College Pro 101

Daily Motivational Quote for College Students

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 11 May 2017 04:38:00 +0000

So keep building!

One more hour, one more day its little by little that big dreams are built.

How bad do you want to accomplish your goal? Badly?

Well, turn on your most motivational music and get to work because you only got you to accomplish what YOU want.

No one can or will do it for you.

Daily Motivational Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 23:24:00 +0000

What You Really Need for College

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 01:28:00 +0000

Every semester there seems to be a new list of things you need. These lists most of the time contain things you really don’t need and as a result you can end up overspending.

I have made this list keeping in mind only what is absolutely essential for the entire semester. Not just 2016 but any semester really. I also am replacing many of the physical items with free downloadable materials or just free apps to save even more while being more effective.

I have spent entire semesters with these. Know that supplies do not make you a successful student, its how you use them so develop your own studying style. Only buy what you need and will use for your studying style.

Note: I will update this list if I missed anything or find a better recommendation.

There are things in this list that would make your experience better but they are marked optional since they are not essential. I have linked the items to Amazon so you can see the range of prices and how cheap you can get them.

The Essentials:

Notebook and Journal.

The amount of subject on a notebook depends on the amount of classes you will be taking this semester. I have found 2 types of notebook to be helpful and they are both Five Star.

5 Subject Notebook
Five Star NoteBinder

I personally prefer the notebook as it is way cheaper than the NoteBinder. I love the size, the quality and look. It does the job perfectly for me and fits very well in my bag.

A journal helps you keep track of your to-do lists and helps you vent when you need to (I'm guilty of this). Instead of buying a journal you can easily download a nice journal app for free. Because I use an android phone I recommend Journey. Its simple and easy to use, minimal clean design, you can password protect your entries and its free. So far you have no limitations on the amount of entries. They also have a chrome extension for you to access your entries and log new ones.

Highlighters, Pens and Pencils.

This is pretty straight forward. For the highlighters try sharpie. They have a nice window for you to see when to stop highlighting and they are smear proof (I used a sharpie pen/marker to test it). I have had these highlighters for many semesters (you can see the wear).

If you want that cool line coming down from the highlight, get your kid to move your arm when you are highlighting….

The pens and pencils don’t have to be expensive to be good and convenient.

Try the BICpen packs, you get a dozen pens and as long as you use them completely you should have more than enough ink for the semester.

For the pencils you can buy mechanical pencils. The BIC pencil packs not only include the lead but the erasers too so you can save on those items as well. And hey you don’t have to sharpen them…I hate sharpening. Just keep in mind their lead size so when you run out you know which lead size to buy.

Planning and Sticky Notes:

Yes, planners are extremely important for keeping track of your goals, assignments and exams. My recommendation is to download freebies for the day, week and even month.

I have included a list of links below where you can download free daily, weekly and monthly planners. You can also look for more choices by going to Pinterest and searching "free downloadable calendar" or "to-do list", or "stationery" or "planners". Under the stationery tag you will even find free downloadable bookmarks.

If you opt to buy a planner try to get the ones that include 2 years. In this case 2016 and 2017. You will have a planner for about 3 semesters. I got my PlanAhead planner in Jan 2016 from CVS for about $15, I still have it (photos below). You can find it on Amazon too.

Tip: Use your classes' syllabus to plan out your entire semester. Color code your classes. You can plan the exams and assignments due. This will help you determine when to start studying for which exam and what content.

You will also need sticky notes. Not only can you use them to summarize parts of your textbooks (which helps you learn/memorize tremendously) but also as bookmarks. You can get the regular size and cut them into small flags or you can get both, the regular size and the post it flags. It depends on your studying style.

Organization:

You will need one huge organizer. In it you can store just about anything. I own a 12-tab organizer and as you can see in the photos below you can use it for more than just class. Remember to clean it out every semester to make room for new classes.

Move your old notes/assignments to a bigger storage such as a fabric bin. I got my organizer from a drugstore a very long time ago, its very durable and spacious. Since there is no brand on it I'm not sure of its exact name. Therefore I am suggest getting a very similar one.

Studying Aids:

Flashcards (free). Yea get the Quizlet app or use their online site for these. You will carry with you your decks and not have bulk in your bag. They also have many settings and styles you can apply to your decks to study them. Also, its free. You can even see other people's decks and use them to study as well. I've used this app multiple times to memorize anatomy and microbiology components.

Textbook stand (Optional). This can be very helpful with huge textbooks to save space on your desk while studying and to save your neck from snapping.

Tools:

Small stapler and staple remover duo (perfect for when you print your assignments in school and no one wants to lend you a stapler)(includes a staple remover too)

Correction Tape aka White out (for when your kid moves your arm while you are writing…)

Scissors.

Ruler (get a clear one as it will help you so much during labs).

Apps (All free and optional)

This is a screenshot of the apps I mentioned before, and some others I think will help you as well as they helped me. I will do a more detailed article on this section and update this one with the link when I do. They are all free and very useful. Remember I am on an android phone so I'm not sure if they are available for iOS.

Gadgets (optional)

Flash drive/Thumbdrive. This is very important for presentations, or assignments in general. Alternatively you can use Google Drive (free app) to store everything there. Keep in mind you will have to sign into your google account to access your presentation when your presentation day comes, which can be a little embarrassing.

Battery pack for your phone/tablet.

Textbooks Advice:

In this section I just want to make a few suggestions to get the cheapest price on textbooks you will need.

