JFC Academic Support

HOW TO SURVIVE EXAM WEEKS

2011-06-03T09:41:00.000+10:00

Do you find yourself panicking when you have several exams to take in a short period? Do you feel a lot more stress during mid-terms and finals? If so, then the following suggestions should prove useful.

Dealing with Tension.

Expect a certain amount of tension. It is normal during an exam period. Actually a little anxiety helps to heighten your awareness and can enhance your performance.

1. Take Time to Relax. Cope with your excess tension before and between exams through rest, exercise and deep muscle relaxation. For example, long walks and bike rides are excellent ways to release nervous energy and maintain your stamina for the duration of your exam period.

2. Adopt a Positive Approach. To avoid becoming too anxious, look at the exam as the application step of your study efforts, instead of a threatening new experience.

3. Anxiety is Contagious. Keep away from people who are highly anxious before exams, because their nervousness may tend to increase your own.

4. Plan Rewards. Schedule a meal, a movie, a handball game, a visit with a friend periodically throughout finals. Plan a treat when they're all done. These help keep your spirits up.

Schedule for Exams.

Prepare a general schedule. Write down the time of each exam and plan how much time you can allot to studying for each course; remember that your hardest course will require more time.

1. Start Early. Schedule your study periods to avoid last minute cramming.

2. Allow Large Blocks of Time for Studying. Block out hour spans for getting down concepts and basic relationships.

3. Allow Short Periods for Review. Use the odd moments, in the shower or walking across campus, for recall and review. Run through the information frequently; this will ensure that you remember it and it will broaden your understanding.

4. Vary What You Study. Don't study for two similar courses consecutively. It is better to break the pattern with a completely different study approach. For example, study Chemistry and then French instead of Chemistry and then Physics.

5. Schedule Breaks. Respect your concentration span. Especially if you haven't studied much all semester, it may be difficult to study for several hours at a time. Starting your exam period with impossibly long study periods is likely to leave you exhausted before it is all over.

6. Stay with Your Routine. Stick to your normal daily routine as much as possible. If you do get off your routine and need extra time, avoid staying up all night; go to bed at your regular time and get up a couple of hours earlier than you normally would, to continue studying. You will be able to understand and remember more when you are rested than you would if you postpone rest.

The Night Before

As you approach the first exam, and the time between exams,

1. Spend your last hours calmly reviewing what you have learnt. Try not to tackle new material then.

2. Avoid staying up all night. The shorter you are on sleep the less clearly you will be able to think and write what you know on the exam.

3. Cram Selectively. The night before an exam when you are more anxious than usual is one of the least effective times for study. Your ability to deal with concepts and synthesise material is greatly reduced, and even your ability to memorise is impaired by marked anxiety. Cramming only serves to make you more frantic about the exam and, hence, less prepared to do your best. If you do come up to exam time unprepared, use your last minute studying as a review of key concepts, instead of trying to learn it all. Be realistic about what you can accomplish: set priorities based on what you expect to be emphasised on the test. Stay calm.

4. Don't go to the movies. Don't get involved in any activities that might either interfere with what you have been learning or make you feel so guilty that you come home to study far into the night to make up for lost time. Review and relax.

Take Care of Yourself.

In addition to taking an organised and calm approach to studying, you need to make common sense and moderation a general life-style during this and other times of stress.

1. Moderate Stimulants. Coffee, tea and coca-cola all contain caffeine and are relatively safe ways to help you stay awake, but should be taken in moderation.

2. Beware of Taking Drugs. This includes pills that were prescribed for other persons - diet pills, for example, should be avoided. If you have any concerns consult your family doctor.

DINING HALL AND CONFERENCE ROOM STUDY TIMES

2011-06-02T12:06:00.000+10:00

DINING HALL IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR STUDY IN THE AFTERNOONS AND EVENING

Monday – Thursday 2.30pm – 4.30pm 8.00pm – 11.00pm

Friday 2.30pm – 4.00pm 7.30pm – 11.00pm

Saturday and Sunday 2.00pm – 4.00pm 7.30pm – 11.00pm

CONFERENCE ROOM STUDY TIMES

The Conference Room is available all day and evening unless it has already been booked for tutorials.

