What is it? And is it for you?
by Lisa MacKnight
image courtesy of writer
I have had a secret Instagram account for two years that none of my friends know about. It’s not quite scandalous, aside from the fact that it’s something that some of them might rip me to pieces for if they ever saw it. But, really, where else am I to make sure I have a permanent space for the nice notes I make and the ridiculous amounts of stationery I buy?
Introducing: the Studygram – an account solely or mostly dedicated to sharing your studies. Content ranges from stationery hauls to open MacBook screensavers with that flippy clock next to a huge cup of coffee. If anything, the pictures are REALLY nice to look at. But first, why do people have these accounts? And is it time you got one for yourself?
If you have a lot to share about how you take notes, your study methods and how much work you got done that day and no place to spill at that juicy gossip, then an account like this might just be what you’re after. Or, if you’re struggling to motivate yourself to actually revise for an upcoming exam, an Instagram account that tracks every element of the process can be highly motivating. All you need is a smartphone and some natural daylight (for best results) and you could be off to a start.
When I started my account, I spent a late night laying out an old notebook with aesthetically-pleasing notes with pens, paper clips and highlighters and taking photos to have a starting point for posts. I had a back-log of pictures to post every time I wanted to share something and would put it in the caption. The stories feature is also great for posting little updates on things like finishing a book chapter or asking where you can buy a specific folder (if I’ve lost you at this point and you don’t care that much about folders then I don’t know what to tell you – some of us do).
It has its cons if you worry about likes and followers; sometimes the idea of keeping up with content feels like one more thing to juggle amongst coursework, a job and a social life. However, if you manage to use it for purely motivational reasons, you’re on to a winner. You can also use it to help other people; I walked someone through exam notes the day before they had a school exam on one of the subjects I study. The entire community has a very similar feel to that – there’s no element of elitism in high grades or renowned institutions…it’s just a bunch of people talking about which notebooks are best for lectures and which are best for at-home notes.
My last pitch to get you to join is that it’s a different way to reap social media for its benefits; it might be easy to use it as yet another account to procrastinate on, but if you can control the urge to mindlessly scroll, it can be refreshing to go on to social media and feel inspired to be productive. When you switch accounts and submerge yourself in a smaller sea of nothing but posts desired to update and motivate, the effect on your outlook for the day is nothing but positive. It gets you in the mood to get your act together, make some lists and head to the library. And if it can’t do all that, it might at least convince you to invest in a planner.
