Making The Best Of Your Time At University
They often say that university is the best time of your life, but in reality its not the act of going to university itself that can make that be the best time of your life but its more about how you actually spend those years of your life and what you make out of it.
For this reason I wanted to take the time today to give you some advice if you are a student, for how to really take the most advantage of your years spent at university and how to best use those years not only for setting up a good foundation for the further years of your life but also how to make it as enjoyable and memorable of an experience as possible.
Hope you enjoy this one :)
My intention: Give you some practical advice on how I think you can ensure that your years at university are spent well and will be remembered well :)
MAXIMISING YOUR TIME AT UNIVERSITY
Taking Advantage of Freshers Week
If your university organizes a freshers week, it can be extremely beneficial to attend. It not only makes it easier to assimilate into your new environment by meeting people right from the start but also provides a direct opportunity to ask questions and familiarize yourself with the layout of your academic surroundings.
Introducing Yourself to New People
Often, the only thing stopping you from making new friends is the reluctance or fear of taking the first step to introduce yourself to someone new. By overcoming that hesitation, you might forge a valuable friendship that could last for years. If you don’t try, you’ll never know what could happen.
Learning How to Study Effectively
As a student, learning and studying will occupy a significant portion of your time. By investing in learning how to study efficiently, you can master a crucial life skill that will make learning more enjoyable and effective. You will not only manage your time better but also ensure that you retain previously learned information, making the entire process more productive.
Saying Yes to More Things
University is a time full of unique opportunities and experiences. To make the most of it, stay open to new possibilities by saying "yes" more often. By being open to new experiences, you’ll meet new people, have more fun, and create valuable memories and friendships that can last a lifetime.
Establishing Good Relationships with Your Tutors
Building good relationships with your tutors and professors can benefit you in many ways. Showing interest in their work or enjoying their teaching style not only creates an enjoyable rapport but also opens the door to new opportunities, like receiving valuable contacts or being introduced to useful information or resources.
Being Open to Traveling or Studying Abroad
During your time as a student, you may receive opportunities for studying abroad, internships, or travel. Even if you aren’t initially interested, give them some thought. These experiences often provide invaluable learning opportunities and expose you to new cultures and experiences that are priceless.
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
Stepping out of your comfort zone is important at all stages of life, but it’s particularly essential during your university years. These formative years are when you’re often at your most agile, active, and healthy, making it the ideal time to push your boundaries and accelerate your personal growth.
Attending Career Weeks
If your university organizes career weeks or other career-related events, consider attending them. They offer a glimpse into potential career paths and give you the chance to meet insightful people and learn about the skills and qualifications needed for different professions.
Joining a Society
Joining a society can be a great way to develop a hobby, contribute to a cause, or meet new people. Especially for first-year students, societies can be an excellent way to integrate into university life, expand your social circle, and gain valuable experiences.
Speaking Up and Asking Questions
One of your main objectives as a student is to learn as much as possible. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, whether they are related to your studies or general life inquiries. Chances are, if you have a question, others do too, and it can create a shared learning experience. Asking questions costs nothing but can provide invaluable insights.
Taking on Leadership Roles
University is a great time to develop your leadership skills. Whether through clubs, organizations, or projects, learning how to lead, motivate, and coordinate groups can be immensely valuable in your future career. When given the opportunity to take charge, embrace it as a chance to grow and learn.
The social guide to university: making friends and keeping them for long term
INTRODUCTION
Making friends at university can be both exciting and intimidating. For many students, university represents a fresh start—an opportunity to meet new people, expand social circles, and create meaningful connections that can last a lifetime. But on the other hand, it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed in such a large, diverse environment.
In this post, we'll explore practical strategies to help you make more friends during your time at university and explain why building these relationships is crucial not only for your social life but also for your academic success and overall well-being. From boosting your confidence to creating a support network, the friendships you form during this time can shape your entire university experience, not to mention that you can gain life long friends during this process.
My intention: Today I want to give you 15 useful tips on how to find making friends at university an easier and more enjoyable experience as well as how to maintain these friends in the long run
15 WAYS OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS AT UNIVERSITY
Engage with classmates: When you start a course at university, make an effort to talk to others in the same classes. You'll likely see them regularly, so why not take the opportunity to get to know them better?
Study in communal spaces: Studying in public areas of your school is a great way to meet new people. Many students are there to either socialize or study, providing plenty of chances to strike up a conversation and perhaps even collaborate on schoolwork.
Join student organizations: If you’re new to university, consider joining a club or society. It’s a great way to meet people with shared interests and learn more about how the university functions.
Volunteer: Volunteering is another excellent way to meet like-minded people while working together on meaningful projects, even if it’s not something everyone is initially drawn to.
Attend classes regularly: Going to your classes and lectures isn’t just beneficial academically but also offers a chance to meet peers and form friendships.
Participate in school events: Take advantage of any events or social gatherings organized by your school. These are great opportunities to meet new people and broaden your social circle.
Connect with dorm mates: If you're living in a dorm, take the time to get to know the people on your floor or in your building. You never know who you might meet or the friendships you could form.
Attend Freshers' Week: If your university has a Freshers' Week, make the most of it! It’s a fantastic way to get acquainted with your university, socialize, and meet new people early on.
Consider a part-time job: Working part-time, whether on or off campus, is not only a good way to gain work experience and earn money but also a great way to make new friends.
Join extracurricular activities: Participating in hobbies, clubs, or extracurriculars that match your interests can help you meet people with similar passions and form lasting friendships.
