Stem Academia - Tumblr Posts
13th of March, Wednesday
Finished revising Quantum Mechanics lecture notes
Started QM assignment and exercise sheet
Worked on my lab report
Studied for my French exam
Went to Italian seminar
Read a book about Ancient Witchcraft and Divination
{Notes of the day: I cannot wait to return to my country during Easter and study along the coast, to read my new Anne Carson translations while the waves battle in a vacant beach… it was a decent day today, I missed some lectures due to exhaustion but forced myself into going to my language seminar, there’s something about an Italian lady telling you ‘brava’ whenever you answer a question correctly that simply gets me going through higher education}
24th of May 2024
Redid 2 dynamics assignments
Redid all of the lecture notes examples for my dynamics exam
Studied French (reading and listening)
Started preparing for my writing and oral examination in French
Started preparing the reading list for next semester
Notes of the day:
- I haven’t been active on here due to exam season and some health problems impeding me from being as productive as I wish I could be. As of now I’ve finished 5 exams out of the 6 I am meant to do so let’s hope my body is capable of surviving this ordeal…
- Pressing academic deadlines aside, I have been able to secure at least one partial internship for this summer and I am hoping to be able to do 3 extra credit classes next year (two semesters of Russian and one ‘Philosophy and Science’ module). I am also planning on getting my French certificate this summer so I’ve been reading ‘The Secret History’ in its French translation!
- Winter is gone here and now I am not used to the sun despite the fact that my home country barely has any winters to begin with... I might not be able to go back home before Christmas and I do not know to what extent that will affect me mentally? Perhaps it will pass like a breeze and I won’t even notice it, one minute in northern winters and another in southern shores, who knows really…
Friday, 31st of May.
Had to pull a sort of all-nighter the day before to finish some French units before the deadline.
Had a private French class in order to analyse my written compositions with my professor
Finished the first course of the IBM Data Science certificate
Started planning out some essays and writing I need to submit during the summer
Notes of the day:
- I’ve been feeling quite fatigued recently, though it is not the first time I am preparing for a language certificate I still feel a bit nervous and must discipline myself into dealing with these emotions rationally.
- A part of me is quite envious of seeing my colleagues enjoying their vacations and time off university while I have to deal with additional examinations/studies and an internship but I should recognise that this surplus work will pay off in the future and I shouldn’t discourage myself.
- I wished I had more time to do readings for the next semester, but for now 2-3 hours of my day will have to suffice. I am a bit anxious for the opening of the application process for next summer’s internships. I need to acquire a research internship in my field of choice and I am not sure if I’ll obtain one in my own university because of the competition between 4 different stages of study going for the same internships…
- Academia aside, I’ve been spending the majority of my days either in libraries or alone in coffee shops doing some work. It is not the first time I spend a summer by myself and I think I’ve learnt to enjoy my own company harmoniously.
12th of June, Wednesday
Talked on a panel about women in physics and mathematics at my university
Gave a talk about my uni’s physics program in a high school for aspiring students.
Studied French comprehension for my exam
Did 3 written compositions and an oral one in French
Finished reading Cold Nights of Childhood
Planned applications for next year’s positions
Sunday, 16th of June
Finished reading all French articles I had to read as preparation for my exam
Finished the Google Project Management Course and worked on my Data Science Certificate
Wrote 4 compositions in French
Did one oral composition in French and sent it to my professor for avaluation
Finished reading Don Paterson’s ‘Orpheus’ and started reading ‘Swimming in the Dark’
Notes of the day:
- Tomorrow I have to catch a train to visit some far off private school where I’ll do a presentation as part of my internship, though I am not necessarily bothered by the work load in general I find myself quite exhausted by the amount of travelling I have to do. I am adapting and that’s what matters, I haven’t restocked on any of my vitamins for a while and my eating habits are not the healthiest so perhaps it’s all a matter of lack of energy.
- My French tutor/professor has been giving me really good scores for my practice oral and written compositions and I don’t know why but a part of me insists on believing that those marks aren’t real and that it is all a trick to lead me into a false state of comfort.
- I have been trying to get back into reading, I have been writing some reviews in both my personal blog and my Goodreads account. It brings me a weird sense of harmony.
22nd of June, Saturday
Wrote some French compositions and trained for my oral exam
Read some C1 articles for better knowledge of the themes that might appear on the exam
Finished reading ‘Swimming in the dark’ by Tomasz Jedrowski
Started reading ‘Letters of transit’, edited André Aciman
Watched ‘The Wind Rises’ in the French dub
Read some letters by John Keats
Notes of the day:
Finally getting back to my previous reading flow, I have collected a rather ambitious number of books that I must read before my trip to London. Most of them are related to exile, language and how one carries one’s own culture through writing.
I have just been told that I will have to do two 8 hour shifts next week as a student ambassador and I am trying not to lose my mind with the amount of pain killers I’ll have to consume to keep my sanity in check.
Next week is the last week of my internship, which means more time to study for my language exam. It is getting sunnier which means I’ll have to procure something outside of my fully black wardrobe and start finding coffee shops to study.
