Evelynsproductivity

January Study Challenge

day 15 - did you make any / have you kept up with your new years resolutions?

decently! at the beginning of this, i said i wanted to drink more water, eat intuitively, and stop procrastinating. i’ve actually been doing pretty well! i drink more than one water bottle a day, and i’ve been completing everything the day it’s assigned. buuuut i have been having problems with food. i have a horrible relationship with food and don’t know how to change that :/ at least i’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables 🍊

p. s. i took these pics at meow wolf in santa fe!

January Study Challenge

day 16 - what’s in your bag / backpack?

here is a complete list of everything in my backpack lmao:

two mechanical pencils

a wooden pencil

tissues

tampons

hand sanitizer

hand lotion

a general folder for all my classes

whatever novel i’m reading atm

two pencil sharpeners

my student id & schedule

a pencil bag w/pens, highlighters, & led

a pencil bag w/colored pencils, markers, & glue

chapstick

a pad & liners

lens cleaner

a portable game

a granola bar

cold medicine & ibuprofen

my airpods & extra earbuds

braces wax

cough drops

my house key

a scientific calculator

my epi pens & inhaler (yes i have allergies and asthma 🤦🏻‍♀️😔)

and a large pack of gum

i am deeply sorry for that very comprehensive list, but i had fun with it 😂

yooo how do u email a prof for a recommendation letter?

Hi Professor!

I am in the process of applying to ____ and they require letters of rec. I sincerely enjoyed your classes, and felt that they gave me a particularly good chance to display my strengths, such as ____ [class participation, writing, etc.] and would love for you to write me a letter, if you’d be willing. The due date is ____, and I can send you further instructions for submission later if you accept.

Attached to this email is ____, the piece of work I did in your class which best showcases my abilities, as well as my current CV [or resume]. If you agree to write me a letter, soon I will also send you drafts of my ____ [statement of purpose, personal statement, application essays, other relevant material] for my application to aid in your writing. I am also happy to meet in person to discuss this with you.

I want to stress that this application is quite competitive, so if you feel you will not be able to write me a strong letter then I completely understand - but please let me know. Thank you so much for your time!

Sincerely, ____

—

a few notes:

- you should have all your relevant materials (app essays, etc.) sent to them *at least* a month in advance to give them ample time to write the letter

- thus, your initial email asking them if they’d be willing to write a letter for you should be sent *over* a month in advance. professors are busy

- if you are applying for a really prestigious position/scholarship/fellowship, or grad school, it’s best to have at least a majority of your letter writers be professors (rather than adjuncts or post docs). ideally you’d want them to be full/tenured professors. in lots of cases, especially academic ones, *who* writes your letter matters - not just *what’s in* your letter

- the reason you send them the piece of work you did in their class that you are most proud of is to remind them of your abilities as a student and the quality of the work you produced for them. they have lots of students. sometimes they need a bit of help jogging their memory of exactly what you did in their class.

- the reason you send them your other application materials (personal statement, statement of purpose, CV) is so that they have information to draw from when writing your letter. they know what you’re passionate about, what you hope to do in the future, other experience you have, and can use this information when writing your letter

- on a similar note, this is also why you’d want to list the strengths you displayed in their class

- basically, you want to give them as much information as you can about your strengths, goals, and intentions - give them prompts they can use to write your letter

- the bit at the end about asking for a “strong letter” is important because some professors can only write you mediocre letters (e.g. “this student was always on time to class and gave their undivided attention during lecture” - what does this tell admission committees? well, it tells them that the professor has nothing positive to say about your *academic* abilities and so they’re resorting to other strengths. it’s a polite way of saying “this student was okay, but not spectacular in any notable way”. big red flag for admissions committees.) if all you’re going to get is a mediocre letter, you might as well not get a letter at all

- if the professor you ask accepts, then be sure to send them polite reminders as the date approaches. (i usually send a reminder at the 1-month-till-due-date mark when i send the other application materials, and then again at the 2 week and 1 week marks, and, if necessary, every day after the final 3 days leading up to the due date

—

i know this was a lot, but i remember being in your shoes and being completely lost when it came to applying for stuff so i know how daunting it can be. i figured i’d just throw all this information at you to be of as much help as possible.

for reference, i’ve applied to graduate programs, fellowships, and scholarships. i have been accepted into several of the top 10 graduate programs in my area, as well as received multiple scholarships and a fellowship, and received honorable mentions for some of the most competitive fellowships in the US. i have also worked with the admissions committee at my graduate program to organize multiple informational events for those interested in applying to graduate school and, in the process, have learned a lot about what makes a strong application.

so while you should absolutely take my advice with a grain of salt (different circumstances call for different standards), i do have quite a bit of experience with applications and what makes a strong letter of rec.

i hope this helped! best of luck with whatever you’re applying for :)

January Study Challenge

day 9 - how do you keep yourself awake when studying?

i study in lots of different ways, like playing games, using flashcards, and watching videos. that variety helps keep me from getting sleepy. also, having a snack and some cold water around is nice. if i’m not hungry, i opt for some gum!

Little tips for when you feel bad and don’t know why.

-Ask yourself the last time you drank some water. Drink a few sips even if it wasn’t long ago. Coffee doesn’t count (neither does soda unless it’s the only option) 

-When was the last time you ate? Get a small snack if able.

-Are ANY of your clothes too tight or uncomfortable? This includes socks, headbands, hats, and shoes.

-Stretch! Pop those shoulders, arch that back, straighten those legs. It Helps.

-If you happen to stim, do it! Do whatever feels right!

-Look for sounds, smells, etc. That are bothering you.

-Get your headphones and put on whatever music makes you feel happy/good/energetic.

-Loosen your shoulders, take some deep breaths. Drop your head and loosely roll your head. Try to relax as many muscles as you can.

-Close your eyes for a second.

-Did you take your meds (if you have them)? Do you need to take a Tylenol, ibuprofen Etc.?

-Are there allergens in the vicinity, are there any allergy medications you need to take?

-Breath deep.

I am by no means a professional and I don’t know what could be causing it but I know that these are kind of helpful. I’m not you and you aren’t me so these might not work. If the feeling bad is medical attention worthy, these might not help.

However, I hope that this does help someone.

reblog to give the person you reblogged from the strength to complete The Task™

day 17 - what does home mean to you?

i’m not really sure. i feel at home when traveling. when i start to get comfortable in whatever place i’m visiting - that’s home to me :)

January Study Challenge

day 25 - what’s your go-to study method? are there cases in which you wouldn’t use it?

my go-to study method is flashcards! i use it for prettyyy much everything, but definitely not math. for math, i watch videos on khanacademy as refreshers, and do their practice problems. for anatomy and geography, i play games i find online. so i def don’t use them for everything, but flashcards are extremely useful to me!

January Study Challenge

day 14 - show us how you keep cosy in the cold months!

my bed 🥰 alsoooo hot showers/baths and warm pajamas

day 13 - how do you deal with stress?

um not well lol. but fr i journal, once a week in a physical journal, and everyday in one on my phone. i stress-eat 😬 i take naps and give myself motivational speeches. still not very good at dealing with stress tho. also that’s ^ the sunrise this morning :)