Guest Blog # 2 : Jake Murphy
Bonjour mes amis! Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on our first blogger Kaumal’s post. We are going to post another general study guide, this time from an adopted EFer, Jake Murphy, now studying medicine in UCC. It is perfectly timed for the Easter Hols and how to stay motivated. Merci Jake!
Your time is gold, particularly after Easter – don’t waste it!
MORNINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
For the Easter Holidays, and remaining weekends – mornings can be a crucial decider.
It may sound extremist to get out of bed at a time that’s normal for a school day – but in reality it can let you be more flexible with your time, get more done, and enjoy your Easter/weekend break.
Here is the secret. If you get up early to study, get out of the house. Get to a library, a café, a park bench, wherever you feel comfortable. If you stay at home, you are liable to be distracted or tempted by lazy siblings/facebook/procrastination. Hitch a lift with working parents/siblings.
LATE NIGHT STUDYING? No. Never. Ever.
If you find yourself trying to study late at night, you might want to rethink your strategy. A good night’s sleep followed by a productive morning is infinitely healthier and fruitful. Many people procrastinate during the day and ‘guilt work’ at night, just to tell themselves they’ve done something that day.
15-MINUTE GOALS
We always hear that our concentration wanes after 20-40 minutes, but this isn’t to say that we shouldn’t study in even shorter intervals. You can assail a considerable amount of content in five 15-minute sessions, with mini breaks (2 minutes) between each. The 15-minute session allows to your more clearly define your goals, and therefore monitor your progress.
HOW MUCH STUDY SHOULD I DO OVER EASTER?
Honestly, if you are looking for top grades, you should be looking at least 4 hours most days. This can depend on how much you’ve done already, how many subjects you are taking, and the type of subjects you’ve chosen.
REVISIT CONTENT FREQUENTLY.
The first time you tackle a chapter in a book, it may take 2+ hours to understand and digest it all properly. The next time you study that chapter, it may only take 1.5 hours. Next time, maybe 40 minutes. By the time the Leaving Cert rolled around, I was skimming over some chapters in 5 minutes or less, knowing almost all the content, and just being reminded of the key concepts.
If you want to follow Jake’s blogs, please check this out : http://jakemurphyucc.wordpress.com
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