Study Tips

AHOY fellow net users,

First of all EID MUBARAK! 

For those unaware, these few days mark a special celebratory occasion for the Muslim population. That is basically the time of year where you get those huge festivals in Broadmeadows and all the wogs and arabs gather to eat and ride and lord knows what else. 

These holidays have been quite short (well all holidays are hehe) but remarkably rapid; reason being that exams are fast approaching. Essentially, when the teachers tell you it is a study break, and that it is sensible not to flat out study, we all gonna catch up and try to go ahead. Well if you are in my boat anyway.

I wanted to dedicate this post to study tips! Efficient study methods, timetabling and whatnot. You have probably seen or heard of these millions of times, but it helps to be reminded of things that contribute to healthy studying. Keep in mind; these things work for me! Some people are able to read material once and remember it (ah y’all are blessed if you fall in that category), or others requiring tedious revision to do so. So here are some of my no-nonsense tips:

• Find what time works for you best, in terms of studyingMany people swear by the whole studying til 2am thing, but I remain a complete sleep fanatic, so deprive me of sleep and I cannot function so well. What I like to do is study during the evening, till about 10pm, then sleep and wake up around 6am. I go to school earlier than it begins, giving me an hour of quiet study. For me, I cannot comprehend numbers at night so I like to leave things like that for the morning or early evening, whereas with wordier subjects like English and Biology, I can study those in the dark hours. Experiment and see what is best for you, and try to stick by that, ensuring you get sleep.

• Find an ideal study spotAs I mentioned before, the uni library is great for me. My study desk and school library are also brilliant as the resources are nearby and I am usually uninterrupted. Some people study on their beds, but I many studies have proven that it is not beneficial to study there, for many.

• Turn off all distracting devicesThat’s right, phones, laptops, iPads, lock ‘em away. If your study is on your laptop, a great thing to have is this web extension called StayFocusd which you can manipulate to block out distracting websites, or nuke em all. I know of an app on phones which allows users to plant trees, however if they go on their phones within half an hour of doing so, their forests turn out ugly. This sort of keeps you motivated to get off your phone as you may grow an attachment to the forest J
• Sleep!You have probably heard this many times, but it is hella important, even if you have to cram the night before a test! The 8hrs of sleep nightly is a good indicator.  Some people I have talked to function best on 6.5 hrs of sleep, some on 9hrs. I personally require no more or less than 7hrs for good performance. Also ensure you eat healthy and exercise to stimulate positive vibes and brain activity.
• How long do I study for?On a school night, I aim for 3.5 hours of studying, not including homework and stuff, then have an hour the next morning. On the weekends, about 6 hours shared over the two days. Some people may consider that very little, but it is not about quantity but quality. Ensure that you make the most of your time. Before, when I trialled the 10hr study day thingy, I found that most of it was spend staring at blank pages of paper, but this system works much better for me.
• Study in short bursts!Give yourself 55 minutes of study and a 5-10 minute break, depending on how much you expended yourself. However during the break, keep the brain stimulated by drinking water or eating nutritiously, exercises like star-jumps and squats are great. These short bursts are to make sure that you don’t tire and lose focus.
• Study efficiently and effectivelyThey are different words guys haha. Ensure that you do not do things you find unnecessary or not beneficial to your progress. For math-based subjects like physics and mathematics, practice definitely makes perfect. Do as many practice papers and questions you can, and ensure that you correct them. What I do is keep track of all my mistakes on the front page of my exam notebooks for each subject. Then, if you are allowed a cheat sheet, or for revision sheets, just right out those problems and the common mistakes you make in big letters.For the sciences and basically any writing subject, I recommend reading the text book, where you deem necessary. I always read it because in class some content may be overlooked. Highlighting is great, especially if you are going to rewrite to make notes. Same rule goes; do practice papers! And for English, another writing subject, aim to do 15 minutes of whatever writing DAILY. My subject is based on linguistics so I have this online data base where I retrieve written transcripts and basically analyse for 15 minutes before calling it quits. Next year, I aim to write an essay a week. But as tedious as it gets, writing over and over is a great task. Try to handwrite where possible, because that replicates exam and test conditions best, and many students come out of exams or essay write ups in class complaining about sore wrists. Also, multitasking is not a great idea in studying as it clouds your brain and reduces performance, so avoid doing that.
  Something I started at the beginning of the year is this: I created a Powerpoint for every subject but maths, and after every class, I would immediately update each of these powerpoints with one slide entailing the new concept learned, during that day. Putting in diagrams where necessary. This is really useful during exam revision time as you can download these on your phones and play the slideshows in the bus/ car, or just read through. Make it a habit to view the slideshows at least once a fortnight, so the info stays fresh in your mind.
  
