8 Body Language Tricks To Instantly Appear More Confident

有生命就有希望。  While there’s life, there’s hope.

失败原因有多种，坐失良机首当其冲。

There are a lot ways to become a failure, but never taking a chance is the most unsuccessful.

Hello incoming freshman and studyblr addicts! I finally have a “master post” of sorts for you! Hopefully this will help you all out! ~ S.R

STUDYING:

Please don’t think you can get away with not studying! It’s seriously going to hurt you! Especially if you’re taking an honors class!

Plan out what you need to get done and set a certain amount of time for each subject! An app to help you bunnies out and get stuff done is called 30/30! You can read about it here!

I find that a lot of bunnies can easily get distracted by their phones, tablets, etc. Well I have the solution for you! Its an app called Forest! You choose the amount of time you want to work without getting distracted, and hit start! It plants a seed for you and when you reach the end of the timer a little tree is grown! If you quit though, to check snapchat, or answer a text etc, it dies! I personally like it though because after the month comes to an end you get to see how big your forest has grown! Get it here!

For bunnies that are taking a language ( or any class you need to memorize stuff in ) this year, or are continuing with one I have an app for you! (If you like flashcards of course!) It is simply called Flashcards, and is one of the coolest study apps I have found! As a pre-warning though I will admit that it is a little hard to figure out at first. After a few times navigating the app it gets easier! The app of course has normal flash cards, but then there are over 24 games. These include things like Flappy Bird, Fruit Ninja, Whack-A-Mole, and the list goes on! Another thing that REALLY comes in handy is the dual station! You just connect your friends to the flashcards by giving them the link, and then they join in through their device, and then you  can compete against each other! To get the games though you must put in a email. (They never send you junk mail, and don’t worry, its free!) I used this all year long and it was a life saver! Made studying a lot more fun! Get it here! 

When you don’t have homework, remember you DO. There is always going to be something that you can improve on! Don’t brush it off!

Only study as a group if you feel like you can handle it! @studyign made a perfect video if you plan to though!

If you feel like listening to music, studies have shown to only listen to music that doesn’t have any words! This is because your subconscious won’t be focusing on the task at hand and will be thinking about the lyrics rather than being 100% concentrated! Spotify has a good list of playlists that are perfect for studying in the Focus section!

MOTIVATION:

A common thing I’ve seen in the studyblr community is the 100 Days of Production Challenge. This is a personal goal that you set for yourself, and you post a photo each day of what you did to be productive! You’ll be surprised with what you get done, even if its a small amount! Get the info from @elizastudies ’s post here! (I will be starting this when school starts in a week!)

Another common thing I’ve seen float around the community is a simple quote called, “NO ZERO DAYS.” I do not know who this originated from but props to them for creating this. Its basically where you do at least ONE thing to be productive a day, because One is greater than Zero right? See how long you can go for! ;) 

Think about where you want to go in life! Nobody had things just handed to them! They had to work for it! Step away from your laptop or computer, and get whatever IT is done! (After you finish reading this of course! Otherwise you’ll miss out on the rest!)

What are YOU going to do to get into that dream school of yours? What are YOU going to do thats different from everyone else? How are YOU going to get to that point in your life? What is it that YOU could be doing right now to push yourself closer to that dream? Think about what will happen 10 years from now, and you didn’t accomplish that dream? How happy will you be? How is the guilt of not doing all you could do to get there?

STRESS:

Don’t stress out about grades. If you study hard you’ll be perfect!

If you’re the type of person that DOES get stressed out, you have to remember to not push yourself too hard! Thats where the stress could be coming from!

Things that may help you de-stress are always helpful! Here are some ideas! 

Take a nice, soothing warm bath or shower, and listen to some calming music! (DON’T BRING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA WITH YOU!!!)

Meditation! There is always a place to meditate. Lay down or sit up on the floor, or your bed, and listen to some meditation music! After a song (meditation music is usually seven minutes long or so,) slowly wiggle you fingers and toes, and then open your eyes. When meditating make sure you release your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Try not to think of anything. Just lay there.

