Tag Archives: Study

The Numbers Game

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I often hear myself telling friends that university is a numbers game. Some weeks it is simply impossible to finish all the required readings and assignments. Often, we’re forced to choose one task over another.

The equations and ratios that are constantly swirling through my mind are migraine inducing. I am not a natural mathematician. I am always trying to figure out of which assignments will weigh more weigh more heavily towards my GPA, and which assignments I can afford to let fall below my normal standards.

For example, last week I had a midterm for a H1F class that was worth 10% of my grade in the class. On the same day I had a twelve page paper due for a Y1Y course that was worth 30% of my grade. Simply mathematics  proved that I designate more time for the essay than studying for the midterm. The morning of the midterm, I was just finishing up my essay, so I never had the opportunity to study for the midterm.

As I was writing this midterm, that I didn’t study for, I was mildly panicked that I would earn a mark in the 20-30% range. However, I somehow pulled off a B+. I’m not sure if this was just dumb luck or if it was because I always attend the lectures and tutorials for the class. I was able to work my way through the test in a jigsaw pattern, starting with the dates and events that I remembered from lecture and then guessing my way through the rest of the test.

In a perfect world I would have had time to write the paper and study for the test, but as the end of March approaches and time starts speeding away I think we are all finding ourselves in these situations. Don’t even get me started on the cruel reality of daylight savings time and how it has robbed me of a needed hour of schoolwork!

If you need to pick and choose between assignments and studying then make sure you’re picking the right item to concentrate on. It is easier to recover from a loss of 10% than a loss of 30%. Don’t forget that Y classes count more heavily towards your GPA than half classes and try to spend the most time on the assignments that matter most.

It really is a numbers game and understanding how to spread your efforts in the most pragmatic manner possible will save you time and stress!

Lori

 

From Spectating to Participating: the time to get involved is now

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With the first week of March now upon us, we students are entering that proverbial ‘crunch time’ of late nights, libraries, and fancy lattes to help us cope with it all.

And this year, more than most, seems to have a lot of stuff crammed into the final six to eight weeks of the semester.

In addition to the assignments, tests, and exams, this time of the year also features plenty of activity in the world of student life as many groups, clubs, and student organizations begin turnover processes, paving the way for next semester – starting September 2013. While you may feel that you don’t have much time to devote your awareness to anything other than your textbooks over the next few weeks, I implore you to keep an eye on the goings on in the student communities you are a part of, as the way in which these communities are shaping up at the end of this semester will have a very real impact on the way they look when classes resume six months from now — unless you’re a graduating student, of course. (If you’re in this boat you have plenty of bigger concerns to deal with………anyone looking to hire a Student Blogger, available for work immediately in early May?…Please?)

The elephant in the room being all this University of Toronto Students’ Union secession business that has been dominating student politics at the university as of late (for the seven of you interested in undergraduate student politics, that is). And while this issue is definitely an important one – especially as the consequences of all of this hullabaloo have yet to be borne out - this is not the only thing happening in student life right now that you should be concerned with.

Student communities take all shapes and sizes, from small college-based clubs to inter-campus wide student associations. What I hope to emphasize is that many of these organizations are holding elections/seeking membership for positions for the upcoming year and if you have ever thought about trying out for one of these positions, the time to do so is now. Don’t simply get caught up in being a spectator to everything going on around you. As cliche as it may sound, the four or five years you spend at the University of Toronto is short (trust me) and if you have ever considered the possibility of enhancing your undergraduate experience through some extra-curricular activity, now is the time to seek those position out.