Half.com (very cheap prices for minimally used textbooks)
Amazon.com (using prime and their price range you can get a cheap textbook in 2 days)(remember the textbook must have the prime tag for you to get it in 2 days)
eBay.com (same as half)(you can find cheap prices biding)(wait until the last 11 seconds to bid if your internet is reliable, no one can beat you)
If the above don’t help try searching for the international edition of the textbook. I bought a chemistry book like this and there was no difference between the international and the US edition.
Ask your professor if an earlier edition is fine. Changes between one edition earlier and the current are usually very minimal and do not affect your education.
Check your school's library and see if they have it. Usually you might find it as a teacher hold, meaning you cannot take it out of the library but you can definitely make copies of it.
Check for pdfs online…you know what I mean. You can store them in Google Drive and access them from anywhere with or without an internet connection.

List of all essential supplies mentioned:

All the essentials in the list above (except for the planner which you can get for free as mentioned) total a price of $48.10 (before taxes) in Amazon using Amazon Prime trial. Without Amazon Prime trial all the shipping raises the total to $93. See the cart.

Amazon Prime Tip: It has been extremely useful for me to have Amazon Prime (it was a gift, from mom). Especially when it comes to getting my textbooks on time for class. If you don’t want to pay for it I recommend getting their trial to buy your textbooks/supplies and canceling later. You will get free 2-day shipping on Prime items and not pay for the service (yeah broke college student here).

Alternatively, you can get their Prime Student Trial in which you have to use a credit card to sign up but you get it free for 6 months and can cancel the trial before the 6-months so your credit card wont be charged. You will also need a .edu email to sign up or provide proof of student status.

To cancel your prime trial click on 'Your Account' which is by your name at the top of the page > under need support (to the right) click on 'Update Prime Membership' > on your left click on 'Do not continue my free trial'.

10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS (PART 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:41:00 +0000

How Playing Pokemon Go Can Improve Your Memory.

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 14:41:00 +0000

"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop." Confucius.

Lobes of the cerebral cortex
Picture from Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain)

According to multiple studies, aerobic exercises such as walking, can have a big positive impact on the temporal lobe of your brain. The temporal lobe is involved in learning and memory as well as sensory functions3.

The newly released game, Pokémon Go, has influenced many adults and children to take long fun walks in order to fully enjoy the experience of the game (hatching eggs as well as finding Pokémon themselves). Owing to the entertaining nature of the game, people playing it are far more likely to walk longer distances than when just using a treadmill. Being distracted, having fun with friends or family while playing the game, is what drives the extra miles.

A study from Boston University School of Medicine1 has shown that "young adults who have greater aerobic fitness also have greater volume of their entorhinal cortex"1.The Entorhinal cortex is located right by the hypothalamus on the temporal lobe. Its functions include encoding, retrieving and consolidating memories as well as learning. In the study, healthy young adults ranging in age from 18 to 35, underwent a treadmill test. Entorhinal and hippocampal activities were measured. Results showed that aerobic exercise has a "positive effect on the temporal lobe memory system"1.

In another study done at the Center of Brain Health Research2 a group of 36 sedentary adults aged between 56 and 75 were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group would perform a physical training (3, 60 mins sessions per week cycling or on a treadmill)(5 minutes of warmup, 50 minutes of workout and 5 minutes of cooldown). The other group would perform a manualized brain training. This study mainly focuses on which group would experience global brain blood flow gain as it is linked to greater neural health.

It was found that the physical training group showed increases in immediate and delayed memory performance (this increase was not seen on the cognitive training group.)2. The cognitive training group did experienced an 8% global brain blood flow gain and positive changes in executive brain function. Interesting enough, the physical activity group did show high cerebral blood flow to the bilateral hippocampi. The bilateral hippocampi includes the Entorhinal cortex, which, as mentioned above, is heavily involved in memory.

We can conclude that implementing aerobic exercises into our weekly routine, as a college student, will bring great benefits regarding our education. Not only will we be able to remember what we study in the long-term but will also be able to show it on our midterms and finals.

All the college students out there playing this game, or any other that influences you to take long fun walks, will have a nice advantage this upcoming semester. So get walking!

References:

Boston University Medical Center. "Physical activity and aerobic exercise helps keep brain healthy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202132517.htm>.

Chapman SB, Aslan S, Spence JS, Keebler MW, DeFina LF, Didehbani N, Perez AM, Lu H and D'Esposito M (2016) Distinct Brain and Behavioral Benefits from Cognitive vs. Physical Training: A Randomized Trial in Aging Adults. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 10:338. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00338

"Parts of the Brain - Memory & the Brain - The Human Memory." Parts of the Brain - Memory & the Brain - The Human Memory. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2016.

Set of 6 Cute Animals Double Tip Highlighters // $3.99

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:05:00 +0000

Size:14.5cm

Quantity:6 pcs.

Color:pink,yellow,orange,blue,green,purple (multiple color shipped)

100% high quality.

Tracking no. will be available.

Where to buy?

13 Motivational Quotes for College Students. (Part 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:38:00 +0000

10 Studying photos that will motivate you to study right now. (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:18:00 +0000

"Failure will never overtake me If my determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino.

From: diaryofalawstudent

From: noniestudies

From: arrhythmic-medicalheart

From: getstudyblr

From: aestheticstudyign

From: hbstudy

From: studious-annabeth

From: gyriandsulci

From: futurecanadianmd

From: shannastudies

Cognitive Surplus Notebooks

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 22:29:00 +0000

These are amazing notebooks! The detail in their design is outstanding. High quality paper, beautifully designed hard covers and depending on their design some notebooks even glow in the dark!

I cannot wait to get mine just in time for the upcoming semester!

(Glows in the dark)

(Glowing in the dark)

Check them out!

18 Motivational Quotes for College Students: Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 12:50:00 +0000

Its almost time for the new semester to begin and so you need to start getting your motivation and inspiration flowing.

Remember that it is very important to begin the semester strong mentally as well as emotionally.

I picked the following 18 quotes to help you (and myself) start prepping.