Stress relieving lotion always help! You can get it at Bath and Body Works here!

Make sure you’re taking enough breaks from studying and drinking plenty of water. When you’re dehydrated you’re more prone to stress.

SLEEP. Please don’t stay up studying or being on your phone until 1 am. It isn’t healthy at all! You’re going to be overtired and it is scientifically proven to decrease you’re capability to retain information.

SOME OTHER LIL RANDOM TIPS:

Eat breakfast. I do not care if you convinced yourself you don’t need it. Im here to tell you you do. You will not make it to lunch without the hunger making you unable to focus, and will no longer be concentrating on the information being thrown at you.

Set an alarm for an early wake up time. I recommend two hours so you’re not rushed, because that isn’t a good way to wake up. (Please keep in mind this is my personal preference, its not going to work for everyone.)

Not many people know this but setting your alarm with multiple times is horrible for your health, this is because it teaches your brain it doesn’t have to get up right away since there are more alarms. Get up the first time!

Dont procrastinate on any of your homework or projects! Please try to start and finish them when you get them! The work piles up quickly (Especially for those of you taking honors) and you will become overwhelmed!

Do ALL the extra credit! Even if its the stupidest thing ever! Ive noticed if you even get one bad grade on a test your grade plummets! That extra credit could mean the difference between a A- or an A. *cough* *cough* Math last year for me. *cough*

Don’t be on your phone during class of course. If you do most teachers will take it away, and you may end up on their “Bad Side.”

小王子 vocab (mandarin) pt. 1

描写 miáoxiě to describe

原始 yuánshǐ primitive, first, original

幅 fú classifier for textiles or pictures

扣人心弦 kòurénxīnxián  exciting, thrilling, to thrill

书名 shū míng book title

叫做 jiàozuò to be called

丛林cónglín jungle

奇遇 qíyù adventure

吞吃 tūn chī to devour

野兽 yěshòu beast, wild animal

蟒蛇 mǎngshé python, boa

复印件 fùyìn jiàn duplicate, photocopy

囫囵 húlún complete, whole

猎物 lièwù  prey

躺 tǎng to lie down

消化 xiāohuà to digest

种种 zhǒngzhǒng all kinds of

奇事 qí shì marvels

产生 chǎnshēng to come about, to arise

我会在伤痛中找到力量并改变我的方法。

I’ll find strength in pain and I will change my ways.

15 Common and Useful Chinese Idioms (Chengyu) ✨

🌷 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) 脚踏实地 literally means “to step on solid ground.” It means that you work hard, focus on the fundamentals, and proceed in a steady and stable fashion. It’s an extremely positive chengyu. Here’s an example : “现在我们要继续脚踏实地”   “xiànzài wǒmen yào jìxù jiǎotàshídì”   “Right now we need to continue staying grounded and pushing ahead”   

🌷 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yì máo) 九牛一毛 literally means “9 cows and 1 strand of cow hair.” It indicates something that’s so small that it’s like one strand of cow hair among 9 cows. Here’s an example: “电子商务的盈利在中国整体商业环境中简直是九牛一毛.”   “diànzǐ shāngwù de yínglì zài zhōngguó zhěngtǐ shāngyè huánjìng zhōng jiǎnzhí shì jiǔniúyìmáo.”   “In the entire Chinese commercial environment, the profits from E-commerce are simply just a drop in the bucket.”  

🌷 一无所有 (yìwúsuǒyǒu) 一无所有 means to have absolutely nothing at all. It’s basically being penniless. Here’s an example: “他无家可归，一无所有”   “tā wújiākěguī， yìwúsuǒyǒu”   “He was homeless, and didn’t have a penny to his name.”  

🌷 一见钟情(yí jiàn zhōng qíng) 一见钟情 means “love at first sight.” It’s generally used for people, but you can also use it for other physical objects. Here’s an example: “她就是我的一见钟情 “   “tā jiùshì wǒ de yíjiànzhōngqíng“   “She is my love at first sight.”  

