College life can be a lot of fun but there are college and university exams that need to be taken. Unless you are the type of student who can sail through college and university exams with little or no effort, you're going to have to spend time studying hard in order to pass them. The stressful situations that college exams bring can hold you back if you do not learn how to handle it in a health manner.
You obviously must study before taking your university exams and you should make an effort to review all of the material that was covered in classes thoroughly. Many students get so anxious and worked up that they actually make themselves sick with worry and stress and are unable to recall the information that they studied. Does this sound familiar? If so, you need to find a way to help you relax or you may very well find yourself failing courses.
The sooner you can start preparing for your college exams, the better chance you'll have at scoring high marks. This may sound obvious, but with all the distractions that come along with college life, it can be easy to put off studying until the last minute. Doing this will cause a lot of unnecessary pressure and you're not going to help yourself if you approach your college course preparation this way.
You also need to make sure that you have a study schedule laid out when you're getting ready to take an exam. Lay out a schedule of the material you are going to study and follow the plan. Many college and university students don't remember to build ample rest time into their study plan and end up being too tired to accomplish anything effectively. The best way to prepare for college testing is in short sessions so that you're able to absorb all of the material.
Make sure you get enough sleep and eat properly. If you're not healthy and alert you are going to find your exams much more difficult then they would've been if you had taken proper care of yourself.
At the end of the day, your college examinations are important but they aren't worth making yourself sick over. If you find yourself becoming overly anxious about taking those college exams, consider getting in contact with a tutor who may be able to give you some additional help as needed.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Graduating from University
After all the late night partying of university, what is the one major hang over that most students are complaining about when its all over and they’ve graduated? The answer is student debt. Student debt levels continue to rise every year as banks and other lenders throw more and more credit their way while they are still studying. It seems as if the banks have plenty of faith in graduates being able to pay back the loans, and most graduates would confirm this. What is causing graduates stress is not toe overall levels of debt they have racked up while studying, which still averages under £15,000, but the fact that they have to pay such a high proportion of their new wages in debt servicing.
Graduation and the start of your working life are supposed to be a time of relative prosperity and the privations and economies of the student years should finally be over. However, more and more graduates are reporting that they have to pay so much in loan repayments that they are just as badly off as when they are students.
For example, a huge proportion of student debt is made up of government sponsored student loans, which come from the Student Loan Company. The repayment rules for these loans are quite lenient. Beginning in the April after you graduate, 9% of all your earnings above £15,000 will be taken to repay the loans. The interest is also quite preferable.
While this seems to be a fairly gentle way of repaying student loans, it should be remembered that these not the only debts that students have. Student overdrafts of up to £2,000, which are interest free, are now fairly standard practice. Almost every student will be given one when they open a student bank account and it’s rare to find a student who hasn’t spent it all.
Then there are credit cards and store cards, which are increasingly easy to get your hands on. Add to this the expenses of moving home when you graduate, starting a new job, getting a new place to live, and its no wonder that most graduates feel every bit as financially constrained as when they were still studying.
There are graduate loans available however which can be used to ease your way into working life. These offer postponed repayment terms so you have some time before you have to start repaying them all. The interest rates are generally pretty favourable and combined with the repayment holiday, which might be up to two years from graduation, you can really ease your way into working life.
Graduation and the start of your working life are supposed to be a time of relative prosperity and the privations and economies of the student years should finally be over. However, more and more graduates are reporting that they have to pay so much in loan repayments that they are just as badly off as when they are students.
For example, a huge proportion of student debt is made up of government sponsored student loans, which come from the Student Loan Company. The repayment rules for these loans are quite lenient. Beginning in the April after you graduate, 9% of all your earnings above £15,000 will be taken to repay the loans. The interest is also quite preferable.
While this seems to be a fairly gentle way of repaying student loans, it should be remembered that these not the only debts that students have. Student overdrafts of up to £2,000, which are interest free, are now fairly standard practice. Almost every student will be given one when they open a student bank account and it’s rare to find a student who hasn’t spent it all.
