2nd Trimester Resolutions

This week I’m going to write about my university life. For the people that don’t know, I go to a university in Australia. Because of COVID-19, I have been back in Japan since March of 2020 and have been attending classes online from then. From July a new term is starting for me and I wanted to write about my goals for that term. For me writing this here, raises the percentage of me reaching these goals, since I wrote it in a public place. If anyone has any questions about studying abroad or university in Australia, I would love to help. 

Image taken from Pinterest

Listen to All Classes

If I write it like this, it seems like a very normal thing to do and I will be honest with you and say it is. However, because of everything being online,  it has been somewhat hard for me to do. This is because I have a choice of watching classes later, I always think that I don’t have to watch classes here and now live. But, I can say that I don’t watch all classes later and sometimes there will be plenty for me to watch. So, I would like to force myself to watch them live or finish watching all classes by the end of the week.

Image taken from Pinterest

Start Assignments Beforehand

I am really not good at starting assignments beforehand. Even when I was in middle school or high school, I usually started my assignments one week before the deadline. My assignments in middle or high school were not that hard, so I managed to finish them (maybe with an all-nighter) and get decent grades. However, this is not the case when it comes to university assignments. I want to finish this bad habit of mine and start assignments ahead of the deadline. I think the quality of my assignment will improve as well as my quality of life if I manage to do this.

Get 6 or Above for My Grades

At my university, a pass is a 4 or above out of 7.  For me getting a 6 or above is a very high aim for me, but why not put a high aim for myself. Universities abroad (considering from Japan) allow many fails so it is pretty scary, but if you get assignments done it isn’t that hard. (However, I have gotten multiple fails over the years.) Because universities abroad cost a lot of money and my parents are paying it for me, I want to graduate soon with very good grades.

Image taken by me

Have a Good Routine

Usually when I start classes, I start having late-night snacks or sleep at a weird time. Now because of COVID-19, I live with my parents so I wake up at a decent time but when I lived in a dorm it was very bad. I don’t think I will be going back to the dorm any time soon, but I never want to wake up at midday and wake up latest on the weekend at 10 and weekdays at 8. I also want to start studying at 10:30 on weekdays. And I want to go to bed at least at 2am, I know this is pretty late but for me being a night owl, I am most productive at night so this is a must if I want to finish my assignments before the deadline.

This is the end of my goals for my 2nd trimester. My 1st trimester didn’t go as I wanted it to and I had assignments that didn’t make the deadline. I want my 2nd trimester to not be the same. I don’t want to push myself to be perfect and take care of my mental and physical health the most and still work my hardest to get good grades.

How I Study for Tests

This week I am going to show you how I study for tests. Right now I’m a university student in Australia and I am enjoying my short break in between terms. (I think I can call it my winter break?) So I had my last finals the previous Tuesday and I’m relieved that everything is done. This term everything went online because of COVID-19, and I came back to Japan after a month of classes. However, I’m not going to talk about how to prepare for online exams. Rather I’m going to talk about how I prepare for my normal exams that we take in university. Of course this is not guaranteed that it will suit everyone, so please take it as a recommendation from a fellow student. 

Taking Notes

I know there is so many types of people when it comes to studying, but for me note taking is very important. I have some points that is important for me when it comes to note taking. First of all find out what note taking method works for you. These days I take my notes on a computer but I used to take hand written notes. There are lots of people that can remember things more when taking hand written notes but for me it didn’t really make a big difference. So, I use the computer since it’s handy and doesn’t take as much time. Second of all I read it out loud when I’m making my notes. This is a note I will make when I have been given the lectures, slides, and workshops. Then I will make the notes that I will use to review before my finals. While writing this note I will make sure I read it out loud because then I will use my mouth, ears, eyes, and hands to write the notes making it easier for me to remember things. Third is to use the same colour for every notes. For example, I use green for  things the teacher says is going to be on the test and red for important words. This does not change when making notes for any class or subject. This becomes useful when writing notes for sure but also when you are reviewing your notes before the finals. Anyways, it is very important to find a note taking method that works for you so please do that as fast as you can.

Asking Questions

If you have anything that you don’t know, don’t remain it like that and ask a question. For me my father has always been looking at my studies so I ask him, but you can ask anyone like your friends or teachers. Of course you can ask the teachers what you have learned in class but I get good reactions from them when I ask them something that goes beyond the lecture. I really feel that we can get good impressions from teachers, which sometimes leads to good marks, when I ask questions. This does differ to every lecturer but for me it has worked a lot, for example getting better marks for my essays or having good marks on attitude. So, I try to ask questions a lot to everyone not just for the meanings of getting good grades but also to be a favourite student to the teachers, especially when it comes to my major subjects.