When it is not in use it will be locked, so if you need it opened please ask the Office during the day or the Duty Tutor after hours.

## Conditions ##

ALL books must be taken with you when you leave the Dining and Conference Rooms

Rooms must be left clean and tidy – No rubbish or papers on the floor or on the tables

NO FOOD is to be taken into the Conference Room

Coffee, tea and limited milk will be available, but you must supply your own coffee mug – DO NOT TURN ON OR USE THE COFFEE MACHINE.

In the evenings, Cereals will be put out, as will cordials and drinks for breakfast, but these must not be touched (this includes cups, crockery and cutlery).

The Kitchen has been kind enough to provide a space for study, and it is to be left in a clean and tidy condition.

Half Hour Pass Strategy

2011-06-01T13:10:00.004+10:00

The following study technique can be found on the USQ Learning Support webpage (http://www.usq.edu.au/learningcentre/alsonline/effstudy/studytech/individuals )

This strategy is a tried and proven way to help you remain in control of your study and stress levels.

It has four main steps:

Plan for 2 minutes
Act for 25 minutes
Survey for 3 minutes
Stop for a short break

Plan for 2 minutes

The first 2 minutes of your half-hour you spend noting what you are going to do or learn in the remainder of the half-hour. Your plan needs to consider four things:

• Assessment -be clear why you are studying this particular material in this half-hour, what assessment task and module objective/s does this work relate to

• Action -decide on what action you will take in studying, eg take notes, do activities;

• Aim - choose a specific section of your study materials; and

• Achievable - plan so that you can achieve the amount of work you have set in the 25 minutes available. At the beginning of your studies, this will be a matter of trial and error as you learn how long it takes you to complete each type of activity or section of the material.

Act for 25 minutes

DO IT! You now carry out your planned actions on the specific sections of your study material for the next 25 minutes.

Remember to be actively engaged by doing activities, highlighting, underlining, making notes, tables, or diagrams, seeing how these ideas fit with the module objectives and other ideas in the subject.

Some of the questions you may ask yourself to help you focus during the 25 minute active study session are:

• Is this a process/technique? Are there clear steps?

• What are they and how can I arrange and remember them?

• Is this a key concept? What is a definition for this concept/idea?

• Can I explain this concept in my own words?

• What is a good example of this concept?

• Is there a relevant diagram, graph, formula?

• Can I draw and explain this?

• What past exam questions are there on this?

• Can I answer these past exam questions?

Survey for 3 minutes

Spend the final 3 minutes surveying or reviewing what you have just done, making some record of what you have learned. This step is a crucial one in reinforcing what you have just covered and making it easier to remember.

Your survey also needs to be an active one:

• Reorganise what you have just covered into a table or diagram.

• Rewrite the main points.

• Make a mnemonic.

• Recite or explain the main points to someone else or yourself.

• If you have completed any quizzes, self-assessment questions or past examination questions, revise the items you were unsure of or answered incorrectly.

Stop for a Short Break

Take a 2-minute break. Relax, stretch, get a drink, give yourself a small reward. Then begin another effective and efficient half-hour!

After two PASS half-hours, take a longer break of 5 minutes, after three PASS half-hours a good break of 20 minutes and perhaps a change of subject. After five PASS half-hours it is probably time to finish study until later in the day, or carry over to the next day.

Intensive is better than repetitive

2011-05-31T10:46:00.000+10:00

Make the most of the time you have left. If you have not been to lectures or kept up with your notes during the semester, you don’t have time to read over everything that has been covered now, so you need a different approach. You need to use active learning strategies.

The essential elements of active learning are:

Motivation (active learning requires you to be involved with the material, but these strategies also help to keep you motivated and interested);
Mental transformation and manipulation of material;
Suiting the study strategy to the type of material to be learned.

