Biopics are like a great history lesson and a unique chance to take a look inside the lives of famous people or historical figures. In most cases, there is always something most of us can relate to since there are events that are based upon real-life issues. Although there is a fair share of drama from time to time, biographical movies allow viewers to reconsider their opinions and see what they could have misunderstood. Discussing moral issues, social events, psychological struggles, and being famous, biopics offer something for everyone, therefore, they are definitely not to be missed! Nerdify reviews team has picked 5 top movies you’d definitely enjoy.

#5 Adrift (2018)

Who said that biopics have to be boring? Not Nerdify reviews team! There are actually recent examples that take the audience through amazing adventures and keep everyone almost breathless until the grand finale. “Adrift” is a heartbreaking true story of a couple fighting for survival through the damage and devastation caused by category 4 Hurricane Raymond. It is a story of the human spirit and the first love, a struggle to live and save the one you love the most. There are movies that are forgotten months after, but this one is a true story that will bring tears to your eyes and make you think about how precious and fragile our lives are.

#4 Outlaw King (2018)

Okay, now a little history lesson! A true storytelling of Robert the Bruce (played by Chris Pine), the King of Scotland, and one of the most prominent warriors and strategists who had the courage to step up against the English Empire and lead Scotland through the First War of Scottish Independence against England. There is a beautiful Scottish countryside, which brings a special magic to battle scenes and dialogues. It is a great journey that shows how both small and big battles matter. It deserves to be called “epic” because it feels like a time machine has been finally invented. There is a history lesson the way how it should be where you actually feel present there. If ever possible, do all you can to see it on the big screen in a movie theater because you will be glad you did!

#3 First Man (2018)

As some might have guessed, it is a story of Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling), the first man on the moon and the legendary space mission that changed the entire world. Still, it was far from being easy and took a lot to overcome the skeptics and those who believed that the mission was doomed to fail. Yes, it is filled with special effects and excellent cinematography, yet it shows that there is always a hard-working man behind each success and a team of people who actually believe in what they do. This biopic is a great role-model movie for people of all ages because it is a rare reminder that we all should follow our dreams and reach for the stars.

#2 Best of Enemies (2019)

Based on “The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South” by Osha Gray Davidson, it is not going to be an easy biopic to see, yet it is a true story that should not be forgotten. It tells of a complex emotional opposition between civil rights activist Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader. Taking place in Durham, North Carolina, it is not only a racial debate and a deeper look into desegregation but a frightening cry of injustice through American history. There is an important lesson reminding us all that racism is not something people are born with, but a habit man learns as one gets older.

#1 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

This movie is very special to Tim – one of our top performers and the person who suggested that Nerdify reviewed biopics in the first place. Without a doubt, one of the most famous and critically acclaimed recent biopics is “Bohemian Rhapsody”, telling a story of Freddie Mercury and The Queen. Even if there are several issues that fans and musicians may not approve, it cannot be denied that this particular biopic tells a story of courage, hard work, dedication, and going against stereotypes. It shows that rock’n’roll life is not all about fancy cars, five-star hotels, and drinking every night. There are both ups and downs reflected in an honest way without exaggeration or hypocrisy. Even as the biopic was made, there were constant conflicts, which shows how much challenging it was to keep things honest. It is worth giving it a try, at least if only to see that one should never give up because the show must go on!

Even if there is too much homework to do and you do not feel like going out, smile to the world and remember that things will look much brighter if you do. Now bring on your friends, look through the notes not to miss any important deadlines and the payments, and embark on a wonderful journey through the biopic of your choice!

Always yours,

Nerdify Reviews team

Today we’ve decided to do something we’ve never done before. We are introducing a new type of content on the Nerdify blog – Nerdify Reviews. From now on, we are going to be reviewing books/podcasts/movies/ etc., that we think can add value to students and are interesting even to the general public. Nerdify Reviews is going to appear on our blog every month, so stay tuned, lot’s of great content coming your way!

For our first “Nerdify Reviews” we’ve chosen a brilliant book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. We think it’s a must-read for pretty much anyone, it’s in our company’s library and it has amazing reader-reviews online.

So, without further due, let’s jump into it. The book describes 7 habits that are aimed to boost your productivity and general motivation to achieve your life goals. These are the habits:

* Be Proactive

Imagine 2 circles in your life – one is the circle of concern (that’s the stuff you are worried about) and within that circle there’s a circle of influence (that’s the stuff you can actually have certain control over – your relationships, work, health, etc).  Being proactive means only be concerned about things YOU HAVE CAN INFLUENCE. That will save you a lot of time you waste worrying about stuff you have zero control over (no point about worrying about whether the Earth will be struck by an asteroid – there’s pretty much nothing you can do about it, mate). So habit number 1 – be proactive.

* Being With An End In Mind

Imagine you are at a funeral. At your funeral (ok, it’s not real, just bare with us for a sec). Ask yourself the following question: “What do I have to say about myself”. Do you want people to say that you were an amazing friend? A great boss? A business leader? But are you actually DOING things that will make people say all of that about you?