1.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

For more motivation see:

10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR STUDENTS

10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR STUDENTS: PT 2

10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR STUDENTS: PART 3

10 MOTIVATIONAL CHINESE PROVERBS FOR STUDENTS

STUDY MOTIVATION (15 PHOTOS) (PART 1)

GREATEST INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES: 365 DAYS TO MORE HAPPINESS, SUCCESS, AND MOTIVATION (Book Recommendation)

15 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

13 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Molang Any Year Planner // $16.46

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:43:00 +0000

WHERE TO BUY?

Excellent Ultimate International shipping service by ePOSTg with USPS Tracking information to US address orders.

Type : Any year diary (Undated diary, Blanked date, Date is not printed, You can fill the date.)

Size : 115 x 165 mm (Approximately 4.5 x 6.5 inches)

Total 224 Pages (Printed in Korean)

Diary comes with Decorative Sticker 3 Sheets

Greatest Inspirational Quotes: 365 days to more Happiness, Success, and Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 03:40:00 +0000

Dr. Joe Tichio, creator of Greatest-Inpsirational-Quotes.com, shares an extraordinary collection of his favorite and most inspirational quotes from around the world and throughout history. The wisdom on these pages will empower and encourage you to live your life to the fullest. Start each day with a powerful dose of wisdom and inspiration as you are guided to take action, overcome fear, boost your self-esteem, create success, enjoy life, claim your inner strength, and make your dreams come true. Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. -Socrates)

See more information and reviews about this book on Amazon.

15 Motivational Quotes for College Students

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 18:52:00 +0000

Hello! I have gathered these to motivate you to work hard as we approach the end of the semester! Good luck!

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Study Motivation (15 Photos) (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:45:00 +0000

Hello, its been some time since I posted some motivation. This post is a little different, instead of being quotes its full of pictures showing others studying. Seeing other people studying hard and achieving their goals is very motivating. Every time I see someone studying hard I feel so motivated to study, so I hope you feel the same. and go study right after seeing this post. Lets work hard this new year!

Note: The sources of these images are where the image was found, not who created it. If you took any of these photos and would like credit please message me at premedmotivationofficial@gmail.com

10.

11.

12.

13.

Mine

14.

15.

Leadingstar Convenient Rainbow Mini Sticker Post It Bookmark Marker Flags Index Tab Sticky Notes - $2.22

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:56:00 +0000

100% Brand New & High Quality
Material: Paper
Size: 7.7cm*5.0cm

Are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious? Take a deep breath and read this.

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 16:10:00 +0000

Article From The Huffington Post

Today I felt very overwhelmed and anxious with the assignments I have and their due dates. I decided to find a good article to read in order to calm myself down. I felt much better while I was reading it, and then I thought one of you guys could be needing this too. Below is a copy of this article as well as its source. I hope this article helps you feel better too.

13 Questions To Ask Yourself If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

" You skipped breakfast, your boss moved your deadline to the end of the day and you forgot to wear deodorant (again!). What do you do when it all feels like too much? Start by taking a deep breath and asking yourself a few of these questions.

1. Why Am I Overwhelmed?
"Overwhelm" is increasingly common as demands on human attention increase exponentially. The human brain just wasn’t designed to handle the environment we inhabit. For the vast majority of world history, human life — both culture and biology — was shaped by scarcity. Food, clothing, shelter, tools and pretty much everything else had to be farmed or fabricated, at a very high cost in time and energy. Knowledge was power, and it was hard to come by; for centuries, books had to be copied by hand and were rare and precious. Even people were scarce: Friends and relatives died young (as late as 1900, life expectancy in the United States was approximately 49 years). This kind of scarcity still rules the world’s poorest regions. But in the developed world, hundreds of millions of us now face the bizarre problem of surfeit. Yet our brains, instincts and socialized behavior are still geared to an environment of lack. The result? Overwhelm — on an unprecedented scale.
— Martha Beck

2. Am I Really Busy Or Does It Just Feel This Way?
Most of us judge how busy we are by how much we have to do. When there are too many things to do, we think we’re busy, and when there isn’t much to do, it feels like we’re not busy at all. But in fact, we can feel busy when there isn’t that much to do, and we can feel relaxed even when there’s a lot going on. The states of “busy” and “not busy” aren’t defined by how many things there are to do. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as multitasking; the brain can tend to only one thing at a time. Being too busy or not being busy is an interpretation of our activity. Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we’re doing, we’re always just doing what we’re doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.
— Norman Fischer

3. What’s The Priority Here?
Think about it: Humans are the only creatures in nature that resist the pattern of ebb and flow. We want the sun to shine all night, and when it doesn’t, we create cities that never sleep. Seeking a continuous energetic and emotional high, we use everything from exciting parties to illegal chemicals. But natural ebbs — the darkness between days, the emptiness between fill-ups, the fallow time between growing seasons — are the necessary complements of upbeats. They hold a message for us. If you listen at your life’s low points, you’ll hear it, too. It’s just one simple, blessed word: Rest.
— Martha Beck

4. What If I Don’t Have Enough Time?
There are two problems with time. The first one is that after a certain number of hours fatigue inevitably sets in. After that, you make more mistakes, you get into more conflict with co-workers, you’re less creative and you’re less efficient. The second problem with time is that it’s finite, and most of us don’t have any of it left to invest. Our dance cards are full. For example, in an effort to get more done, one of the first things we’re willing to sacrifice is sleep.

