Thursday, November 21, 2013 | 10:42 PM
So exams are round the corner for most of us (finished, for some? I know Maddie's done - congratz!), and I'm here to share a little study tip that I think is pretty useful! (Sorry Maddie it's a bit too late for you.)
I don't pretend I know THE SECRET to exam success, but I (sort of) came up with a daily study plan that I personally think is quite good. Heh. This probably isn't something new, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded!
So the main idea is to break your day into study blocks. It gets really tiring when you're trying to plough through your notes for hours and hours, so this is a great way to break up the monotony. I have a 9.30am - 1.30am day, and this is how I do it:
9.30am - 10.30am Wake up and have breakfast, read newspapers
10.30am - 11.00am Buffer time to check emails, updates, etc
11.00am - 1.00pm Study Session #1
1.00pm - 2.00pm Break for lunch
2.00pm - 4.00pm Study Session #2
4.00pm - 5.00pm Break for tea/shower etc
5.00pm - 7.00pm Study Session #3
7.00pm - 8.00pm Break for dinner
8.00pm - 10.00pm Study Session #4
10.00pm -11.00pm Break
11.00pm - 1.00am Study Session #5
1.00am - 1.30am Prepare for bed
Yup so that's the general plan. I don't follow it religiously though. The idea is just to break up your study hours into manageable blocks so you don't get too tired of it. I know most advice say 1 hour study with 5 min break or something but then I get distracted sometimes during the 2-hour blocks anyway and I don't think it's possible to concentrate so hard for so long (for me anyway). So 2 hours of about 90% concentration is quite good in my opinion. It's best if you switch off your computer and leave your phone somewhere far far away, though I know some people have issues about this (you could always use the "I was studying" excuse, which isn't really an excuse!), so you do what works for you.
There are many variations you could do. You can adjust each study timespan, or wake up earlier to squeeze in another study session (I'm too lazy for this), or just plunge straight into studying when the last of your breakfast is shoved into your mouth. I don't recommend this though. If you rush for everything, you'll just create, or exacerbate, the feeling of stress.
Of course this comes with a longer-term study plan, i.e. how many days you have for each subject, which days you plan to study which subject(s), what are you looking to complete by today. This will trickle down to each individual session. It's important to be clear what you're aiming to do within each 2-hour block. If you finish ahead of time, you can bring everything forward, or just work on something else. If you need more time to complete something, either push it to the next slot (bearing in mind you already have something else to do then) or just cut a bit of your break. Oftentimes you will find that you'd rather take a cut in your break just so you can complete a particular chapter or topic. (And then you'll feel proud of yourself for choosing study over break, like what?!)
Okay this is kind of getting very long and I presume you guys have to go back to studying (but hey, it's break time!), so that's all, folks! Hope this helps in your revision. And so very sorry for the lack of posts recently. Us girls succumb to the mug-mug-mug mantra all too often.
Best of luck for your exams,
Labels: author: ji inn, how-to, personal, school and schooling
Friday, August 16, 2013 | 9:48 PM
It's a new semester and I've been a bit drained and unprepared for everything to start.
I'm quite happy with my timetable though, and most of the modules I'm taking this semester (lit, social work and 2 CAPT modules) look like they'll be interesting. I was falling asleep in most of them this week :/ but hopefully I'll be more awake come Week 2.
Cat Baba was back to her habit of zi-pai-ing:
Still, I'm glad to be back at CAPT (the residential college I stay at at NUS) and this is what's been happening the past week:
1. Late night captain's ball sessions
The same night I returned, I soon found myself playing captain's ball. Walking around on my heels (trying not to put pressure on the blisters from playing barefoot), and washing off dirty feet at 1am, that's when I knew I was really back in the craziness of CAPT. This week alone, we've played twice and we're playing a third time tonight. Love the game and how it bonds people :) we've been having orientation activities every night for the past 4 nights, and on the second last night Dragon Slayer (refer here for explanation of the weird names) asked the freshies to play. I liked it because I got to know the freshies slightly better - it's somehow easier to break the ice this way than talking to them.
