When your motivation to study wanes, draw inspiration from the joy to be had when exams are over.

A preclusive judgment by any other label would be just as binding,
i.don’t.wear.skinny.jeans

I’m procrastinating. Plain and simple, I’m procrastinating. I have two papers to write, things to read, and things to study. So far, I’ve finished half of one of the papers.

The paper that I’m half done with is for Honors. It’s my last paper for this semester. The first half went quite well. I’m writing it on the theme of birth in Frankenstein bu Mary Shelley and in A Midwife’s Tale by Martha Ballard. I finished the first half on Frankenstein, but now that I’m working on A Midwife’s Tale I keep entering throes of cringing. Everytime I think of midwifery, I think of Manny offering to be my midwife, am I ever to become pregnant. And, frankly, I don’t want Manny anywhere near my vagina. I’m sure my father would be in agreement because he doesn’t want me anywhere near Manny, even if my vagina is not involved.

So, everytime I go to write the second half of my paper, I scream a little on the inside.

I’ve now been a full-time student for nearly three months. I’ve sat in on every class, every exam and gone to the usual places for breaks (ie. Monaco, Cannes, Paris, Versailles) and i’ve even enjoyed it at moments. At the same time, the maths remain a puzzle unsolved and the specific workings of pipes and channels remain as elusive as if I was a molecule trapped within them just trying to find a way out. Luckily, my classmates say they also haven’t found the door yet. What about this door I wonder. Will it lead to enlightenment or disillusion? Will it lead to a natural place of beauty or just some ugly man-made infrastructure? How many doors are there before you finally do make your way out and is the fun really in the end or in the means to getting there? Hmm…so many puzzles and the leaders say we all need a strategy and I wonder if I have one. My inept fluency in English seems to be my only leverage and now there’s just 5 more weeks of class before reaching the summit of my French education. Then England will get its peculiar grip on me and they say that is when the challenge begins.

Yesterday was a great day leaving behind the books and the dormitory to frollick in the forest in a quiet hilly place outside Cannes. The six of us walked to several summits with Amine showing me the edible berries and plants along the way and stopped to have our lunch of baguettes and cheese on a covered reservoir. It was a nice sunny day and we finished it with a classical gypsy concert in Nice. I hadn’t had a little weekend retreat like this to relax my mind from the daily grind in a long time. The open spaces and crisp clean forest air that accompanied us on the winding pathway up that included climbing with our bodily strength up boulders, was a welcoming relief to the cramped stale little cell of my dorm room. It reminded me that the wily ways of nature are always waiting for each of us when we tire of our self-constructed order.

A little bit on life …

Hello, comrades.

It’s been quite a while since I posted and I apologize if anyone’s been checking up on the site.

Life has been dandy lately. I’m still trying to recover from the loss of ALL data on my laptop. After talking to the IT expert at work, he thinks my hard drive exploded (figuratively, of course). This really came at a bad time because finals are in less than two weeks. I guess this should be an incentive to study harder!

I finally took my first, full practice LSAT. I’ve been trying to study in “busy” areas so I can learn how to take tests without letting anything distract me. This would come in handy if the proctor had a terrible, persistent cough on testing day. After studying in “busy” areas, a cough shouldn’t distract me from doing the best on the test (hey, that rhymed! I love it when that happens).

Anyway, I didn’t get the score I wanted on the test. Despite this, I think it’s a good thing. I say that because it means I can only improve from here. Thank goodness I started studying early.

I’ve been looking more into specific “traits” of specific law schools. I found a renewed sense of hope when I looked at The University of Akron Law School (based in Akron, Ohio). Most law schools accept students on a rolling admission basis starting in November. However, Akron starts admissions in March. This is wonderful news.

Many of the schools I’m looking into offer dual/joint degree programs. I might end up getting a JD and Master’s degree in Public Administration or Political Science. Then again, this all depends on where I end up.

Publicity has started for The KlezMormons

Next week, The KlezMormons will be performing on home turf in the Wilkinson Center at BYU. It will be an informal event with food, dancing, and music (of course).  We will also be having a reporter from the Mormon Times. It’s probably a good idea to have some “bases” in the publicity realm before having an article done about us, so I unleashed The KlezMormons on Twitter (follow us at twitter.com/klezmormons) and Facebook (click here for the link). Similarly, we can also be contacted through e-mail at klezmormons@gmail.com. We’re still eager to perform at any place we can get.