I know first hand that this can be a daunting task for the uninitiated, but trust me: go for it. The first ‘major’ thing I did in the realm of student life involved running for an executive membership position on the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council at the end of my second year. I had dabbled a bit in Vic’s student life before then, but I was a relatively unknown candidate and was up against someone who had already been on the council previously and was a somewhat of a known entity around the Vic community. Needless to say I lost the election and while it definitely sucked I gained invaluable insights into how student life functioned at the college as well as had the opportunity to meet a number of people I would not have otherwise met. The experience of running, despite losing, no doubt played a factor in my attaining an elected position on the council in the following Fall election at the beginning of the new term. Leaving my comfort zone was, you’ll be surprised to hear, uncomfortable but the experience was essential in my personal growth (overcoming social anxieties) as well as integrating myself in a community I now have grown to love and adore. There is not a doubt in my mind that if I hadn’t run in that Spring 2010 VUSAC election you would not be reading this post right now.

The moral of the story is, I’m sure, quite obvious. You’ve heard it before but it is worth stating again: your experience as an undergraduate student is what you make it and oftentimes the best experiences in life involve a little risk. Students at the U of T have been known to complain that they experience a lack in communal-feeling with their peers and while this may be true the opportunities to remedy this feeling are out there; you just have to be willing to look.

It’s Crunch Time!

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It’s crunch time! I mean that literally because I have a twenty page paper due in a few days that is still in the midst of being born from my mind. I also mean that figuratively because during what has been a very painful three day essay writing marathon, I have been relieving my stress with crunchy food.

So I started on Friday night with carrots, a healthy option. These provided me with the crunch I was seeing and had the extra bonus of not messing up my writing space. This healthy option sustained my need for crunch for the night.

Saturday was required a snack with a crunch slightly more extreme crunch factor. This is why at 11pm on Saturday night instead of writing my essay I was searching through my storage room for my deep fryer. I found the fryer and proceeded to make these little wonders…

Beer battered onion rings my fellow students…mmmmmmmm! Admittedly not the healthiest of snack options, but with all that essay writing I deserved a treat. And also, onions are a vegetable…let’s justify it like that.

These are fast and easy to make…get an onion, slice it into ring and pop out the centre of the rings, in a bowl mix up some flour, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch and and then stir in a cup of your favorite beer. (If you don’t drink alcohol you can actually replace the beer with water.) Dip your onions in the batter and fry for 3 mins in oil warmed to 375 degrees.

So that was Saturday. On Sunday, i was feeling guilty for eating so many onion rings so I turned to another crunchy alternative that is a bot more healthy than onion rings. Toasted pita with eggplant dip.

The recipe for this is a bit more involved than the onion rings, so I’ll post the link here. This provided a low fat option that gave me the required saltiness and crunch that I was craving.

Three straight days of writing is exhausting. I don’t usually do this. I like to start my papers nice and early, but this term I simply ran out of time. Now I find myself scrambling to finish the list of assignments on my calendar that are all due next week.

I find taking a few minutes to eat something really good makes weekends like this not as bad. It’s a treat for every few pages I finish. It wards off sleep and lethargic writing.

If my tummy is happy then my brain usually works a lot better!

Happy writing people.

-Lori

 

Where did I put my dunce cap?

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Have you ever been told something and in that exact moment you are wondering how it is possible that you ever lacked this information. You wonder if you really did in fact know this information. You convince yourself that you must have been aware of this nugget of knowledge, even though you know deep down that you really had no clue.

I’ve been a student here at U of T for nearly four years. In that time I have been enrolled in approximately sixteen classes. Each of these classes, except for one,  was accessible via Portal. Just put this in you back pocket for a moment while I explain what it is I’m writing about.

Last week in one of my classes my Prof. led us to the library for a research seminar with a librarian. This is at least the tenth time I’ve attended  one of these seminars. I always enter the experience a little suspicious that there is anything about the journal search engines that I have not already been told. Yet, every time I am pleased to leave the seminar with a new skill in researching.

Last week, I was perhaps a little more short-tempered than usual…bogged down with essays and fast approaching mid-terms I really didn’t feel like attending another research seminar. I can humbly say that I am so happy that I went.