Be approachable: A simple smile and open body language can make a big difference. Many of us unintentionally look unapproachable by focusing on screens or not smiling. Make eye contact and stay present—it encourages others to start a conversation.
Hang out in common areas: University and dorm common areas offer excellent opportunities to meet others, so take advantage of these spaces to connect with fellow students.
Take the initiative: Sometimes, all it takes is for you to make the first move. Introduce yourself, ask someone to join an activity, or suggest meeting up. Even if they say no, many times people will be receptive and appreciate the invitation.
Say yes to social opportunities: Often, we miss social opportunities simply by turning them down. Be open to saying "yes" more often. While it’s important not to overextend yourself, being more receptive can help strengthen your social network.
Join or start a group chat: Being part of a group chat is a great way to stay informed about social events and gatherings. If one doesn’t exist, consider starting one yourself to create more opportunities for socializing.
HOW TO KEEP CLOSE TIES WITH YOUR FRIENDS AFTERWARDS
Accept that you can't be best friends with everyone: After university, it's important to identify who your closest friends are—the ones you trust and feel most comfortable with. These are the relationships you’ll want to prioritize and invest your time in. While you can maintain friendships with others, it’s natural that you won’t remain close to everyone in the long run, and that’s perfectly okay. People grow and change, and friendships evolve as part of that process.
Make time for your friends: Regularly catching up with your friends, whether weekly, monthly, or every few months, shows that you value the relationship. This could be through text messages, long phone calls, or meeting in person if possible. By making time for your friends, you demonstrate that you genuinely care about them, which in turn strengthens your bond.
Bond over shared interests: If you and your friend share common interests or hobbies, use them as a way to stay connected. Whether it’s scheduling a jog together if you're both into fitness, or attending a concert of an artist you both enjoy, engaging in mutual activities can deepen your connection and create lasting memories.
Be accountability partners: Friends can serve as excellent sources of accountability when working towards goals or trying to maintain positive habits. Whether it’s encouraging each other during tough times or pushing each other to stay consistent with a routine, having someone you trust for support can be invaluable.
Be fully present when you're together: Especially if you don’t see your friend often, it’s crucial to be fully present during your time together. Put away distractions like phones and really focus on enjoying quality time, creating a deeper connection and more meaningful memories.
Be an attentive listener: Beyond just spending time with your friends, active listening is key. Show genuine interest in what they’re sharing and engage thoughtfully in the conversation. This makes your friend feel heard and valued, strengthening your relationship.
Be your authentic self: Your friends value you for who you are, so it's important to always be your true self around them. Whether you’re spending time together or pursuing separate interests, maintaining your authenticity will help build stronger, more genuine connections.
Foster open and honest communication: Practicing open and honest conversations allows for greater trust and deeper connections. When you share vulnerably, you invite your friend to do the same, and this mutual openness strengthens the bond between you.
Optimize Your Studying: Best Study Methods And Tips That Really Work
As a student, you spend a lot of your time behind books, in classes, or just in general learning things and studying, which is exactly why it can be incredibly useful to look into how you can make your studying more efficient in order to get the most out of the time you spend studying.
Below I have compiled a couple of ideas, some advice on how to set up your study environment to ensure an organized and focused space, then going into the best study techniques as backed up by science and lastly finishing up with some additional practical advice on how to approach your studies in the best way.
I hope that for those of you who are still in school or studying something, this will be useful because who doesn't want to make sure that their time spent studying is being used effectively?
My intention: Present you with the best advice on how to set up your study environment, on how to approach your studies, and which study methods are actually scientifically proven to work best.
SETTING UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT
How successful your studiying will turn out to be, is largely dependant on the desing of your environment in which you study.
Here are some things to consider in terms of how to best arrnage your study space and also to ensure you will be well rested and be able to focus well:
Sleeping well: It goes without saying, but making the time to sleep well is absolutely essential for your studies. Try to aim for a good 8 hours of sleep each night and to try and get up at a decently early time to ensure that you are able to make proper use out of your day and better handle with whatever schedule changes may occur.
Removing all distractions: Distractions nowadays come in many forms, raging from digital notifications and sounds to distracting objects or activities within our field of view. So make sure that before you start studying or tackling a piece of work, to remove such objects or digital temptations o ensure that your focus can be at its peak.
Changing your study environment: For some people it works well to always be studying or working in the same envirment, but sometimes when you find yourself loosing focus or motivation to study, one of the best things can be to change your study scenry. Consider perhaps working in someplace new, like a library, a coworking space, a local cafe. Experiment what works for you and see in what environment, wether it be busy, noise or quiet, you work best in.
Stick with what environment works for you: Similarly, if you know that you always focus well in a certain environment, it makes a lot of sense to continue studying there and make the best use of it. Often why this happens is that through habitation, our brains become used to associating a certain environment with a specific function, such as studying., which means that as soon as we enter that environment, we automatically transition into a productive work mindset.
Noise environment: Some people study best when accompanied by music but sometimes, depending on the kind of material you are studying, that may not be the most effecitve approach, where sometimes silence really is the best choice or pehraps even nature based sounds such as waves or the rain could be helpful too. Once again, experimentation is improtant here so that you can figure out what sticks best for you.
Healthy snacks: Studying is energetically intensive for your brain, especially since you are asked to think and concentrate, so having some snacks on hand for during your studying or during your study breaks is very useful. Instead of opting for highly processed snacks of foods with a lot of refined sugars, opt for more natural varieties that will still provide you with ample energy but will not come with the unpleasant sugar crashes that are often associated with highly processed foods. Some examples of healthy snacks options include any piece of fruit, trail mix, a yoghurt mixes with your toppings of choice, a smoothie, dipping raw vegetables into dips such as humous or a nut butter paired with jam on a piece of bread
BEST STUDY METHODS
Active Recall and Retrieval Practice
Retrieval is the process of recalling information you've previously learned. It's an active process that requires effort and thought to remember specific information. By doing so, you strengthen the neural connections to that memory, making it easier to recall in the future. Retrieval methods are excellent for transferring information into your long-term memory and improving future recall.