But consider this disturbing fact: Sleeping even a single hour less than our bodies require reduces our cognitive capacity dramatically. Much as we try, we can’t fool our bodies. Consider this statistic: Even a single hour less sleep than you need to feel fully rested takes a significant toll on your capacity to think clearly and logically when you’re awake. Sacrificing sleep is self-defeating. So, what’s the solution? It’s not to manage your time better. It’s to manage your energy.
— Tony Schwartz

5. Am I Surrounded By Energy Suckers?
Energy Suckers (a.k.a Negative Nancies, Debbie Downers and Sad Sids). These are the people who find the cloud around every silver lining. If you can’t cut them out of your life entirely, turn your interactions with them into a game. When my neighbor says, “I hate this horrible weather!” I say, “Isn’t horrible weather great? It means I don’t have to wash my car!”
— Donna Brazile

6. Do I Have to Do It All By Myself?
Insisting on doing everything yourself burdens you and prevents others from feeling valuable and needed. Delegate more at home and at work, and free your time for things you love and excel at.
— Julie Morgenstern

7. What Would It Take For Me To Just Say No?
Most people claim they give in to sudden requests because they hate letting others down. I say it’s more about not disappointing ourselves: We’re hooked on feeling needed. If we take a hard look at ourselves, we might see that we unwittingly encourage people to come to us for every little thing. Interruptions can also be a welcome distraction. Faced with an unpleasant task, we’re more than happy to turn our attention elsewhere. Finally, we often don’t say no because of simple disorganization. In a choppy and shapeless day, we handle disruption immediately because we figure, if not now, when? While it’s important to be reasonably accessible to the people you live and work with, you don’t want to spend most of your waking hours in helper mode at the expense of completing your own critical tasks. Even if you’re in crisis management or, for that matter, if you’re a stay-at-home mom, you need to prioritize requests. Otherwise you get trapped in a whirlwind of multitasking where you start many things and finish nothing.
— Julie Morgenstern

8. Is My Stuff Taking Over My Life?
Every single person I have met tells me not only about their own clutter problems but about those of a family member, or those of a friend. Nobody seems immune. The stories are not dissimilar — papers and magazines run amok, garages overflow with unopened boxes, kids’ toys fill rooms, and closets are so stuffed that it looks like the clothing department of a major retailer is having a fire sale. The epidemic of clutter, the seeming inability to get organized, and the sense that “the stuff” is taking over affects us all. We are at the center of an orgy of consumption, and many are now seeing that this need to own so much comes with a heavy price: kids so overstimulated by the sheer volume of stuff in their home that they lose the ability to concentrate and focus. Financial strain caused by misplaced bills or overpurchasing. Constant fighting because neither partner is prepared to let go of their possessions. The embarrassment of living in a house that long ago became more of a storage facility than a home. This clutter doesn’t come just in the form of the physical items that crowd our homes. We are bombarded every day with dire predictions of disaster and face many uncertainties — some real and many manufactured. Think about the perils that we’ve been warned about in the last decade alone — killer bees, Y2K, SARS, anthrax, mad cow disease, avian flu, flesh-eating bacteria… the list goes on and on. We are also faced daily with reports of war, an unstable economy and global terrorism coming very close to home. Surprisingly, this endless barrage (its own kind of clutter) inspires many of the families with whom I work to finally take control of their own clutter. In an unpredictable, dangerous world that is out of their control, they look to their homes for stability — to get some degree of organization back into their closets, their garages, their home offices, their lives. This quest for organization is a deeply personal response to the feeling that the rest of the world is out of control.
— Peter Walsh

9. But, I Want So Much. Will I Ever Be Enough?
When we are busy focusing on what we don’t have, we don’t pay attention to what we do have. Wanting is different from having. Wanting is in the future. It is based on an idea of what might make you happy in five minutes, tomorrow, next week. But having is here, now. Most of us don’t let ourselves have what’s in front of us, so we’re always wanting more. When you don’t let yourself have what you already have, you are always hungry, always searching, always restless.
— Geneen Roth

10. Am I Breaking Out Because I’m Stressed Out?
As the mind-skin connection gains credence, beauty companies have seized on the new marketing opportunity, launching serums and balms that they say cater specifically to the effects of stress on the skin. Without any independent clinical trials to back up these product claims, dermatologists are skeptical about how effective they might be. But doctors do advocate paying extra attention to your skin during tumultuous times. “If you already use acne products, increase the frequency of application when you’re entering a stressful period,” says Fried. And because skin’s immunity is impaired when you’re under stress, making you more susceptible to sun damage, he says, it’s even more important to apply (and reapply) sunscreen. A bonus: Taking special care with your daily beauty regimen may help soothe your spirits as well as your skin. Fried conducted a study in which 32 women used an alpha hydroxy acid lotion on their faces for 12 weeks. Their skin felt smoother in the end, but the participants also reported feeling happier in general. “As soon as these women saw an improvement in their skin, it fostered a wider-reaching sense of optimism,” says Richard Fried, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and clinical psychologist. “Their feelings of stress or depression also decreased because they felt more in control — over their skin, their bodies, their world.”
— Jenny Bailly

11. Is All Stress Bad?
Short-term stress triggers the production of protective chemicals and increases activity in immune cells that boost the body’s defenses; think of it as having your own personal repair crew. “A burst of stress quickly mobilizes this ‘crew’ to damaged areas where they are likely to be needed,” explains Firdaus Dhabhar, PhD, director of research at the Stanford University Center on Stress and Health. As a result, your brain and body get a boost. A quick surge of stress can stave off disease: Studies suggest that it strengthens the immune system, makes vaccinations more effective, and may even protect against certain types of cancer. Small amounts of stress hormones can also sharpen your memory. In 2009 University at Buffalo researchers found that when rats were forced to swim — an activity that stresses them out — they remembered their way through mazes far better than rats that chilled out instead. The key, of course, is balance. Too little stress and you’re bored and unmotivated; too much and you become not just cranky but sick. “It’s important to pay attention to your stress thermometer,” and to stay below the boiling point, explains life coach Ruth Klein, author of The De-Stress Diva’s Guide to Life.
— Melinda Wenner Moyer

12. Is It Better to Fight Anxiety or Is It Okay to Be Nervous?
Accept that you’re having an anxiety moment — trying to squelch or deny it will only make it worse — and just focus on what’s in front of you, says David Barlow, PhD, founder of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. If you’re at an interview, meeting or party, listen intently to what the other person is saying. Make eye contact. When it’s your turn to speak, be conscious of every word you say. If you’re at your desk, respond to overdue e-mails or tackle the pile in your in-box. Whatever you’re doing, take a few deep breaths to help let the anxious thoughts and feelings float on by.
— Naomi Barr

13. How Do I Stop Focusing on the Clock?
The elimination of time from your consciousness is the elimination of ego. It is the only true spiritual practice. Here are three exercises to help you move in this direction:

Step out of the time dimension as much as possible in everyday life. Become friendly toward the present moment. Make it your practice to withdraw attention from past and future whenever they are not needed.