Mid-way through this particular research seminar the librarian mentioned the library resources tab on Blackboard. Remember a few lines ago I mentioned how many courses I’ve had on Blackboard…take that out of your back pocket and now integrate it I know this little tale.

Okay so I was like, “ya, I know that tab. It’s useless. It’s empty or it just takes you to the Library homepage.”

Ya. No.

Unbeknownst to me this tab is actually useful. How did I not know this?

It is possible that at some point in my first year I clicked on the Library resources tab for one of my courses and it was empty. It might even be possible that this tab wasn’t active on all my courses. Whatever the case I had no clue how very amazing the contents of this tab are.

Apparently, when a Prof sets up their course they are able to request customized course specific library sources under the Library Tools Tab.

I’m four years in people. I’ve spent four years fumbling through journal databases for specific subject content. I could have been using this tab for four years!

I felt like a fool. I really felt like the kid in the corner with the dunce cap!

Well live and learn…right? I don’t know how many of you out there in the U of T universe are aware of this function on Blackboard. If you are then, stop judging me and if you aren’t then you’re welcome. I’m not a statistician, but I can confidently confirm that this little tab has cut the time I spend researching by at least 25%.

So I implore you…go to Blackboard and click on this tab. If you have a proactive instructor he will have customized this tab for you.

Happy Essay writing people.

-Lori

Student Burn Out — Stressful Times Call For Simple Measures

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Most of us have days when we feel overloaded, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. When the dozen or so balls we keep in the air aren’t manageable. When dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. It’s called burn out. If the “lacklusterness” of school or my day-to-day routine lasts for over a month, I consider myself burnt out. But it helps in knowing that I’m not alone and that it’s not permanent. I’ve even found that it is possible to feel content and stimulated with a full course load! All it requires is a little bit of organization and a whole lot of motivation. Burn out may visit from time-to-time but it definitely doesn’t have to stay!

This school year, I have experienced greater levels of burnout than I normally do. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve entered my senior years of university and have to start making concrete decisions about the rest of my life or if it’s because the stress of the past several years has built to the point of overflowing. In any case, the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that I have felt the first few months of the academic year have rendered my problems insurmountable.

I suppose that the stress of managing 5 courses, 3 on-campus jobs, and a handful of personal and professional relationships was bound to take its toll sooner or later. This past semester, every day was a bad day. The negative effects of my burn out spilled into other aspects of my life. To top it off, I was sick with headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, body aches (you get the picture!) for most of the semester.

Thankfully, after several sessions of personal reflection, I’ve been able to reassess my priorities and regain my footing. When I finally accepted it for what it was, I decided to simplify my daily activities to regain control of them. I started taking regular breaks while studying. I stopped thinking about Tasks 3, 4, or 5 when I wasn’t even done Task 1. I changed what I ate to spice things up. And I wrote. I wrote down my frustrations on a piece of paper and read them out loud. Then I ripped up the piece of paper into as many pieces as I possibly could. I can’t describe how liberating it felt. And over time, the burnout faded away.

Since then, I’ve taken several steps to prevent another burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown:

1) Lately, I’ve been starting every day with a relaxing ritual. Rather than jumping out of bed the moment I wake up, I spend at least fifteen minutes every morning meditating, reading, or day dreaming. I’ve realized that stress-free mornings translate into stress-free days.

2) I’ve set boundaries, which has probably been one of the smartest things that I’ve done during my undergrad years. I’ve started to say “no” to requests that demand my time and willpower. Saying “no” to certain requests has allowed me to say “yes” to the tasks I truly want to accomplish.

3) I’ve resolved to take a daily break from technology. Once a day, for at least half an hour (better than nothing!), I completely disconnect – shut off my computer and turn off my phone. Somehow, I find it strangely comforting when I can’t be contacted for short periods of time.

Experiencing burn out, whether or not it’s full-blown, is a risk of being a student (especially at UofT!) Some months look bleaker than others and that’s okay. It’s important to remind ourselves, however, that the best part about burn out is that it’s temporary.