Don’t force yourself to endlessly re-read long boring chapters.

Do a little active work, small bits at a time. Concentrate on small achievable goals and reward yourself for reaching them.

Think “can do”

What is important now is to maximise your return from the limited time you have.

You can still make use of active learning strategies that are great during the whole semester; you just have to do them in a more concentrated way.

You may find it helpful to make a list of strategies for yourself that you know have been valuable in the past. Strategies like using flash cards, sticking reminder post-its to the wall and colour-coding your notes never go out of fashion.

Here are some other things you “Can Do”:

Make a study timetable for the remaining time so you know that you can cover all you need to cover;
Make use of any small bit of time. If you have a half hour break, do something useful (e.g. revise your notes from last week, or read the introduction, headings and conclusion of a chapter in your textbook);
Start focusing on a healthy study lifestyle. Don’t stay up all night every night — the extra pages read overnight aren’t worth the decrease in performance next day;
Organise a collaborative learning session with some people from your tute.

Prioritise

At this point in time you have to decide what is really important to you. Do you want a pass or credit for everything, or is it better to concentrate on getting a good mark in a subject you like, and just passing the one you are doing because you have to.

Work out what you have invested in each subject. Which ones are you going on with next semester, which ones are important for your future career and which ones are point fillers?

Timetable your energy and study hours efficiently to meet your goals.

Focus on the level of knowledge you need to get through each subject — this is no time to indulge your perfectionism;
Concentrate on improving your knowledge in areas where you’ve got a good basic grasp of what is happening (full marks on half the questions is a better return than 30% of everything);
‘Slash and burn’: if there are things that you know you’re never going to understand, don’t waste time on them. Focus on what you know you can cope with.

Tool Box for Exam Revision

2011-05-16T09:50:00.000+10:00

The following are some useful ‘tools’ to use when studying to help make the most use of your time and revision:

Flash cards:

You can study on the run by using palm-sized flash cards. Write the topic on one side and any important details on the reverse side. They are easy to carry with you every day and are used to revise during those many different waiting, and usually wasted, short periods of time every day.

Self-adhesive notes:

Write critical topics and any other exam-relevant notes on these and then place them on door handles, windows, mirrors, computer screen and other often-looked-at places. By regularly looking at the recurring words, phrases and themes they should stick in your mind as well as they stick to the walls.

Alarm clock for frequent study breaks:

Intensive revision is mentally very tiring, so make sure that you take frequent but short study breaks. In order to ensure that you get back to your desk on time, set an alarm clock or the alarm on your phone, and when the buzzer goes off, get back to work.

Highlighters and Coloured Pens:

Make your revision notes as colourful as possible. The more creative you can be and the more colourful your notes become, the greater the chance of good recall in the exam room.

Exercise/Walking/Running Shoes:

When tension or stress levels are very high the best thing you can do is go for a walk or run or go to the gym and do some high intensity training. Half an hour power walking or on a spin bike relieves stress and helps you to think clearer.

Acknowledgement:

This information was sourced from “How to Pass Exams”, by Fred Orr (2004 Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW)

Success in Exam Workshops

2011-05-04T11:08:00.000+10:00

The Learning Advisors will be presenting Exam Prepapration Workshops over the next couple of weeks. These workshops are very informative and will give you much needed information and advice on how to prepare and study for the upcoming end-of-semester exams. Workshop times and locations are:

Studying for Exams
Thursday 5 May 2-2.50pm Room 25.002 (Nursing Sciences)
Repeated Monday 9 May 3-3.50pm Room 3.002 (Humanities)

Exam Tactics
Thursday 12 May 2-2.50pm Room 25.002 (Nursing Sciences)

To register for any of these workshops please email Peter Hanley
You can also access the online versions of these workshops at Learning skills Online

The Learning Adivor Centre can offer academic help and guidance to all JCU Students, to see what they can offer you please visit them in the Library, or check out their website.