Be present as the watcher of your mind — of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react.

Use your senses fully. Be where you are. Look around. Just look, don’t interpret. Be aware of the silent presence of each thing. Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don’t judge them. Listen to the silence beneath the sounds. Touch something — anything — and feel and acknowledge its Being. Allow the “isness” of all things. Move deeply into the Now.

— Eckhart Tolle”

How to Work Focused on a Task

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 16:05:00 +0000

Article from One With Now

The article below gives 10 steps that will help you manage your scattered brain. As college students, we have so many things we wish to get done ASAP but end up procrastinating instead. This article will help you focus on your most important task first and make sure you finish it.

10 Tips to Manage Your Scattered Brain.

Let’s start right away. I want to eliminate anything that can distract you from finishing this post.

Do you feel like you want to do a million and one things this instant?
Do you lack the ability or desire to stay with your task till you complete it, including the simplest of tasks?
Do you feel unmotivated to start on something that you really want to accomplish?
Are you easily distracted and everything in the entire world seems more interesting than what you’re doing?
Are there things you need to do that remain undone because there is no outside pressure/deadline to force completion?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions then you are a scattered brainer. Welcome to the club :). There is nothing wrong with being distracted every now and then, or not even getting anything done. But when it becomes a constant in your daily life, you can fall into a stressful trap of avoidance, or worse, trying to catch up and make up for lost time.

I have been implementing the tips below to deal with my scattered brain. I’m slowly regaining my focus and brain power. Hope you find these tips useful. Try to work with as many of them as you can.

1. Know what you want to do and prioritize.

This is the most obvious and probably one that is listed in every productivity book and article out there. The importance of this step cannot be overstated.

If you don’t know what you want and stuff is just floating in your head, you’ll never get the satisfaction of doing anything. So yes make a list of everything that is on your mind. Then Prioritize—with a capital P. This is where you get to tell your brain to stop fretting about the small stuff and focus on what is really important.

2. Break it down and keep it simple.

Once you have your list and you determine your top two or three tasks, choose one to start with and break it down to the simplest form of action. Every step should not take more than 15 to 30 minutes to complete. If it takes longer, break it down further.

The smaller the task, the less time it takes to get done, the more you’re likely to stick with it. This is a good way to tell your brain to just stay with it for 15 minutes.

3. Start and do it slowly—one task at a time.

Don’t try to speed thing up in an effort to save time. This triggers your brain to drift to what you want to do next instead of what you’re doing right now. Your brain can focus on one thought at a time, so make it about what is right in front of you. Do things slowly and deliberately. You will feel much better once you complete your task.

4. Take breaks.

Don’t be tempted to work nonstop for hours on end. This will lead to burn out and you won’t have enough motivation to start again.

After completing a 15-30 minute task, take a break and do something fun. You can stretch, move, read an article or whatever you feel like doing. Just don’t take too long. I would suggest 5-10 minutes.

Once you complete 4 tasks, take a longer break—an hour or so. This is your free time to do whatever you like—guilt free.

5. Learn to focus.

If you want to have laser sharp focus, you need to learn how to meditate and do it.

Meditation is becoming more mainstream now and is really easy to do. You don’t need to spend an hour. Start with a few minutes and move up to 15 – 30 minutes. Do a search and pick a breathing or mantra meditation. The most important thing is to train your brain to relax, and focus on one thing (the mantra or your breath).

6. Ditch your clock/watch. Work in intervals.

Forget about the clock and don’t obsess over time. It doesn’t matter when you start working on something. Use a timer and set it to the estimated time to complete your task (an interval of no more than 30 minutes). Start the timer and go for it. Don’t stop until your time is up. Take a break and repeat.

Focus on working and getting your tasks done, regardless of what time it is. This way you are guaranteed to work instead of finding excuses to postpone things till tomorrow, when you can work on them bright and early.

7. Don’t do anything else until your interval is done.

Don’t do anything else while your timer is running for a specific task. If it is something that requires inspiration (like writing) and you can’t seem to find any, just sit still and think about the task until your time is up.

Don’t be tempted to do something else because you can’t seem to get started on the task at hand. Sooner or later inspiration will come—you’ll be surprised by how effective five minutes of silence can be in sparking your genius.

8. Keep going.

If you fall off the wagon, just pick up and start again. There is no reason for you to give up. Review what you did and what went wrong, learn from it and move on to your next task or interval.

Remember: practice makes improvement.

9. Power down and reboot.

Give yourself free days to enjoy yourself away from tasks and to do’s. Keep it free and don’t commit to anything new. This is a time for you to relax, have fun and spend time with your loved ones.

Use your off days to unwind and empty your mental cache. Don’t try to squeeze in anything else. After a break, you’ll feel energized and motivated to get back to your tasks.

10. Make it fun.

Embrace your playful inner child and use your imagination to make the best out of every task. Even the most mundane thing can be fun and entertaining.

When you are working on a task, imagine that someone is watching you and commenting on how brilliantly you’re working. Or that you are trying to set a world record, or break your own. You can have a conversation with yourself as you work … you get the picture.

