Hi Guys! This Is Really Out Of Nowhere, But Like A Lot Of People, Im In Self Isolation From COVID-19

A Midnight Ritual if You Cannot Sleep Because You Are Worrying About a Confrontation or Crisis in the Morning

You will need:

A dark-blue candle

A small bowl of salt

Paper and a pen

A bowl of soil

A small, lidded plastic container

A blue pen

Timing:

Midnight, called the time of the dark sun, indoors or in the garden.

The spell:

Light the candle and, looking into the flame, say: “The dark sun across the word does shine, but let all be peaceful in this place of mine.”

Sprinkle a few grains of salty into the flame, saying: “The sun will rise again at dawn, ‘til then I consign all fear ‘till morn.”

On the paper, write over and over again the fears and the worries that are troubling you. Tear off just a corner and singe it in the candle flame. (Have a bowl of soil ready in case it catches fire.)

Extinguish the candle, and put the folded paper and the singed corner, burned or not, into a small plastic container in the freezer.

Dispose of the plastic container and its contents the next morning.

- “1001 Spells: The Complete Book of Spells for Every Purpose,” by Cassandra Eason

Ana/Mia Buddies

If you’re looking for an ana/mia buddy, there’s someone who can help!                  Ana-Mia-Buddies is a blog, where you can find someone to help! Message them with your name, location, and age, and they search around to find someone right for you! Then, you will be sent their Tumblr name! Reblog to spread awareness!

my quick tips for online classes and exams

💻 DURING ONLINE CLASS SESSIONS:

- find a good spot with enough light and stable wifi (if you multiple options, select the one that would make you most comfortable, most focused, and confident enough to take online tests/quizzes/exams at - you will need good wifi for these too!)

- study at a desk, if possible (this tip is popular for a reason. studying at a desk, with good posture, mimics the feeling of being in a classroom or the library. thus, it will help you focus better - especially during virtual classes)

- accommodate yourself (not just with comfort, but also with actual necessities that you cannot get or too embarrassed to get in your usual classroom/library. stress balls, stim toys, positivity cards, calming music/candles. comforting plushies. as long as it helps you focus better, it’s on the table)

- try to treat online classes the same as an in-person class, especially time-wise (if your teachers/professors live-stream the lessons, great! just don’t skip class. if not, try to set a specific time for each class. even better, study for your classes at the same time they used to be held. this will create a sense of routine and trigger the brain’s normal reactions to your usual class - which is to study)

- get dressed (prioritize focus and routines. put on your normal outfits, uniforms and even perfume. trick your mind into being focused)

- minimize distractions (declutter your study space. put your phone out of reach. turn off notifications. close all other tabs on your browser - this can reduce lagging too. select non-distracting or overpowering music. restrain from eating or snacking. don’t spam or pay attention to spams in your classes’ chatboxes. only bring along items that are absolutely vital to your focus)

- take notes, even if you can record your lessons and/or access the lessons later (writing things down enhances your memory of it. it will also force you to focus and prevent you from zoning out/ being distracted)

- if possible, put your teachers/profs on the big screen to create the illusion of being in a lecture (if your study spot has a TV/projector that can connect to your laptop and quality speakers, do it. it’s more fun than you’d think)

- be actively engaged in the lecture (if there are technical problems or if you have questions, chatbox away. this is also good practice for people with social anxiety too: the fact that you are in your home and behind the screen can make it easier for you to ask for help)

- give yourself breaks between classes (don’t cram all your classes in one morning. but don’t procrastinate either. time your breaks)

💻 REVIEWING FOR ONLINE CLASSES:

- textbooks are your best friend (especially when your classes’ live-streams are just chaotic and hard to follow. practice speed reading. look for keywords and crucial information. take notes rather than highlighting everything. compare them to your lecture notes, your syllabus, or your friends’)

- take advantage of the online format (revisit videos and podcasts. check your classes forum for questions or announcements. listen to your lecture when you’re cleaning or exercising. study at your own pace and in your own style. basically anything you wish you could do when your class was in-person)

- don’t be afraid to email the profs/teachers (compile all of your questions into a list. be as specific as you can about your concerns. put a subject for your email to reduces the chance of your email getting lost in your instructors’ inbox.)