Examination Timetables

2011-04-21T13:05:00.000+10:00

Examination timetables are released for the main teaching periods as follows:

• Draft timetable - 7 weeks prior to the start of examinations

• Final timetable (with rooms, materials lists and room breakups) - 5 weeks prior to the start of examinations

• Supplementary/deferred timetable - 11 days after the release of results for each main examination period

Personal examination timetables can be accessed by students via Students Online

Bursaries and Awards

2011-04-19T10:19:00.001+10:00

At the end of each year, The John Flynn College recognises excellence in Academic Performance and the contribution and community spirit students make to college life by presenting a number of Bursaries and Awards.

There are normally six monetary bursaries:

• Four Bursaries for “Best Grade Point Average” (recipients may be either male or female and can be from different disciplines). These are Accommodation Bursaries and are only awarded to students who will be returning to The John Flynn College the following year. The Bursary amount will be credited against first semester fees in the intermediate following year.

• Two Academic Excellence Awards – one for best male and best female student. These two awards are normally cash awards.

Bursary and Award recipients are announced at The John Flynn College Valedictory Dinner usually held in October.

Awards are also given for recognition of the contribution a student gives to college life. Recipients are judged on the conduct, care and consideration of fellow students and on their participation in college and inter-college activities and college life

Throughout the year if you feel that you would like to nominate someone for the contribution to College or Community award, please email your nomination detailing why this person should be considered to gaynor.osullivan@jcu.edu.au. with “ Award Nomination” in the subject line.

JCU LEARNING ADVISORS

2011-04-18T12:27:00.000+10:00

Learning Advisors provide workshops and individual consultations to all JCU students:
• to help students improve organisational skills,
• writing skills,
• reading and note taking,
• studying for exams,
• oral presentations,
• referencing,
• English grammar, maths, statistics and science.

The Learning Advisors can be found on the ground floor of the Library.

Learning Advisers are available at the LA Desk in the Learning Centre during study periods from 10.00am – 12.00noon and 1.00-3.00pm.

The Learning Advisors also offer online tutorials such as:
• Mind mapping
• Exam Tactics
• Studying for Exams

These tutorials can be found at http://www.jcu.edu.au/learningskills/resources/lsonline/index.htm

SQ3R: Reading More Effectively

2011-04-12T17:17:00.000+10:00

In this era in which the number of media outlets is exploding, most of us battle information overload, making it nearly impossible to remember everything we read. Yet, we cannot afford to forget the key points that may help us perform better, increase our knowledge and skills, or help us to reach our goals.

This is where SQ3R comes in. Not only does this technique help you read more quickly, it also significantly increases your retention of written information.

SQ3R actually stands for the five sequential techniques you should use to read a non-fiction book:

Survey:
Survey the document: scan the contents, introduction, chapter introductions and chapter summaries to pick up a shallow overview of the text. Form an opinion of whether it will be of any help. If it does not give you the information you want, discard it.

Question:
Next, make a note of any questions on the subject that come to mind, or particularly interest you following your survey. Perhaps scan the document again to see if any stand out. These questions can be considered almost as study goals - understanding the answers can help you to structure the information in your own mind.

Read:
Now read the document. Read through useful sections in detail, taking care to understand all the points that are relevant. In the case of some texts this reading may be very slow. This will particularly be the case if there is a lot of dense and complicated information. While you are reading, it can help to take notes in Mind Map format.

Recall:
Once you have read appropriate sections of the document, run through it in your mind several times. Isolate the core facts or the essential processes behind the subject, and then see how other information fits around them.

Review:
Once you have run through the exercise of recalling the information, you can move on to the stage of reviewing it. This review can be by rereading the document, by expanding your notes, or by discussing the material with colleagues. A particularly effective method of reviewing information is to have to teach it to someone else!

Because SQ3R helps you to create a good mental framework of a subject, into which you can fit facts correctly, it is particularly useful when it comes to setting study goals. It also prompts you to use the review techniques that will help to “cement” the most important information in your mind for later use.