🌷 自由自在 (zì yóu zì zài) 自由自在 means that something is free and easy. It can be used to describe someone’s personality, how someone behaves, or how a place makes people feel. For example: “这是一个自由自在的地方。”   “zhè shì yī gè zì yóu zì zai de dì fāng”   “This is a free and easy place”  

🌷 莫名其妙 (mò míng qí miào)  莫名其妙 literally means that it’s hard to articulate the profoundness or mystery or something. It basically means that something is baffling. For example: “他说了几句莫名其妙的话。”   “tā shuì le jī gōu mò míng qí miào de huà”   “He said some mysterious words. ”  

🌷 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) 半途而废 means to start doing something, only to give up halfway. Literally, it means to walk half the road and give up. Here’s an example: “我不是半途而废的人”   “wǒ búshì bàntúérfèi de rén”   “I’m not someone who gives up halfway”

🌷 抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) 抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) basically means you’re “just tossing an idea out there.” It literally means “to cast a brick to attract jade.” You’re basically saying, “this idea I’m tossing out there is garbage, but perhaps it will lead one of you to make a better contribution.” It’s a humble way to contribute to a conversation. Here’s an example: “我的建议还不够成熟，算是抛砖引玉吧 “   “wǒ de jiàn yì hái bú gòu chéng shú, suàn shì pāo zhuān yǐn yù ba “   “My suggestion is still half-baked — you could see it as just me tossing an idea out there“  

🌷 豁然开朗 (huò rán kāi lǎng) 豁然开朗 (huò rán kāi lǎng) has two meanings which are linked. The first meaning is the refreshing and liberating feeling you get when you see a beautiful, open area. Typically, immediately before this moment, the beautiful area is not visible and you might be feeling a little stuffy. Second, it’s also used for the feeling you get when you achieve an “aha” or “eureka!” moment. Here’s an example: “大学时期，乔尼开始有机会用Mac做设计，那是一种豁然开朗的体验“   “dàxué shíqí, qiáoní kāishǐ yǒujīhuì yòng Mac zuò shèjì, nàshì yīzhǒng huòránkāilǎng de tǐyàn”   “During college, Jony began to have opportunities to use a Mac to design, and that was a refreshing, eye-opening experience”  

🌷  津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi) 津津有味 means to eat something deliciously. Also, it can be used for activities beyond just eating, as long as the person doing the activity finds it engaging. It’s not something that people typically use to describe themselves, but you can liberally use it on your friends as it has a positive tone. Here’s an expressive example: “津津有味地看报”   “jīnjīnyǒuwèi de kànbào”   “to devour the newspaper”  

🌷  理所当然 (lǐ suǒ dāng rán) 理所当然 sounds like “to go without saying” or “as a matter of course,” but literally means that “according to reason, it should be the case.” Here’s an example: “Some things which are obvious or natural in the course of a marriage…”   “。。。在婚姻中的一些～的事。。。”   “。。。zài hūnyīn zhōng de yīxiē ～de shì 。。。”  

🌷  全力以赴 (quán lì yǐ fù) 全力以赴 basically means to give it your all (literally “exert all your strength”) for a goal. It has a positive tone, and is somewhat formal but can still be used in everyday speech. It’s important to note that 全力以赴 is typically used for actions that haven’t finished yet, rather than actions that have already been completed. Here’s an example: “无论考生的笔试成绩如何，都要全力以赴准备面试”   “wúlùn kǎoshēng de bǐshì chéngjì rúhé ，dōuyào quánlìyǐfù zhǔnbèi miànshì”   “No matter how the student’s written test score is, he/she needs to give 100% to prepare for the interview”  

🌷  心血来潮 (xīn xuè lái cháo) 心血来潮 basically means “spur of the moment” or “on a whim.” Literally, it evokes the image of blood rushing to your heart (of course in English we’d say head). It’s a perfect chengyu for when you’re telling a story a friend. For example: “某日他们心血来潮，决定比拼一下各自的脚法“   “mǒu rì tāmen xīnxuèláicháo,juédìng bǐpīn yíxià gèzì de jiǎofǎ”   “One day, on a spur of the moment, they decided to compare and compete to see whose footwork was best”  

🌷  乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) 乱七八糟 means that something is a total mess. You can use it to describe tangible things like messy rooms, or more abstract things, like a messed up life. For example: 是谁弄得乱七八糟的？   “shì shéi nòng de luàn qī bā zāo de?”   “who made this mess?”  