2nd of July, Tuesday
Wrote five French compositions
Did 3 oral presentations in French
Read some C1 articles
Watched some videos about exam themes
Organised some future academic goals
Participated in a study for people studying more than one foreign language
Notes of the day:
- I still have a 5 hour shift as a student ambassador to complete before being freed from university for the rest of the summer. Recently I did two 8 hour shifts back to back and my energy was drained from working at open days and at the summer school though I adored speaking with people interested in pursuing physics at university.
- I still have another shift to complete and I have to also finish some paperwork as I will be a mentor next year for new students -_-
- My French examination is also looming in the back of it all. I am quite content with finishing it as quickly as possible so I can start preparing myself for the Italian exam I will have next year.
- Recently I’ve found an independent coffee shop where they sell traditional Greek coffee and I cannot wait to go back. Grainy coffee is truly my only source of pleasure.
study diary || 19th of August 2024
Languages: - Revised all of Russian A1 Grammar - Watched Hannibal in the Spanish Dub - Daily Spanish/French immersion
Academics: - Did some readings on the Kuhn vs Popper debate
Others: - Planning a future Translation Studies reading list
Currently reading: Babel - R. F. Kuang
Study day 1/100
Language studies: - Spanish grammar modules - Listened to 2 podcasts in Spanish ✔ - Preparation study for DELE C1 ✔ University studies: - German romanticism readings ✔ - Ambassadorial work planning ✔ - Get artistic anatomy books
Notes: not the most productive day, I am still attempting to return to a serious study flow… From now onwards I’ll be quite occupied with meetings and committee preparations for the coming academic year, hopefully I’ll have some time to return to my art classes soon.
Study day 2/100
Language Studies: - DELE C1, Prueba 2 study ✔ - DELE C1, Prueba 4 study ✔ - Work on DELE C1 exercise book ✔ - Read 2 articles in Spanish ✔ - Listen to 2 podcasts in Spanish ✔
University Studies:
- Finish reading Novalis' works ✔ - Work on Romanticism reading list - Get textbooks for this semester ✔
Study days 25-26th of September
Language studies: - Read some articles in Spanish ✔ - Listened to podcasts in Spanish ✔
University Studies: - Optics chapter 1 exercises ✔ - Thermodynamics week 1 exercises ✔ - Quantum mechanics reading for week 2 ✔ - Philosophy assigned reading week 1 ✔
Study day 4/100 Some things done today: - Griffith's Quantum exercises - Read chapter 1 of 'What is this thing called Science?' for my philosophy elective - Read some articles in Spanish - Annotated the first 3 chapters of 'Concepts in Thermal Physics'
3rd-4th of October
∘ Finished Quantum notes ✔ ∘ Watched recordings of missed lectures (3/5) ✔ ∘ QM, Python and Calc III assignments ✔ ∘ Finished Philosophy elective work ✔ ∘ Finished notes for Russian seminar ✔
Notes: I've been quite sick recently, so missing some lectures and lack of productivity have been haunting me as of late. I am afraid of getting behind, especially now that the coursework is getting more intense, but hopefully all will go well. Some unholy amounts of chicken broth and paracetamols have been consumed and I now feel at least stable enough to get some work done!
TESS detects bright,long lasting gamma ray burst (credit:DESY / science communication lab)
That's how we talk 🪨
Different shades of sky And people too...
the STEM part of my uni major is hitting a little too hard these days >:(
having boundaries with yourself
➼ having a bedtime
➼ deciding the minimum and maximum amount of time you can dedicate to work each week
➼ setting limits on the amount of screen time you have
➼ having an amount of time per week you move your body
➼ limiting your alcohol/highly processed food consumption
➼ keeping a budget
➼ deciding how often you will travel or go on vacation and sticking to it
➼ going to doctors and dentist appointments regularly
➼ paying bills on time
➼ doing work (school or not) on time
➼ wearing sunscreen when you go outside
(images from pinterest)
the computer science aesthetic, the biggest inspiration here being Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr 🤍
made by me: @honeynebula
Study Tips for Students like Me & You
Organize your time if it's not a distraction. Planners are meant to help you and get work done, not procrastinate by planning.
Get all the jitters out before studying, addressing all of your concerns so you enter with a clear, determined mind.
Eliminate distractions when possible, or filter out the distractions with music!
Create mini-goals to make the daunting tasks more simple and less scary to complete.
Step away if you get too frustrated with a concept or don't understand it. Come back to it when you have energy and tolerance.
Know how to balance your hobbies with your responsibilities, allowing you to avoid burnout for much longer.
If studying a weak point, remind yourself it's okay, and no matter the outcome, you're going to go down with the ship trying and fighting.
Be realistic and optimistic. Don't procrastinate too much when you think you have more time than necessary.
If you are doing last-minute studying, acknowledge the possibility that you might not do as well, but don't lose hope as any amount of studying always counts!
Create one big goal to help motivate you for your little goals. My grand goal is to one day earn a PhD.