2. Dinners with my OG
Throughout fledgling week (CAPT's way of describing our orientation activities. It follows the idea of a college ready to take off at the end of the week), our neighbourhood emphasized "family." Because that is really what our friends and neighbours have become to us over the past 1 year.
Today as I was thinking about my post, I realised that - cliches aside - these people have really become close to family. I realised that I had tried to set time aside to have dinners with my OG in the week, the same way I try to set aside time on weekends for family.
3. Birthday surprises
We planned a birthday surprise for Hat and Prawn. It was quite funny because while two friends were bubble wrapping Prawn's door, I happened to run into him in the lift, about to get off on his floor. I panicked and asked him to help me. I ended up asking him to come up to my floor, take a roll of bubble wrap, and put it in the common lounge on level 1.
Thinking it was safe to let him go to his level lounge as long as he didn't go near his room, I told him I didn't need any more help. But for some reason the whole group migrated to someone's suite, so he walked past his room and of course, saw two people sticking stuff on his door. "I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!" But obviously he did.
Hat still didn't know what was going on, till we finally gathered as a group (5 of us in total, with Kiwi late as usual) and sang happy birthday to them both. Then Prawn very embarrassedly gave Hat his half of the cake (he started eating it because it was left outside his door lol). And then we started the short trail around CAPT. Prawn and Hat were given clues with tasks like "Play a duet together" and "Win a foosball match." With each clue they also picked up a kiwi (for Hat) and tabasco sauce (for Prawn) because one loves fruits and the other loves tabasco sauce with everything.
(playing foosball with a kiwi)
Our last stop? The common lounge where we took a photo with the bubble wrap:
Oh, and we bubble-wrapped the wrong door. Hat swopped rooms with his suitemate but we didn't know! Luckily the guy hadn't moved in, so Hat helped us to bubble wrap his own door.
4. One CAPT
On the first night of fledgling week, we had "branding" which was basically writing "One CAPT" on our hands with henna. Sunny Side-up helped me to draw a ship's steering wheel :) and I drew flowers for her in return.
For black neighbourhood, we had our own special donkey (it's supposed to be a horse) called Tulee (?) that we took photos with. Turns out it's for our door label:
The door labels were presented to us on the last night of fledgling week ^^. Really a lot of effort went into planning the neighbourhood and college-level activities, and I'm proud of my friends/thankful to the committee for it!
5. Door gifts
Left a note on Gummy Bear's door, and she promptly returned a post-it and snack:
Couldn't help smiling at how familiar it was, and in a very nice way, to have people leaving friendly/encouraging notes at the door.
My Room
I loved my room last semester, but I realise I need the change in environment to help me kind of reset for the new semester. 90% of it is from last semester since I just decided on that today:
Will write more soon about the new semester! :)
happy to be back,
Labels: author: stella, lists, school and schooling, themed entries
Monday, August 12, 2013 | 11:56 PM
It's the first day of school! I dreaded coming back into hall on Sunday night because it signalled the end of the long holidays and the start of a new semester. Just one day in, though, and I am awash with memories -- and making new ones.
Here are 13 things that made hall life so unforgettable.
1) Climbing 10 storeys' (some claimed) worth of stairs to get to my room -- courtesy of being assigned a room in the tallest block in the hall which sits upon the highest hill. I'm lucky I didn't get the highest floor.
2) Hanging clothes out to dry in the morning, going for lessons, and then groaning out loud when it starts to rain. Some rooms get sheltered clotheslines, but that also means they don't get the crisp freshness of sun-dried clothes. (Sun-dried makes them sound like fruits.)
3) Having classmates and friends live so close I can literally holler to get their attention.
4) Having to defrost (and excavate - I'm serious) the freezer component of my lousy fridge at the end of every semester. It kinda sucks that after some time, you can't put anything inside (or get anything out of) the freezer. Which means no more ice cream.
5) Having ice cream parties in our hall rooms. Or any party, for that matter. We're notorious (amongst ourselves) for hanging out at someone else's room till past midnight, just talking about random things or having what we call heart-to-heart talks (HTHT). In fact, some of my friends have made it a point to visit more rooms. They call it room-hopping. Many life lessons to be learnt, I've heard.