🌷  不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) 不可思议 means that something is noteworthy or amazing in an unexpected way. It can be used for things which are really amazing (eg. magic or larger phenomena) but also for unexpected, everyday occurrences. For example: “真是不可思议，我的名字跟你一样！”   “zhēn shi bù kĕ sī yì wŏ de míng zi gēn nĭ yī yàng”   “It’s incredible, I have the same name as you!”  

Hey everyone! I’m really excited to (formally) introduce my first real “big” project / post here on tumblr! It’s called the “Reasons to Learn a Language” Project, and it’s something that everyone can be involved in!

What is it?: This is a community project where tumblr users can send in their  “reason(s) to learn a foreign language” to my blog (@cactii-studies) via ask. The reasons can be long or short, and as in depth (or not) as you’d like them to be. The reasons that I’ve received will then be compiled into one large post with the sender’s username by the reason. The final setup will be similar to @study-well‘s “100 Reasons to Study” post. 

Why?: My hope is that this will serve as a motivational list of reasons for taking up foreign language studies. I personally think that foreign language studies are incredibly important, and I’d like to compile everyone’s thoughts in one place for people to look at, and hopefully inspire others to take the leap into learning a new language. 

Who?: Everyone! I’m not kidding! You don’t have to be a langblr to send in a reason. This is a community project that is open to everyone who has a tumblr account, no matter the content of your blog. Whether you’re learning Arabic, German, Japanese,  Afrikaans, or American Sign Language, you’re welcome to participate. This project is not language specific. Therefore, it would be nice if your reason did not include a specific language. (Perhaps those of you in other language communities would be interested in making posts like “Reasons to learn (insert language here)”? That’s up to you guys though, and would be a separate project!) Also, you don’t have to be learning a foreign language to participate! Just send in a reason why you want to start learning one! 

When?: This project starts November 19, 2017, and will end on December 27, 2017. I will be using December 28-31 to compile the final list, which will be posted on January 1, 2018, in order to kick off a new year of language learning! 

I’m going to tag some blogs that showed interest when I initially mentioned this idea in order to get the word about this project out there. That being said, most of my connections are to Japanese langblrs or studyblrs, so please please please spread this around! 

@uni-venture | @yoimosezu | @languagesque | @hinodestudies | @lovelybluepanda | @the-notegarden | @peraperagengo | @ccstudys | @the-delusion-polyglot | @worldapprentice | @jpnstudynet | @milkastudies | @fuckstudy | @mochiilang | @therenoplaceforus | @emmastudies | @phctcsynthesis | @studyquill | @studyflwr | @smallstudyblrsunite | @equaticns | @focusign

If you have a question, please ask, and I’ll answer as quickly as I can! I hope that this project is something that people are interested in, and will participate in! 

Oh, all posts regarding this project with be tagged with #rtlalproject

强大，而不粗鲁。善良，而不软弱。勇敢，而不欺凌。谦逊，而不胆怯。自豪，而不傲慢。

Be strong, but not rude. Be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant.

空儿 /kòngr/ -  free time, spare time

有空儿  /yǒu kòngr/ - free

没空儿 /méi kòngr/ - busy

抽空儿 /chōukòngr/ - to manage to find time to do something

明天下午你有空儿吗？/ míngtiān xiàwǔ nǐ yǒu kòngr ma / - Are you free tomorrow afternoon?

两点以前没空儿，两点以后又空儿。/liǎng diǎn yǐqián méi kòng er, liǎng diǎn yǐhòu yòu kòngr./ - Before 2PM, I’m busy, after 2PM I’m free.