared and ready to knock out that test. 

TEST TIPS 

Come up with a study plan. I usually start reviewing for the test mid-March or early April so I’ll have ample time to go over everything. If you can afford to get a prep book like Barrons or Princeton Review, use the chapter outlines in the table of contents to figure out how to break down your review session. An easy way to break down your schedule looks like this: set aside a couple days/a week for final review and take the total number of remaining days you have until the test. Divide this by the number of chapters to review and the quotient should be the number of days allotted to each section. If you can’t or don’t want to buy a review book, I’ll have the link to the course outline for every AP subject below. 

Practice practice practice. You know that saying “practice makes perfect”? It’s true. Collegeboard usually uses certain types of questions for the AP tests and the format generally doesn’t change much from year to year, so taking a multitude of practice test will help familiarize you with the test. I’ll usually schedule in a full practice test every two weeks as I’m reviewing, and then take 3 or 4 consecutive ones during my final review week right before the test. 

Figure out your weak spots. If you’re consistently getting the same kind of questions wrong or have that one concept that you don’t understand, ask someone for help. It can be a teacher, a parent, a friend, KhanAcademy, or Google. Make sure you target your weak spots before the test because I guarantee you they’re going to show up. 

Do not cram. The night before the test, you should be completely relaxed. If you can help it, don’t even look at your book or your notes. Take the day to fully unwind. Take a bath or do some yoga. That way, you’ll be fully relaxed for tomorrow and ready to operate at your maximum potential. 

For free response, write down everything. My AP Government teacher, who’s graded tests for a couple of years, says that as long as you answer the question somewhere in your answer, you can earn credit for it, even if you have a lot of miscellaneous information (has to be correct though). So when it comes to free response, more is always better. A little trick he also taught us is to correspond your answers to the subsection of the questions, like a, b, c, etc so it’s organized, but then to cross out the letters when you finish writing the response (only for subsections). This is because if you accidentally include the answer to part a in part b, they cannot give you credit, but if you cross out the designations, the whole answer you wrote becomes fair game. 

GENERAL TIPS 

Get a good night’s sleep. Trust me. 

Eat breakfast and bring snacks/water. The tests often go for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time and you will get hungry. You’ll be allowed to eat a snack during break time, so make sure you bring some food and water with you.

TURN YOUR CELL PHONE OFF WHILE TESTING. You will not be allowed to bring your cell phone with you. You will also not be allowed to use your phone during break. CollegeBoard is very strict about this. One time at my school, a girl used her phone during break to text her mom during the AP Biology test and she almost made everyone have to retake the test. Don’t be that person. PLEASE TURN YOUR PHONE OFF AND LEAVE IT OUTSIDE. 

Dress in layers. You never know what kind of temperature it’ll be like in the testing room and a temperamental thermostat should not come between you and your hard work for this exam. Just avoid bringing hoodies because sometimes the proctors are very strict with them as the guidelines do not allow hoodies. 

Be prepared. Check ahead to see what kind of calculators, if at all, are allowed for your specific exam. Take note that for the AP Biology test, only 5 function calculators are allowed. That means no scientific or graphing calculators. Pack up all your stuff the night before and set it aside so you don’t have to worry about it the next morning. 

Breathe. It’s only a test. You’ll be fine. 

RESOURCES 

AP Exam Basics 

Exam Fees and Waivers 

Registering for Exams - Unlike SATs/ACTs, registration does not happen on the CollegeBoard website. Instead, it’s through your school’s portal. Ask you guidance counselor if you’re not sure how to register. 

AP Exam Calendar - which tests are happening during which day and what time 

What You’ll Need

Course Outline for Every AP Subject - click on your subject and use control+f or command+f “PDF” to find the outline quickly 

Practice AP Questions for Every Subject

Resources for Every Subject 

O T H E R 

AP Cram Packets - @if-dementors-were-pink​

AP Masterpost - @studaeing

AP Advice - @pittsfieldpp

AP Prep Folder - @tosinisupgrading

AP Study Guides - @back-to-school-series

Good luck to everyone taking AP exams this year! You can do it! 

P.S. CollegeBoard offers AP Scholar Awards depending on the number of tests you’ve taken. You do not have to apply separately since CollegeBoard already has your scores. Here’s how they’re awarded. Definitely look into them because they look really good on your college app. 

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AP US History Masterpost

Cram Sheets

Scribd Super Review Packet

The Official US History Cram Packet

The Giant Review

APUSH Study Kit

2011 APUSH Study Kit

The Ultimate AP US History Review Packet

Reviews & Outlines

a masterpost of APUSH reviews

AP Social Studies APUSH Review

APUSH Review of Doom

AP Madness APUSH Index

Review For APUSH

APUSH Exam Review

Detailed APUSH Notes

APUSH Important Vocab

American Colonies

Presidential Review

Important APUSH Books & Media

Scribd Giant List of AP Terms

APUSH Outlines

College Board APUSH Course & Exam Description

APUSH Documents

Important Course Cases

Notes For APUSH

Memory Devices Pt. 1

Memory Devices Pt. 2

Timelines

Dipity Review Timeline

Chronological Events by APUSH Review

Videos

John Green’s Crash Course

American Pageant Audiobook

Adam Norris’s Review

3 Hour APUSH Review

How To Write The Short Answer

How To Write The Long Essay

How To Write The DBQ

My AP Trade

Matt Moore Series

Websites & Tumblr Blogs

Tennesse Valley Authority

Strive For Five APUSH

APUSH Review

AP US History Notes

A Few Presidents

AP Social Studies

Learnerator

Mr. Reed’s Study Guides

AP Survival

Mr. Johnson’s Google Site

Gilder-Lehrman APUSH

APUSH 5

LiveBinders APUSH Resources

Regents Prep: US History & Government

APUSH Warrior

Lathrop APUSH Review

Practice Tests & Quizzes

Fact-Recall, Multiple Choice, Presidents

Multiple Choice Test

Practice Test 1 + Answers 1

Practice Test 2 + Answers 2

Practice Test A + Answers A

Practice Test B + Answers B

Multiple Choice & Matching Quiz

Sparknotes History

Textbooks, Review Books, & Notes

Guide To AP US History Review Books

American Pageant Study Guide & Review

A People And A Nation Study Guide

The American Pageant Notes

American Pageant - 13th Edition Notes & Outlines

The AMSCO Review Book

Our World’s Story

5 Steps To A 5 (2004-2005)

500 Questions To Know By Test Day

AMSCO (Old Edition)

AP US History Crash Course

Peterson’s Master APUSH

Peterson’s Master APUSH (First Edition)

Flashcards

Quizlet Ultimate Review

Study Stack US History Flashcards

Quizlet APUSH Places

American Legislation

Supreme Court Cases

Notable American Women

Famous Rebellions

New Deal Programs & Acts

Discovery & Colonization

*I’ll add more as I find new sources! Feel free to suggest anything that’s missing.

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How to skim-read academic texts

Read the table of contents

Read the first sentence of each paragraph of the introduction and conclusion

Read the index

Read the first and last paragraph of each chapter or sub-chapter

Read the entirety of any section/subsection relevant to your research interests

Want to collaborate on a Google Doc with Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Dickinson, Dickens and Poe? 

Click here. Start typing. Enjoy the hilarity. 

Ninja Update: Wanna see something fun? Mention Shakespeare in a sentence and see what happens. 

One of my resolutions was to eat out less, so I had a go at making some of these recipes – I made such a big batch that I had kimchi stew for days, no complaints tho 💁‍♀️

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