- take time to know your learning style (when are you most focused? most energetic? are you a visual or an auditory learner? do you need to be active? what drinks or scents or sounds keep you going? you don’t always get this chance to study however you want)

- submit assignments at your own pace - but make a schedule/ set alarms to avoid forgetting to turn them in (for overthinkers like me, turning things in “early” for me is extremely anxiety-inducing. take your time to double-check or edit your work - as long as the submission box is still open, of course. so remember to start working on them early)

- reward yourself (don’t stress yourself out by rewarding big accomplishments. reward small victories. reward baby steps. reward effort. you’ll get things done eventually)

- and more tips on productivity at home in my last post right here

💻 PREPARING FOR AND TAKING ONLINE EXAMS / QUIZZES:

- again, find a good spot with good wifi, good lighting, and a desk (if possible, try to recreate your ideal exam environment as closely as you can while studying and reviewing for the exams. this can reduce the anxiety of tests and/or unfamiliarity)

- be prepared for technical difficulties (plan out a course of action to take if they ever arise. draft an email template. research in advance the contacts of people whom you can report to - IT personnel, your instructors, student office, etc.)

- bring everything you need to the exams - but no distractions (like mentioned earlier, if you need any special accommodations that are not considered “acceptable” in an in-person exam/quiz, now it’s the time to bring them along. the last online exam I took, I had a cupcake ready on my desk because I tend to use up more energy when I’m stressed/anxious. however, I always cut my music and put my phone away for optimal focus mode)

- plan your desk set-up prior to your exams (plan where you want to put your notes, textbooks, calculators or scrap paper. charge your laptop. sharpen your pencils. have your backup pens or calculators handy. lay out everything you need onto your desk the night before your tests. it can reduce anxiety too)

- make cheatsheets (the goals when making them are simple: (1) get you to rewrite your notes for that good memorization; (2) condense your information and find a connection between them for a thorough understanding of the materials; (3) reduce the time you use to flip through your notebooks or textbooks or google for information during the actual tests)

- actually study instead of relying on the quizzes/ exams being open-book (this goes hand in hand with the previous point. at the very least, it will help you ace your exams better by saving you all the time and trouble you spend looking for an equation you probably should have already known)

- time yourself with mock exams (if you are given mock exams to practice with, do them, with a timer. this will help you familiarize yourself with the stress of being timed, thus reducing your anxiety during the actual tests)

- get enough sleep and eat properly (even if the exams or quizzes are online, they are still, at their core, tests. and tests are always stressful and energy-consuming. so take care of both your physical and mental health)

Feel free to add your own tips. And good luck to everyone with the (online) exam season coming near 🍀 I believe in you!

Hey guys! Here’s some advice for writing that rhetorical analysis essay on the ap lang/comp exam in a few weeks:

intro paragraph: 

This should only be 3-4 sentences long. Don’t spend too much time on it! Make sure you cover the SOAPS. 

This is how I like to do it:

speaker, occasion, subject (1 sentence)

purpose (1 sentence)

audience (1 sentence)

thesis (1 sentence)

Your thesis should tell what you’re proving about the effects of the author’s techniques– it shouldn’t straight up list the techniques you’re discussing! Also, your thesis will ideally be a complex-compound sentence, which means it will have at least one dependent clause and two independent clauses. That makes your writing more sophisticated! 

Here’s an example thesis (that I wrote for an analysis of a single paragraph):

“As Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ addresses the criticism of his actions and defends his methods, his twenty-third paragraph declares his complaints against the intransigence of the white moderate, defining the white moderate’s innate complacency as the single greatest obstacle in the Negro pursuit towards freedom.”

body paragraph:

There should be 2-4 body paragraphs, depending on the length of the passage. Remember: go with the flow of the text, and don’t force yourself to write exactly 3 body paragraphs. 

The paragraphs should be organized chronologically through the text, not by technique! This means sectioning the text by paragraph (1, 2, 3) or breaking it into parts (beginning/ middle/ end), depending on the format of the passage. 