Stay healthy,

Ishita

The Next Step: Finding a Solution

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A couple of weeks ago, amidst my blurry week of examhaustion and essay-frenzy, I had hit the caffeine ceiling with my intake, and the results were far from pretty. After accepting the fact that it had become an issue, it was time to figure out how to fix it before Pike Place Roast became my permanent IV.

Baby steps involved not cutting caffeine out entirely, which had just placed me in a sleepy and grumpy funk for the whole day. I found it easiest to first eliminate drinking it into the night, preferably before the 4pm mark, and then tackle the quantity cup by cup until it was at a level of two to three cups max.

Believing or at least trying to believe that water and an apple could suffice instead was what it took to keep it down three and not an unlimited amount of cups. Sometimes, we all need a little placebo. When trying to push back my caffiene hours, I had relied on both of these things. (I’m pretty sure I’m on the dining hall’s most wanted fruit bandit list…but sometimes you’ve got to make use of your pockets!)

Breaking the habit was another thing I found that helped, but more specifically, replacing the habit. I had become so used to having something warm with me while I reviewed notes, that replacing that with decaffeinated tea helped my habituation.

The same goes with exercise. Since sweating it out for 30 minutes is more than likely to help you feel just as alert, and just as tired during the hours you should be asleep, it’s the perfect medium. Not to mention that getting your heart going everyday puts you in the same dapper mood that a cup of joe could, but without the shakes or nerves.

From the days of Frosh to the darker days of your upper years, you do hear all of the right kind of things to do. I for one feel like it’s practically drilled into me; 8 glasses of water a day, 30 minutes of exercise a day, 7-8 hours of sleep…and yet I rarely seem to follow any of it. Hm, second semester…challenge accepted.

-Vahini

Yoga Lovin’

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We’ve all heard about the benefits of Yoga. It’s been said that those who practice the ancient activity achieve greater flexibility and balance as they age, experience lower levels of stress, and are better able to relieve body aches and pains. Sounds like a worthwhile exercise regime to me. Unfortunately, if you’re anything like me, beginning Yoga can be intimidating, especially if you’re embarrassed by the current state of your body. Trying out those new poses in front of a whole class can be daunting. But it’s been an activity I’ve wanted to experience for a while.

Last week, I finally plucked up the courage to attend my first drop-in Yoga class (http://www.multifaith.utoronto.ca/Events-And-Programs/Basic-Meditation-and-Classes.htm).  I walked into the studio in my sweatpants and tank top, dreading the hour long session.  I positioned myself in the first row as our instructor took her spot on her mat. She asked her customary pre-class questions: “Does anyone have any injuries that I should know about?” and “Is anyone new to Yoga?”  I timidly raised my hand. The teacher welcomed me and then explained that I would be able to see more clearly if I sat further back. I did as I was asked and the class began. I sweated and struggled my way through most of the standing and balance poses. I was very relieved when we moved on to floor positions!

As the class progressed, I realized that I wasn’t the only person who believed she was the least flexible person in the room. Most of my classmates were just as self-conscious about their own abilities and I was able to take comfort in that.  Moreover, everyone was focused on themselves and their poses, not on me and mine! Besides, Yoga isn’t about having perfect flexibility.  It’s about forming the right alignment for each pose.  As my instructor said “It doesn’t matter if you can touch your toes or not.”  I was finally able to relax and find my Zen.

When the class was over, I approached the instructor and thanked her for help and patience. She gave me several follow-up tips and invited me to her next class. I walked out feeling extremely calm and accomplished!