Right now I’m preparing for my NET ( Nursing Entrance Exam). I just don’t know where to start to start studying. I have books, books, books, and practice exam from the internet but I don’t know where to start. The only weakness that I have is math, so I guess I can work on math, but that isn’t the only thing that is on the test. I just don’t know.

If anyone have ideas and something to help study, please let me know.

Looks like someone could use some low fat cheese snacks.

Ah, Finals. How I love you. You fall during the greatest time of year and have me reading textbooks instead of drinking Gingerbread lattes and enjoying the holiday sales. You leave dark circles under my eyes and extra inches around my waistline.

Basically, you suck.
Big time.

But, I’m not going to let you conquer my spirit and beat me down to a mumbling, dribbling fool this year. You may not be easy like my Freshman year roommate; I may always scream for joy as I darken the last circle on my last Scantron form, triumphantly dumping my notes in the garbage. But with enough determination I, and the many other good looking and smart students like me, can emerge from the semester with my sanity intact.

How, you ask?
What, are you mocking me?
Don’t look at me like that, Finals. I’ll f**k you up!

OK, here’s how. With a little help from these friends.
How you like them apples, FINALS?!

1. Classical Playlist:
So, most of us don’t have a bunch of classical music mixed in with our usual Gaga/Flo Rida jams on our iTunes. But that is exactly what you need for optimal studying. Studies show that classical music is connected to improvement in some mental tasks. And studying for exams is definitely a mental task. Ot marathon. But you don’t need to spend all your bar money for some boring classical music; just plug in those ear buds, hop on over to Pandora and create a “Mozart” channel. Listen to that (instead of the ever distracting, Britney) while you run through flashcards and you’ll be relaxed, focused and a whole lot more prepared.

2. 24-hour establishments:
If we’re going to be up all night, we need resources. If we run out of paper halfway through printing our essay, get hungry at 4 am, or need a beverage to refuel, we’ll need to know ahead of time where we can go in the wee hours of the morning and get a pint of ice cream what we need. Well, if you live in any of the major cities (NYC, Chicago, Seattle, LA, San Fran., PHX, Austin, DC and Miami) the legwork has been done for you. This website will tell you anything and everything that is open 24 hours so you don’t have to waste precious time driving/Subwaying/walking around looking for “some place that serves bread sticks in this effing town.”

3. Leggings:
Asking us to put on real clothes during finals is just not a plausible request. Chances are after being up all night studying or writing papers we will wake up in just enough time to roll out of bed and sprint to class. To make it easier on ourselves, everyone should invest in a pair of leggings (I’m obsessed with these). Yeah, I never thought I’d say that either, but they truly are the perfect finals attire; they are comfortable to study/sleep in during that all-nighter, but still socially acceptable (with a long top, at least) to wear in public. Done and done.

4. The right source of caffeine:
As much as I love coffee and Red bull, that’s not going to cut it when it comes to finals. In about a week or so we will all be running on empty, with 2 hours of sleep under our belts. To combat this sort of sleep deficiency, we need tea. Namely Cinnamon Apple Spice and Vanilla Almond tea. It’s much healthier than for you than Starbucks, it’s still got the caffeine we need and these fun flavors don’t taste like icky booty like some of those unflavored teas do.

5. Brain Foods:
There’s something about finals that just triggers our body to crave the most fattening foods we can get our hands on. Resist this urge! Not only will this leave your notebook greasy and smelling like french fries (wait…maybe that’s not such a bad thing), these foods make you sluggish and slow your brain down. Instead we need to have healthy snacks on hand that will keep us energized and focused. Some of the best study foods are grapes, nuts, yogurt, granola, popcorn, low fat cheese, whole wheat breads or crackers and cottage cheese. Luckily, all things you can – er – borrow from the cafeteria next time you’re dining.

What other tips do you guys have for making it through finals?

I can’t lie about this one.  I am a sentence snob.  And a hypocrite.  But let’s go back to being a snob first.  Then we can discuss the hypocrisy of my snobbery.
I. Love. Short. Sentences.  They are fantastic.  One of my many marvelous English teachers in high school had us prepare these WHOPPER outlines for papers.  The next year we had to use the same format for paragraphs.  Senior year was sentences.  My paragraphs dropped from 10-12 sentences to 3-5.  And we were not allowed to have a sentence with more than one idea.  My teachers, it seemed, LOVED periods.

