Tag: studying
How I Study for Exams
I guess it’s a little late to be writing this post as finals season has essentially ended, but I hope that this post helps you in some way this semester. I will be talking about how I study for my final exams because we all know how much content there is to understand for final assessments and doing so can be quite overwhelming at times. Personally, this past finals season was incredible stressful for me and I felt so overwhelmed at times. I’m just so glad that it’s over and I’m totally ready for the new semester to begin in which I will apply what I learned this semester.
- Begin compiling your study notes as early as possible
Have all your lecture notes, readings and any other notes put together, in some sort of binder / folder, way in advance of the time during which you wish to begin studying. Doing so will ensure that once it’s time to study, you won’t be wasting time and procrastinating finding your notes but rather getting right down to studying. I’m guilty of compiling my notes really last minute and then having to rush when studying, but the few times I have taken this advice on board proved to make my studying experience rather relaxing (surprisingly).
- Take regular breaks
Have a set time to take breaks (i.e. 45 minutes of studying then take a 15 minute break). Obviously this is easier said than done, but if you consciously make the effort to stop what you’re doing at the 45 minute mark, and do something that you genuinely enjoy during the 15 minute break, be it watching some YouTube, reading a book, eating a snack, getting a short workout in, it’ll make a world of a difference when you get back to studying.
- Have snack(s) & water with you when studying
I’ve found that having to get up from studying to go and get some water / something to eat can be quite distracting and it may take you some time to get back into that studying mode. So have a snack / water bottle handy before you start studying. I usually have a granola bar and some ice cold water, these two things just help me concentrate.
- Understand concepts, don’t memorize details
This tip depends on what you’re studying for, to be quite honest. But when it makes sense to understand greater concepts rather than details, go for it. Although it may take longer to understand concepts, it helps so much in the long run. Once you understand the concept, the little details will just come together. This piece of advice is probably the most useful advice I’ve ever gotten during my university career thus far.
And that’s all I have for now. I will periodically add to this list once I come up with more tips that seem relevant, so keep coming back to check. Hope this post helps in some way!
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My Study Essentials
I thought it would be fitting to write a post about my study essentials while I’m actually studying for my midterm exams! My last one is tomorrow, and I’m spending today studying for it! The following list of my study essentials is in no particular order!
Laptop
My laptop is totally essential for when I study. Although it can be quite a distraction, I use it for Spotify and to review lecture slides from my classes. Sometimes I have to just switch it off and put it to the side when I start to procrastinate.
Notes
Most important material for studying are my notes! I take notes (as pictured) based off the lectures and the slides that my teacher uploads. I try to keep my notes as organized and straight-forward as possible because doing so makes it so much easier when it comes time to review and get ready for exams.
Pens
I make short pointers / big concept notes using my 0.38mm Muji pens. I try to keep as many coloured pens on hand for when I need to just add a little colour to my boring notes!
Highlighters
Mildliner highlighters are heavenly! I highly recommend buying them, if you haven’t done so yet. I’ve had them for more than a year now, and I use them regularly, and not one of them has lost all its ink yet. They’re absolutely fabulous. I highlight key terms and their definitions in my notes, so I can remember to pay close attention to them (since these terms are almost always on my exams).
Sticky notes
Sticky notes are imperative for when I forget to write something in my notes. I don’t like whiting-out my writing because it creates such a mess, and ruins the aesthetic of the notes, so I just take a sticky note, write down the point I missed from the lecture slides, and stick it right onto my notes. Doing so keeps things clean, colourful and easy on the eyes.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post! What are some things you just can’t live without when studying?
Week in Review (3)
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which bloggers are able to share news and happenings in their lives from the past week on their blog.
Well, what a week it has been! I’m currently sitting here studying for my midterms, but clearly I’m distracted. Blogging is so therapeutic and exactly what I need. The feeling of being burnt out from uni is subsiding, so that’s always a good thing.
I had a bunch of essays due this past week and a whole load of studying to get done. I think it’s been quite successful, but I cannot wait to get into holiday mode (only a little over a month to go)!
The gloomy weather quite accurately matched how I felt this week. I love thunderstorms so much! They have such a calming effect on me.
For me, studying while it’s raining outside is the best. I’m so productive, and relaxed at the same time, which makes for a great study session. I’ve got to have some icy water to keep me hydrated and focused as well! What’s your go-to beverage while studying?
I went for a quick outing today to end off the week and I got some mango milk bubble tea! Super delicious and refreshing! It was the first time I got milk bubble tea, I usually just get it without milk, but this one was so much more yummy. How do you like your bubble tea?
Here’s to a new week and much success! How was your week? What are you looking forward to next week? Thanks for stopping by. 💕
How to Stay Organized
In this post I will be talking about the ways in which I try to stay organized in my everyday life. I chose this topic to write about because I ran a poll on my Twitter, and the winning option was a post on how I stay organized (as seen below). Be sure to go and follow it because I will be hosting more polls on which blog posts you’d like to see me post! Now, onto the topic of the day…..
When talking about staying organized, I will focus more on staying organized from an academic perspective, as I am currently a university student. Of course, some of these tips can also apply to your everyday life, if you’re interested in that.
First and foremost, have some sort of planner / calendar / to-do list, or even a combination of all these things. You will be able to keep a running record of what you need to get done for that day or week, and it will give you an overview of your plan of action. In this way, you won’t forget something important that needs to get done. Hold yourself accountable when you can’t complete your to-do list and reflect on the reason(s) as to why you were not able to complete everything on that list.
Keeping a planner is all good, but try your best not to over-plan. I’m guilty of doing this! I am always over-ambitious when I’m writing my to-do list in my agenda, and in the end, when I haven’t done some of the things in my planner, I feel quite annoyed! Recently, I have begun to write two or three realistic things that need to get done in a day, and when I get them done I feel incredibly accomplished.
To be quite honest, staying organized in all that you do will pay dividends when it comes time to review your notes for tests or exams. If you have been diligently attending lectures and taking notes, then you are able to go one step further and organize these notes into designated folders on your computer or into binders. This will ensure all your notes are kept in one location and you do not need to go scrambling last minute to get your study notes together. See the picture below which shows a little overview of how I organize all of my lecture and reading notes.
Finally, I find that having cute stationary (i.e. pens, sticky notes, highlighters, erasers, pencils, etc.) and notebooks keeps me motivated and interested in whatever it is that I’m doing. My favourite store to purchase stationary would have to be Muji! I find Muji to be reasonably priced with top quality items. I did a mini-haul the other day, and my purchases can be seen in the picture below.
I truly hope these tips helped you in some way! All the pictures in this post were taken by yours truly! What is a method that you use to stay organized? Please feel free to comment your tips below, I’d love to hear them 🙂
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