In summary, by using SQ3R to actively read a document, you can get the maximum benefit from your reading time, making it an invaluable tool for students and busy professionals alike.

For more information on learning and reading techniques visit Mind Tools: Essential Skills for an Excellent Career (web address http://www.mindtools.com ).

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

2011-03-17T11:29:00.000+10:00

Conquer Procrastination
You will feel more confident and your productivity levels will soar.

SOLVING THE PROCRASTINATION PROBLEM
Yes, it seems that everyone procrastinates at one time or another. But, if you find yourself continually behind schedule and never caught up, it may be time to examine the reasons behind your personal procrastination habits.

Here are some possibilities:

LACK OF TIME
This excuse is common. Yet, we each are allotted the same 24 hours every day. So, why do some people accomplish monumental feats while others barely make it through the day.

Solution
You must manage your time, and you must decide what is truly important to you.

To be a better manager of your time, keep track of what you do in 15 minute intervals for at least one week. Total up the different categories and then rank them from most amount of time to least.
Notice which activities eat up most of your time. To manage your time prioritise which activities really are important to your personal career goals. Then do tasks that relate to those priorities first and put the others on the back burner.

FEAR OF FAILURE
Sometimes we delay a project or task because we subconsciously are afraid it is beyond our capabilities. We say, “I haven’t had the time to do it”, rather than “I tried and failed”.

Solution
Try adjusting your attitude. We are more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Don’t let the fear of making a mistake hold you back. Everyone makes mistakes, and most can be rectified.

FEELING OVERWHELMED
When faced with a formidable task, some will find reason after reason to delay buckling down. That’s the time to remember the Chinese maxim, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

Solution
You can make substantial progress it you break projects down into smaller steps and focus on completing one step at a time. Remember, too, that any task looms larger the longer you put it off.

It takes tenacity and concentration to overcome ingrained habits of procrastination, but you can do it. There is great satisfaction in seeing a project through from start to finish. Let yourself enjoy that special feeling of achievement.

Overcoming Homesickness

2011-02-27T14:39:00.001+10:00

Homesickness is universal. Psychologists call it "separation anxiety" and few people are immune. It is experienced by the kindergartner going off to school, as well as the businessperson starting a new job. Here are a few tips to help you through it now or in the future.

THE NATURE OF HOMESICKNESS

When we move to a new place, even if it is by our own choice, there are adjustments to be made. These adjustments are necessary ones, but may seem difficult at first.

We have said that homesickness is not unusual. Tertiary education presents new ways of living life. As residents try to cope with new routines and a new environment they may experience homesickness. That is because the familiar and known has been displaced by the new.

Homesickness is about adjusting to new relationships. Most, if not all, of the known and comfortable relationships are back at home. In this new place there can be a struggle to become accepted. Even if you are Australian, what you are experiencing is a form of culture shock, and research has shown that culture shock has a direct effect on your performance.

What is this experience like?

HOMESICKNESS CAN INCLUDE:

Being miserable without knowing why
Feeling like a prisoner in your own room
Being unable to get into a reassuring routine
Not liking meals at the college because the atmosphere doesn't feel right
Wondering what people at home are doing; feeling as if you are missing out
Wanting to go home straight after you have arrived
Not liking coming back after the holidays
Being conscious you are doing things out of character
Thinking you are the only person on campus with homesick feelings
Being unable to settle anything
Crying for no reason
Getting anxious or upset about little things that used not to bother you
Finding the values of people around you strange and vaguely threatening
Getting fed up with new food, new smells, new scenery, and wanting the familiar
An experience, a state of feeling that will pass, sooner or later

WHAT CAN RESIDENTS WHO ARE HOMESICK DO?