Here are some ways to practice active recall:
Practice tests: Self-designed quizzes or online tests are great for assessing your understanding and recall of a topic.
Flashcards: These are physical or digital cards with a question on one side and the answer on the other. Try answering the question before checking the answer to test your recall.
Having A Revision Plan
Having a revision plan ensures you'll cover all tested materials in time without rushing. It keeps you on track by outlining what you'll study and when, making the whole process more efficient.
Revision plans are also super effective because they enable spaced repetition: reviewing specific content at scheduled intervals, such as every few days or on a set day each week. By revisiting the same material multiple times with gaps between reviews, you enhance retention even more than with active recall alone.
As your knowledge strengthens, the intervals between review sessions can gradually increase. This progressive spacing aligns with your improving retention, optimizing your study efficiency over time.
Summarizing Key Concepts And Ideas
This method, often referred to as "brain dumping," involves writing down everything you can remember about a specific topic after studying a set of materials.
It's helpful to formulate several subtopics within your larger topic to aid in the recall process. You'll likely be surprised by how much you can remember. Often, recalling one specific process, fact, or concept triggers the memory of related concepts, creating a domino effect. This technique is another example of active recall. First, you study the information, then close all your books or materials and use only your memory to recite the information you've learned.
Practice Teaching What You Learn
Once you feel confident with a piece of content and have a solid understanding of it, one of the best ways to further strengthen your grasp is to adopt the role of a teacher.
Try explaining what you've learned to someone else, whether they're familiar with the subject or completely new to it. In the latter case, it might be even more beneficial, as they'll likely ask additional questions. This process helps you expand your own understanding and adds depth to your knowledge.
Teaching what you know is highly beneficial because it encourages you to present the material in your own words and simplify complex concepts. This approach makes it easier for you to understand and grasp the essential elements of what you're studying and explaining.
The SQ3R Technique
The SQ3R technique is a revision method that enhances your reading comprehension and maximizes retention of the material you're studying. The name is an acronym for the five-step revision process:
Survey: Before diving into a larger text from a book, article, or textbook, skim through the sections to identify main headings, subheadings, images, and other standout features. This provides a structured framework for your study.
Question: For each identified section, formulate questions that relate to the chapter's content. Consider what you already know about the topic and what information you expect the section to provide or clarify.
Read: Go through each section while keeping your formulated questions in mind. Actively seek answers to these questions as you read the material.
Recite: After reading a section, recall the main points in your own words. Identify the key content and the questions you were able to answer.
Review: Once you've completed all sections of a chapter or longer piece of text, review the material you've gathered. Connect ideas between different sections and quiz yourself with short questions to test your understanding and recall of the content.
The Feyman technique
The Feynman technique revolves around explaining a study concept in the simplest way possible to someone else, particularly using your own words.
After explaining a concept, reflect on which parts you could have clarified or simplified further. Identify areas for improvement in your explanation. Avoid complex jargon and instead break down what you're studying into the simplest possible language. This approach enhances both your understanding and that of the person you're explaining it to.
The Leitner System
The Leitner system uses flashcards and spaced repetition to enhance your studies.
To begin, create a stack of flashcards and place them all in a box labeled "Box 1." Review the flashcards, moving correct ones to "Box 2" and keeping incorrect ones in Box 1. Repeat this process with Box 2, moving the correct cards to the next box.
Eventually, you'll have several boxes of flashcards. The box number determines your review frequency:
Box 1: Daily (least understood material)
Box 2: Every other day
Box 3: Every 4 days
Box 4: Every 9 days
Box 5: Every 2 weeks (best-understood material)
Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is practiced by many students as a revision technique since it allows you to connect many different concepts and pieces of information and to see how they overlap or link together. Essentially, it allows you to form a bigger picture of what you are learning and to summarize what you have learned in a concise manner.
Additionally, you can add further visual aids like diagrams or graphs to help with your retention and use color-coding or various written symbols to represent different things during your study process.
Exercising Before Studying
Getting in some movement before your studying helps with fighting fatigue and keeping your brain alert. Additionally, by reoxygenating your brain and blood, exercise is able to help with cognition and memory retention as well as reducing stress levels which makes it easier for you to remain calm and properly be able to process information and thus benefit more from your studying.
Additionally, exercise helps with enhancing your sleep quality which again helps with your memory retention and making you feel more rested and energized for the upcoming day.
Studying Before Bed
Some new research is coming out to show that it is more beneficial to study before going to sleep as opposed to studying in the morning. In some cases, this may be true because at night when you are sleeping, your brain is still going through the information you have taken in and processing it to make sense out of it. This makes it easier to recall this information at a later time and helps with consolidating the information into your long-term memory.
However, if you find that in the evenings you get too tired to properly study and be able to read and understand information, then studying in the morning will likely be more beneficial for you. Try both approaches and see which one works best for you.
EXTRA TIPS ON HOW TO APPROACH YOUR STUDIES
Now that you have your environment properly set up and are familiar with what are the best techniques for studying, I wanted to add in a couple of other important tips to help you make your studies both more enjoyable and more effective overall.