Your results depend on where you choose to put your focus and energy. So do what gives you the most effective results in the most enjoyable manner. Once you get going and you keep going, there is no turning back—things get easier and you start harnessing more of your mental power.

Photo courtesy of David Goehring

FREE TEXTBOOKS

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 15:47:00 +0000

So, I just got my statistics class syllabus and it says the textbook is available online….free! I thought I MUST share the new source with you guys. This is where: http://cnx.org

Here is some info about this source:

"OpenStax believes that everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach.

Frustrated by the limitations of traditional textbooks and courses, Dr. Richard Baraniuk founded OpenStax (then Connexions) in 1999 at Rice University to provide authors and learners with an open space where they can share and freely adapt educational materials such as courses, books, and reports.

Today, OpenStax CNX is a dynamic non-profit digital ecosystem serving millions of users per month in the delivery of educational content to improve learning outcomes.

There are tens of thousands of learning objects, called pages, that are organized into thousands of textbook-style books in a host of disciplines, all easily accessible online and downloadable to almost any device, anywhere, anytime.

The best part? Everything is available for free thanks to generous support from Rice University and several philanthropic organizations."

This semester start strong.

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:34:00 +0000

I know some of you just recently started the semester (incl. me), and so I have a little piece of advice. When you first start to study, do it like its for test #1. If its not already on your syllabus ask your professor which topics will be on test 1. Start strong from the beginning. Don’t wait until the last week to start studying for it.

Remember a test is to determine if you know what has been taught to you, not if you can cram 5 chapters into your head in a few days. Start early, take it easy. Truly learn the material. Dissect it. Take your time to apply all those tips you’ve learned that you think will help you. Ask questions. This way you can reduce so much unnecessary stress on your test day and you will learn the material because you took your time. Make a plan. You can do it.

13 Inspirational Quotes for College Students

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:40:00 +0000

Here is a list of motivational quotes I found in my tumblr dashboard and I posted as well.

Note: Each image is linked to the original source, just click it to see the source. I am in no way claiming these images were made by the source, but that I found them there. If you made any of these images and would like to credited contact me through my tumblr messages.

Now for this post, read it, apply it and it will bring you what you are looking for. I hope they motivate you enough to stop reading and start working! Let's go!

1.

10.

11.

12.

13.

To get daily motivational updates follow me on tumblr at premedmotivation.com

Preparing for the Semester: Buying Textbooks

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:33:00 +0000

(Source: We Heart it)

Textbooks these days are very expensive, but there are ways for you to save a lot of $ on them. Here is a short list of things to keep in mind when buying your textbooks.

- International Editions of books are almost the same book. I have bought many science books as international edition and the only difference I noticed from the US version was the cover and page numbers.

- Buy your text books used but in acceptable condition.

- Search for coupons before buying. I love retail-me-not!

- Buy early. Don’t wait until the semester starts. Try to contact your professor and ask if he/she has decided what book will be used in class and which edition. This is so you can get the best price. Also strive to get the syllabus as early too, so you can see exactly what chapters will be covered. The syllabus will help you a lot if you plan on making copies (see below).

- Is there a copy center close to your school? Go to them and ask if they have the book for the class you are taking. Buy copies of the first 3 chapters. Just don’t tell anyone that “copy center name” sold you those copies…………….(; ʘ‿ʘ )……or let your professor see them (some professors don’t approve copies).

- Edition. Sometimes (many times) you can go 1 edition lower, pay less, receive the same content and just have different page numbers and cover (highly recommended).

- Maybe you don’t have to buy it, have you checked your school’s library? School libraries sometimes carry the book that will be used for each class (you just might not be able to take them home), but you can take a pic of the pages or download a scanning app and scan them on your device (I have done this a lot). Or make copies. Also check your local public libraries.

- Search online “insert textbook’s name here” Pdf free…..(；☉_☉)......

After getting your books/copies start reading the first chapter to get a gist of the topic. Its all so you can be the very best you can this semester! (〜￣▽￣)〜

Preparing for the Semester: My Top 3 Sources to Obtain Low Cost Textbooks

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:49:00 +0000

Before I start every semester, I find out which books I will need for my scheduled classes.

After that I go straight to my top 3 sources and search for the lowest and most acceptable condition possible.

I have bought books for $5.00 that originally cost over $100.

Every book I buy is used, but in acceptable condition.

Here is a list of the three websites I use to buy my books, starting with my favorite.

1. Half.com This is the first place I go to search for my textbooks. Also this is where I end up getting most of my textbooks from. When you go to the website just type in the name or ISBN number of your textbook and you will see the best prices.

2. eBay.com If I do not find a textbook for a good price on half.com, I check eBay's auctions for that same book. Also, even If I find a good price, I also check eBay just in case there's a better price. Keep in mind that International editions are the same book but cheaper. So if you see international edition go for it.

3. Amazon.com First, one thing I like about Amazon is getting free shipping on all my study supplies after signing up for Amazon Student. Secondly, because I find a bunch of coupons from retailmenot, I always check for coupons before I finish my purchase. Third, I buy used and so the price is very cheap. Lastly, being that textbooks can be very heavy, when I buy directly from Amazon I select the textbook to be in kindle format (if available). Amazon is now offering their kindle app for free in different devices, so I find it very practical.

Now, figure out what textbooks you need, do this a few weeks before the semester starts. Why? Because when the semester starts everyone will be looking for the same book, prices may rise and you may not even get the book at a good price. Start early, get the best.

15 Motivational Images for College Students

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Nothing motivates me the most than seeing other students working hard. Seeing their well composed notes, books, notebooks, laptops, coffee all that takes part in their study session motivates me to study hard. I have made this list in the hopes that you get motivated, stop procrastinating and get to work.

If you like all these images you can get daily updates by following me on tumblr at premedmotivation.tumblr.com

1.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Are you preparing for the upcoming semester? Check these out to help you get the best out of it.

