Exams, revision and self-development.

YO HOMIES!

[I swear London brings out my inner ghetto child]

It’s been a while since I last posted and to be honest although I don’t have a solid ‘excuse,’ if you will I’ve keeping myself occupied. I’m making a conscious decision however to make an effort from now. I wanna stick at it. In fact, I’m gonna stick at it. I just need a bit of prodding and inspiration from time to time...

As most of you know, it’s that dreaded exam season again. It seems to arrive sooner with every passing year and the symptoms are EVERYWHERE. Stressed moaning students, the various people temporarily deactivating their Facebook accounts, libraries suddenly packed to the brim, procrastination in all shapes and forms and of course, a rise in the sale of red bull and such energy drinks! =P Personally, I am beginning to feel the pressure! Being in my final year of my degree it feels like I’m coming to an end of an era, AND I AM ABSOLUTELY BRICKING IT. Over the years I’ve developed an off switch somewhere in my brain so I am able to block things out completely which is quite handy. I’m already finding myself uttering the three words which students akin can relate to: “after my exams,” which is basically the line we all use to put off ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING you could possibly think of. The rest of the year, these words equate to the word lazy, but for this short period of time it transforms into a respectable nod of approval.

Revision is an interesting area of discussion. I myself, tend to get particularly ambitious and want to cover EVERYTHING and take notes (i.e. copy practically everything down with colourful pens.) Hell, half the time my notes are longer than the page in a book ‘cause my handwriting is so big and I combine sources and add in extra explanations for myself! After spending a week studying at Queen Mary, however, I have discovered new techniques. Let me narrate a conversation I happened to overhear: “I know how to answer Q5 in the exam, do you understand Q2, teach me?!” Shocking that this is even possible! I mean, yeah, you can get an idea into how the exam will be laid out, even potentially topics that come up. But to know exactly what formulae to use for each subsection of every question and have template answers, really?! People are able to analyse the type and structure of the question in previous exams and derive a method to solve calculations without understanding anything at all. Risky and amusing, but in short time spans, I am assured that it has proven to be highly successful. There’s revising, there’s revising smartly and then there’s just taking the damn piss.

Everyone has their own learning style, you can find out yours by conducting a simple VAK test, check out Google, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of alternatives available. Results will vary from Visual, Auditory, and Kinaesthetic to a combination of these. I happen to be a visual and kinaesthetic learner, so I learn by seeing and doing things as opposed to by hearing of things. Naturally, this means that I should read more, in particular colourful books with pictures (I just read that back and it makes me sound like a four year old) and put things into practise, doing and touching things (and that makes me sound like a baby exploring! – BRILLIANT =S). Anyway, it makes sense to utilise your strengths with your revision technique. Another revision tip I have is cutting the crap. Seriously, this is the time of the year you should be fuelling your body on good stuff, not the dentist’s worst nightmare! With your mental exertion at it’s peak, surely you want this is the time when you want the best inside you so your performance is optimum...

Exams and revision aside, this will be the final few months where student behaviour is acceptable, and frankly, I’m gonna miss all of the lie-ins, lack of routine, the flashing of my student card cheekily requesting student discount on everything and not having to answer to anyone, at all. On a more serious note, I’m sure that my learning has not come to an end and I still have much to gain from working. Self-development is one of those things in life, the more you put in, the more you gain. It’s always great to volunteer for things and consciously consider improving your skills base be it athletically, academically, technically, confidence levels, leadership, learning a new language, what ever tickles your fancy really. 

I'm constantly thinking of ways to better myself and to explore ways to self develop. I want to push myself and be the best person I can be. For example, I blog to work on my writing skills, I make cards to channel my creativity, I love to read and I'd like to think this makes me somewhat knowledgeable. I've also got targets for myself, like sometime in the next year I want to complete a 5K run and begin to learn a language.

A few of my friends have/will be taking gap years or travelling abroad to teach or for charitable work, (out comes the green eyed monster – for those who aren’t fans of Shakespeare I’m referring to jealousy/envy) and I see them developing despite not being in education. There is so much out there to learn in this world, TV and the internet can only offer so much. I recommend taking some time out to pursue a hobby or something; I came across this quote last night: What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are. I think it touches on this area. GO OUT THERE AND GRAB LIFE. If you want to be a musician, go and do it. If you want to go swim with dolphins, go do it. If you want to climb a mountain, go do it. If you want to write a best seller, (you know what’s coming!) GO DO IT! Or as Nike would say, just do it! You’re the only one stopping yourself! Sometimes, I seriously think I’m my own worst enemy sometime in terms of progressing and I’m sure some of you share this view. It’s a tonnes easier just to laze around and take things for granted, easier to watch a film than to read a book, easier give up your dreams than to go out there and fight for them. Where does all our childhood ambition go?! Go out there and take some risks! Do things a bit different, shake up the routine a bit!

Also, you must understand it doesn’t mean because you have some grades you have what you need in life. Quite often after all the struggle people still feel as though there is something missing, perhaps just something depriving them of fulfilment. I’m not trying to devalue education, you must understand education is a stepping stone for big things. You have so much potential. I believe every single person has the capability to do something unique and special, I think you all have a world record within you that is waiting to be unleashed so explore... Let me end by saying: study hard, use your strengths to your advantage, eat well and remember it’s not all about the academics. There’s more to life than books, grades and jobs. =]

-K

P.S. Couple of little things. Show your support by joining the Kay’s Take fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Kays-Take/189308221115770. Feel free to post suggestions for future topics and ask questions. And if you’re a fan of my cards and crafts, join the Kay’s Krafts fan page on Facebook also: http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Kays-Krafts/158470380884257.

THANKS EVER SO MUCH!! =]