Prioritize your tasks: All of us have different things to do of varying difficulties and importance, so take a moment to consider everything you have to do in a day or week and rank it based on its difficulty, how long it will take you and how urgent it is to get done. Tasks that are both highest in priority, most difficult, and will take the longest to finish, are the ones that you should realistically tackle first and everything else can wait for after. Additionally, don’t try to aim to get a million different things done in one day, but even if you just get one or two really important things done in a day that is already a successful day.
Keeping organized: By keeping your study space organized both physically and digitally you will be able to focus much better as you will be distracted less in general and you will find it much easier to find exactly what you need for a given task and thus keep a clearer head during your work.
Taking regular breaks: To expect yourself to study for hours on end and to do so with a good degree of focus and productivity is very unrealistic. Instead, aim to take a break every 30-60 minutes of work in order to recharge and move your body or to talk to a colleague or friend. This will help you step back from your work and with that, gain a new perspective on it helping you to solve some issues which you had previously encountered. On this note, also take the opportunity to reward yourself when after finishing a successful unit of work or time spent focusing, such as calling up a friend, grabbing a snack, going out on a walk for some fresh air or just relaxing with some music or entertainment.
Studying with others: For some people it can work great, both as a source of motivation and accountability, to study together with other people. For others, this is not the best approach since it can often be too distracting or you just end up talking and not doing anything really productive with your time. So identify whether this is something that would work for your studies and see with what kinds of people you are able to work best with. In group scenarios, aim to help each other with your work and content, to quiz each other and go through areas of difficulty, along side keeping each other accountable with your time and intentions of the study session.
Pomodoro technique: This is a focus tool that is commonly used by people today where the purpose is to set yourself a timer for which you will focus, as for example 30 minutes, and then to afterward set a time for a 5-10 minute break. This method of working and focusing you then repeat over however many sessions you need or are able to focus on. During the time which your focus timer is running, really make an effort to commit to the content and to put away all potential distractions and obstacles to your focus to really make the best of the time you choose to spend studying
Ask for help and ask questions: During your studies and academic journey, you will inevitably encounter topics or concepts that perhaps are not directly clear or understandable to you, so in those instances, one of the best, albeit not easiest, things you can do is to make an effort to ask for help about whatever you are struggling with. This is not easy to do as it is not easiest to admit that you need help with something or that you don’t understand something fully, but it is 100x better than not asking and in the end still being confused about a piece of content.
Attending class when possible: On a similar note to the previous one, try to attend as many in-person classes and lectures as possible which will give you opportunities to ask any questions you may have or to discuss during class hours your findings or areas of concern with the material. Even if you find that you understand everything with the content and don’t really have anything urgent to ask, it is still helpful to come as someone else in the room might raise a question you didn't know you were also unfamiliar with or even better, you might be in the position to be able to help explain a concept to someone who perhaps struggles with a topic you understand well.
Avoid multitasking: This is another common piece of advice concerning any type of work really, where a lot of research has shown that by alternating between different kinds of work, we use up a lot more of our mental capacities since it takes us some time to get into a flow state once we switch tasks. Multitasking is not only energy-draining but inevitably also worsens our focus since we are scatting our attention over several different pieces of work which overall worsens the quality of our work. A better approach is to instead either approach each task one by one or to group your tasks in terms of how similar the kind of work is (batching) and to then do each task category one by one, again helping to keep your attention more concentrated.
Effective note taking: Taking effective notes is not an easy task since the best kind of note taking is when you intake a certain piece of information and rephrase it in your own way of understanding it and to then make a note of that. The point of note-taking isn't to copy-paste large chunks of text, all of which you may not even understand in the end, but to paraphrase a certain idea in terms of how it makes the most sense for you. Focus on making your notes concise and also draw out structures or ideas since pictures a great way for telling something in an efficient manner.
REFERENCES
Mozafaripour, S. (2024, June 7). How to study effectively? 10 Best study techniques | USAHS. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. https://www.usa.edu/blog/study-techniques/
Roell, K. (2018, October 18). 10 ways to maximize your study time. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/maximize-your-study-time-4016971
UNC-Chapel Hill Learning Center. (2024, February 19). Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder – Learning Center. Learning Center. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
Lparsons. (2023, November 8). Top 10 study tips to Study Like a Harvard Student - Harvard Summer School. Harvard Summer School. https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/
10 tips on how to study effectively. (n.d.). Victoria University, Australia. https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/study-space/10-tips-on-how-to-study-effectively
Your Guide To Setting Academic Goals As A Student
With the back to school season right around the corner, I thought it would be useful to spend some time reflecting on how to best set goals for yourself as a student, especially when it comes to your academic performance. Of course, everyone wants a good outcome in their academics, and setting functional and well-rounded goals are a great way to achieve that.
Of course, these guidelines can be applied to other kinds of goals you want to set such as for example your health goals or financial goals for yourself, but today I wanted to specifically highlight how to best set academic goals for yourself.
I hope you enjoy this one and that you find it useful in your own academic success :)
My intention today: Introduce to you a set of guidelines that you can use for setting up your own set of functional academic goals.
WHY SET GOALS ANYWAYS?
I know there is a lot of talk nowadays about setting goals so whats the big deal?
Well, the main advantage of setting goals is that it gives you something to shoot for and a general direction to head in. It provides you with a well-reasoned and realistic way of approaching something which you want to get better in.
Goals encourage you to focus better and as a result, because you know in which direction you are heading, you are able to make better decisions. Additionally, setting high-quality goals keeps you focused and highly motivated because you know what you are working towards but fundamentally, also why.