Now I find myself writing papers ALL THE TIME.  I wrote more papers in college than I did exams.  And I like it that way – tests scare me.  Each paper was written using short sentences.  Since I got As on every single report, I figure I was doing something right.  When friends ask me to edit their papers, I inevitably tell them to shorten their sentences.  Break this one up.  “You have multiple ideas here,”  I’ll say.  “Shorten it up.  Break it up.”  And they will.  Then they get to proudly display their A.  I’ll clap and cheer for them.

But when I write blog posts?  Long sentences it is.  I don’t particularly care about length at this point.  I also admit that the sentences in my papers tend to be longer in length than those I allow my friends to keep.  Yup.  I’m a hypocrite.

So now tell me.  Is there anything that others do that bothers you, but then you find yourself doing it too?

Hi! I’m still around, just studying a lot and trying to avoid my computer although sometimes it doesn’t work. My first final exam is in 5 days,  and I’m plugging away, trying to get through everything and know it like the back of my hand.

I’ve been breathing well since I last posted, which is great. But to be completely honest with you, I have not run all week. I guess the last attack I had has made me nervous, and the cold air is making me nervous as well. But all I can do it try, right? So I promised myself that I will try later, all bundled up of course, and see how it goes. If it works then it’ll be a confidence boost, if it doesn’t I’ll know I need to change something.

For finals, that is.  I spend 7 hours just on statistics yesterday!  In fact, the only break I took from school work was a mid-morning 10 miler.  When it is 65 degrees in Boston in December (!!!), you have to take advantage of the weather and get outside.  It was a great run, out and back on the Minuteman bike trail.  But with 40 mile/hour wind gusts, my 5 miles back were tough.  I felt like I was running in place at a couple points!

The run cleared my head and as alwasy, I felt renewed.  The feeling didn’t last though.  By the time Dave got home from work, I was completely stressed, and by 8:00, the the tears had started.  But just after 9, I hit “submit” on my chapter test (95 % baby!), and I crashed!  Blogging was just not going to happen.

I ate a very yummy wrap for dinner at my computer last night.  I had some leftover eggplant slices, so I spread some laughing cowcheese and marinara sauce on a brown rice wrap, along with the eggplant, and heated it all up.  It was delicious!  I just wish I hadn’t been so distracted while I was eating it.

This wrap rolled really well.  I have had a lot of trouble with these gluten-free wraps breaking when I try to roll them.  The directions say to warm them, but even when I have done that, several of them have broken when I have bent them to roll.   I had left the package in the freezer, and I think that might be the key.  I’ll be curious to see how the last one in this frozen package bends and rolls.

Today, I did some Christmas ordering on-line (always takes longer than anticipated!) and bought another couple gifts at the store.  I want to get all of the shopping done ASAP because I know things will get even crazier the closer I get to finals.

After my chemistry lecture, I hunkered down to work on biology.  I have a huge assignment due on Tuesday, which will take most of the weekend.  And I also have a project to begin for statistics.  Ahhhh!  I tried to relax a bit with a cup of tea.  I tried Truvia for the first time in my tea.  I thought it was quite good.  I didn’tnotice an aftertaste.  My tea was plesantly sweet!

Truvia is made of stevia and is said to be all natural.  What do you think of Truvia as a sweetener? I have nothing against sugar, and believe me, I get enough sugar!  But I like to minimize the calories in things I drink.  I have used Splenda in the past, but my stash is finally gone, and I am trying to use it less frequently.

Dinner tonight was something I haven’t had for quite some time.  And I don’t know why because I was reminded how much I love it!  I recently wrote a guest post for Green Dog Wine about my gluten-free polenta pizza.  It was posted just this past week, but it’s been a good month since I made my pizza.  I did the same thing this time, thinly slicing a roll of polenta, and topping the slices with tomato sauce and mozzerella and parmesan.  It was wonderful!