Admit that you have it. Much of what you know and can rely on is back home. Homesickness is a natural response to this sense of loss.
Talk about it with an older sibling, friend or another resident (or connect with Kate or Gaynor) – someone who has gone away from home and has successfully made the transition. It takes strength to accept the fact that something is bothering you and to confront it.
Bring familiar items from home to your new location. Photos, plants, even stuffed animals help to give one a sense of continuity and ease the shock of a new environment.
Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Walk around. You will feel more in control if you know where buildings, classes, and services are.
Talk to someone you don’t know. Making friends is a big step to alleviating homesickness. Don’t wait for people to talk to you – take the first step.
Keep in touch with the people back home, but put a limit on telephoning. Write them reports of your activities and new experiences. Let them know you'd like to hear from them, too.
Plan a date to go home and make arrangements. This often helps curtail impulsive returns and keeps you focused on your goals in staying.
Examine your expectations. We'd all like to be popular, well-dressed, well-organized, well-adjusted. Well, we're not. Setting a goal of perfection is the most predictable way of creating trouble for yourself. Laugh at your mistakes. You're learning.
Seek new opportunities. As scary as it is to see all those people, all those classes, all those buildings, all those choices, they will provide opportunities to meet people who like what you like.
Do something. Don't wait for it to go away by itself. Buried problems often emerge later disguised as headaches, fatigue, illness, or lack of motivation.

Online Facilities @ JCU

2011-02-16T21:11:00.001+10:00

Your JCU Email Account
Every student has a JCU email account, which the university and The John Flynn College uses to communicate with you. Your addres will be firstname.surname@my.jcu.edu.au , in some ases there maybe a number after the surname. It is important that you check your email at least twice a week, preferrably every day.

LearnJCU
LearnJCU is an online learning environment, which contains information and materials for subjects. This link allows easy communication with other students and with staff.

eStudents
eStudent is the portal for personal details and enrolment information. It lets you:
view, update and confirm personal details;
maintain your subject enrolment;
view and pay your fees and charges;
and much more.

StudentsOnline
StudentsOnline is a student portal JCU uses to give information such as your personal textbook requirements, exam and lecture timetables and your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN).

(Reproduce from the JCU 1, 2, 3 Getting Started leaflet which can be found at http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/idc/groups/public/documents/guide/jcutst_057068.pdf )

Scholarships at JCU

2011-02-15T11:29:00.001+10:00

James Cook University offers a number of Scholarships to assist students with the financial cost of attending university.

Go to http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/scholarships for more information.

Orientation Week Must Do's

2011-02-12T13:50:00.000+10:00

MUST Do’s During O Week

Introduction date and time to your Faculty and Course:
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 3)

Student ID Card Sessions
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 5)

Studying @ JCU Sessions
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 7)

Library Orientation Tour
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 8)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED During O Week

Library and Computing Workshops
Getting Connected @JCU
Top Ten Assignment Research Tips
Finding Journal Articles
Finding More on the Web
Up and Running with LearnJCU
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 9)

Thinking, Writing and Learning in the Tropics
What does study involve?
Notetaking
Write like a genius
Increase your brainpower
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 11)

Money Matters session
(see JCU Orientation Week Handbook for specific times and locations—page 7

Exam timetable

2010-10-20T12:26:00.000+10:00

Reminder:

1. Have you checked the final exam timetable - it is now out
2. Have you checked the room/location of each exam
3. Have you checked the times of all your exams
4. Have you checked on what you can take into each exam

If you haven't done this, you will need to do it now.

2010-10-05T14:49:00.000+10:00

With exams just around the corner it is now time to start thinking about your exam preparations. This is a list of people who can help you:

LEARNING ADVISERS
Learning Advisers provide workshops and individual consultations to all JCU students to help improve:
• organisational skills,
• writing skills,
• reading and note taking,
• studying for exams,
• oral presentations,
• referencing,
• English grammar, maths, statistics and science.

Learning Adviosrs also offer online tutorials that can be found at http://www.jcu.edu.au/learningskills/resources/lsonline/index.htm

COUNSELLING SERVICES
All students of the University are eligible to use the service, which is free. Counseling Services have a commitment to client independence and will try and assist you to find the best solution to your difficulty.