Then there are credit cards and store cards, which are increasingly easy to get your hands on. Add to this the expenses of moving home when you graduate, starting a new job, getting a new place to live, and its no wonder that most graduates feel every bit as financially constrained as when they were still studying.
There are graduate loans available however which can be used to ease your way into working life. These offer postponed repayment terms so you have some time before you have to start repaying them all. The interest rates are generally pretty favourable and combined with the repayment holiday, which might be up to two years from graduation, you can really ease your way into working life.
20 Secrets To Surviving In Your First Semester At University or College
Arriving at university or college will be daunting for everyone. For many it may mean living away from the parental home for the first time, which on it’s own may be daunting enough. You will most likely have a hundred questions and a hundred fears; what will it be like? Can I cope with the workload? Will I be able to fit in? It may help to know that everyone will be feeling similar, though some may hide it better than others.
Invariably the vast majority of freshers will be pleasantly surprised. The University or College will be populated by a broad variety of people, from many walks of life with a diverse range of outlooks and opinions. Look beyond the initial confines of your college, house or dorm, the establishment will have many more people who will share similar interests to yourself. Some of the tips we have received from other students:
1. Meet as many people as you can, introduce yourself, smile and be confident. Everyone is in the same boat whether he or she appears to be or not.
2. Be yourself. Real friends will want to know you for who you are, warts and all!
3. Keep your opinions about others to yourself until you know whom you can trust
4. Take your washing to the laundry. Don’t save it all up to take back home to mum at the hols. She really won’t want five minging black bags to see to.
5. Have a good time
6. Join a few societies at first week fairs. If you’re not sure it’s for you but are interested take note of an e-mail/ contact address to get more details later. Its sometimes hard to find the right contacts later, it’s a big place.
7. Phone home and let your family know you’re all right, (even if you don’t exactly feel it). They’re probably more worried than you are.
8. Everyone feels at least a little homesick at first, and worried or just on a down. Talk to new friends you feel you can trust, and maybe write/call friends at home.
9. You’re at Uni for a few years, make the most of it, it’s over before you know it. Then you’ll miss the freedom and long holidays.
10. Keep in touch with family and friends at home, e-mail is easiest.
11. Don’t hang round with one little group ignoring everyone else. You’ll miss out on the chance of making other good friends as well.
12. Seriously don’t be careless with your money - it is the little extras here and there that have a way of quickly draining your bank account!
13. Don’t let peer pressure turn you into a beer-monster; you don’t have to drink all the time. If friends have a problem with you ordering soft drinks when you want, they’re probably not the friends you need. Drinking soft drinks is easier on the pocket, not to mention healthier.
14. Beer sessions.. It's a good idea to leave the beer until the weekend when you haven't got to worry as much about getting it together the next day.
15. Don't let everything get bottled up. Talk to somebody, family and friends or a student help line. Being away from home, especially for the first time can make you feel well lonely and lost. Talking about it usually puts everything into perspective.
16. Cooking. The curry house on the corner may do student specials. Take-away burgers may an easy option when you have a stack of work to do. But your money won't see you through the term. It really will be like throwing it away. Try cooking. Get a few basics in, salt, pepper, gravy mix, (goes with everything). If you’re house sharing, perhaps chip in. Veg stews are pretty easy, gut-filling and cheap, especially if you go to the veg shop. You’ll find a good cookbook worth the investment too. Ask the bookshop for one for the catering students course! It’ll have everything step by step.
17. When you’re going out for the night. Take just as much as you need, or want to spend. It’s very easy to have a few more beers when you’ve already had a few.
18. Clubs and stuff, almost all charge a joining a fee or pay-as-you-go. They are excellent for meeting people, blowing off steam, getting invites, finding something to take your mind off your subjects for an hour or two. But they can have a scary impact on your pocket. Whilst you may want to try climbing, sky diving, hockey and archery, stick to a few you know you’ll like and will be able to keep up with. You won’t have time for all of them anyway.