My body paragraphs generally follow this structure:

topic sentence- briefly describe what the paragraph is about. use transition words to identify the segment of the text you’re talking about 

2-3 CSAs (basically examples)

claim: your position on the use of a rhetorical strategy

support: the quote, summary, or paraphrase of the text

analysis: explain how the strategy enhances the meaning and purpose of the text

synthesis to tie together the examples and state how they work together

closing sentence

Limit yourself to 2 strategies per paragraph to keep your essay focused. When writing under time constraints, I tend to be able to provide 2 examples of one strategy and 1 example of a second strategy, per paragraph, but that’s not a hard and fast rule.

conclusion paragraph:

Make this short and relevant. You’ll still have one more essay to go after this!

restate your thesis using different wording (1 sentence)

call to action, reflection, or extension (2-3 sentences)- it can be any of the following:

ask readers to evaluate the message of the piece

ask readers to agree with writer’s purpose

ask readers to examine how message is pertinent in modern-day

ask readers to reflect on the appropriateness of the piece in modern-day

another closing idea

wholesome/comforting video playlist by moi!!

1. cat cuddling asmr (because i do not have a cat but sometimes i want to cuddle one)

2. a coupla sweet nature vids by a guy i met on here whose url i don’t remember including: a visit to a creek , and rain on a back porch

3. literally 20 mins of cozy chowder making in animal crossing

4. fuck it! hedgehog getting a bath!

5. a good ol mountain guy making a stoneware teapot in literally the most soothing way possible (bonus: he tells good stories)

6. a nice long painting restoration vid (i love this guy’s channel)

7. my favorite bob ross episode (*psst* it’s the baby squirrels one)

8. soothing vid of someone painting studio ghibli scenes

9. the coziest vlog i’ve ever seen (lots of studying and making art, gentle everyday activities)

10. guy camps out in a snow storm with his dog (lots of playful shenanigans in the snow, pretty useful tips on how to build a shelter and tie knots if you’re into that, they make a cozy stew) 

Starve until you’re weightless 🖤

AP Calculus Notes: Integrals & Integration

hey guys, I’m pretty new to the studyblr community, but I thought I would share my digital note setup. I use the Microsoft Surface Book 2 and the digital pen is so smooth (highly recommend trying if you need a laptop/tablet mix & like writing notes digitally :))

Hello, tumblr!

Today, I’m going to talk about AP Calculus! It has a reputation as one of the hardest AP courses, not without desert; it is heavy with concepts and requires a high degree of proficiency in all the math that comes before it. It is also enormously useful for a variety of fields, from architecture to medicine, and can be a lot of fun to do! Some tips:

Prepare

Most AP Calc courses come after a substantial list of prerequisites: Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, and whatever your school calls the mish-mash of topics falling under pre-calculus. It is imperative to be comfortable with these when you start; calculus uses all of them.

Specifically:

Know. The. Trigonometric. Circle. Know it like the back of your hand (if you are someone who studies each detail of your hand carefully like the weirdo who came up with this saying)

Make sure you know the trigonometric identities too, back and forth.

You will need the formulas from Geometry. These aren’t as hairy as the trigonometric ones imo, but still good to know so you don’t have to relearn them later.

Make sure you are comfortable with algebraically changing expressions from one form to another. Factoring and reducing expressions will be super important.

If you have a hard time with any of these, it’s ok; you can review them! If you find that you have forgotten anything you need during your course, see if you can find some excercises in it online or in a book, and do a few so that you are comfortable with it.

Practice

AP Calc involves some proofs, but most of the course is about learning how to do specific types of operations. The best way to prepare is to just do the problems you are assigned for homework, then do more as time passes or if you have a hard time with a particular one.

Memorize formulas as they are introduced. Review them often. Do problems with them.

If you do not understand a concept:

Try to break down why. Do you understand part of it? Write down what you know. See what it is that is stopping you.

Try drawing a picture. Label it. See if you can relate your problem to the visual geometry.

Try working a problem. See where you stop understanding it. Ask yourself why you are doing each step. See if you can explain to yourself.

Look at a worked problem. Explain each step to yourself. See where you stop understanding.

If there a proof involved? Work through the proof, making sure you understand each step. This can give you a solid foundation.

Go to your teacher or a friend with specific questions.

The FRQs and MCQs from previous tests are a goldmine. Do every one you can get your hands on. For FRQs, compare your answers to the model answers given on the College Board website. Mark everything you do wrong. Try to remember it and do it right next time you do a similar problem.

FRQs are great because they tend to incorporate multiple concepts, giving you practice, and they also follow similar patterns. Getting used to those patterns is really helpful.

The Test

Do some full practice tests. Time yourself. Note the concepts you get wrong and review them. Ask someone about things that give you trouble.

Make sure you know all your formulas well.