6) Rushing to the printing room 5 minutes before midnight, trying to print notes for the next day's lessons. The frustration is compounded when:
a) The printer runs out of paper
b) The printer spoils (and it's locked so you can't try to fix it yourself)
c) Someone's hogging the printer
d) The printer and computers shut down (after midnight) while you're printing something
Makes you wanna break something, I swear.
7) Hall dance. Is awesome.
8) Knocking on friends' doors and then running away. Multiple times. Yes we still do this.
9) Huge gathering of people to spring surprise birthday celebrations, usually near midnight. They can complain all they want but it's part of hall life and it keeps happening.
10) Talking about life and stuff deep into the night with the roomie.
11) Making silly comments and antics and having laughing fits in the room with the roomie.
12) Both roomie and I studying so quietly I sometimes turn around just to check if she's still there.
13) Being proud to claim which hall I am from when people ask. Despite its many shortcomings (especially now that the shuttle bus routes have changed - we've lost our advantage), this hall has been, and will continue to be, my home away from home.
Good night,
Labels: author: ji inn, lists, school and schooling, themed entries
Sunday, August 11, 2013 | 11:32 AM
Returning to school after 4 weeks of winter break (in Aussie) or 2.5-3 months of holiday (in Singapore) can prove to be immensely difficult. Especially since the drive to study has been long lost after the last exam the previous semester.
So here's a How To Survive Your First Week Back At School guide!
1. Get enough rest the night before
It's tempting to celebrate 'the end of holidays' or 'the start of school', I know. Go ahead and do it, but I'd suggest partying on a Saturday night. So that you can have enough rest on Sunday and regulate your body clock for Monday morning.
2. Pack your bag, plan your wardrobe, etc. the night before
So that you don't have to wake up freaking out over what to wear, whether you should curl your hair, and where your pencil case is. Plan, execute without hesitation, and you'll be ready for school in no time!
3. Set as many alarms as you need.
I use just one, but I know of friends who go up to 8. The alarm will start ringing an hour earlier then they intend to wake up, and they will simply keep slamming on the snooze button every 10 minutes. Only in college have I ever seen people who need running alarm clocks, Lark silent vibrating alarm clock, and having to solve maths sums to turn off their alarm. Do whatever it takes to end your affair with your bed.
4. Have a nice breakfast
I don't have breakfast regularly throughout the semester, but I find that having breakfast makes me less irritable (i.e. less grumpy-looking and more approachable) and more focused. Try this if you haven't before, it makes a huge difference!
5. Arrive ~10 minutes before your first class
So that you'll have enough time to search for your classroom or visit the washroom. It's always better to be there early and make friends with that one other classmate, than be late and make a clumsy entrance into the classroom with everyone staring at you.
6. Pay attention
Because you'd wanna know how to contact your tutor when shit happens, or when all the huge assignments are due, or where that cute exchange student is from. ;)
7. Ask for help
Don't be afraid to approach a stranger to ask where room 248 is (you might find a classmate), or to ask your lecturer 'silly questions' about that unit. You'd rather be informed than be lost.
8. Be friendly
Having friends makes lessons feel like they're much shorter than they really are. It also makes group work so much more enjoyable when you have a few mates you are comfortable working with.
9. Do all your readings and assignments
Because you don't want your tutor to have a bad impression of you. First impressions are important, you don't want your GPA down the drain just because of that one reading you left out the first week of school.
10. Get keen
Having a positive attitude and being truly excited for school can make returning to school a better experience. Find a good studying routine for yourself, and stick to it. You will see results if you're consistently putting in effort into your studies.
Whether you're in primary, secondary, or tertiary education, I hope this guide will be helpful in some way. May everyone have a great week back at school!
 |
| My friends and I at our beloved school's biggest open day in a century. Don't forget to have regular fun as well to lead a balanced life! |
Much love,
Labels: author: madeleine, how-to, school and schooling, themed entries
Wednesday, August 7, 2013 | 11:35 PM
For as long as I can remember, the singularly most important thing about National Day for my family was the holiday, and by implication, the long weekend, which was excuse enough for us to head to Malaysia for a short trip. Considering that I have many relatives residing in M'sia, it really isn't much of a surprise. This means I seldom get to celebrate National Day, especially when my parents request for a leave from the school celebrations so we can leave one day earlier. Still, I've attended enough of these celebrations to feel nolstagic now that I can no longer experience it all.
