How to Motivate Yourself to Study

School is in full spring and so is homework- and I really didn't think there'd be this much homework this early in the year. It can be really hard sometimes to motivate yourself to study and do your homework and actually read a book once in a while, so here are some tips that I have found useful for high school in general.

1. Have a little homework station somewhere in your house. It can be portable, too, like a little carrier with pens and pencils so that you can work outside while it's still warm out and then maybe by the fireplace when it gets chilly? This is gonna help a lot, especially if it's cute (and pink!).

2. Set a timer/reminder for yourself so that you remember to study. I set a reminder on my phone last weekend to work on an essay, and since it was on my lock screen every time I opened my phone, I remembered to do it, and it definitely guilt-tripped me into working on it. Also, I have an alarm for 5pm every day so that I remember to do any homework that I have, and it's super useful.

3. Work with friends. Get to school a little earlier in the morning and have a get together with your friends in the library where it's nice and quiet, and you can all work on the homework together, or quiz each other if you have a test coming up. It's nice to be able to work with other people as opposed to working alone, even if it means getting up a little earlier.... *cringe*

4. Get the Quizlet app on your phone! I re-downloaded this this morning and every time I look at it on my home screen, I remember to study. Plus, if you don't have a computer nearby or if you're just bored during lunch, getting a little bit of study time in every day can help out a ton.

Gotta go to bed now, because I'll be getting up at 5am for the next four years. Toodaloo!

xo Savannah

5 Ways to Clear Your Mind After School

After school, I don't know about you, but all I want is a glass of iced coffee and a nap (two completely opposite things, I know). But sometimes, if you just have the worst headache from school, and you want to get your mind off of everything, there are a few more things you can do.

1. Like I said above, take a nap. Your sleep schedule has probably been completely been thrown off from summer, and a good nap can really throw everything back into balance. Plus, I took a nap in the car today (haven't done that in a while) and it was the best thing since shaved ice last weekend.

2. Blogging! If you're a person who takes pleasure in writing and is usually already on their computer too much already, then clearing your mind in the form of a couple of keystrokes can really help. Plus, it gives you something to do before and after school if you don't feel like doing homework but your parents are gonna yell at you if you watch one more episode of Grey's Anatomy...

3. Take a walk. The weather is getting colder, which is all the better to throw on a comfy sweater and a hand-knit scarf and just get outside. I don't get to go out much anymore with the 8+ hours I spend at school, plus the sun going down earlier, PLUS the homework, so try to walk your dogs as soon as you get home from school or as soon as you wake up in the morning. I like noticing the weather changing, and how the sun starts going down earlier- and it's good to take a break from my phone & computer for a couple minutes.

4. Take up a new hobby. I started knitting March 2015, and it's so relaxing. Just curl up in your bed with a season of your favorite show and start knitting, crocheting, drawing, embroidering, etc! Sports aren't the only option. Don't give up on your hopes of art because you're "not good enough"- there's no such things as "not good enough" in art. I highly recommend knitting, if I haven't made that clear enough!

5. Adopt a new pet. This is a very difficult thing to do when school is starting, especially because you won't be able to care for it very much when you won't be spending a lot of time at home, but it's something to look forward to when you wake up and get home from school. And besides, who can't resist an adorable little puppy or kitten? I love my cat and dogs more than anything, they help so much when I'm sick of reading for two hours straight.

Good luck everyone, students and adults alike, who are being weighed down by studying, homework, work, etc. I hope these help, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram @savannahbby_14 :)

xo Savannah

Songs to Listen to In the Mornings Before School

School has officially started for everyone across the country by today, some people on the East coast have been in for over a month, meanwhile most kids in Oregon don't start until today. Getting up for school is a struggle, especially when you have to get up at 5:30am just to have enough time to get ready and eat before you have to leave the house. It's really helpful to have some upbeat music playing so that you can both stay awake + have fun doing so.

Here is my Spotify playlist, and it says summer vibes because some of us just don't want to have to deal with the fact that Autumn is literally only two weeks away- some of us like to live the sunny life. Although that can be hard to do when you're sitting here and the sun still hasn't even risen yet...



I hope you enjoy, and try to have as much fun in the sun as you can before it starts getting chillier outside!

xo Savannah

6 DIY School Supplies for Back to School

Ugh.... I went back to school shopping today and got all the supplies I need. It's a huge reminder that school is coming up in just over a week, and I just want to go back to July! What even happened to July? We were in and out just like that. I feel like we just had the fourth, and my birthday, and everything else you look forward to in July. Now we have to see August go...

1. Back to School Notebooks by Momtastic

2. DIY Pencil Pouch by Mamamiss

3. Emoji Locker Magnets by The Surznick Common Room

4. DIY Washi Tape Pencils by Stephanie White Style

5. Confetti Pencils by Make and Tell

6. Cute Binder DIY by Homemade by Carmona

Even though I prefer using pens in class, I think having a cute pencils would really help you stay focused and would maybe even improve your handwriting. Also, where did the days go when you would buy a binder with a clear cover so that you could put a picture inside? I never see people do that anymore...

xo Savannah

Study Tips for Taking Better Notes This Semester

I don't know about you, but at the school I go to, we just got into a new semester- new classes, new homework. We're into the middle of the year now, so you're kind of used to everything, like taking notes during a video. We don't take notes during lectures or anything, just videos (which can be even harder sometimes). I've got a couple of tips for taking good notes, and then what to do with those notes (depending on the assignment). 