I also want to stress that I don’t think its best to be extremely fixated on purely your goals but the idea is more to keep them at the back of your mind while your main focus should be your journey and the process. The goal is there to merely inform you of what direction you are going in, but your process and daily effort are what is key and what will actually get you to that destination.
HOW TO SET GOALS AS A STUDENT
Determine What You Want To Get Better At
The first step concerning the creation of your academic goals concerns the “what”.
It is all about actually asking yourself which area or what specifically you want to get better at which directly links with what are your current areas of weakness. So spend a couple of minutes thinking about what is an area of perhaps your studies which you consider to not be so strong. Here it is important to realize that areas which we want to work on do not only have to strictly concern the content of what we study but could also very well have to do with our study-related habits or even lifestyle changes that we want to make that will help us out on our academic journey.
Another useful recommendation when deciding what area you want to work on is making the distinction between what is in your control and what falls outside that domain.
For example, perhaps the subject of chemistry is your weakest academic area so you would like to improve your understanding of it. In line with this, you might set a goal that goes along the lines of “I want my end-of-year chemistry exam grade to be X”, and while these kinds of destination-based goals are alright, it is better to set goals that are focused on the process and the daily input, such as “I would like to spend 20 minutes each day revising topic X for chemistry”. This is because in the latter example, we have much more control over our goal and in the first example, the goal that we get in the end is yes, partially in our control, but partially also dependent upon other external factors which we can’t really influence. So keep this in mind, when figuring out what specifically you would like to get better at
Finding Your Why
Once you know what area of weakness you want to work on, it is crucial to consider your why - why do you want to work on this specific area of weakness?
This reason is entirely your own and will form the basis of your motivation and drive to keep going in those times where it may get hard or difficult. Your why gives you a reason and a purpose for doing what you do and for wanting to go after the goals you want to reach. There is no right or wrong answer here remember, only what feels right to you.
Some examples of wanting to improve in an academic setting ay include opening up further studying or career-related options later on, to prove to yourself how much you are capable of or enhancing your growth as an individual.
Creating A Functional Plan
Now that you have identified your what and your why, it is time to consider the how factors, meaning how exactly do you plan on reaching your desired goals.
A plan is there to keep you organized in your goal attainment but to also keep you consistent and on track. It makes the process of reaching your goals much easier because you already have a written out plan that just has to be followed through instead of wasting more time and energy into deciding what you will do, how you will do it and when.
A plan in this case often comes in the form of a revision planner to keep you on track with your studies but it can also include other things such as lifestyle habits you want to do on a weekly basis that will help your academics out or creating a functional series of reminders to help keep you accountable with your plan.
What kind of plan you end up devising and coming up with to reach those goals that you set yourself is entirely up to you, you just want to make sure that in the process of creating such a plan, you are being both realistic with it and adding in some room for flexibility within your plan.
Following Your Plan
Now that you have devised a plan for how you are going to reach your goals, it is simply time to put it to the test.
Try following your plant to the best of your ability for a week or two and see if you have to make any changes to it. Is it too rigid? Have you stretched yourself out too thin? Is the method you have chosen to reach your goal not effective? How could you make it better?
In order to keep yourself both accountable and more motivated in the process of getting to your goals, it helps to track your progress or to want to improve on something together with a friend or group of friends which can help keep you accountable and on track. Alongside all of this, you always want to keep in the back of your mind why you are doing what you do to make sure you are still heading in the right direction.
Lastly, remember that it is all a trial and error and that life is not perfect at the end of the day so don’t be too hard on yourself if maybe if some days don’t go exactly the way you wanted or planned out for them to go. The goal is to just try your best and giving your best effort is already much more than enough. That is all that really matters in the end :)
Try out these steps and let me know about your experiences with them :)
Best Skills And Habits To Have As A Student
Back to school season is here which is why I have dedicated the month of October to exactly that: Helping you settle back in into a functional and enjoyable school routine and making sure that you both learn the most in this period and also make a lot of memories and fun of course.
As part of this larger theme, we will first begin today with exploring what are some of the best general skills and habits which students can have in empowering their academic lives as much as their personal lives and priorities because both are important.
For ease of understanding, I have divided these skills and habits into 5 separate categories, namely habits and skills benefiting you studies, your health, your finances a as student, your social life as well as your personal growth, which we cant neglect.
As a student myself, I hope that you are able to pull out something useful from todays topic and that as a student it is able to help you out during your years of studies
My intention today: Provide you with a practical and useful breakdown of the best skills and habits which you can work on building as a student to help you both in your studies and person life.
THE BEST SKILLS AND HABITS
CATEGORY 1: STUDIES
Following a revision plan
One way to make your revision as efficient as possible is to make a plan for how you aim to approach your studies, namely what you will be revising when, and for how long. This ensures that you have adequate time to cover all content and that you will be well prepared for when the exam comes around. Additionally, I would really recommend making an effort to revise even just a little bit every day because effort really does build up to results. It doesn't have to be a lot, but even just making an effort of 10–20 minutes of revising a topic you have previously covered can have a massive boost in your memory and retention of that knowledge which doesn't only help with preparing you for exams but helps you remember something for the rest of your life, not just school.
Revising with active recall
Active recall is the process or study method by which you actively test yourself on a piece of material by trying to remember and recall what the answer or solution to a certain question was. This is much more effective than just rereading a set of notes or highlighting because, in those instances, your brain isn't very actively involved in trying to remember information. So instead, approach your learning as a set of quiz questions to enhance your studies with.