- 10 Motivational Quotes for College Students

- College Essentials

- 3 Tips That Will Help You Complete A Hard Assignment Now!

- My 2 Top Sources To Obtain LowCost Textbooks

-A Great College Student: Outline

Inspirational Study Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 14:58:00 +0000

10.

Genetics: Gene Mapping in Eukaryotes (Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Lis) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 00:18:00 +0000

This is a topic that many students are very confused about. Honestly I was very confused at first too. So I decided to practice on my own and look up info on the internet (not much was helpful). I am going to use information from a test that my professor has given me, and I got full score. Here is what I had to do.

The Given Information:

Bryant was hired by Dr. Smith to work on a maize genome project. His research was to map three linked genes which can cause brown midrib (bm), virescent seedling (v) and purple aleurone (pr) phenotypes respectively in maize. All the above mentioned alleles are recessive ones compared with the dominant wild type phenotype (designated with +).

Dr. Smith gave Bryant a triple heterozygote strain which has both the recessive mutant and dominant wild type alleles. Bryant was asked to test cross the strain and collect the data from the progeny. Here is the data Bryant obtained after one year's hard work in the field. Based on the phenotype, they are categorized into 8 groups in the following table. This is a multiple answer test.

Table 1:

What I was asked to find:

1) The phenotype of the given strain.

2) The genotype of the given strain.

3) The phenotype of the second strain (not given) used for the test cross.

4) The genotype of the second strain (not given) for the test cross.

5) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the non-crossover parental gametes?

6) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the single-crossover gametes?

7) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the double-crossover gametes?

8) What are the other two alleles on the same homologous chromosome with the wild type bm allele of the heterozygous strain used in this study?

9) What are the other two alleles on the same homologous chromosome with the mutant bm allele of the heterozygous strain used in this study?

10) Identify which gene is located int he middle.

11) What is the distance between the v and pr genes?

12) What is the distance between the pr and bm genes?

13) What is the distance between the bm and v genes?

How I got the answers:

First analyze the given. I have highlighted the given information you must pay attention to.

Bryant was hired by Dr. Smith to work on a maize genome project. His research was to map three linked genes which can cause brown midrib (bm), virescent seedling (v) and purple aleurone (pr) phenotypes respectively in maize. All the above mentioned alleles are recessive ones compared with the dominant wild type phenotype (designated with +).

Dr. Smith gave Bryant a triple heterozygote strain which has both the recessive mutant and dominant wild type alleles. Bryant was asked to test cross the strain and collect the data from the progeny. Here is the data Bryant obtained after one year's hard work in the field. Based on the phenotype, they are categorized into 8 groups in the following table. This is a multiple answer test.

The figure out the genotype of the given strain, this is the answer to question 2, but it will help you find the answer to question 1.

The strain that Dr. Smith gave to Bryant is a triple heterozygote "which has both the recessive mutant and dominant wild type alleles. " therefore using the given letters above "brown midrib (bm), virescent seedling (v) and purple aleurone (pr) " you can write the genotype. Heterozygous involves a dominant and a recessive. In here the dominant is "designated with +". Therefore dominant brown midrib is bm+, dominant virescent seedling is v+ and dominant purple aleurone is pr+. Combine the dominant and recessive of each bm+bmv+vpr+pr and you have the answer to question 2.

2) The genotype of the given strain.

bm+bmv+vpr+pr

Now to answer question 1. Remember that the dominant allele will be expressed over the recessive. Therefore this strain bm+bmv+vpr+pr will be wild type midrib, wild type seedling and wild type aleurone.

1) The phenotype of the given strain.

Wild type midrib, wild type seedling and wild type aleurone.

Now you must know that in order to do a test cross one parent is heterozygous where as the other must be homozygous recessive. Therefore the second strain's genotype is all homozygous recessive like so: bmbmvvprpr.

4) The genotype of the second strain (not given) for the test cross.

bmbmvvprpr.

And the phenotype will be what the recessive alleles express which is part of the given:
brown midrib, virescent seedling and purple aleurone.

3) The phenotype of the second strain (not given) used for the test cross.

brown midrib, virescent seedling and purple aleurone.

Now for question five you have to look at the table given. The trick is the parental non-crossover gametes are always the 2 highest numbers from the data. In the table it is the first 2 (710 and 698). So, Brown midrib and virescent seedling, purple aleurone.

Table 2:

5) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the non-crossover parental gametes?

Brown midrib and virescent seedling, purple aleurone.

Also from the table, double crossover are the lowest 2 numbers. In this case the last two on the table (5 and 3) therefore purple aleurone and brown midrib, virescent seeding.

7) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the double-crossover gametes?

Purple aleurone and brown midrib, virescent seeding.

Then to find the single crossover gametes it is the 4 numbers in between the parental and double crossover. In this case the 4 middle numbers. (170, 150, 42 and 38). So, Wild type, brown midrib-virescent seedling-purple aleurone, virescent seedling and brown midrib-purple aleurone.

6) Which progeny phenotype in the table above results from the single-crossover gametes?

Wild type, brown midrib-virescent seedling-purple aleurone, virescent seedling and brown midrib-purple aleurone.

Since we already figured out the two strains given we can answer question 8 and 9 from it.

8) What are the other two alleles on the same homologous chromosome with the wild type bm allele of the heterozygous strain used in this study?

In the table the given is all mutant, the not given is assumed to be wild type. The parental with the wild type bm+ allele is the second one (698). This is because the given is all recessive virescent seedling - recessive v and purple aleurone is recessive pr. In the homologous chromosome the other two alleles are v and pr. So the answer to this question is v and pr.

