It is unbelievable how quickly this semester has gone by. Although I am sad to be finishing up this course, I feel it has made me a better writer and given me skills I can apply to many of my other courses. English 1080 has taught me how to really evaluate poetry and fiction and how to infer many different meanings from the text. I have learned how to compose strong thesis statements and raise important arguments in my essays. I felt there was much accomplished in this course and much I will take away. This course was one of my favorites this semester and I truly enjoyed all of its aspects. I have no criticism to say about English 1080 other than I wish it could have lasted longer. I also enjoyed writing these blog posts every week. It gave me the chance to express my thoughts and opinions through a creative outlet and made the course seem that much more fun. I really felt that through my essay writing and the blog posts, I learned how to voice my opinions and organize my thoughts in a precise manner. I also found the essay writing workshops were very helpful as it was a good refresher and also taught me other things I was unaware of how to do; such as a works cited page. All in all I learned a lot from this course and I hope any other English course I take in the future will be as enjoyable and insightful. And farewell to all of my readers. It has been a pleasure to write a post each week and I am sad to say this is my final one. Thank you to anyone who has taken their time to read what I've had to say. This may be my last blog post but I hope this will not be the last time you hear from me.
Best wishes,
Chantal
Wednesday 26 November 2014
Friday 21 November 2014
How To: Study
I would like to think that I am an expert on studying so I thought a “How To” on this would be helpful. Nonetheless, here are some of my best tips and suggestions for succeeding in your studies.
1. Make studying a top priority. This doesn’t mean you have to lose your social life or stop having fun, but sometimes you need to compromise. On a Friday night when I want to go to a party but have an exam to study for, I do both. I will study for a couple of hours and THEN go to the party. I think setting priorities and then enjoying yourself after you get your work done is the best mindset to have while in University.
2. Use your planner and write the dates of your tests ONE WEEK before they happen. It is best to start studying for an important test a week prior rather than cramming a few days before. You will retain the information better and will be less stressed before you write it.
3. Don’t be around any distractions. I usually put my phone and laptop in another room because I think everyone is guilty of checking their phone for five minutes which ends up turning into thirty. Do yourself a favour and keep it out of sight, therefore it will be out of mind.
4. Take breaks. Everyone needs to take a break at some point. I usually like to take a break after each hour of studying. I find taking a break to exercise or go for a walk really relieves any stress and relaxes my mind.
5. Have designated study areas. I like to have two areas I can go to study that are quiet and distraction free. It’s nice to have more than one area to study because your butt will get tired of sitting in the same spot for hours.
6. Don’t study with your friends. Let’s be real - no studying ever happens when you are with your friends.
7. Develop your own study methods and techniques. I like to write out notes on information I know the least, make cue cards, highlight important sections in my textbooks and have neatly organized notes to review. If you find you are more of an auditory learner then it might be helpful to record your notes on your phone and listen to them.
8. Don’t stay up all night cramming. Yes it is best to study right before you sleep because you will retain the information better, but it is not smart to stay up all night and not get any sleep. This will most likely affect your performance on a test/exam. That is why it is better to start studying as early as possible to avoid cramming and then you can get a good night’s sleep.
9. Don’t study in your room. It is easy to get too comfy and doze off. Also, since studying is often associated with stress, if you study in your bed, then that too may become associated with stress. And no one wants to feel stressed when they go to bed.
10. Don’t procrastinate. Just think, the sooner you hit the books, the sooner you can close them.
11. Reward yourself for a solid study session. Go hang out with your friends, or go do something fun. You deserve to enjoy yourself after working hard.
1. Make studying a top priority. This doesn’t mean you have to lose your social life or stop having fun, but sometimes you need to compromise. On a Friday night when I want to go to a party but have an exam to study for, I do both. I will study for a couple of hours and THEN go to the party. I think setting priorities and then enjoying yourself after you get your work done is the best mindset to have while in University.
2. Use your planner and write the dates of your tests ONE WEEK before they happen. It is best to start studying for an important test a week prior rather than cramming a few days before. You will retain the information better and will be less stressed before you write it.
3. Don’t be around any distractions. I usually put my phone and laptop in another room because I think everyone is guilty of checking their phone for five minutes which ends up turning into thirty. Do yourself a favour and keep it out of sight, therefore it will be out of mind.
