Tag: organisation

Study Tips

With exams only 5 months away and exam practise fast approaching we have some advice to get you through this stressful time.

  • Plan ahead- there is nothing worse than sitting in an exam hall regretting those hours spent procrastinating on your phone when you should have learnt the solutions to global climate change. To avoid this horrible feeling, create a checklist of everything you need to revise and use this to create a schedule. However, be realistic, do not schedule 3 topics for the one day. In addition to creating a schedule, record all deadlines in a notebook to keep on top of your workload.
  • If possible try to find a place with no distractions to study, this also includes leaving your phone in another room to avoid temptation or if you need your phone delete social media apps or turn off notifications.
    Try out different methods of studying and find what works for you- everyone has different ways of learning. Not everyone can revise by repeatedly reading over their notes.

For more information go to https://blog.prezi.com/the-four-different-types-of-learners-and-what-they-mean-to-your-presentations-infographic/.

My preferred methods of studying include-

  • Making Flashcards- Flashcards are effective as they make revising notes much easier and interesting than simply rewriting them out.
  • Creating Mind Maps- Mind Maps are also a great way to memorise and consolidate notes. Tip- use colours to make the mind map more engaging and interesting. However don’t waste too much time colouring in your mind map!
  • Past Paper Practice- Past paper practice is crucial to succeed! You may find it useful to note down certain questions from past papers in your study plan like, “Sunday Evening- Proteins Q16, 17, 22 & 24, 2012” instead of “Sunday Evening- Chemistry”.

My last piece of advice is equally important for your health as well as your success in exams.

  • Get enough sleep- Sleep is just as important as food and water. A lack of sleep can lower your concentration significantly making it difficult to learn and study. A lack of sleep also has numerous negative effects

By Rebecca McNicoll

Bullet Journals – How to get started

 While progressing through my senior phase of secondary school, I became increasingly aware of the importance of having a good organisational system in my life. Inspired by the mention of how bullet journaling helped the very busy YouTuber Dodie Clark – doddleoddle – and after further research, I came to the conclusion that it was a useful tool that would prove beneficial to me. Since this decision, I have not turned a homework exercise in late, remembered the (mountain) of upcoming tests I have and have not slept in before work because I forgot my start time. Now that’s a miracle!

Three top tips to create the illusion that your life is under control

  1. The Notebook

When choosing the type of notebook you plan to use for your bullet journal, you have 4 main options:

  • Blank pages
  • Lined pages
  • Squared pages
  • Dotted pages

Each type of notebook comes with their own perks and flaws but when deciding which to pick, practicality is essential – you don’t want to spend unnecessary time on something which could easily be solved with a different type of paper.

 

  1. Organising your journal
  • Index – numbering your pages and keeping track of where everything is located is a great way to keep you organised.
  • Collections – these are things like future goals, monthly logs, daily logs, sketches, lists, and mind maps. They can even include useful tips such as sleep trackers, which are helpful for people like me who are lucky to get 5 hours sleep per night.
  • Rapid Logging – this is where the term bullet journaling stems from. Using different symbols, you can jot down anything you need to remember, like homework, and upcoming exams. This is where a key would come in useful to differentiate between tasks, events, and appointments.
  • Migration – if you don’t complete a task, you can migrate it to a new list or day.

 

  1. Personalisation
  • Bullet journals can be as generic or personal as you like; it’s supposed to appeal to YOU.
  • Adding quotes, drawings, pictures, and colour can make the idea of using a bullet journal more appealing.

 

For more information on bullet journals, go to bulletjournal.com

By Erin Henry