19. Live your first year as best as you can, you’re only a fresher once.
20. The ''B'' word .. When you have a fat student loan in your bank balance, the easiest thing to do is spend it, it’s just sitting there itching to be used. Don’t. (Or starve) There’s this word you’ll know very well by the time you leave University ''Budget''. Plan ahead so you don’t end up with too much debt. Sit down and work out what you’ve got coming in, what has to go out, rent etc. If there’s anything left over divide that by how many weeks until the next cheque clears. Then half that; you will need panic money some way down the line. Remember there’s always stuff you’ll need that you don’t put in the budget, stuff you just overlook - shampoo, photocopying, and toothpaste.
Invariably the vast majority of freshers will be pleasantly surprised. The University or College will be populated by a broad variety of people, from many walks of life with a diverse range of outlooks and opinions. Look beyond the initial confines of your college, house or dorm, the establishment will have many more people who will share similar interests to yourself. Some of the tips we have received from other students:
1. Meet as many people as you can, introduce yourself, smile and be confident. Everyone is in the same boat whether he or she appears to be or not.
2. Be yourself. Real friends will want to know you for who you are, warts and all!
3. Keep your opinions about others to yourself until you know whom you can trust
4. Take your washing to the laundry. Don’t save it all up to take back home to mum at the hols. She really won’t want five minging black bags to see to.
5. Have a good time
6. Join a few societies at first week fairs. If you’re not sure it’s for you but are interested take note of an e-mail/ contact address to get more details later. Its sometimes hard to find the right contacts later, it’s a big place.
7. Phone home and let your family know you’re all right, (even if you don’t exactly feel it). They’re probably more worried than you are.
8. Everyone feels at least a little homesick at first, and worried or just on a down. Talk to new friends you feel you can trust, and maybe write/call friends at home.
9. You’re at Uni for a few years, make the most of it, it’s over before you know it. Then you’ll miss the freedom and long holidays.
10. Keep in touch with family and friends at home, e-mail is easiest.
11. Don’t hang round with one little group ignoring everyone else. You’ll miss out on the chance of making other good friends as well.
12. Seriously don’t be careless with your money - it is the little extras here and there that have a way of quickly draining your bank account!
13. Don’t let peer pressure turn you into a beer-monster; you don’t have to drink all the time. If friends have a problem with you ordering soft drinks when you want, they’re probably not the friends you need. Drinking soft drinks is easier on the pocket, not to mention healthier.
14. Beer sessions.. It's a good idea to leave the beer until the weekend when you haven't got to worry as much about getting it together the next day.
15. Don't let everything get bottled up. Talk to somebody, family and friends or a student help line. Being away from home, especially for the first time can make you feel well lonely and lost. Talking about it usually puts everything into perspective.
16. Cooking. The curry house on the corner may do student specials. Take-away burgers may an easy option when you have a stack of work to do. But your money won't see you through the term. It really will be like throwing it away. Try cooking. Get a few basics in, salt, pepper, gravy mix, (goes with everything). If you’re house sharing, perhaps chip in. Veg stews are pretty easy, gut-filling and cheap, especially if you go to the veg shop. You’ll find a good cookbook worth the investment too. Ask the bookshop for one for the catering students course! It’ll have everything step by step.
17. When you’re going out for the night. Take just as much as you need, or want to spend. It’s very easy to have a few more beers when you’ve already had a few.
18. Clubs and stuff, almost all charge a joining a fee or pay-as-you-go. They are excellent for meeting people, blowing off steam, getting invites, finding something to take your mind off your subjects for an hour or two. But they can have a scary impact on your pocket. Whilst you may want to try climbing, sky diving, hockey and archery, stick to a few you know you’ll like and will be able to keep up with. You won’t have time for all of them anyway.