4. Take breaks. Everyone needs to take a break at some point. I usually like to take a break after each hour of studying. I find taking a break to exercise or go for a walk really relieves any stress and relaxes my mind.
5. Have designated study areas. I like to have two areas I can go to study that are quiet and distraction free. It’s nice to have more than one area to study because your butt will get tired of sitting in the same spot for hours.
6. Don’t study with your friends. Let’s be real - no studying ever happens when you are with your friends.
7. Develop your own study methods and techniques. I like to write out notes on information I know the least, make cue cards, highlight important sections in my textbooks and have neatly organized notes to review. If you find you are more of an auditory learner then it might be helpful to record your notes on your phone and listen to them.
8. Don’t stay up all night cramming. Yes it is best to study right before you sleep because you will retain the information better, but it is not smart to stay up all night and not get any sleep. This will most likely affect your performance on a test/exam. That is why it is better to start studying as early as possible to avoid cramming and then you can get a good night’s sleep.
9. Don’t study in your room. It is easy to get too comfy and doze off. Also, since studying is often associated with stress, if you study in your bed, then that too may become associated with stress. And no one wants to feel stressed when they go to bed.
10. Don’t procrastinate. Just think, the sooner you hit the books, the sooner you can close them.
11. Reward yourself for a solid study session. Go hang out with your friends, or go do something fun. You deserve to enjoy yourself after working hard.
Wednesday 12 November 2014
Monkey Meme
As some of you may have seen from one of my earlier posts, I shot this picture in Dominican last year on my Hero Holiday. I think these monkeys are totally hugging but I've gotten a lot of conflicting views... So I made this meme.
Friday 7 November 2014
Don't quote me on this...
“Life is about people, not stuff” – Live
Different
Live
Different, a Canadian charity founded in 2000, is an amazing organization and
my experience with them changed my life for the better. This charity is all
about empowering youth to make a change in the world as well as in our own
lives. To fight social justice issues, make a positive difference and stop the
cycle of selfishness. I was so privileged to have had the opportunity to work
with Live Different last Christmas when I participated in a Hero Holiday. I,
along with 40 other Canadians travelled to the Dominican Republic and built
three homes for families living in extreme poverty. I could write a novel on
how incredible and life-changing this experience was, so rather than do that, I
will link Live Different’s website to anyone interested in a Hero Holiday or
more information about the charity. (Seriously, go check it out). This quote
means a lot to me because it is so simple yet sums up what life is all about. I
truly understand the importance and meaning of these words after my experience
in Dominican, which also encouraged me to register for another Hero Holiday to
Mexico, which I will be embarking on this Christmas.
“One should eat to live, not live to eat”
– Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin
Franklin, as I’m sure we have all heard of, was one of the most famous
Americans of all time. Writer, philosopher, scientist and inventor, this man is
well known as one of the Founding Fathers who drafted the Declaration of
Independence and Constitution of the United States, as well as for his famous
theories on electricity. I have to give it up to this man who born in 1706,
said such words that are so relevant even in today’s modern society. Obesity
and over-eating have become a huge problem in the world now more than ever. I
think Franklin had the whole idea that we are born to survive and be healthy,
rather than overeat to the point where one becomes overweight or obese. Obesity
is such a huge killer in our world today, which I think is completely stupid
because it is 100% preventable. This quote is important to me because I am a
huge believer in eating healthy and taking care of our bodies. After all, we
only have one body, and if we fail to take care of it and continue to put too
many bad things into it, our quality of life will be greatly diminished and
shortened in the long run. I think obesity is horrible and especially hate that
our province has many sufferers of this problem. If only Benjamin Franklin had
been a Newfoundlander…
“The happiest people in life don’t have
the best of everything, they make the
best of everything” – unknown
This
quote, although from an unknown source, is very important to me. I
received this quote framed as a gift and keep it on the vanity in my room. I
like to glance at it once in a while to remind myself that my life is mine to make
the best of. Sometimes it is hard to get motivated, but when I read this quote,
I think that if I want it to be a good day, then I should make it a good day.
Who cares if you don’t have the best of everything when you are out enjoying
your life? This quote gives me a very positive outlook on life and every now
and then when I feel things could be better, this quote is a good reminder to tell myself that it is up to me to make my life all that it can be.
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