Efficient note-taking
Often times the mistake we make while taking notes from class or reading materials is that we either simply write down too much or that we plainly copy and paste information which leaves us with barely remembering anything. Instead, try to first always inform yourself of what information will actually be tested and is absolutely crucial for you to know. Then for the actual note-taking, first reread a section of some literature and then extract the relevant parts and put it into your own words. It also helps to add in diagrams or visual representations since sometimes it is easier or more efficient to draw something than to explain it in words.
Fine-tune your focus
As a student when you have a lot going on in your life with different priorities and things asking for your time and energy, it is super important to be able to find periods of deep focus, especially when it comes to your studies. Identify in what kind of environment you work and focus best: is it a quiet room? A bustling coffee shop? Do you work best alone or study in groups? Is your best focus at night or is it in the morning? All of these things impact your ability to focus so play around a bit and see with what you are most productive.
Asking as many questions as possible
When you have the opportunity to ask something because you are curious about it or because there is something you don't understand about it, do it because you won't regret it. Maybe it will just be an interesting conversation with your professor but it might also open some other doors or opportunities you may previously didn't even foresee. Asking for help with something or admitting that maybe there is a topic you don't understand fully takes a lot of strength, but to be willing to step up and work on these weakness areas that you may have is one of the best skills to practice.
CATEGORY 2: HEALTH
Prioritizing good sleep
I know that sometimes, especially during your years spent as a student, it is hard to fit in consistent good quality sleep, but trying to make a regular effort of it can do wonders for your body and mind. Good sleep is absolutely essential for having proper energy the following day, in regulating your hormones, in helping your memory and also keeping your cardiovascular health in check among other things. I know that sometimes you just can't, sometimes you want to go out and party or stay up late with your friends which is totally understandable, but at least a couple days per week make an effort to sleep well.
Learning to cook
Learning to prepare some of your own meals as a student can both be very friendly towards your wallet but also towards your health since you have more control of what and how much you are eating. I know that it takes a bit more time and organization to fit in some cooking, but aim to have at least one meal prepared at home every day, whether it is a breakfast you enjoy in the morning or a satisfying and nutritious dinner you prepare later on in the day. Experiment with new recipes and ingredients, or try preparing a meal together with your friends to make it more fun.
Finding some sort of movement you enjoy
Keeping active is essential for our health but especially as a student, taking part in some form of exercise which you enjoy is both incredibly important for your health and well-being but also as a way of de-stressing and potentially socializing with your own friends or having some time for yourself. It doesn't matter what kind of movement you do, just let it be something you find enjoyable and that you can keep at least some level of consistency with.
Managing your stress levels
One of the best and vital skills that you practice as a student is to find ways of how to best deal with your stress, because there definitely will be periods of stress in your academic journey as well as later on in life. Some people de-stress through exercising as I mentioned above, some people do it by having a night out with their friends, or others do it by spending some time alone recharging or doing something they enjoy like doing something creative or reading. The choice is yours, the point is just that you find activities which relax you and that you can make use of them during any stressful periods.
Keeping your mental health in check
Sometimes throughout your studying journey, you will find moments that you struggle or that you need some support or assistance with something. In those moments it is crucial to be able to reach out to someone or some resource to be able to help yourself with what you are struggling with. Whether it is a conversation with a professor or a close friend on something that you don't understand or consulting with a parent or other resource for something that is worrying you. I acknowledge that it is not easy to ask for help about something but if it is costing you your happiness or other measures of wellbeing, then please do.
CATEGORY 3: PERSONAL GROWTH
Learning as much as you can
This applies especially while you are a student because it is literally your occupation to learn. However, the real goal is to actually never stop learning and to continuously approach life with the mindset of a student. Ask as many questions as interest you, educate yourself through books, videos, and podcasts, or attend lectures or class discussions. Pick up a new hobby or something you are interested in and you will see how much you will learn by doing something. Treat your ability to learn as a privilege and as something you get to do instead of it being something you have to do.
Keeping your hobbies around
Hobbies provide a great way to explore something else which you are interested in, to meet new people or as a method of de-stressing. There are many different kinds of hobbies, some active such as sports, some creative such as painting or drawing for example, or hobbies can even be something you enjoy from the activity itself such as reading or baking something sweet. Try to find some time every day or week to fit in some hobby or hobbies you enjoy and you will see how much more fulfillment you will add into your life.
Getting to know yourself
Your years spent as a student are some of the most vital and formative years of your life which will be a grounding for your life later on, such as what kind of career you want to pursue or what you enjoy doing with your time. So put some time aside each week to get to know yourself, namely, identifying what you value as a person, what your current priorities are, and what goals you are striving for are some great ways to start here.
Challenging yourself
Aim to challenge yourself every day or as frequently as possible because when you push yourself out of your comfort zone (even though it is hard or scary), is when you actually grow as a person and expand your limits of what you believe you are capable of doing. Identify what you spend most time doing each week or working on and for each of these activities, consider how you could challenge yourself to be 1% better by next week.
Cultivating a growth mindset
Without a doubt, there will be moments in our academic journey that we will feel discouraged, unmotivated or very judgmental of ourselves or feel that we are not enough, but the good news is that this can be overcome. A growth mindset is one which allows you to see your mistakes or setbacks as opportunities for you to learn and become better. Similarly, seeing other people succeed and win at something isn't an incentive for you to feel down about your own abilities or progress journey, but an opportunity for you to learn from them and have a person in your life by whom you are inspired. It is about a shift in perspective that enables you to overcome all sorts of personal obstacles you may be facing in a much more effective way.