All in all, it was a wonderful experience for me and I would recommend it to anyone who is contemplating it.  During my first Yoga experience, I learned several lessons for use in my next sessions (yes, I do intend to continue!).  First, Yoga isn’t a competition.  It’s important to listen to your body and rest when you need it.  I wish I had realized this from the get-go. Maybe then I wouldn’t be nursing sore shoulders, hips, and legs!  Second, look for clarification!  I noticed a few students asking the instructor for help with their alignments. Asking clarifying questions will help you get into the poses correctly and get more out of your practice.  Finally, don’t take the class too seriously! There is a mistaken notion that Yoga is a bland, humorless endeavor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that that isn’t the case. Yogis do laugh in their sessions!

Attending your first Yoga class can be a wonderful experience. From improved balance to increased mindfulness, you are sure to walk away with something positive. Keeping an open mind will ensure a smooth first practice. I hope you consider giving it a try!

Happy posing,

Ishita

I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD…actually I should probably study instead.

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When your eyeballs feel like they are about to dry up into prunes, and your legs are achy, and your wrists hurt, and you’ve finally finished that last paper of the term you should reward yourself. What do I do? Go to Disneyworld? No, I head to the local stationary store and purchase ten to twelve packs of index cards.

I’m serious. As my classmates bound joyfully out of these last lectures of the term, I wonder if they’ve forgotten that it ain’t over yet. While some of my friends possess the ability to deflate and distress after the last lecture of the term, I cannot. Not until the last period is dotted on the last essay of the last exam I write this term will I be able to relax.

When classes are finished, I start exam prep. I am militant about this process. I kind of scare myself sometimes. I have devised a method where all subjects can be studied via flashcards. I divide content into themes, timelines, places, etc. Whatever I think will help me to best write a frantic paper in 45 minutes.

I’ve never shared this information with anyone before…don’t tease me. It’s just how I effectively chunk course content. It might not work for everyone, but it’s the only way I study.

The process of making the flashcards is long and arduous.  Often times I find that by the time I’ve finished the process, I’ve already memorized a good portion of the content. For me, the process of rewording and condensing notes actually lodges the info into my memory. It’s not deliberate, it just happens. I can’t type the information out on one of those fancy flash card maker programs. I can’t remember anything I type.

I have not data to back up this claim, but I remember reading somewhere that the messier your writing is the easier it is to remember something you’ve read. I have horrible penmanship. It’s a hybrid of printing, cursive, and my own invented short hand. It is indecipherable by most others and often I have trouble figuring out what my notes say. When I force myself to go through all my messy notes and create these beautiful little flashcards in neat handwriting, some form of memorization takes place.

Once I have all my flashcards finished for a class, I start memorizing them, removing the ones I memorize as I go along. Usually within a few hours,  I can get through a stack of 100-150 cards. I do this for a few days leading up to the exam.  I only spend twenty minutes or so at a time going through the cards…so I don’t start to gap out!

There’s lots of different types of index cards out there! My enthusiasm about this matter depresses me in some way. Regardless, there are so many options. Last April I found spiral bound index cards. One word people, REVOUTIONARY! No more lost cards, no more cards out of sequence (this matters to me for studying).  My card of choice this exam period, the Cadillac of index cards, the spiral bound double sided lined…sweet.

Now when I walk into the exam venue and pull out my mountain of flashcards, most people look at me as if I am a deranged over achiever. Let me assure you I am not.

Here’s the thing: this method works for me. It’s a hellish process, but it gives me consistently good results.  Find your own method or try mine, I don’t mind. The point is that you need a plan. Mine is insane, but it’s mine. Yours might be reading through notes, rewriting notes, meeting in a study group. I think the worst thing you can do when preparing for an exam is nothing.

-Lori

 

The First Step: Acceptance

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While I’ve always enjoyed coffee, lately it’s become an unfortunate life-force, as I’ve quickly discovered I am not the 0.1% of the sturobotdent population that doesn’t need to sleep. This shouldn’t be surprising considering the only all nighter I’ve pulled to date was for the royal wedding, and I had opted for coffee’s more bubbly companion to help me trek through. Missing sleep is hard to do, and lately it seems the only way to makeup for all of the hours I need is through a coffee every few hours. The enjoyment has now shifted into a full fledged dependency. My name is Vahini, and I am addicted to the bean.

