Study Penguin

It’s Tolkien Reading Day!

There’s one delightful passage in The Hobbit, later quoted in The Lord of the Rings, that the House of Elrond in Rivendell is “a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.”

(Yes, I’m a nerd. Deal with it. :D)

What does Rivendell have to do with studying?

I’m a day late! Sorry about that.

But to make up for it, here’s yesterday’s podcast: How to Start Studying!

If you’ve ever struggled with getting over that initial hump of difficulty and getting going with work or school, take a peek or a listen. I give you seven tips and things to try to get you started off right.

Watch:

Listen:

Enjoy your weekend!

Peace,

Maximilian Hart

If you search “clean desk quotes,” they’re all about how a clean desk is horrible and bad and a sign of an empty mind.

It’s not true.

A clean desk can help you feel more productive, stay focused better, and get a lot more done. You’ll have peace of mind knowing everything is in its place, and you can find things you’re looking for.

Like most things, you’ll never really know for yourself until you try it, but if cleaning your desk (or workspace or whatever) and keeping it clean could give you all that … why not?

Take ten minutes and give it a shot.

One of the most delightful things is to pick up a book in a used bookstore that you’d like to get, only to find that someone has already not only read it but written in it.

This genuinely excites me!

And it’s because I know that if someone wrote in that book, then they had a conversation with the author.

And I love eavesdropping.

Last night I had the first migraine headache I’ve had in forever.

It sucks.

So today I have a “headache hangover” – still sensitive to light, noise and any kind of sudden head movement (like sneezing earlier was a rough time).

It’s times like this when going to school or work suuuucks.

Disclaimer: If you’re contagious, please don’t come to school. Please.

Anyway, when you do have to just suck it up and go, here are two things to keep in mind.

I normally don’t read Cosmo, but I came across an article recently that contained a piece of advice that surprised me:

“Go to lectures — and sit at the front”

I didn’t really realize that going to lectures is considered optional by a lot of students. Showing up and doing the work is the most basic of things, and I imagine that if you’re reading this you already do that part.

But sitting in the front is actually useful, too, and probably a more useful tip for you. Being in front not only helps you stay focused, but also shows your teacher/professor that you care. It’s easier to engage when you’re up front, and — bonus — you’ll often find better people to work with on group projects, too.

Seriously. If you’re not already sitting as close to the front as you can for your classes, start today. It’ll feel weird, but it’ll make a difference.

If the increased number of stressed-student posts I’m seeing on Instagram is any indication, lots of schools are coming up on finals or huge test weeks.

It’s pretty normal to get nervous the week leading up to exams. There’s a lot of pressure.

Some pressure is good, but too much is a bad thing. It’s like a bottle of Coca-Cola. Some pressure keeps it from going flat. Too much means you can’t open the bottle and when you finally do it goes everywhere.

The easiest way to manage your stress leading up to big weeks is to schedule things out and plan backwards. Got a huge vocab test? Use spaced repetition as you review a little every day.

It takes a few times of having a schedule and planning backwards, but as you practice you’ll begin to trust yourself and believe in your processes.

And once you start to trust yourself, the stress just melts away.