Lana

18.4.18 // Something New

Here’s a very different photo to ones that I have posted before on here! I’m already setting up my Mossery academic planner for 2018/2019!

April 22, 2018

I spent 5 hours writing lab reports today lol rip in pieces

Also lab is fun because I’m the last person on the alphabetized roster and we have an uneven number of people in my section, so that means I get an entire fume hood all to myself! Less bumping into people, more space to lay out all the equipment, no need to take turns doing things—so many perks wow

Start early. it may seem like it is waaayy to early to start. but here’s the thing: it is never too late to start studying for an exam, so start early and start now

Make a revision guide. List all the crucial things you absolutely have to revise for. If your teacher gives you a guide, ditch it. You know more than anyone what you need to work on.

Focus on what you don’t know. I know its more comfortable doing things you already know, it gives you a nice ego boost, but the other things won’t learn themselves. i repeat: focus on what you DON’T know.

Which means study by priority. Study what you need the most help on. Do not go in order. You will run out of time to study things you actually need help on. So please don’t.

Mindmaps. These are good for subjects like history and the sciences. It is much easier to see all your notes on one page. So do yourself a favor and convert your notes into mindmaps.

Flashcards. After mindmaps comes flashcards. How I study is by first taking notes, then making a mindmap, and then putting the information into flashcards (I might make a post ;)). They don’t always work for essay based subjects so beware. But remember: flashcards only work if you frequently review them.

Past papers. These are your friends. Seriously. If you do past papers, they will help a LOT. This gives you an idea of how the real exam will be. They will mostly come in the same format, so it will help you be familiar with the layout of the papers.

Specifications. Don’t just get all your info from study guides. Most of the time they leave out some information. See what exam board you’re doing and find the spec. Try to use that as a checklist.

Ask for help. Your teachers are there to help. If you’re struggling, ask for help. See if there are extra classes. Check if your teacher can tutor you if they have time (my teacher did). Seriously. Ask. Its for your benefit.

Avoid burnout. Don’t just focus on one topic/subject. Switch it up to avoid burnout and remember to take breaks. You can’t put all the information in your brain in one go. Take care of yourself.

Wake up early : Running late isn’t cool. Wake up at a reasonable hour so that you have time to get ready,eat a healthy breakfast,exersice etc.

Make your bed : You should start your day by doing something productive. Something that ‘’gets you going’’ . Making your bed is a great option.

Try yoga/meditation : Take some time to reflect and de-stress. You can do this by trying yoga and/or meditation. There are several yoga ‘’flows’’ in pinterest and great meditation apps to try out! 

Gratitude Journal : Happiness is about wanting the things that you already have. Take some time of your morning to write down the blessings that you’re grateful for. Learn to count the small wins in life.

Plan / visualize : Write down a simple to-do list with all the tasks that you want to finish that day. Visualize your short or long - term goals. Whether they are monthly or yearly goals. Remind yourself what you are working towards.

Affirmations : It could be just a simple phrase like ‘ I am powerful ‘ or ‘ I am healthy’. Affirmations are those little (or long) phrases of positivity (like mantras ) in present tense that motivate you throughout the day.

Breakfast : I MUST include this to the list.Make yourself a nice breakfast. Don’t have to be big just something healthy. It is the most important meal of the day. Don’t skip it!! 

Take care of yourself : Do your hair,put on some comfy clothes that make you confident or out on makeup if you feel like it. Other acts of selfcare can be : taking a shower, having a skincare routine, brushing your teeth. 

I think it’s time to share with you what I actually do when I study. Here’s a list (non-exhaustive) of the main tools I use before an exam. Enjoy! 

I read my notes consciously, then I hide them and try to write down everything I remember. Then I’ll take my notes again, and look for what’s missing. Not only it permits me to see what I still don’t know, but it also consolidates what I already know. This one really works if you have to learn pathways, key concepts, etc. Re-write as it comes to your mind, make a mind-map, use arrows, etc.

Once I identified what I don’t know, I’ll just put a mark on my notes, so I know that this specific part needs to be more reviewed.

When I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to review, I’ll just divide it into sections and create a study plan! 99% of the time, this makes me realize that it’s not that terrible and I can get through this! I feel much better then!

The Forest App. I don’t use it systematically but it really helps me keeping distractions away (AKA my phone) and in the end, I can have a little peek view of my study session!

Whenever I’m reading something important that I know I won’t automatically remember, I write it down on a piece of paper. Indeed, I always use a bloc-notes when studying, so I just write down important points. By doing this, I become more active when learning and actually remember better! And sometimes I keep those pieces of paper so I can re-read them just before the exam.

I try to stick to a memorization routine. For example, if it’s the first time I read a specific topic that I have to memorize, I’ll re-read it 3 days after, then again a week after, then 10 days after, etc. This is the best way to memorize: « repetitio est mater studiorum » as my anatomy teacher says.

When reading your notes, always try to think about what could be the possible questions that are “exam askable”.

If you have any specific topics to learn about the same main subject, try to summarize each topic on only one paper sheet. It’s been proven that we tend to memorize more when we see the information only on one paper than many. For example, I’m currently preparing my microbiology exam, so I did a sheet for each virus or bacteria and put them in plastic sleeves and store them in a binder. By doing this, I’ll be able to re-read them all the days before the exam and retain the most important information! 

The textbook is cool, but sometimes I’m in a rush and summaries made from previous years students will do the job. Of course, I make sure there’re no mistakes inside. And it can actually help with difficult subjects. 

I only use flash cards for vocabulary (my dear Spanish!) or pharmacology. They are the PERFECT way to memorize some things by heart!

I multitask intelligently. For example, when I workout I listen to audiobooks or watch medical-related videos on youtube while walking on the treadmill