Sean's Ship to Success

You're very inspiring. I'm a chronic procrastinator.

Wake me up when the semester ends

Right, the end of week 1, semester 2, where are we at?

Lectures attended: 7/9
Tutorials attended: 1/2
Number of hours of independent study: 3.
No problem sheet results so far.

So, a disappointing start to what was supposed to be a semester with 100% attendance. I'd overslept for one, got the time wrong for another and the bus just didn't arrive for the third occasion. None of those are excuses, just what happened, and for the next 10 weeks I am aiming for 100% attendance.

There hasn't been that much to study so far - I read ahead for the first week but haven't done so for the second week, and all the time seems to have flown by. It isn't that long until results day!

Japanese class was interesting - some people from the previous semester weren't there, and some new faces were. We recapped on things from the first semester, were taught a few more kanji (taking us up to maybe 60) and about how to give our opinions on things (favourite seasons, holidays, sports etc).

As it's week two next week, I'm going to start the technique of revising a module from the previous week by first testing my memory of it, then looking at the notes to fill in gaps, and then look at the problem sheet. The point isn't to have remembered everything, just giving myself a second time not too far from the original lecture to have a look and retain more information than I did the first time round.

One poor lecturer, who has a lecture timetabled in what he admitted to be the worst possible timeslot (16:15 to 18:05), had people dismiss themselves by packing up as early as 7 minutes before the lecture was due to finish, and leaving as he played a video. I felt sorry for him, and I've decided to make this week's (hopefully) informative piece of writing on lectures and how to survive them, below.

Next week is where it all starts for me - getting into the swing of problem sheets, going to all of my lecturers and starting off my revision technique. See ya.





What are lectures like?

I only got 68% in second year, but may I just emphasise that there's nothing wrong with missing lectures here and there? As long as you spend the appropriate amount of time going through the lecture content and understanding it, that's all that matters. I only went to about 10 lectures in second term but I was in the library at least 3 times a week doing the work in my own time, which gradually increased as exams loomed closer and i ended up okay

But good luck anyway, I really enjoyed reading your blog!

Absolutely right, I guess you have to think about as well whether a lecture is truly and utterly useless or you really believe you'd be more productive at home or the hours after the lecture if you just skip it and take a nap. Sometimes the inclination can be hard to find to go over what you miss or you decide to do it for more lectures and.. slippery slope!

But yes, you're right, and good on you for working like that and doing a placement after that.

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Well done for that clean up, looked like a mission to clean!

Great post Sean. Looks like you're making progress and I think the blog is a good idea so defs keep it up.

This makes me feel nostalgic as well. All this X.15 lectures. I'm craving them.

Also your duvet cover is life.

Also you hit on one of my many habits at uni when you said about procrastinating that makes you feel good. I called it positive procrastinating or po-pro and it's basically when I do really productive sh*t and get my life in order to avoid doing work. But you don't feel half as bad.

Xbox One, Studying Nil

Lectures attended: 7/10
Tutorials attended: 2/3
Problem sheet scores: Analysis: 2/3 - what I learnt this time was to give these problems some more time and properly attempt them rather than do it at the last minute - something I need to address.
Stats - I think I got 2/2 but didn't go into the tutorial as I was a lazy bum.
Hours of pro-procrastination (Thanks, Etherealworld!) 2 (cleaning as a flatmate's sister was visiting)

Not going to lie, this past week has been a bit of a low point in terms of studying. It's been a great one in terms of loads of other things, but not studying. Our flat went to this escape/puzzle type thing in Bath, as well as KFC and HMV and yes.. it was great fun.

I miss the days of having parents around to tell me to do work, and even offer to help...



(As a side note, a lot of vines that I'd like to post don't have youtube versions so I can't embed them and it's effort for someone to click on a link soo.. meh. I'll work with what I've got!)

The week:
Studying - do my approaches need changing?My revision method that I was talking about at the start - where's that gone?
The two mid term tests - how am I feeling?
So what's the title of this post referring to, and does it have anything to do with the week?

And the question on everyone's mind from the previous week...

Here's to a good week of studying.

I love your posts. I like living vicariously through Bath students. Also do you ever eat lunch in the post grad canteen? I always did that. #lad

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Stormy seas ahoy

Once I get going, I can do nautical puns at a rate of knots!

I'd completely forgotten to mention that it was results day last Friday (the 26th). It was at the back of my mind in real life but not something I was worrying about - not because I'd done well, but I always have the mindset that there's no point in worrying about something that I can't change, and also that after an exam is done it's done and I don't want/need to discuss answers with friends. Those two things are very useful ways of thinking for students at any level.

So, how did I do..?The answer is: could be better, could be a lot worse.

Firstly, I'm very thankful that I passed (and therefore don't have to resit) the two exams that I got the lowest mark in - I was sure that I had failed one, or possibly both of them, in a worst case scenario. On the other hand, I was hoping that the other exams would drag those marks up slightly. One of those marks (the 63) was scaled up for everyone due to what my friend calls 'organised complaining' as 80 of maybe 300 of us gave feedback saying to the examiner that the exam was impossible to do, and he agreed after marking all of them, so I'm glad that that's happen.

To analyse what went wrong last semester, well.. a number of things really, that i hope to start doing now.

Those things are all linked, and it's a slippery slope that you have to stay on top of to succeed. The other thing was that I didn't find the material engaging for the modules that I did worst in, so that didn't help at all. The modules I'm doing this semester are relatively more engaging but not great.

My week wasn't that great as a flatmate had a cold and, what do you know, I have it too! so I haven't been to enough (or got problem sheets back) to do any analysis on how I'm doing.

BUT...

I have been thinking about my studying strategy in a few different ways.

I saw something in lectures on someone's notes, and the idea has stuck with me ever since. That's right, these badboys!



For some of my modules I have the complete set of lecture notes already, and I can make notes on that paper but there isn't a huge amount of room. So I got these notes over the weekend (in different colours!) so I hope to add some colour coded notes to my paper notes, and I'll post pictures of those as well. I got the idea of.. well, being organised, from someone else's GYG blog (Neuth's).

I can also use them for to making to do lists, but that isn't my idea...

I had a look at Manisha's vlog for this week for some inspiration and ideas, and the 3 main things that I took from that video, I think I'll try to do as well!

1. Exams aren't going anywhere - best to work consistently than cram at the last minute.

This is something I'm definitely doing.

2. Make to do lists.

Mine may be more of a mental to do list, but setting myself specific goals every day/week is something I'm going to do. Tomorrow, for example, I hope to go through all of the accounting notes again and add detailed explanations to them.

3. Not using social media at certain times during the day.

I'm not a huge user of social media, but I think TSR is quite a distraction during my studies. It rarely ever gets my full attention but throughout the day (and sometimes in lectures or tutorials) I just have a peek. I also look after a section (as part of my ST role) as well as look for unanswered threads (as part of my VIP role). I'll still do both of those things, but I'm not going to be on TSR unless it's between 21:00 and 23:00. This should give me enough time to do everything that I need, reply etc. This'll be effective from tommorow, and I'll evaluate my performance next week. The idea also is to not just go cold turkey or stop doing things that you enjoy, like Manisha says - just do some of it in moderation!

That's all from me this week. I leave you with a random vine and a goodbye.