CATEGORY 4: FINANCES
Budgeting and saving
Your years spent as a student are some of the best years to practice how to better handle and manage your money as well as for learning how to budget your expenses. Each month, depending on your income and average expenses, it's useful to determine budgets for how much you, for example, want to be spending on groceries, eating/drinking out, personal things, gifts, etc. This gives you a bit more peace of mind when it comes to your spending since you know how much you are able to spend instead of worrying whether you have gone over budget and then lost track of your spending.
Debt management
Some of us entering university do so by taking out a student loan which afterwards has to be paid back within a certain period of time. Depending on whether or not this applies to you, it is good for you to familiarize yourself with concepts such as interest rates applying to student loans for where you live and what are some methods now or later for how you could start making some money on the side to put towards repayment of these loans.
Smart spending
Nowadays there are many things in our environment that urge or invite us to spend our money alongside following trends and wanting to in general fit in with our friends or the world around us. To become smarter at spending your money, one way, as I discussed previously, is to learn about how to budget and save your money, but also to determine the reason why you want to buy what you want to buy. Is it because you are following a certain trend, because you want to fit in with your friends because you feel down or sad? Determine the reason and also consider whether you really need this item and will make good use out of it, instead of just impulsively buying whatever you like for no particular reason.
Financial literacy
The financial world around us is evolving every day, and with that, it is important to keep up with it. To begin with a better understanding of your finances and the financial institutions of this world, spend a little time each day or every week learning something new about this field. Perhaps check out a trustworthy website to explain to you how you can get a student credit card, educate yourself on student loans and scholarships, increase your knowledge of how to start investing your money when you are young, or even just learn new words when it comes to this domain. Every little piece of knowledge that you acquire can be of use here.
Investing
While it is true that the younger you start investing your money into some form of commodity, the larger your returns can be, it is also worthwhile to first consider how you will even approach such activity and to only experiment with as much money as you are also okay with potentially losing since there is always an element of risk involved here. This again comes to the element of learning and educating yourself on this topic before beginning, where nowadays you can find many videos or websites online to explain this to you or even diving into books, podcasts or webinars can be a great way of how to expand your understanding of this.
CATEGORY 5: SOCIAL
Making time for your friends
One of the best parts about your university experience or your time as a student in general, is the amount of opportunities you have to be able to make friends and meet new people, either through your academic institution, via any extracurricular activities you do or even just by going out and seeing who you meet. Having a close-knit group of friends or even just one close friend can have one of the biggest impacts on your well-being and happiness, so making an effort to introduce yourself to someone or to ask someone if they would like to do something together with you, can be one of the most worthwhile uses of your time.
Making time for your family
Of course the quality of time which you spend with your family can also not be underestimated, since they are usually the people who know you best and are there for you in times that you need support or someone to speak to. So in the case that you are studying somewhere away from you family, make an effort to keep in contact with them and to also make some time each month or year to spend time with them in person.
Keeping in touch with long-term friends
In my experience, especially when it comes to switching school environments or moving to a new country, there are of course moments for you to make new friends but it is also important to not neglect your past friends that you may have met in a previous stage of your life and if that friendship still resonates with you, to invest some time and energy into it. I am not saying that you have to keep in constant contact with everyone you meet, but with those people that you resonate with, staying in contact with them in the long term can be very worthwhile since you never know when your two paths might come together again in the future
Being a thoughtful friend
One of the qualities I admire most in friends and one which I also try to do a lot myself, is to be more of a thoughtful friend. For example when we try to surprise our friend for their birthday, when we make an effort to call or text them, or when we remember their favorite coffee order and get it for them. I really do believe that in the end, the accumulation of these small thoughtful actions can be extremely rewarding for ourselves and also for the person doing them, so it is a double sided win.
Finding moments to have fun and destress
Even though there most likely will be moments throughout your studies when you might be under pressure, nervous or stressed out about an exam, a project or a change in studying the location, it is key to be able to find moments in your day or week to de-stress yourself and to fit in moments for fun and leisure, however, those may look like to you. Oftentimes, we get so wrapped up in our own thoughts and heads that we make our problems appear bigger than they really are and end up spending so much energy stressing out about something that in the end wasn't that big of an issue after all but we just needed a change in our approach or mindset in it. So remember, to take things a little lighter and remember that no matter the situation, it will be okay and you will get through it.
How To: Revising For Final Exams
Exam season is right before the corner for most of us students, if we are not already fully in it, which is why for this month I wanted to focus on the topic of studying and what are the best ways of making revision material and remembering information.
This can be applicable to all of us, no matter wether we are still in school ourselves, as we learn new things all the time throughout our life, so being efficient at out learning is a skill that all of us can benefit from.
I have split this post into first listing some general advice about how to study - Methods and skills that aways stick - and then towards the end I touch upon the different types of revision methods there are and which ones are most effective in order to maximize your learning.
Wishing you happy reading ahead.
GENERAL ADVICE
1. Making a plan
Starting early: Cramming for your exams only really works for your short term memory, but learning should be something you do for your long term memory and retention.
Prioritization: Learn to prioritize which exams are coming up first (most important to revise for) and what topics would be best to revise for in that exam.
Why bother to make a plan: Planning allows you to space out your revision across several different days/weeks so that you do not feel overwhelmed and you are making sure that your brain does not forget the information by recalling it across different time periods.
Learning based on the syllabus: It is important to know what topics will be assessed on the exam and what kind of questions you can expect to find. The syllabus will help you identify these things, to make your revision most effective.
Making a revision time table: This is optional but quite a popular option, as having a timetable can keep you on track and keep you accountable, but may be hard to follow through for some.
2. Revision tips
Doing past examination papers: This is quite an obvious one, but by doing them, timing yourself and then correcting them you get a sense of what areas you still need to work on and where your strengths lie.