Caffeine withdrawal is a real thing, and not just because mednet said so when I anxiously googled between shivers and groggy eyes. When I cut it cold turkey, it ended up being the worst of days, as I was falling asleep on the hour every hour, and incredibly cranky, and an anxious mess. And not the end of the semester kind of anxiety, this was inexplainable, at least until I had figured (or rather stopped denying) that the amount of Joe I was consuming and then suddenly not consuming must have sent my body into a weird shock.I also couldn’t sleep, even though my eyes wanted to for the entire day - the cruellest of consequences. And I was starting to feel sick.

The worst part was, this was only coffee I was dealing with, and I had simply assumed that as a longtime coffee consumer, I wouldn’t be affected by the symptons of withdrawal.  While I’m still unfortunately depending on coffee – public service announcers everywhere are shaking their heads at me, I know- as soon as the semester is over, I’m definitely going to reduce my intake to the suggest 300mg of caffeine max…I hope. Otherwise, this cannot end well, but the first step is admitting you have a problem right? (The solution to which I am still on the hunt for).

-Vahini

 

 

Tech Trouble: Error Messages, Computer Crashes, and Corrupted Files

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I had an assignment due last Friday that reminded me how horrible I am at solving tech troubles. My Word file wouldn’t open, my USB key wouldn’t mount, and my printer ran out of ink. I spent the night moving between my laptop and desktop computers, rewriting portions of my essay. By the time I completed, printed, and stapled my assignment, my hair was in disarray and my attitude was sour.

Let me just say that I don’t consider myself a particularly tech-savvy individual. I can do the basics, of course. E-mail, MS Office, and surfing the net aren’t an issue!  But I’m not very good at dealing with anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, that includes error messages, computer crashes, and corrupted files. And lately, I’ve been experiencing a lot more of all that than I would like.

I always seem to fight my battles with technology when I’m short on energy, patience and time. And while I’m sure that poor time management skills contribute to half of my technical woes, I’m convinced that computer trouble is an inevitable and undesirable part of our incredibly high-tech society. That being said, I figured I’d share a few tips to prevent tech troubles from rearing their ugly head.

ALWAYS unplug your USB key safely. You may have realized that most computers are constantly warning you about disconnecting flash drives without ejecting. While those reminders can be unbelievably annoying, they are in place for your own benefit! Yanking out a drive while your computer is performing complicated actions in the background could easily corrupt your files (trust me, I know). There’s no reason not to eject your drives, and doing so will keep your data uber-safe.

Use online storage (as well as a USB key) to back-up your files. Many students use USB keys to store and backup their personal files. The problem is that USB keys (and the files on them!) can be lost, damaged, or corrupted.  A great alternative to a USB drive is using online storage services to backup and share your files, photos, and music. You can even get some of these services, like Dropbox, for free so there’s absolutely nothing to lose!

Turn off your computer at night.  I’m extremely guilty of leaving my computer turned on throughout the night. But shutting it down has more advantages than leaving it on. Doing so will save energy costs, for one. On top of that, it’ll ensure that your computer systems aren’t unnecessarily overworked. And that’s good news for you and your files!

Use a reliable anti-virus program. Unfortunately, just because you don’t open suspicious attachments on your email messages doesn’t mean that your computer is fully immune to virus infections. To protect your data, install and update a dependable anti-virus and Firewall program (http://antivirus.utoronto.ca/). Doing so will prevent access to harmful websites and wave hackers off your computer, protecting your data from corruption.

Upgrade your systems! Following up on system updates is stress free, automatic, and completely free.

I’m sure we’ve all had computer or printer problems at some point in our academic careers. If you have any tips on preventing data loss, please share them! I can use all the help I can get!

Till next time,

Ishita