   
• KEEP UP TO DATE!It is crucial that you keep up. Do not try to go ahead if you cannot, but stay at class pace. If you are aiming for high marks, only go ahead so that you know the information for the next class, and so sitting in the class is merely revision for you. Again, this is different for everyone. My teachers are all lovely in the fact that they give out timetables of what is covered each class, and what reading and questions are required. If your teachers don’t do this, ask them! Keeping up means that if you have a test on the subject, you only need to increase your study time for that subject slightly.
• Equal study timeSome people expend more energy into subjects they find difficult, but it is best to keep all of them at relatively equal importance, only studying slightly more for the upcoming tests
  
• Aim to finish homework earlyFinishing homework gives you room for studying! Unless the homework is a high contributor to my grades, I will keep my response succinct and only at the necessary level, so I do not spend too much time on it. Teachers endorse this system.
• Study in groups to mix it upMake a group with people in different subjects and meet up! I study with my mama at the university library regularly. It is great because the library is silent and I tend to work best in those conditions. During study periods at school, work with friends and test each other. Not only is it fun but you are more motivated.
• Keep busyDo not drop piano or violin, sporting team places, hang outs with friends, or simple hobbies like running. Keep them! And your part time job! Apparently if you have time restrictions for studying, the time you do spend studying will be much more efficient! IN fact, those with wide palates of activity tend to be more successful. My FantasyPremierLeague account is still in business peeps! And I ain't quittin' anytime soon.
• Seek help!Teachers, parents, friends. My mum reads my essays twice, giving me heaps of critique, given her background in academic writing, and I take her advice seriously! Furthermore, going over key points with teachers in emails, or during lunchtimes is brilliant to keep your knowledge straight.

I did not think I would write for this long sorry guys ><

But seriously the most important thing is to go to your study place with positivity and regard it as a task that builds you, not something that depletes you.

HAPPY STUDYING ALL :)

P.S: Isaac approves of this message

Hello world,

It is hard to hold a positive attitude today when all you hear is news of devastation. I am referring to the 298 people killed during the downing of the MH17, and the 68 Palestinians killed, along with destruction of over 20000 houses in the region.

All those people, the large portion of children who haven't yet seen the world and experienced its ups and downs, all the people looking forward to a future event, perhaps a family union or job prospect. All these people had lives, and due to stupid conflicts between nations, they have vanished.

And there I was, sitting on a chair in the warmth and comfort of my home and family.

If this is not a lesson on being grateful, I don't know what is. Just please, remember the fact that there are people out there, in so many places, in dire situations, unsure of their fates in this world. The big picture consisting of poverty, war, terrorism, global warming, homelessness, habitat destruction, depression and more!

I do not know where I am going with this point, but let me revisit the gratitude thing.
Our lives are what many people pray for daily. If we can take the time out of our day, to drop a few coins in the charity cup, to smile at strangers, to preserve our health and well-being, we can all slowly but rightly so, reduce these problems.

Enjoy your life, make the most of it, love people, chase your passion! I'm sure these words would've been the final of the lost souls.

I end with a quote,
'Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time'- Lyndon B.Johnson

Short and Sweet

G'DAY EVERYBODY

First and foremost, I wanna say (a belated) RAMADAN MUBARAK! To all my friends who are unsure of what this is, essentially Muslims around the world engage in a month full of fasting, where they remain abstinent from water and food during hours of which the sun is sighted in the sky. This is an obligation of our religion and is a month of spirituality. It is for gratitude, patience and character development. I honestly love this month! 

It starts with the sighting of the moon which causes so many disputes, it is hilarious! Basically, a waxing crescent moon signals the start of this holy month, and a waning crescent at the end of it. Due to problems such as cloudy skies, or use of different methods of calculation, often the first day of fasting is on three consecutive days for different people. 

And then we have suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and iftar (evening meal) , the two meals of the day that take place respectively before and after prayer times. Some set goals to read the holy quran, or read a certain number of pages, whilst others like to give charity and spend their time practicing good deeds and staying faithful to the moral code of which Islam stands for. 

It's really cool because many of my friends, like my Jewish friend Isaac, decided to try it out this year! Unfortunately that meant me having to wake them up in the early hours to eat, but so far, all reflections have been positive :)

I hope all of y'all take this as a time to reflect, and enjoy this month!