One the side, I tried out something Melissa has mentioned a couple of times.  She has bought broccoli slaw, cooked it, and topped it with marinara.  She claimed that it tasted like pasta!  I didn’t really believe it, but  I couldn’t find broccoli slaw to try it for myself.  When I saw it in the store the other day, I grabbed a bag.  Because pasta is not allowed on my gluten-free diet, and because pasta is one of my very favorite things, I have been trying all sorts of replacements.  I love speghetti squash.  Rice pasta is oaky.  And I have gotten used to shirataki noodles too.  And now….I have another replacement!  Melissa, it was great!  Thanks!  I’ll make a bigger bowl next time and bulk it up with some chickpeas and some other veggies.  Yum!

What was the latest food discovery you have made?

I am done with biology fo rthe night and ready to join all my boys on the couch (one human boy and 2 feline boys!).  Flash Forward from last night is on tap!

Positive influence extends beyond the people you surround yourself with. Immersing yourself in environment that parallels your goals will ultimately effect your personal zen. Placing yourself in an environment to succeed will energize positive thinking. And whether your spot is a bedroom or coffee shop, it will ultimately clear your vision and lower stress levels.

Not only can an environment affect your mood, but it can affect your creativity. According to the Scientific American, views of distant nature and green space are proven to help in creativity and memory. Sitting in front of a window, especially in a building a few floors up, will help create this effect.

As winter comes upon us, daylight passes by us faster, and it’s that light that fuels positive energy and alertness. Thus, it’s easy to be groggy and unphased when winter’s gray clouds and early nights come rolling in. Combat it by trying a space like a library that is lit in all places. However, if you feel stressed and jumpy, sometimes a purposefully dim-lit room (candles also help) will help ease and re-focus your mind. Basement coffee shops and living spaces are effective dim-lit environments.

We are social beings, so locking oneself up in a monestary-setting in order to focus on what lies ahead isn’t always the best way to motivate yourself and de-stress. A little white noise and seeing people will actually help you hone in on what work you personally need to get done. In a room where no one is surrounding you in a working setting, it’s easy to pick up something else and forget where you started. Seeing other people working helps to remind yourself what your purpose is.

Key places with a good balance of white noise:

• Building atriums and main halls
• Computer labs (everyone else can see what you’re working on)
• The main floor of academic buildings
• Dormitory study rooms

Today it snowed like crazy!! I took a picture of my feet and of how powdery the snow was. Here they are:

This was taken a while ago at Kingsway Garden Mall. That place is pretty cool!

So what ended up happening was great for EASIA has a fun time trying to review. It just shows that I gotta go over a few things and really really focus on chemistry.

On the way home I decided to stop by Superstore to get some Crispers as it was cold and I knew I needed some energy by the time I reached Millgate Transit station. So I went and Superstore had just recently finished renovating so I kinda got lost sorta. Here’s what the exterior looked like… I don’t think I was allowed to take photos inside so I didn’t.

Since it was snowing it doesn’t look so good. Maybe I should take one in the summer and then compare. Heh, that sounds like fun. Anyways, it was a difficult way to get home. The snow was about… 20 cm or 30 cm? But there was a lot of snow so when the bus stopped it had difficulty moving again. Due to that I had to take a 61 home so that I could get home on time. Horrible walking home. Basically people didn’t shovel the sidewalk so walking on the road was much cooler than on the sidewalk. Everytime a car came, oh time to go search for the pavement… and once it passed back on the road. While walking towards my house I was basically in the middle of the road. Fun times… I should have taken a photo. Darn missed my chance. But it was really cold when the wind picked up while I was going home. It like picks an opportuned time to harrass me. Sheesh, anyways home safe and sound even though I’m a little cold nothing but some hot chocolate can’t fix.

I can’t wait for the exams to be over. I really don’t like studying…

I’m slowly running out of lip balm so I’m thinking of getting SoftLips as my next product instead of going to Rocky Mountain Soap Company for my current lipbalm which is like $5. Yeah, might get it today with the gang depending if its in stock or not.

I was thinking when I head out to WEM with my brother the Princess and the Frog will be out so I wonder if I will be able to go and watch it…. I would really like to. Been a really long time since I’ve been to a theatre to watch a movie. I should ask Quyen about it. Anyways, I have to do laundry today so I’m off to do that and after studying. Hwaiting!!

I woke up at 8-something AM to my alarm system beeping.  Be-be-beep.  Be-be-beep.  Heard the door slam.  Be-be-beep.  Be-be-beep.

Ohhhhhh crap.  My dad left the house, and out of habit, turned the alarm system on to “Away”.  I glance over to my (landline) phone (that doesn’t work).  Hit talk.  Beep.  Dies.

