The Academic Weapon Girlie Guide

 

★ Hello Fashionistas! 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas filled with lovely family, food, and gifts!

Unfortunately with Christmas over, we all know that means there's another semester of school soon approaching!

If you want to give it your all this semester when it comes to style choices, discipline, and academics to ring in 2024, I got you!

In this post, I'm going to provide you with a complete guide that you can use to make this semester your best one yet! It's never too late to start transforming into an academic weapon, so grab a paper and pen, and let's get into it!

Disclaimer: All pictures used are not my own and I hold no rights to them whatsoever.

Chapter 1: Mindset

Mindset is everything! Your mindset can make or break you, so it is crucial that you prioritize your mental health!

So how exactly can we prioritize our mental health? Not sure? Don't worry, I've got the answer! ꔫ

Section 1: Tips to Prioritize Mental Health:

✧Practice Gratitude Daily (you can do so with a journal, or by prayer)

✧Spending Time In Nature (I recommend nature walks!)

✧Practice Self-Care (proper hygiene, bubble baths, a consistent skincare routine...)

✧Setting Boundaries With Certain People

✧Learning To Say "No" To Prioritize Your Well-Being 

✧Getting In Tune With Yourself Spiritually (Regular bible-study & meditating on God's Word)

These are just a few simple ways that you can work on your mindset! Although they may seem simple, I guarantee you that they are very helpful if you put them into practice consistently!

Now that we've prioritized our mental well-being, It's time to get down to business!

Section 2: The Academic Weapon Mindset:

Becoming an Academic Weapon isn't just a mindset, It's also a lifestyle, one that you live out on the daily in order to live a productive life - one that yields the fruits of good grades, good time-management, and a balanced social life where in no areas you are lacking. 

Now, if you're anything like me, you're probably thinking 💭 "Yeah, there's no way I can do all of that..." but what if I told you It's possible with just a few simple steps?

✧Step 1: Believing You Can Do It

It doesn't matter if anyone else believes in you! As long as you believe in you, you are an unstoppable woman! It's time for you to cultivate an inner confidence and stop with the self-doubt!

When demonstrating faith, according to James 1:6 (NIV) "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

✧Step 2: Placing Yourself On A Schedule

Placing yourself on a consistent study schedule is crucial when becoming an Academic Weapon! To be quite honest with you, I didn't do very much of this in the beginning of my last semester in college and that caused me to be a lot more stressed out than I needed to be, but once I figured it out towards the end, it was like a light had switched! I so wished I had started prior!

ꔫ Here's a couple of things I do to maintain my grades:

1. If your professor/teacher provides past recordings of lectures, try your best to watch those before your class. Doing so you'll have prior knowledge on the lesson that is being taught, and you won't be completely lost walking in.
2. Look over every piece of material that your professor gives you: syllabus, study materials, extra-credit work, all of it! These materials can contain very useful information that may come in handy in the future.
3. Don't leave everything until last minute. Lots of colleges tend to make everything due at the end of the week, leaving most students feeling as though they can push their work off until Friday, but I've been there done that and even starting my work on a Wednesday just wasn't enough, and I ended up feeling stressed by not using the first 2 days of my week to start working on material, so take a note from my book and try your best to start working on an assignment as soon as it is assigned!

✧Step 3: Remaining Discliplined

Let's be honest for a second: 

We all start off a new routine with so much motivation and energy, just for a couple of weeks, or even days to pass and we start falling off and running on E. Sound familiar?

Yeah, that's because you're trying to run off of motivation instead of discipline. Discipline is 🔑 to staying consistent in anything!

So....if discipline is the key, how do we attain it? 💭

ꔫ 3 Tips on Gaining Discipline:

1. Start SLOW! Just like in anything, you can't expect to make a complete 180 in your academics overnight. Start with one habit and add onto it once you've proven to yourself that you can be trusted with 1 minor thing.
2. Be clear on your goals. Start with S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-Bound) goals and make sure they are as detailed as possible so you have a clear path to success.
3. Remove any hindrances and temptations that may cause you to fall back into your old ways. Ex: Is your phone always distracting you when you study? Learn to place it on DND or place it far away from you in another area.

✧Step 4: Remembering To Take Some Me-Time

Even with belief, time-management, consistency, and discipline, if we aren't prioritizing our mental health as mentioned in step 1 we will quickly burn-out! So please make sure to not only practice self-care but to also take time to nurture yourself with the things that you enjoy such as hobbies, activities, and friends!

Chapter 2: Style

You guys know I couldn't do a complete guide without incorporating some style elements! Here are a couple of Dark Academia inspired style tips that you can use if you're looking to spruce up your academic style this semester!

1. Wear More Skirts

If you want a girly flair, skirts are the way to go! I don't wear them often, but when I do, I totally feel like a princess and I love the simple elegance they give off!

Mix-And-Match Classy Pieces In Your Wardrobe

You don't have to go all out splurging on new clothes for this semester. Simply work on mixing-and-matching the basics you already own and adding on some accessories for a classy and luxurious look.

3. Have A Go-To Bag

Having a cute bag that people can associate you with is such a simple yet effective way to show off your style. I have a really adorable bag that I take with me to school and I've caught professors and peers looking at it on multiple occasions, and it feels really good knowing that even on my most basic days, I still have an element that pops!

4. Invest In Classier Jewelry Options

Having simple and elegant jewelry really helps to elevate any outfit! These pieces don't have to be ridiculously expensive like items from Pandora and Tiffany & Co either! The secret is choosing dainty jewelry that is simple enough to be considered minimal, but cute enough that it is eye-catching.

5. Have An Everyday Natural Makeup Look

Looking put together in makeup and hair is such a confidence booster! Now of course makeup is optional, but if you do choose to wear makeup on the regular, having a consistent and natural routine to coincide with your new academic girlie aesthetic is never a bad idea!

Whewww, that was a lot! Comment a "🎀" if you made it all the way to the end!

That's all for my Academic Weapon Girlie Guide!

Without further ado, it is now time for our weekly bible verse!

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

I love this verse so very much! It specifically states that we all have power within us, therefore why be timid and in fear? With this power, make sure you are putting it to use and giving it your all in this life so that you can grow and end up where you want to be!

What Was Your Favorite Tip Mentioned?

👇Let me know down in the comments👇

★ Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram for daily outfit inspiration ★