Identify specific areas of weakness: This should be done for each subject and preferably also for each chapter/ topic, so that we can really pin point what we need to work on .
Practice with specific topic questions: Challenge yourself with the topics that you struggle with. Try to identify what is challenging about it for you and how you can explain something in a more simple way.
Attend review sessions: This a great opportunity to ask some final questions or resolve some confusions before the exams, as well as get in additional practice in.
Staying focused: Everyone has a way by which they stay focused best. If you need help identifying some other methods of how to stay focused, I have written a previous post on the topic here.
3. Staying motivated
Identify things you are looking forward to: This is something that I personally do all the time, as it makes me have something to be excited about in the near future that keeps me pushing and most importantly keeps me motivated. I suggest making a list of those things and then keeping them in a visible place like on a sticky note on your computer, desk or wall or even having a digital note on your desktop.
Revision accountability partner: You might want to do this with another friend or classmate revising for their exams, as this way you both remind and keep each other motivated to stay on track with your revision.
Surround yourself with positivity: Positivity can come in the form of viewing positive media like inspiring posts, videos or even keeping up to date with people who inspire you. This again can help you get through dark times of stress, by allowing some positive light into your life.
Shifting your perspective about learning: Whenever you are learning something new or revision something you have already seen, I want you to shift your attention from memorizing information to actually understandingit. Understanding information means you can retain in for the long term and actually make use of that information, which makes studying that much more worth it.
Making studying as fun as possible for yourself: Some people would disagree about putting the words “studying” and “fun” in the same sentence, but as studying will likely require a large chunk of your time and energy, why not try to make the best of it and try to make it fun for yourself? When you are faced with something you do not like to revise for, ask yourself why is that and how can you change your approach to make it more fun. This small shift in perspective can be a compete game changer to your studies and life long learning.
Examples of how you can make it more fun: Using more diagrams or colors in your notes, alternating between handwritten and typed notes, using a presentation format that involved teaching, listening to appropriate music, studying in a different location or with a group of friends.
4. Taking care of yourself
Good sleep: Good sleep should in my opinion be first priority as sleep is greatly associated with having good energy levels during the day as well as increasing our memory retention of whatever we were learning. You can read more about the benefits of sleep here, as well as how to have better sleep yourself.
Taking breaks: Often underestimated, but just like everyone else, your body too needs breaks and rest from working, so if you feel yourself loosing concentration or becoming tired, take a break for some time. Get in some movement or perhaps even take a nap if you feel like you need some additional rest.
Go for some fresh air: Take some time, preferably every day to go outside a little bit and wake up your body with some fresh air as this will reenergize you and give some time for your brain to unplug itself temporarily.
Eating well: Do not underestimate the importance of eating well for your revision, which first means eating enough for your needs and secondly eating right (try avoiding too many junk foods and highly sugary foods). Try incorporating foods that will give you more long lasting energy such as whole-grains and fruit that contain more fibre and other essential nutrients.
When do you revise best?: Another underestimated aspect is finding out what time of the day you actually find you have the best focus and when is studying most effective for you? Is it in the morning, midday, some time in the afternoon or late into the evenings. Design your studying around these prime times, just make sure to get enough sleep :)
5. Other advice
Revising with other people: This may or may not work for you, but sometimes revising with other people around can make studying more fun and effective for you, as you can ask each other questions or collaborate on design some study resources.
Identifying a specific study spot: This spot can be at home, in school or even elsewhere, just the point is that you want your brain to start associating at specific spot with work and revising, so that it becomes easier for you to get into the zone of being focused.
Consider listening to music/ other sounds: Some people prefer to work in complete silence others may prefer all different type of music and some may like to listen to some nature based sounds. Find what works for you, and see if if listening to music gives you an extra boost with studying.
Staying organized: I believe that it is very useful to stay organized with various things such as files, handouts, and past papers, as staying organized with your things means that it becomes much more easier for you to access and find any things you may need, later on.
EFFECTIVE REVISION METHODS
You might have heard people say that Active recall is the most effective way to revise, so what is it actually all about?
What is it: Active recall is a method of recalling information in which you actively use your memory to remember a piece of information.
By recalling a piece of information, you strengthen that neural link in your brain that connects and stores the information, which makes it easier to remember and later access that information again.
While active recall may take more effort than just rereading your notes for example, it is most effective for your long term memory.
Examples of active recall for exam revision:
Doing past papers without having the mark scheme near
Testing your knowledge with flashcards
Explaining/ teaching a topic to someone else
Writing the topic down based on your memory (Can be on paper, a whiteboard or even electronic)
Summarizing a topic on a page or two from memory
INEFFECTIVE REVISION METHODS
I also wanted to include some revision methods that while being commonly used, are actually not that effective in consolidating knowledge based on memory studies. These types of methods usually only work for our short term memory, which makes them popular cramming methods.
But like I mentioned earlier, if we switch our perspective on learning from memorizing to understanding, we get to keep that knowledge forever, which means that it makes more sense for us to use active recall so that we can continue renewing that knowledge.
Examples of ineffective study methods:
Rereading notes
Highlighting too much
Cramming too much information at once (being overwhelmed)
FINAL WORDS
With this condensed guide I wanted to offer you the best advice and most effective methods when it comes to revising and learning information, so that you don't waste your time doing things that at the end of the day, don't really make anything worthwhile stick.
I hope that some of the things I have mentioned and talked about can help ease your feeling for any upcoming exams or challenges and that they fore mostly make you feel well prepared and confident, and help to incorporate the habit of learning as a life long activity.