Make sure you can do everything you will need to with your calculator.

Part of the test is no-calculator. Make sure you can do the sort of problems which appear there without your calculator.

When you take the test:

Sleep.

0/10 do not recommend late night cramming the night or two before the test.

Change your calculator’s batteries. Just so you’re certain it won’t die on you.

Have something to drink on you.

On the MCQs, skip problems you can’t do quickly and come back to them. I recommend:

Doing all the easy problems first. The ones that you get instantly. Just read the rest.

Come back and do the ones you need some time for. Ignore any if you have no idea how start or take a lot of time.

Come back for these on the third pass.

They’re all worth the same amount, so don’t worry about specific ones; just get as many as you can right.

Show. You. Work. On the FRQs. Write down everything you can.

If you don’t know how to do the first part of a problem, but the second part relies on it, just pick a number you think is reasonable for the answer to the first part, and use it. You can still get credit for the second part if you use that number correctly.

Don’t stress out too much. Even if you feel terribly, it is quite possible that you did will.

For illustration, I took BC, and I literally cried after the test, because I thought I did terribly. I got a five. The percentage you need to get right to do well is low, and how you feel does not predict how you do.

Take a bit of time for yourself afterwards. It’s going to be May. The weather will be beautiful. Breathe it in. :)

my posts on:

ap in general

ap english literature

ap us history

🌿Migraine Magick 🌿

Migraine is a type of headache but is so much more then “just a headache”. It is a throbbing pain felt on one side of the head. It will often occur paired with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sounds. A migraine attack can be triggered by a lot of things ranging from loud noises or bright lights to simply drinking alcohol. Even certain foods can trigger a migraine attack. (Chocolate, onions, dairy, MSG, …) Also mentioned will be price point and relief of symptoms that worsen migraines such as muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, etc.

🔮 Crystals for Migraine 🔮 🔮Bixbyite: Relieves headaches and migraines, also helps against mild pain in general. Not to be confused with Bixbite (red Beryl). $ 🔮Chrysocolla: Controls head aches and head complaints, relieves migraines, reduces muscle spasms. $ 🔮Cordierite: Controls fluctuating body temperatures, relieves headaches and migraines, purifies toxins. $ 🔮Lolite: Purifies toxins, controls fluctuating body temperatures, relieves migraines.Often used as cheaper alternative to Sapphire due to similar appearance $ 🔮Magnesite: Helps to calm down and ease stress, loosen tension is muscles, alleviates menstrual pain, controls headaches and migraines. $ 🔮Rhodochrosite: Improves blood circulation, controls headachesm head complaints and migraines. $ 🔮Sodalite: Purifies blood, calsm and controls nerves, controls head aches and migraines, controls nausea. $ 🔮Turquoise: Alleviates menstrual pain, relieves headaches and migraines. $

🌿Herbs For Migraines🌿 🌿Butterbur: Used to treat headaches, fever, general pain and asthma. 🌿Coriander Seeds: Used to relieve sinus pressure and headaches. Hot water is poured over the seeds in order to inhale the steam. 🌿Dong Quai: Used in the form of a spice, tonic or medicinal cream to treat headache, fatigue and nerve pain. 🌿Feverfew: Traditionally used to treat headaches and insect bites. Modern application includes treatment of migraines, dizziness and inflamation. (might cause nausea!) 🌿Ginger: Traditional remedy for migraines, nausea, stomach pain and cold/flu symptoms. 🌿Honeysuckle: Used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever, inflamation,infecrions, sores,… It has been found to also treat migraine pain. 🌿Peppermint: Often used as a liquid capsule or topical solution. Treats spasms, nausea and tooth ache. Menthol is an active ingredient of peppermint and stops migraine when applied to temples and forehead. 🌿Valerian: Used for centuries to treat a number of ailments including insomnia, headaches and anxiety. ✨Migraine Care Tips ✨ ✨Keep your hands, feet and head warm. ✨A small amount of caffeine can help relieve pain. ✨Apply a hot compress to neck or head. ✨Lie down is a darkenned room. ✨Avoid loud noises, personally when i am lying in a dark room i put on some very soft white noise such as rainymood. ✨Do not skip meals! ✨Make sure to eat something when taking your migraine medication or the nausea will get worse. * Magick should never recplace your medication and/or doctor’s instructions and advice *