And my stance on the World Cup?

Well...... I am with Brazil emotionally, because they were the first national team I fell for! 

But I feel that Germany are going to win, and they have my support! ;)

All the teams that have made it this far deserve to win honestly, but these two have a place in my heart!

See y'all later!!!

Call this what you like, it is only an expression of my thoughts.

Once, all that was heard in the mornings, was the laughter of children,
bartering of customers, and slow music of folk songs
In the evening, the family settings, the pride the joy,
and the silence of  prayers.

One could smell the wet grass, in the marches of South Iraq,
or the bread and tea, at the break of dawn,
They could see the beginning, of a sharp and strong civilisation,
and perhaps the dawn of a new era.

A new era indeed, a dark one too.
All this before 1979 suddenly vanished.

Replaced it was, with hush and haste as people scurried,
not wanting to remain on the streets longer than necessary
The wetlands became a refuge, not an enjoyment
and the uprising of a new leadership, blistered with lack of morality and humanity.

But many years later, they recovered.
This dark age was over, they thought.
They had lost many loved ones, their childhoods, their nation, their identity, and their trust.
But they were slowly returning to what they wanted originally.

And today. It starts again.
When will this cycle be over?

That ideal for their nation, the one that the people desired.
It is not a crime to want something as that. Peace should not be considered a crime.
Religious, linguistic and racial differences are not rational triggers for war.

And since when has a war been a solution to anything? When is it absolutely necessary to dictate a land of innocent people, and cause darkness and force your way through?
The whole world is against you.
But that doesn't stop you.
'In the name of religion' you say.
But is this really? Is this what religion stated? Because truthfully, if it were, I am no longer a Muslim.
Religion did NOT ever support such immorality, and you shameless people know that very well.
You simply tag your intentions with such a pure thing, knowingly demonizing it.

Who do you think you are? You are in no place to force people into believing something.
And don't you dare compare yourself to the armies of prophets of before, or of their proceeding Imams for that matter.
For they would never intentionally or unintentionally instill that fear into people.

But through all of this, I feel sorry for you.
Because today we unite, everybody else. And we know that what we lose, we lost in true spirit of Islam.
Because we did not comply with your expectations.
We fought back.
And the strength we have does not lie in our weaponry, you fools, but in our hearts and faith.

Bring back the old days that defined Iraq.

FIFA Commentating

Disclaimer: I am merely a 16.5 year old with no expertise on football. Cheers mate!

HEY FRIENDS,
SOO it started with a kick, and an own goal ( :( ) and so far, one thing 2014 has taught me is that the world cup IS HELLA UNPREDICTABLE :P

The only match I have so far been able to correctly predict was the opener! Damn :/
I am uber excited for next stage, although I am totally dismayed about England and Spain!
The thing is, most people would've assumed that a defending title-holder would reach at least knock out stage, but no such luck with Espana.

First, I wanna revisit some of my favourite matches so far. (Top 5)
1. England vs Italy                
2. Australia vs Netherlands  
3. Switzerland vs France
4. Brazil vs Mexico
5. Uruguay vs England

Who do I predict shall win?
Well before the draw between Germany and Ghana, and the last minute goal from Messi, my eyes were set on Germany and Argentina. Now, I reckon Germany still have it, Belgium may have a shot, Netherlands are quite there, and Brazil if they hasten a little.

Who do I want to win?
If you haven't already gathered, I am huge with the Portuguese, that is Brazil and Portugal. Also, during 2010, Germany vs Argentina (4-0) , I fell in love with Deutschland!

Players that have been good thus far
- Luis Suarez
- Thomas Muller
- Robin Van Persie
- Argen Robben
- Guillermo Ochoa
- Alexis Sanchez
- Karim Benzema
- Tim Cahill
- Eden Hazard
- Alireza Haghigni
- Daniel Sturridge
- Neymar Junior :D
- Oscar

There are heaps more that I cannot remember off the top of my mind, but these guys were brilliant, even if some of there teams were not quite top-notch.

Predictions for next set of matches?
Belgium vs Russia -  Belgium win, 3:1
Korea Republic vs Algeria- draw 1:1
US vs Portugal- Portugal**: 2-1

**Hopefully Ronaldo will be able to play!

A pixie flew by my window and told me to updAte.

Ok so the pixie was a slow loading internet browser and the window is my laptop screen.... 

but dang flabbit it has been long my friends.

I wanna discuss somethings in my post today. Humility and self degradation.