19. Live your first year as best as you can, you’re only a fresher once.
20. The ''B'' word .. When you have a fat student loan in your bank balance, the easiest thing to do is spend it, it’s just sitting there itching to be used. Don’t. (Or starve) There’s this word you’ll know very well by the time you leave University ''Budget''. Plan ahead so you don’t end up with too much debt. Sit down and work out what you’ve got coming in, what has to go out, rent etc. If there’s anything left over divide that by how many weeks until the next cheque clears. Then half that; you will need panic money some way down the line. Remember there’s always stuff you’ll need that you don’t put in the budget, stuff you just overlook - shampoo, photocopying, and toothpaste.
Good Grade Obsession
Colleges have been reviewing far too many applications recently that show students are addicted to getting good grades which means they are continuously sacrificing the time to figure out what extra-curricular activities interest them. These students are becoming more and more robotic in a greatly increasing competitive atmosphere. Although a student's academic career is the main focus of the applicants, the problem lies when the college has to figure out what to do when they have too many applicants with a grade point average of 3.8-4.0. There have been several circumstances where the student with the 4.0 does not get into the college and student with the lower grade point average does.
Of course colleges are looking for those students who can do well academically, but they also want their students to come with a certain energy towards innovation. They want their students to be able to contribute creatively and receive some sort of recognition eventually. Basically, colleges need those students who can go beyond expectation. They need the students who have a love in life beyond academics. They need students who can excel outside of the classroom; at sports, volunteer work, dancing, traveling, and the list goes on and on. These students also need to be able to present this in a 4-8 page college application. Now, how do you do this? How does one go about preparing for this task?
It is very important that a student do two things while also maintaining a good grade point average. They must have personal time to themselves to breathe and relax and they also have to commit to something that they love to do outside of the classroom. The students who stay committed to one activity for three years show a much stronger level of commitment and motivation than the student that who participates in twenty activities for a short period of time. However, the students who participate in two or more activities for two or more years show even more potential than those with only one.
When colleges get applications that show various extra-curricular activities with no connection to each other, they question them. Some of these applications will have all different kinds of activities like "one month volunteering at a homeless shelter, three months at a vet hospital, 6 months in dance lessons" etc. Although these applications are full of extra curricular activities, these students show questionable motivation and a lack of commitment. This may simply mean that the student participated in the activities for the sole purpose of filling up that page in the college application. Sometimes these assumptions are clarified in the student's essay but there are times when they are not and this does not look good for the applicant no matter what his or her grades are like.
Students should always keep in mind that colleges want those students who can think critically. They want the student who can pursue an idea, not the one who simply follows the rules and meets criteria. Colleges want the student who can think outside the box.
Of course colleges are looking for those students who can do well academically, but they also want their students to come with a certain energy towards innovation. They want their students to be able to contribute creatively and receive some sort of recognition eventually. Basically, colleges need those students who can go beyond expectation. They need the students who have a love in life beyond academics. They need students who can excel outside of the classroom; at sports, volunteer work, dancing, traveling, and the list goes on and on. These students also need to be able to present this in a 4-8 page college application. Now, how do you do this? How does one go about preparing for this task?
It is very important that a student do two things while also maintaining a good grade point average. They must have personal time to themselves to breathe and relax and they also have to commit to something that they love to do outside of the classroom. The students who stay committed to one activity for three years show a much stronger level of commitment and motivation than the student that who participates in twenty activities for a short period of time. However, the students who participate in two or more activities for two or more years show even more potential than those with only one.
When colleges get applications that show various extra-curricular activities with no connection to each other, they question them. Some of these applications will have all different kinds of activities like "one month volunteering at a homeless shelter, three months at a vet hospital, 6 months in dance lessons" etc. Although these applications are full of extra curricular activities, these students show questionable motivation and a lack of commitment. This may simply mean that the student participated in the activities for the sole purpose of filling up that page in the college application. Sometimes these assumptions are clarified in the student's essay but there are times when they are not and this does not look good for the applicant no matter what his or her grades are like.
Students should always keep in mind that colleges want those students who can think critically. They want the student who can pursue an idea, not the one who simply follows the rules and meets criteria. Colleges want the student who can think outside the box.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)