Planning

Plan out what you’re going to study. You can use a study planner for this, but it didn’t suit me so I use random pieces of paper. I also plan out what I want to study for the week on Sunday night on a designated paper. I write what I would like to achieve each day but I write more than what I think I can do. I plan out what I want to do each individual day more precisely the previous night or that morning. I write how much pages I want to accomplish or how much of the essay I want to get done. I also write what I have to get done in red, so that I can tell what I need to prioritize. I will write the aim time in a very small font for each task next to it as well. The important thing when it comes to planning is to not get mad at yourself when you can’t do things the way you planned it.

That’s it for how I study for test or in general. I don’t know if anything was to any good use but I hope someone found it useful. I think this is my final form of how I study, which took me years to find out. My university life is going to end in about 2 years but I would love to get as much new knowledge in myself as I can. Let’s go through this sometimes tough journey of studying together!!

What’s in My School Bag

This week we are going to talk about my university life. Maybe some people don’t even know that I am a university student. However, I am a university student in Canada. I am going to be specifically talking about my university bag since I thought that some of you might be interested. For everyone going into university this September, I hope this would be something useful. 

For anyone reading both my Japanese blog and this blog there will be some differences in this blog due to different university cultures.

My Bag

I have 2 bags that I mainly use to go to class. One is a backpack and the other is a shoulder bag. Mainly if I only have one class I will go with my shoulder bag but if I have 2 or more classes and there is a lot of things I need to carry around, I will go with the backpack. If you are going to a university in Canada or US, I will recommend you to get a backpack. Most of the students have a backpack and it is good for your back as well since you are going to carry your PC with you most of the time. However, there are some people carrying around shoulder bags so you won’t be the only one and catch people’s attention too much. I might change my shoulder bag when I get into 3rd year.

Folder & Loose leaf papers

I normally carry around a folder and loose leaf papers in the folder. You can carry around a notebook for sure but I carry around loose leaf papers because I usually take my notes on my PC. (Of course some professors don’t allow you to use your PC so in that case, I would make a notebook specific to that class.) You also don’t know when you will need a folder because you might suddenly get some papers from your professor and those are pretty important (particularly to your grade).

PC

Normally if you are studying in the US or Canada, I think you need a PC. PCs are a must for your university life. I personally use a MacBook Air (newer model) but it can be anything. Even if you don’t use it for your note-taking in class it is always good to bring it. For example, if you have some time to kill between classes, you might like to finish some assignments or just play on your computer.

Planner

I always carry my planner with me too. I write most things down in my iPhone but I also like to carry it around just for my mental reasons. I don’t know why but it makes me feel very organized and professional. It just relaxes me to know that I have my planner with me at all times. I am using one from Tokyo Disney Resort and the illustration inside are very very cute and I enjoy looking through each month when I am bored.

Pencil Case

I like having a pencil case in my bag. But do you need it? Probably not. If you professors let you use your PC in their lectures you probably don’t need it. However, for me I like to have my pens and pencils in one place. It is something that I like to have in my university bag because it makes me comfortable and relaxed. This might be something I cannot leave the house without. I normally put in a ruler, an eraser, highlighters, pens, and mechanical pencils. I would admit that I have an obsession with stationaries.

Water Bottle

Normally if you buy anything at your canteens or cafes at your university it is expensive then getting it at your local store. I always come with a hot coffee or hot tea or just regular water. Also, if you have a long lecture you get quite thirsty during the lecture so it is good to have one.

Hand Cream & Chap Stick & Cushion Foundation or Powder

I always have a hand cream, a chap stick, and a cushion foundation or powder thrown into my bag. Hand creams are really good because you are constantly using your hands and mine are always becoming dry. But be careful not to use too much since you might leave everything oily. A chap stick is must when it comes to my lips. I always have dry lips in the winter and sometimes in summer so I try to moist them as frequently as I can. Cushion foundation or powder will be put into my bag when I have makeup on and I have quite a long day ahead of me. I also always have a little mirror with me too. 

Other things

I didn’t mention the other things but I thought of sharing it with you guys so here it is. Wet wipes, wallets, umbrella, Japanese history notebook, mobile battery, battery codes, ear phones, and gum. Fun fact about me will be that I always have an umbrella whatever the weather is. I have my Japanese history notebook because I have been studying this on my own and I have been loving it. It is for those times when I have some time in between lectures and I don’t feel like doing my assignments. 

I think this is all for what is in my university bag. I don’t think there was anything in particular that was interesting but I hope it was somewhat good to read. And as always thank your for anyone that has read to this point. I hope everyone is having a very good time. For anyone that is going up a grade or entering a new school from September or earlier “Good Luck!!! I hope you the best.”