Every year without fail, there would be some of my peers who expressed their reluctance at attending the celebrations our school organised. They'd scoff at the red-and-white colour code, chit-chat with their friends while the Nat Day speech is being read out (I'm guilty of this too), and mumble the words to the Nat Day songs. The rest of us would be pretty excited about the whole affair (maybe because we didn't have to study and we didn't have to wear our uniforms) and the general atmosphere was rather hyped up.
My favourite part of the celebrations was always the song session. I love many of the oldies (older-gen Nat Day songs) like Home (1998), Where I Belong (2001), Reach Out For The Skies (2005), and We Will Get There (2002). These have beautiful melodies that transcend time. You know, I bet individually many of us just don't have the talent to sing well. But when everyone sings together, somehow it all balances out and becomes very lovely. The crazy thing is, I get so touched by this I actually teared sometimes (ok now it sounds like I cry a lot). It's just so hauntingly beautiful, you know?
Random fun fact: Every year, whenever we sing Where I Belong, people head into the chorus right after the first verse, when there's a second verse first. Every single year.
Anyway, since we're on the topic of Nat Day songs, I feel obliged to talk about this year's theme song, One Singapore. I don't know, nowadays I don't really remember what the new songs sound like. I think in primary school we were all taught (and made) to sing the songs, so we can remember for so long. I've heard quite a number of negative comments about the song, and I finally went to listen to it today. Hmm.. (better be careful here) Haha I guess it's not thaaat bad, just that it doesn't really have a nice melody that people would remember. The bridge felt a bit out of place.. but the last part (after the bridge) was not bad.
As you can probably tell, I kind of miss Nat Day celebrations. In university there isn't such a fun event for Nat Day and most people don't care anyway. And I just realised most schools had their celebrations today. Wish I could have crashed ): Singing the songs alone in my room with Youtube just ain't the same..
How do you celebrate your Nat Day?
Happy National Day,
Labels: author: ji inn, school and schooling, themed entries
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About Sundaescribbles
Hello there and welcome! Sundaescribbles is co-authored by 3 friends who love to write. Not only would we like to share our thoughts and ideas with one another, we also hope to entertain, inspire, and relate to our readers. Follow us on our journeys as we navigate this treacherous but wondrous new decade of our lives!Labels
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Ji Inn
Jean/Jeanie/Genie, a dreamer with an over-reactive heart
Ji Inn of all trades, mistress of none. Many things pique my interest but I haven't yet found my passion. I like both the arts and the sciences, and am open to everything in between and beyond. "Exploring" recently made its way into my list of hobbies.
If the thought of doing something scares me, that's when I know I have to do it. I believe in taking steps to better myself, in embracing challenges as a means of personal growth. This is a picture of me at Pulai Falls in Malaysia, taking risks and going out of my comfort zone. It turned out to be a marvelous place.
Madeleine
Mad/Maddie, studying in Perth, (falling) in love ♡This photo was captured while exploring the streets and alleys of Geraldton. I suppose it shows my enthusiasm for treading a different path and discovering the unexpected. And taking pictures with adorable graffiti. With obscene/ funny gestures (take your pick and we could either remain strangers or become friends).
On a less seemingly-nonsensical note, I love listening to marginalised voices narrating the other side of the story. (Which is why Wicked is one of my favourite musicals and my second major is Anthropology.) It opens my eyes, blows my mind, and captures my heart. Tell me your story and you might find yourself holding onto a piece of my heart.
Stella
Stella, Christian, writer, 20-year-old idealist
I like pretty photos and inspirational quotes. Words are my favourite way of communication - be it reading, writing or good conversations with people. This picture was taken at the old Bukit Timah railway. I guess it signifies journeys, and standing at the start of them. My favourite Disney song in Sec 3 was "At the Beginning" from Anastasia (a movie I love).
I have very few pictures with just me (I prefer being behind the camera haha or taking it with a friend). The little things can make my day - a smile, note or hug. You can read more on my blog at faithinbuilding.wordpress.com!