9) What are the other two alleles on the same homologous chromosome with the mutant bm allele of the heterozygous strain used in this study?
The answer to this question is similar to question 8. The parent with the mutant (recessive) bm is the first (710). Brown midrib (bm), assuming wild type for the other two phenotypes we say, wild type seedling (v+) and wild type aleurone(pr+).So, the answer is v+ and pr+.

10) Identify which gene is located in the middle.

Here it gets a little tricky so I will try to explain the best way possible. To figure out which gene goes in the middle you must first figure out the genotype of the parental gametes in the table. The first 2 again. I worked out all the genotypes for easier reference.

Step 1: To work them out just read the phenotype, remember it is recessive because it was given, and fill in the rest as wild type. The wild types are heterozygous because one of the parents will always donate a recessive and if it is wild type it must have a dominant. For example wild type seedling will be v+v and not v+v+ because the second parent is homozygous recessive and so it has not v+ to donate.

Step 2: Now using the genotype of the two parental gametes you will pick one allele to represent each gene.

Example:

Parental Gamete 1: bmbmv+vpr+pr = bm v+ pr+ (dominant alleles will be picked over recessive)
Parental Gamete 2: bm+bmvvprpr = bm+ v pr

Step 3: Now do the same for the first two single crossed gametes.

Example:

Single crossed gamete 1:bm+bmv+vpr+pr = bm+ v+ pr+
Single crossed gamete 2: bmbmvvprpr = bm v pr

Step 4: Now take a guess as to which gene might be in the middle, I guess the v gene, so layout the parental gamete 1 and 2 like shown below. (from step 2):

Parental Gametes 1 and 2

Step 5: Do the same for the single crossed.

Single crossed gametes 1 and 2

Step 6: The single crossed layout is for reference. The point of this is you will do a single cross on your parental gametes and when you do, if my guess of having the v gene in the middle is correct, the answer should look like the single cross. So, lets do the single cross on the parental.

Single-crossed parental gametes.

And its correct. The answer matches the given data.

10) Identify which gene is located in the middle. The v gene goes in the middle.

11) What is the distance between the v and pr genes?

Questions 11, 12 and 13 will be answered in this section.

To calculate the distance between any genes you must first add all the numbers that were given to you in the table 1. So lets add:

710 + 698 + 170 + 150 + 42 + 38 + 5 + 3 = 1,816

Know that the distance is being measured in centimorgans (cm). Also, 1 cm = 1%.

To find the distance between v and pr you must add 42 + 38 + 5 + 3 = 88

Now divide 88 by the total and multiply by a 100.

So, 88/1,816 x 100 = 4.84% (4.84cm)

The answer to question 11 is (4.84cm)

13) What is the distance between the bm and v genes?

Lets do this one first as the answer to 12 is the addition of the answers to 11 and 13.

So to calculate this one just add 170 + 150 + 5 and 3 = 328

Then 328/1,816 x 100 = 18.06% (18.06cm)

The answer to question 13 is (18.06cm)

Finally, to find the answer to question 12, What is the distance between the pr and bm genes?,
add 4.84cm + 18.06cm = 22.90cm

The answer to question 12 is 22.90cm

This is the end of this tutorial. I hope I was as helpful as I wanted to be. if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section below. If I made any mistakes feel free to correct me too.

If you need more info on this topic check out the pdfs below:

http://www.austincc.edu/asession/biol2316/CH15sp06.pdf
http://www.csun.edu/~cmalone/pdf360/Ch06-1chi%202pt.pdf
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/cellmicro/tamarin7/information/tam7ch06.pdf

College Pro 101

Daily Motivational Quote for College Students

So keep building! One more hour, one more day its little by little that big dreams are built. How bad do you want to accomplish your goal? Badly? Well, turn on your most motivational music and get to work because you only got you to accomplish what YOU want. No one can or will do it for you.

Daily Motivational Quote

What You Really Need for College

10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS (PART 6)

How Playing Pokemon Go Can Improve Your Memory.

Set of 6 Cute Animals Double Tip Highlighters // $3.99

Size:14.5cm Quantity:6 pcs. Color:pink,yellow,orange,blue,green,purple (multiple color shipped) 100% high quality. Tracking no. will be available.

13 Motivational Quotes for College Students. (Part 5)

10 Studying photos that will motivate you to study right now. (Part 2)

"Failure will never overtake me If my determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino.

Cognitive Surplus Notebooks

18 Motivational Quotes for College Students: Part 4

1.

For more motivation see:

Molang Any Year Planner // $16.46

Greatest Inspirational Quotes: 365 days to more Happiness, Success, and Motivation

15 Motivational Quotes for College Students

Study Motivation (15 Photos) (Part 1)

Leadingstar Convenient Rainbow Mini Sticker Post It Bookmark Marker Flags Index Tab Sticky Notes - $2.22

Are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious? Take a deep breath and read this.

How to Work Focused on a Task

1. Know what you want to do and prioritize.

2. Break it down and keep it simple.

3. Start and do it slowly—one task at a time.

4. Take breaks.

5. Learn to focus.

6. Ditch your clock/watch. Work in intervals.

7. Don’t do anything else until your interval is done.

8. Keep going.

9. Power down and reboot.

10. Make it fun.

FREE TEXTBOOKS

This semester start strong.

13 Inspirational Quotes for College Students

Preparing for the Semester: Buying Textbooks

Preparing for the Semester: My Top 3 Sources to Obtain Low Cost Textbooks

15 Motivational Images for College Students

Inspirational Study Rooms

Genetics: Gene Mapping in Eukaryotes (Tutorial)

So keep building!

One more hour, one more day its little by little that big dreams are built.

How bad do you want to accomplish your goal? Badly?

Well, turn on your most motivational music and get to work because you only got you to accomplish what YOU want.

No one can or will do it for you.

Size:14.5cm

Quantity:6 pcs.

Color:pink,yellow,orange,blue,green,purple (multiple color shipped)

100% high quality.

Tracking no. will be available.