If you don't know me already, well I'd say I am a huge advocate of self love. And if somebody looks down, or denies me when I tell them something positive about them, I get worked up. I feel that the human race as a whole has reached the stage where many developments have been made, and most of us are living at ease. So why do we have to be at war with ourselves?

I just feel that it's almost ridiculous how youth in particular, at this day and age, do not appreciate being commended or told that they have done well in something. I mean they do appreciate it, perhaps, but sometimes their intense self negativity and self loathe is all you really get in return. 

I am not going to discuss how important self love is, because we have so many tumblrs dedicated to that sort of thing, and I am totally all for going and getting some motivation off them. But I challenge you something. If you are ever in that negative space of yours, I want you to brainstorm like 50 reasons why you are an awesome human being. In no way at all is this immodest behaviour, because this is a personal matter and does not require the attention of the world. So do that. And then tell me if you don't feel better.

Modesty is not determined by how well you can mask your reaction to a positive comment. Similarly, boasting about it is not the way to go. I reckon that when you are modest, you accept yourself, and show people that you do in the way you respond to their comments. You don't hide your face in shame when you get commended. You lift your face, smile, thank them, and return the favour. Spread the love y'all.

SoOo to all the FIFA peeps out there who are counting the sleeps till match time in Arena de Sao Paulo, ahhhh!

I wanna do a public prediction. Like Paul the octopus. I mean he got so much recognition for predicting Germany's wins and losses correctly. Who's to say I can't do that either?

Personally, I reckon the groups are rigged majorly, and that Brazil and Argentina are both definitely making it through. I support Portugal, Spain, Germany, Brazil, and for patriotic reasons, Australia. Actually I support all the nations :) 

Well my predictions are summarised in this image lol

OOH players I will be watching this world cup: C. Ronaldo (need I say more??), Thomas Muller (seriously not over that goal in '10 against Argentina daaaayum), David Villa, Neymar, Ozil aand much much more.

I am mega disappointed that Kaka won't be playing this year :( but let's pray the young Brazillians carry on his and Ronaldinho's brilliance on the field. 

okiez I have managed to make soccer, or football a dorky subject.

Bye my little upside-down-rainbows!!!

Hey ma awesome web-family,

I know I have been unfaithful! :( :( :( Did not stick to my words but seriously how many more sad faces do y’all need to forgive ;)

Have you ever scolded yourself? Or like told yourself off for something. Like when you’re attempting a conversation, and you succeed to make yourself appear flustered and deluded? And you mentally or physically scold yourself. And then you realise that to an external eye, you are displaying class A symptoms of many mental disorders? Anyway that’s what it feels like when I blog. I’m talking to myself…. Just a word, ages ago I awarded myself the world’s best worst simile/ metaphor/ situation comparison mark maker.

And I have decided to pause my challenge for a bit, but will be resuming it soon. Reason? While I like to think that I am a complex human being, I actually have no good reason for this… Blame youth development guys.

My beautifuls.

When I was in grade six, this group of motivators came over on a regular basis. They were role models who each had jobs they loved, and wanted to inspire us. They did something called the ‘TARDIS Experiment’ (DOCTOR WHO wooooo). ANYHOW I was told to close my eyes, and imagine that I could see the phone box on the street, and as I enter it, I find that it is unoccupied. I accidently fall over and some buttons are pressed. And wham I reach my future, about twenty years ahead. Somewhere along the way, the invisibility cloak from Harry Potter is chucked on me, and I get this Sonic Camera. So I leave the TARDIS and see myself, and take a picture. I return to the TARDIS, return to modern day me, and open my eyes.

So what did I see?

I didn’t take this seriously when I was younger. It was a fun thing; everybody was busy giggling at the accidental fall. I remember writing down that my picture was of me, in a medical centre, taking somebody’s temperature.

What about now? What do I see now?

I could go on and on about my aspirations and where I want to stand one day, but I don’t think that was the point of the experiment. I believe it was to get all us grade six kids to believe that we would end up in the snapshots our Sonic Cameras took. That thought provides the biggest motivation. The idea that ‘this is where I belong, this is what I will do, this is where I want to be’. Looking back, I wish I still had the picture I drew of my snapshot. Because I do believe I will end up there one day. And so should you guys. If you ever do have your moments of doubt, WHICH WE ALL HAVE, don’t let that be the big obstacle. The worst thing in the world I think, is to realise in the future that you let yourself down and stops yourself from getting there.

Seriously, the following four words; we’ve heard an infinite amount of times, but they are boss. Like I’m sure Hugo Boss said this at least once in his life.

Don’t give up, dawg.