The types of issues which clients bring to counseling include:
• Relationship/Family issues
• Grief
• Eating disorders
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Stress & Post-traumatic stress
• Suicide issues
• Rape and sexual abuse
• Coping with illness
• Living away from home
• Dealing with anger
• Self esteem
• Pain management
(This list is by no means comprehensive.)

If you suffer panic attacks prior to exams, you should speak to the Counseling Service about techniques and strategies to over come them.

Counseling Services is located on the first floor, Student Services Building, (above the Bookshop). For appointments you need to phone counseling reception on extn 4711 from any University phone or 47814711 or alternatively go into the Student Services Centre in person.

ACADEMIC ADVISORS
Most JCU schools and some courses have an Academic Adviser who will assist students with enrolment related enquiries relating to their particular school, course or subject discipline.

FACULTY OF LAW BUSINESS & CREATIVE ARTS
School of Creative Arts
- Prof Ryan Daniel
School of Business
- Mr Shane Foster, Mr Jeff Dale, Mrs Judith Spargo, Ms Diana Heaslett
School of Law
- Mr Shane Foster, Mr Jeff Dale, Mr Jason Edwards, Mrs Judith Spargo

FACULTY OF MEDCINE, HEALTH AND MOLECULAR SCIENCE
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Nutrition
- none listed
School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine & Rehabilitation Science
- Dr Wendy Pearce , Ms Sue Devine, Ms Aya Pellatt, Dr Fiona Barnett
School of Medicine & Dentistry
- Prof Lee Kennedy,Dr Anna Lazzari, Assoc Prof John Stokes, Aprof Clare Hea, Dr Teresa O'Connor
School of Pharmacy & Molecular Sciences
- Mr John Smithson, Dr Natalie Pecheniuk, Dr Murray Davies, Mrs Martina Mylrea, Mrs Tori Llewelyn
School of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
- Prof Lee Fitzpatric, Assoc Prof Leigh Owens, Dr Janice Lloyd

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & NGINEERING
- Dr Emma Gyuris, Dr Shaun Belward, Dr Timothy Baker
School of Marine & Tropical Biology
- Mrs Heather Robson, Dr Orpha Bellwood
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Assoc Prof David King
School of Engineering & Physical Sciences
- Mr Phil Turner

FACUTY OF ARTS, EDUCATIONS & SOCIAL SCIENCES
School of Arts & Social Sciences
- Ms Mary O'Donnell, Ms Sheryl Giles, Mrs Susan Wright, Ms Renee Feather
School of Education
- Ms Mary O'Donnell, Ms Sheryl Giles, Mrs Susan Wright, Ms Renee Feather
School of Indigenous Australian Studies
- Ms Agnes Hannan

Conquering Writer’s Block

2010-09-03T15:19:00.000+10:00

One of the most hated tasks for any student is writing a paper whether it is a tutorial, report or essay.
Staring at a blank page without a clue as to what to put down can be very intimidating. This problem – writer’s block – is not uncommon. Even professional writers struggle with writer’s block on a fairly regular basis.

But, as every skilled writer knows, it’s not an impossible obstacle to overcome. Here are a few tips to get you over that hurdle and on to writing impressive tutorials, reports and essays.

Read, Talk, Think. Fill the mental void. Writer’s block often stems from not having enough to say about a particular subject.
Brainstorm with another student, or look over research and writing on the topic. By feeding your mind new information, you should find plenty of fresh ideas forming.

Lose you inhibitions. Writer’s block often stems from anxiety – but there is no reason to be anxious about failing. If your lecturers hadn’t already given you plenty of knowledge about your subject, you wouldn’t have been given the assignment to write about.

Kick start! Write anything, just to kick-start your mind. Hesitation breeds more hesitation.
Begin by putting down whatever thoughts come to mind. Then work with those ideas knowing that others will come. I would be very surprised if your first draft is perfect. Even the world’s best writers rarely get their words just right the first time

Write Now, Edit Later. Remember, creation comes first, then correction. You shouldn’t try to edit it as you write. Your later editing efforts will help you to catch mistakes or to reshape your ideas.

