Exam period kicks off and Exam tips!

Afternoon!

I didn't get a chance to update as usual in the past day or so, as I was studying for an exam. The exam period is two weeks and I have 5 exams in total. One this week and four next week. Today's exam went surprisingly okay I think! It wasn't that I did any extra revision because I just crammed yesterday and this morning! But I remembered a surprising amount of very specific information such as authors and years.

Could my choline and inositol supplement be kicking in? I hope so! :D

After the exam I went shopping and I picked up some books for my GAMSAT revison, chemistry, maths and physics for Dummies! Exciting stuff! :)

Anyhoo seeing as it's exam period I got to thinking about the way different people approach exams.

I wanted to share some tips from my own experience on how to survive!

1) Give yourself time for revision.

This means try not to cram (ha I know how hard it is not to) but if you have time, plan out your revision time as best you can. Set realistic targets for revision, and when revising a lot of material switch topics after a while to keep your brain fresh.

2) Eat Well!

Maybe I'm always talking about nutrition but you know it's reallyyyy so important! Changing your diet can actually cure illnesses such as depression or fibromyalgia so try keep a balanced diet heading up to exams. Avoid junk foods that cause blood sugar spikes. Opt for good carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats and fresh fruit and veg. On exam day itself, make sure to have breakfast! Make it a good one too! Scrambled egg with wholemeal toast and a piece of fruit will give you energy and fill you so your tummy doesn't start growling like a whale in the exam! :p

3) Get a Good Nights Sleep

Don't fall into the trap of cramming late the night before, drinking caffeine to stay awake. This puts stress on your body and your mind. You probably won't learn all that much anyway, and in the morning when the exam comes, you're probably not going to be able to remember all that much anyway! So get some sleep and let your body rest. If you find it hard to sleep with anxiety the night before exams try a chamomile tea. Chamomile is a herb which is known for its relaxing and soothing properties. Try avoid sleeping tablets, even herbal ones as they can make you feel groggy in the morning.

4) Take Some Deep Breaths

This is a good tip I picked up somewhere along the way. Taking a couple of deep breaths allows more oxygen to get to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. It also calms you down. So wherever you are take some deep breaths and just quieten the mind for a second.

5) Avoid The Post-Mortem Overload

The first thing most people do after an exam is ask pretty much everyone they know, "Sooo how did you do?", while not so harmful in itself, make sure not to go overboard with the post exam analysis. What's done is done at that stage. You can't change anything and going over each section with your friends will probably only make you (and them) realise what you forgot to do, or didn't do, making you feel terrible. Best to just draw a line under it and hope for the best.

Overall keep a positive attitude. Exams will be over before you know it, and if worst comes to the worst and you fail, it's not the end of the world. You always have options. So don't stress, just do your best!

:)

Precious time!

Morning!

I remember watching a kids show when I was younger called Bernard's Watch. This young boy had a magical watch which he could use to stop time. Everything around him would freeze and it came in very handy!!!

I wished and wished and wished for one but it never happened.

So one thing I struggle with is making the most  out of  my time during the day. I always find that my day goes so quickly and I just can't understand where it's gone! As a student, and a wannabe doctor I definately need to work harder on maximising my time!

If like me you struggle with time management, here are some things that may help:

1) Download a Site Blocker

My undergrad degree has a heavy emphasis on online material such as ebooks, which means I am on my laptop all day. I find I get distracted really easily by Facebook, checking emails, watching videos etc. If you're like me, fear not! There are free programmes that you can download to temporarily block sites for a certain period of time while you study.

2) Structure Your Day

Take a little time to examine what you do on a daily basis. You might find you waste time doing unproductive things like watching too much tv. If you can stick to them, making a schedule in advance is a good way to work all the things you need to do into your day.

3) Make Lists

Making a to-do list in your day planner, or keeping a list near your study area will help keep you focused on what you need to do. The more specific the things on your list the better!

4) Punishments/Rewards

Let's face it study can be a complete bore! When you find you just cannnot get motivated try setting a punishment or reward for yourself! A punishment is a penalty for not completing something in a particular time frame. Examples include: Giving a certain amount of money away or giving up a particular item for a week. I prefer to be positive though and stick with rewards! ;) Give yourself a reward for working through a particularly difficult task, or for completing exams. Examples of some rewards might be: going out with friends, buying something nice for yourself or even just making yourself a nice cup of coffee and taking some time out! Make sure that you don't over reward yourself though. Match the reward to the size of the task!


I hope these tips will come in handy to help you manage your time! :)

Today I am going to try and take my own advice and make sure I use my time more productively than I did yesterday! ;)

 My exams start on Monday and I need to really get some good study in! I started my day off in a healthy way with a good breakfast so I'm ready to rock!

Have a great day! :)

Study Fatigue

Evening!

It's a nice (relatively warm) evening here and it's stopped raining! Yay! :)

I have to be honest I had a ridiculously unproductive day today. I somehow sat at my computer and managed only to get 4 small questions covered...in 8 hours....yeah not good!

I'm really quite tired today. I've so much to do and so much on my mind I think it's wearing me out. I just ache all over! I got to thinking about study fatique. When you just hit the wall and can't do anymore, which is where I'm at right now!

I wanted to share some of my tips for getting through long periods of study:

1. Get up and move

 If your brain is switching off and you're starting to feel lazy then get that butt off the chair and get moving! I recommend dancing around your room! :) It's a fun way to wake up your brain! Otherwise you can shake yourself out, do some stretches- anything that gets you're blood going!

2. Make time for breaks

If like I am at the mo, you're studying for long periods of time, make sure to take a mini break every 30-40 mins or so. It will help give your brain a little rest rather than overloading it. I'm not suggesting a longggg break now so be good and keep it to 5-15 mins max depending on how tired you are ok? ;)

3. Ideal Environment

Take a bit of time before you study to create the ideal study environment, tidy your desk or find a clear table to work on. Try to make sure it's not a space with a lot of activity such as a kitchen as you will get distracted. Also make sure that you have some fresh air coming in, and that the temperature of the room is not too high or you will get sleepy!

4. Music

This may not be everyones cup of tea, but I find most of the time I study I need some sort of music in the background to just break up the monotony. I have an internet radio and I cannot stress how amazing they are! You can pick from thousands of stations of all different genres of music! If you can't get one not to worry, try creating a playlist on itunes of study songs. Study songs should ideally be played low, and not be too distracting in themselves. So no rock tunes! (unless you're on a break that is heheh)

5. Learning Personality

There are a number of quizes you can do to figure out your learning personality. You may be a kinesthetic learner, an auditory learner, a visual learner, or a combination of all three. Kinesthetic learners like to move around while they are studying and might fidget a lot. An Auditory learner learns best by hearing things out loud, and learn best by reading out to themselves. A Visual learner remembers things best by seeing them. Figuring out what type of learning style suits you will help you realise what techniques you should be using. For example, if you are a Visual learner you might want to make your notes visually appealing through colours and pictures.


These are just some tips to help you study. But my final piece of advice is if you are tired- REST!

If you are really exhausted take some rest or take a nap, and come back to your studies later or the next day with a fresh brain! Which is exactly what I'm off to do! Zzz....

 

 

:)