Brace Yourselves, Finals are Coming

(and coincidentally, so is the new season of Game of Thrones, which personally, I'm super excited for)

The post midterm-season is great. There's not much homework to do, there are plenty of parties, you have ample free time, and if you're like me, you binge on Netflix. The school year is almost over and you're ready to squeeze in those last few things you haven't done yet.

That's the thing though--the school year is almost over.

And that means it's time for finals.

Finals come faster than they should. It's the beginning of the semester and then suddenly it's the end of the year and you have to cram three days before your exam.

But that's not what you should be doing. Yes, it's easier to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to study, but it's way less effective. 

So here's a basic list of my study tips and habits. It's not comprehensive, and they don't suit everyone's learning style, but I recommend you check them out!

1. Take advantage of whatever resources your professor or TA gives you. This may seem self-explanatory, but you'd be surprised. If your professor or TA gives you old test questions, practice problems, practice tests, or anything else, use it. If there's a review session, go to it. There's a good chance it will be similar to what they expect you to know for the final, because they want you to do well. 
2. Go to office hours or to a help session if something is unclear. It's super easy to get confused in class, especially since you learn so much. So if you don't understand something, go to office hours and get clarification. Or if you're too shy, go to a help or tutoring session with another student. Check out your school's resources to see what's available to you!
3. Start studying at least a week or two in advance. It's easier to learn material in little chunks. You'll have more time to fully understand. Plus, your professor will be more willing to help you if you come to them with your questions more than two days before the final. 
4. Synthesize your notes from the readings and from lecture. Sometimes professors will leave out information from the textbook because they think it's self-explanatory or common knowledge. Whatever the professor doesn't cover in lecture but is covered in the textbook will probably be something you need to know. That's just how the universe works.
5. If you have friends in the class or that have taken the class, ask them what they think is important. It will be different from what you think is important, and it'll give you an idea of some of the major themes in the course.
6. Find a nice and quiet place to study. For me, this is a specific place in the library. For you it might be your room, the lounge in the dorm, or somewhere else. But quiet is the key. Places like the quad or the Lawn often have lots of people, which creates an easy distraction. 
7. If you study with music, listen to music without words. Music with words also creates a distraction. If you're thinking "I don't like Mozart or Bach or any of those guys," you're in luck. Here's a great playlist created by yours truly: it's movie scores! Relive Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones while you study for Intro to Macroeconomics. 

Got any tips? Comment below!

Good luck on your finals!

A Little Bit of Self Motivation

In high school, I learned that no one else cares if you aren't doing everything you should be.

Your teachers might, your parents proably do, but your peers? Absolutely not. 

This means that you have to motivate yourself.

Have a paper due tomorrow morning but you'd rather binge watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix?

No one is going to say, "hey, shouldn't you be writing a paper?" because they don't care if you're writing your paper or not.

You have to motivate yourself. You are the only person that always has your best interests in mind at all times. 

You have to take matters into your own hands and think about:

a) what it is you want to do

b) how you're going to do it

c) when you're going to do it

d) who has done it

And then you have to figure out how to motivate yourself. 

For me, it's by drawing inspiration from powerful women and by using quotes. 

In my dorm room, I have a little shrine to motivation, and it's the first thing I see every morning and the first thing I see before I go to sleep. 

The powerful people that are considered inspiring are different for everyone. But for me, Amy Poehler's Leslie Knoppe, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Sandra Day O'Connor, Madeleine Albright, Malala Yousazfi, Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods, and Amal Clooney are among them.

But the quotes I use are applicable to everyone and everything. And since it's difficult to see some of them, I've written them down here so that you can be inspired too!

"If you can dream it, you can do it"

"Even miracles take a little time"

"Esse quam videri; to be rather than to seem"

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try'

"You may be pretty and you may be talented, but nobody will remember that if you're mean"

"If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true"

"It's a new day, bend and snap"

"Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do"

"Promise me you'll always remember, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think"

"You must always have faith in people, but most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself"

"I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere"

"This is just part of growing up, a little adventure, a little rebellion"

"Never look back, darling, it distracts from the now"

"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done"

"Hakuna matata, it means no worries"

"Make life sparkle"

"Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing"

"You have to be the best version of yourself, and if that means you have to be a bit self promoting, then it's okay, it really is. Because who's going to believe in you more than yourself?"

And most importantly,

"Have courage, and be kind"

My "Netflix and Eat a Pound of Chocolate by Yourself" Picks

It's winter break, so if you're like me, you're back home with nothing to do. You've seen the friends you wanted to see, Christmas is over, and you have nothing to do. 

Since you're bored out of your mind, you turn to your trusty pal Netflix to keep you occupied. Except, (don't forget, we're assuming you're just like me for a moment) you can't do the whole "Netflix and chill" thing because you're lonely single, you choose to do the whole "Netflix and eat a pound of chocolate* by yourself" thing.

*you can replace a pound of chocolate with whatever snack or portion size you deem fit

Personally, I'm a big fan of watching TV shows during break. I can devote the entire break to watching a new show and by the end, I have 4 or 5 new "friends" that I know really well (because I spend all of my time inside avoiding people I might know in real life)

But movies are also really great because they're cinematic masterpieces. I love old movies because there's just something special about them. But during break, I like to rewatch a lot of movies from my childhood because, well, I'm in my childhood home. Plus, you can always get your family to comfortably watch them with you because no one will feel awkward when there's no awkward sex scenes.

So, without further ado, here are my Netflix suggestions for break, and may the force be with you.

1. Parks and Recreation-

Leslie, Ann, Tom, Donna, Jerry, Andy, April, and Ron are trying to build a park, but it's so much more. They're funny. They're loveable. They get involved in shenanigans. I guarantee by the end of this show you will consider the characters family. 

2. Roman Holdiay-

Audrey Hepburn is honestly #goals and Gregory Peck is really hot. This movie is super cute and charming. Blair Waldorf approves. I promise you will love it. I also promise that you'll probably get onto your school's study abroad page and start looking for trips to Rome right after. 

3. Gossip Girl-

I wasn't going to include this, but if you didn't get the Blair Waldorf reference above, you're seriously missing out. Blair, Serena, Nate, and Chuck are super wealthy and they do whatever they want. Live vicariously through them while you sit at home.

4. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt-

When your mom asks what you do each day and you want to have an accomplishment to tell her, watch this. It's 13 episodes that are only about 25 minutes long, so you'll easily finish it in one sitting. It's pretty funny and Jon Hamm is in it, so basically what I'm saying is you're welcome.

5. Legally Blonde-

I'm pretty sure you've seen this, but you should definitely watch it again, especially if it's been a while. Elle Woods is totally relateable and she's very inspirational. Plus, grades were just released and depending on your GPA, you may need some motivation.

6. Once Upon a Time-

It's basically grown up Disney. You're home and you definitely watched Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and Peter Pan there back in the day. So why not watch them now when you're a grown up? Plus, it's packed full of action, drama, and comedy, so the slipper will fit. 

7. A Shonda Rhimes Show

Listen, you knew you wouldn't get through a list of Netflix picks without a shout out to the queen of TV. Grey's Anatomy is a classic binge-worthy show, and for good reason. But if you don't feel like devoting your time to the 11 seasons on Netflix, choose Scandal (4 seasons) or How to Get Away with Murder (1 season).

Bonus: scroll all the way down to the documentary section. Pick one. You'll seem smart for watching one.

What I'm Watching Next:

1. Lee Daniel's the Butler

2. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

3. Madam Secretary

4. Pretty Little Liars

5. The Hours

Let me know your suggestions!