Posts

Study Tips

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 Hello there, For my final blog post, I felt it was only appropriate to leave you with some of my favourite study tips (as it seems everything has been cancelled this year, except exams of course). I extend my sincerest apologies as today I am aware that I am giving you up, letting you down, running around, deserting you, making you cry, saying goodybe, telling a lie and hurting you (Rick Astley would not approve).   Here's my recipe for exam preparation/studying... Avoid multi-tasking – Focus on one subject at a time and if you are changing to study a different topic, take a break in between to separate the two. Multi-tasking clouds memory retention and makes study efforts scattered and inefficient. Only clowns balance plates.   Get creative – Brains work in mysterious ways. Find what works for you. I have friends who make up songs, dances or poems to help them remember content. For me, I find that acronyms stick best in my mind. Take the key word from the piec...

Motivation

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  Hiya, Hope all is going well. Are you struggling for motivation this semester? I for one, sure am. University/college is a very independent learning experience (particularly these days) and this can feel overwhelming and make any student feel demotivated. At this point in the semester, this is how I’m submitting coursework. Here’s my antidotes;   Remind yourself how far you’ve come – How many times have you felt overwhelmed or that you weren’t clever enough? Yet, look how far you’ve come. Personally, I had a crisis of confidence every year in secondary school when it came to exams and this only accelerated when I went to university. There have been countless times where higher education has made me feel ‘less than’ or not up to the standard of the incredibly intellectual students on my course but as Elton John would say ‘I’m Still Standing’. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.   Remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing – Similar...

Stress & Anxiety

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  Hello, You’ve returned, thanks! This blog post is to discuss student mental health and my tips on how to alleviate stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is potentially not my most exciting or humorous one yet, but arguably the most important and definitely the most personal. Just a quick disclaimer, I am obviously not a professional, however, these are matters I have extensive and personal experience with and figured my perspective and tips may hopefully be able to help some of you. Stress and anxiety are very common and impact most people at some point in their lives (to varying degrees), and this is particularly profound in the student population. Last blog post, I touched on the importance of the physical environment when studying, although, the most vital atmosphere to look after, is your headspace.  In times of academic pressure, it is easy to find yourself in a negative mental environment and these are some recommendations to combat this. Talk – Much easier said than...

How To Navigate Virtual Learning!

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  Hello and thank you for coming back! Today, I’m going to sing Cher Lloyd by Cher Lloyd. Awh sorry, just checked the schedule and that’s next week, you’ll need to tune in then for that one! Today however, I am giving you my tips on how to navigate this new era of virtual learning. Before we begin, please don’t be too hard on yourself, be patient as your learning environment has been turned on it’s head and you are adapting and will be a more independent well-rounded student with a brand new skillset when we do return to our campuses. Let’s begin; Stick to prescribed schedule – With lectures being recorded and access ible at any time, it is almost too tempting to create your own timetable. However, I would urge you to do as Dolly told you and tumble out of bed, stumble to the kitchen, pour yourself that cup of ambition and stick to the 9-5. With all this uncertainty, adhering to normal university times will provide a healthy routine and keep you in the necessary frame of mind f...

Procrastination

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For my first blog post, I figured it was only appropriate to address any student’s arch nemesis; procrastination. Fun fact: The origin of the word procrastination comes from Latin derivation; Pro - forward. Cras - tomorrow. Pro cras - for tomorrow. But, I’m here to encourage you to turn that arch nemesis into a lever arch file. In my experience, the kryptonite of procrastination is lists. If it works for Santa, it can work for you! Make a list, check it twice. To do lists empty your head of all of the things you need to do and allow you to concentrate on one task at a time, meaning you will be more efficient than if you are juggling stresses and worries in your head whilst trying to be productive. Message approved by Dawn The Apprentice Jockey. Some top tips when it comes to lists;           If you like to have a physical list and enjoy the satisfaction of scoring out tasks as you complete them, colour code your list (red for urgent, black for impo...