In the modern world, it’s really easy to get distracted. Always have the end in mind and CONSTANTLY do a reality check whether you are doing things that get you closer to the end goal?

Learn to say no. This is actually one of the Steve Job’s superpowers – saying no to things that do not get your closer to your goal.

* Put First Things First

This is actually about setting the priorities right. Look, life is FULL of events and opportunities. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do everything you want. There are only 24 hours in 1 day. And your workday may be full of interruptions. So, learning how to set up your priorities right will go a long way. Answer to yourself “what is the most IMPORTANT thing I have to do right now and how URGENT I have to do that”. Based on that – construct your to-do-list.

* Think Win-Win

This is a very powerful mentality, especially if you want to work in business and be an entrepreneur. Our world is not a zero-sum game (meaning that in order for you to win, someone has to lose). By far in most cases, you can always find a win-win scenario. Usually, people who think that, have integrity, maturity and abundance mentality (meaning they actually believe there’s enough for everybody).

* Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood

This is the holy grail of any negotiations. You have the following “levels of listening” – ignoring, pretending to listen, selective listening and active. Now, you might think that active listening is the maximum level of attention you can dedicate to your counterpart. But it’s not true. The highest level of listening is Empathic listening. This is when you are trying to understand both the content and feelings of your counterpart. It’s as if you are putting yourself in “their shoes”. By doing so you can actually understand what the other person truly feels are really wants. It’s absolutely vital if you want to be a successful negotiator.

* Synergize

This actually is a natural extension of habit 4 and habit 4. When working in a team being able to negotiate and find win-win scenarios is incredibly important. But, being able to unite a few people who have skill sets in different areas – that’s what makes up a very strong team. Always look for opportunities where you can achieve an additional value out of the partnership due to synergize.

* Sharpen The Saw

Imagine a guy cutting a tree with a saw. He is exhausted, he has been working for hours. You approach him and say “Hey, why don’t you take a break and sharpen that saw – you’ll cut the tree down much sooner this way” and the person replies “I don’t have time for this, I have to cut down this tree”. See the problem here?

There’s no point taking on a task if you haven’t prepared for it! Make sure you spend an adequate amount of time PREPARING and planning how you are actually going to execute your task.

This is it, that’s our first review, we hope you liked it. If you want us to review some other books, please let us know in the comment section below 🙂 Nerdify is always trying to provide useful content. Check out our previous story about Secrets behind great success.

Nerdify is hearing bells ringing around the country again as students go back to schools and colleges.

This can be an exciting time of year, but sometimes a stressful and overwhelming one too. That’s why our Personal Nerds have compiled some awesome tips for heading back to your studies stress-free!

And don’t forget, if you need extra support, Nerdify is always standing by and only a message away!

1. Have your timetable and agenda ready!

Nothing will put a downer on your first day back at a college like turning up and having no idea where you’re supposed to go and at what time a certain class starts. Homework, lessons, extra activities and different events can be quite overwhelming so make sure you have a timetable that’s regularly updated and properly plans your activities. Managing your time is critical to your happiness and academic success! By the way, you can ask Nerdify folks to remind you about important stuff like homework, exams, workshops.

2. Be prepared with the right supplies and books.

If your school or college doesn’t supply enough of the right materials (let’s face it, do they ever?) then make sure you’re well-equipped for your first day back. Having the right supplies can not only help you to be more prepared and organized but stationary is also fun! Well, we think so at least. Also, nobody likes the person in their class who is always asking to borrow a pen!

3. Focus on the academic tasks first!

Everyone can slip into procrastination mode and sometimes prioritize their social activities and hobbies over their studies. But this can have stressful repercussions if we allow it to happen too often, especially in the first few weeks of term when getting ahead and staying ahead is important. Remember, if you need extra help so you can spend more time on fun activities then Nerdify is standing by to help you out with any of your tasks and assignments!

4. Write down your academic goals for the term or year.

As with everything in life, it’s so important to set yourself tangible goals and milestones. We all need something to strive towards, otherwise, it can often feel like our endless work has no real destination or result. Writing down your goals will allow you to properly manage your time and plan your strategy for reaching them. To do lists have been proven to be a powerful driving, motivating force!

5. Learn what type of learner you are!

If you have high expectations for yourself during this academic term (and why shouldn’t you!) it could be really important for you to work out what kind of learner you are. And we don’t mean whether you’re a slow learner or a fast one, or anything like that. But how do you better learn? What’s your process? Maybe you’re more auditory and need music and speeches. Perhaps you’re more of a visual learner that needs pictures and writing or maybe you’re vocal and need to talk about subjects and write notes to better retain the information.

And there we have it: 5 top tips from our Personal Nerds on how to get the most out of your first days and weeks back at school. Don’t forget to drop us a message if you need extra advice or support!