BEFORE~

-First, think about what you're going to be writing about and how much space it will take up. I HATE it when it's the middle of the video, and I run out of space on my paper, so I have to waste priceless seconds to get out a new sheet of paper, and then I miss something very important. So grab a couple of sheets of paper, and also use a pen instead of a pencil if you can, so that there's no worries about having to sharpen it if it breaks. (use a reliable pen!)

-Don't skip lines. Yes, it makes it look neat, but you're also wasting valuable space and this is pretty much why you're ending up using twice as much paper as you need. Fill the lines, save trees. 

-You know how right before a workout you do a bunch of stretches, to prepare? It's the same with taking notes. Your hands will surely get cramped up, so give them some mini stretches. 

-Give it a good title and the date, so that if someone asked what day you guys took notes, you can tell them. Plus, you probably have, like, a gazillion different notes in your locker so a title will help you out (don't just write "NOTES"). Do something like "Revolutionary War Vid Notes, Feb 11". 


AFTER~

-When you're all done and have multiple pages of notes all done and you're super proud of yourself, staple it. Don't just use a paperclip, their measly and weak, and will fall off and plus they'll just get lost or something. Staples are forever. 

-Put them someplace safe where you'll remember where they are, because the last thing you want to happen is to lose 5 pages of double sided notes which can't be replaced because you took the most notes out of the whole class. DON'T. LOSE. THEM. 

-Meet up with your friends afterwords, like on the weekend or something, for a study session. Compare notes and write down everything they have that you don't have. You can never have too much, and plus you could be helping someone else out. Discuss anything you don't understand. Study sessions can be super helpful, and you'll thank me afterwards. 

-*OPTIONAL* If you have very messy handwriting (like me), then it's gonna be even messier when you're writing down a million things at once at the speed of light, so grab some fresh paper and rewrite everything if it's something that someone else will be reading later. 

These should help you out a lot, and if not, then just remember- only 5 more months until all of this is over :)

xo Savannah

7 Awesome Study Tips

Hey guys! It's that time of the year again, the time when all students brains spontaneously implode as an abundance of schoolwork threatens their lives, and they can't do one thing about it (such as scream bloody murder at the top of their lungs) because Christmas is coming and we have to behave no matter what because presents. You get me? Yeah? That's why I wrote this post, because I presumed that most people just don't even care about studying like they used to, three months ago at the beginning of school. I've got a couple of tips then~

1. Get enough sleep- just do it. If you don't get enough sleep you aren't going to be able to focus on the content that you're studying and all you'll be able to think about is sleeping and going to bed because you're so tired. You'll also be tired in class! Don't stay up later to review the content one more time, just go to bed so that you can focus the next day.

2. If you can't sleep before a big test or exams or whatever (NOT if you're sleeping fine, just if you can't sleep anyway) then go over the content you'll be taking a test on the next day. Read over your notes, that kind of stuff. You'll fall asleep because you're so bored and even dream about the stuff you just read, allowing for you to remember it better the next day. 

3. Try to have a study group with some friends, or just some really smart people you know, and you can learn this stuff and go over things every day for a couple of days/weeks, and then go over it once more the morning of. Doing it with some god friends will help you not get very stressed out, and you probably won't be afraid of asking them for extra help. 

4. Have study time scheduled into your days. If you make other plans, like watching a movie or going to a game or hanging out with friends, make sure you'll have enough time to study for a certain amount of time when you get home. You might not have to cancel plans altogether, but you will have to cut them short... One night out at the movies with friends isn't something you'll remember, but graduating college/high school is something you will remember. 

5. Turn off distractions! You might be one of those people who is studying online or using their laptop as they study, well, in this case, SOCIAL MEDIA IS EVILLLL. It's going to distract you and you won't get any work done. The same goes for your phone- turn off notifications and put it on the complete other side of the room (unless you're using it to study). Distractions are your worst enemy, let me tell you, just a few minutes on Twitter can turn into hours of not being productive. 

6. Take a couple of breaks here and there. Not long ones, just five minutes for every hour- for example, if you studied for four hours, a twenty minute break would be good. Or you can bump it up to ten minutes per hour, whatever you think feels right- but do take a break. You might think that studying for hours and hours without breaks is productive and good, but it's really not. It's bad for you. Take a break here and there, get something to eat, watch a couple of YouTube videos, relax.

7. Listen to soothing music as you work. Not loud, and not something you're going to stop working and sing along and dance to.... Just quit, relaxing music to soothe your mind and help you to not get so stressed out. 

I really hope these helped you out a lot because I know how stressful this time of year can be with the holidays and everything. Study hard, play hard!

xx Savannah