Being productive and Procrastination

For many the year/semester is ending by the beginning of summer and with the end many tests and exams are coming up. Well, my time at school has already ended... But I have next week as well an important CAE exam, for which I am currently revising for.

And personally for me and probably for a lot of students , studying comes always in package with something else: Procrastination. 

In the past, before this year art school, I ended up pretty often on tumblr or somewhere else on this Internet and I did hardly anything for upcoming test or projects. Which led me to an all-nighter the night before the due time for the project or to a bad grade. 

Anyway, within this year at this school I had hardly any studying to do. Mostly the work was done in school and what I did at home was more or less additional and something I did not mind to do. So with that I could concentrate revising for my upcoming English Exam and I could try out what works best for me when I am revising. 

• Unplug yourself: With 'unplug' I mean shut everything down that could distract you from what you should be doing. Always when I am revising I turn off my computer and put my phone on flight mode. The internet is a dangerous place to loose time and get caught off with cute kittens instead of Math. 
• The right place: Search a place where you feel comfortable. For me works best a solid table and a room that gets enough air and light. When the weather is warm enough and the sun is shining, I have an nice place outside on our terrace. 

In winter I used to sit at the very end of the dining table so I could look on the lake. When you open the window it feels like you are sitting outside.

• Be organised: Before you start, collect all the things you might be needing for the task you need to complete. I get to easily distracted when I have to search something during a 'revising session' because other things are way more interesting than calculating. 
• Make a playlist: Yes, for some music can be distracting while working, but music helps me to focus on the task. When there wouldn't be music I would get to distracted by the silence and my own thoughts (if that makes sense). 

          Here are a few songs I revise to;         Junior Walker & The All Stars - Cleo's Mood 

                                                                     The xx - Sunset 

                                                                      Young Man - Unfair

                                                                      The Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes   

                                                                      The Ramones - I Remember You   

                                                                      Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me 

• Food and beverages: Prepare a little snack (in case you get hungry or bored) and bring a bottle of water as well. Staying hydrated is important! 
• BREAK: I always plan little breaks into my 'sessions'. Not long ones, sometimes it even just helps when I have a quick dance party to my music. 
• After you are finished (or in the process) I recommend making a list of the things you have done and on what you think you could improve. Yes, to do list might help, but for me those do not work, I feel as it would force me and I think learning and revising is in the end something we do all for ourselves, so it is more or less something we do all voluntary. 

And if you have to work on your computer, then try to avoid the internet, unless it is necessary: For that I have always post-its on my side so I can write down all the sides that caught my eye and I think I could visit afterwards and things I have to look up later, because I tend to forget those things. 

Because for me the Internet is the most distracting thing ever. 

Three Things - Wednesday

A lot is going on in my life, but I do not want to bore anyone with my normal day life. As exciting it could be for me, sometimes it is way to much to write about so I am sharing just three little things I am loving or interested in at the moment. Maybe I am going to do that weekly, I'll see.

1. Kunsthaus Zurich

Probably my favourite room at the museum, Monet and Rodin combined. 

The first one would be the local art museum we have visited yesterday with our school. Probably this will be always one of my favourite places to go, I love the art there so much. It has so many different artist from different decades and styles, and as for me always a different experience when I am going there. For example this time, our professor gave us a little tour of the modern art part and I saw some of the paintings that I though they did not make any sense to me in a whole other light. I cannot say I like them now but I understand them now.

After that tour, we had a little bit time to look around on our own. We also had to think what is the difference between the modern art and those from the other centuries. What has changed over the years? 

2. Journal 

In the last couple of week, I have started to write in a journal all of the thoughts of me that could be important, because before that I tend to forget those thoughts and ideas again and I would be seriously pissed at myself for forgetting them. It helps me so much out in my daily life, always when I see something that inspires me or I have something to remember I write it down in my little book. 

For a stranger it might look like a mess but I makes sense to me. 

Note in my journal of the recent visit to the museum

Okay If I am honest I have three different little books. One for art history and other school stuff (the middle one), a sketch book, obviously for sketching (the under one) and the top one, which is for notes, stories and inspiration. I use this one the most. 

3. Tom Odell

Okay, Tom Odell is absolutely amazing! I cannot stop listening to his music, even though sometimes it is not more than his voice and his piano it show so much emotions. I was hocked since the day I stumbled across 'Another Love' on YouTube and now it has become in a short time to one of my most played songs on iTunes.

So I think I am going to share this amazing song with the internet. Enjoy!

Ugh, okay this took me so much longer as I expected, I had so much trouble with the pictures and the video. But anyways I am really proud of me that I made such a long, second blog entry! And I really hope I am going to make some more in the future and I am not giving up too soon on this.
Cheers!