Time Management in Brief

2010-08-27T12:35:00.000+10:00

A successful time management plan depends on consciously structuring your time. Each student should have a Semester Planner, Weekly Timetable and Daily Diary.

Semester Planner should show all of your assignment deadlines, exam dates and times, as well as important social and family commitments.

A Weekly Timetable shows how you should be using your time each day. Your weekly timetable should be specific and realistic and should include:

10-12 per subject per week (including contact hours), more for subjects you are struggling with. Be specific about how you use your time, e.g. readings for next lecture, research in library, group study;
employment hours, including time to get ready and travel to and from;
mealtimes (breakfast, lunch and dinner);
times for socialising with friends and making phone calls;
(optional) allow half an hour at the end of each day to organise the next day in your daily diary.

Daily Diary – where you can keep a “To Do List” for each day. For example: research in library – look for recent journal articles on …; or organise 3 quiz questions for group study tomorrow; or read chapter three of text. As you complete each job tick it off – it is a great feeling at the end of the day when you can see what you have achieved.

(I use to divide each page in my diary in half, one side was what I needed to do each day for Uni and the other side was for personal things I wanted to do.)

Copies of blank Weekly Timetables and Semester Planners are kept in the office, come down and grab one. If you are having problems organising your time make an appointment to see me – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.00am -2.00pm or Wednesday 9.00am – 3.30pm (other times can be arranged if necessary).

Managing Your TIme

2010-08-25T16:10:00.000+10:00

Time Management is about working out how to use your available time as efficiently as possible.

Plan Ahead and Prioritise:

Prioritise your tasks
Decide which task is most important and should be completed first
Develop daily, weekly and long term time management plans

Long Term Planning - Using a Semester Planner

Mark in dates when assignments are due and exams are scheduled
Work out how long you will need to complete each task
Remember to allow for extra workloads – several assignments due at one time, begin each task even earlier
Set/mark in start dates for each task
Draw lines back to from due dates to start dates

Place the Semester Planner where you can see and access it everyday.

Weekly Planning – Short Time Slots

One hour or less is useful for:

Reviewing lecture notes
Completing short readings
Previewing long readings
Doing problems
Jotting down essay plans
Proofreading assignments
Revising for exams - make up Flash Cards and carry them with you for short time slots

Weekly Planning – Medium Time Slots

One – three hours is a good time for more concentrated study and can be used for:

More detailed note-reviewing
Reading for courses/assignments
Taking notes from readings
Drafting/editing assignment
Revising for exams

Weekly Planning – Long Time Slots

More than three hours can be set aside for:

Working on an assignment
Completing an extensive amount of reading
Doing research for assignments
Revising for exams

During medium and long time slots, divide study time up into one hour sections and take short breaks. Research show that after studying for 50 minutes concentration begins to slip.

Weekly Planning – The Weekly Timetable

Fill in all main demands of your time:

Lectures and tutorials/workshops/practs
Hours of work/employment
Any regular sport or leisure commitments
Mealtimes/regular family commitments
Sleep times

Daily Planning

Get yourself a diary and create to do lists every day, for example:

Copy chapter 3 Williams and return to library
Library borrow books for psych assignment
Plan accounting assignment

Tick off each task when done or carry over to tomorrow

Limiting Interruptions and Distractions

Turn off Facebook!!
Ignore phone / use message bank
Tell people you are working
Specify when free (“free after 4 or can stop for ten minutes at…)
Arrange to meet at another time
Find a quiet place to study
Use “work in progress” sign
If interrupted – stand up! – it makes your intention clear

Procrastination

Be aware of avoidance strategies – telephoning friends, cleaning your room, etc
Leave your room - Work in the Library
Plan what you are going to do and stick to it

Remember !!

Be Flexible - timetables are dynamic, unforeseen things could happen, re-arrange where necessary if you miss a slot.
Be Realistic
Do not over Commit yourself

Reference List:

The Learning Centre Website. http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au