The reason I went straight to the phone is that I have a motion sensor right outside my bedroom door, and leaving my room would probably trip it, and send the siren wailing.  Great.  Dead phone, stuck in room.

I have my iPod touch, so I email both of my parents.  Subject: Alarm.  That should get ‘em.  Then I go on Twitter and Facebook from my iPod and discuss these shenanigans with people.  Grrar.

45 minutes later, when I was about to just give up and trip the alarm, I get an e-mail back from my mom saying that they’ve put in an order to disregard the alarm and to go shut it off.  RUN down the hall (in hopes not to set the siren off), and then down the stairs to the alarm panel.  No siren, no problem.  Phone my mom.  “Well, that was a fun way to start my morning.”

Fortunately, i was up an hour before I wanted to be, so this didn’t really hinder my getting-up-at-9:45-plans.  (Yeah for no more classes till January!)

Today my friend and I are taking our former-grade-11-bio-teacher lunch for his birthday (a week and a half late, but whatever.  Also, i know this is really weird, and it’s a LONG story).  Then, we’re going to hang around our high school for an hour and visit people.  Andddd THEN, I’m doing an asthma presentation for my former grade-12-bio-slash-dance teacher’s class.  Arthur, PowerPoint, a bunch of me talking, you know, all that stuff.  [I lure them in with Arthur . . . Then they have to listen ]  Then, it’s studyyyyy time for Monday’s bio midterm.

I’ve got quite the gross sounding cough going on, but otherwise am fine.  Peak flows are back in the green, and I only had to yellow-zone for 24 hours.  Yay for taking fast action!

Growing up I relished Fridays.  It meant TWO WHOLE DAYS doing nothing but playing in the backyard, biking with my friends, and climbing all the trees I could find.

I relished Fridays while traveling as well.  It usually meant another plane ticket, another trip, another adventure.  And who would not enjoy that?

As a college student, Fridays typically meant an entire weekend to be lazy.  No workouts necessary, procrastinating on homework was alright, and breakfast at 1pm was acceptable.

Now, however, I find myself wondering “What makes Friday different?“  For me it is the thought of being able to wake up when I want (anywhere from 6.30a to 8.30a), run as long as I want, and get as much work completed (or not) as I desire.

What makes Friday special to you?

A cup of coffee at six will do the trick. I am not a fan of coffee, but I’ll drink it to feel more awake right now.

I have to take my final exam this weekend. Due to the hardest week of work in recent memory, I’m behind on my study schedule. If I’m to take the exam on Sunday, then I have to complete the study of three chapters tonight. I was originally scheduled to do two chapters of studying a night starting Monday, but work got in the way and I didn’t go home until 10 p.m. for a couple of nights this week. Yesterday, I got home at a decent hour but I was emotionally really fatigued. I tried to read, but I was exhausted.

So today, I spent a good chunk of time studying, but it’s 8 p.m. Eastern and I’ve just now started chapter three. So I’m going to keep on trucking until 9 p.m. and then leave work and head home on the bus.

It’s tough, but a girl has to be able to pay her rent.

Hey world,

Wow, let me be the first to say that upkeeping a blog with hot and fresh content out the oven is difficult with a full-course load of physical therapy goodness, but…I haven’t forgotten about this site.

The other blogs I follow have decreased their postings too, so it must be that time of the year.

As Finals are fast approaching, I am in a relative calm, maybe because I’ve been through 3 waves of finals now, so I know what to expect and how to tackle the process of studying.  As true for any success, one needs a plan, so I’ve planned out my study schedule, assigning each day a certain subject to study.  Fortunately, some final exams are next week, so my UF-official finals exam week (Dec. 12-18th) will be relatively light.

One interesting thing to note is use the of technology to keep up with all my class notes.  My grand plan was to keep all my class notes electronically, both on Google Docs (for easy access and maintenance of documents between my iMac at home and my super portable netbook) and on my iMac’s hard drive.  The rationale was that unlike paper class notes, keeping them electronically are easier to access, organize, and keep forever.  If you’re a PT student yourself, you know that an immense amount of paper is used.  Unless you’re the super organized type, requiring tabs, dividers, and lots of bookshelf space, most of these documents fall into obscurity.  On my computer, only simple clicks and keystrokes are needed to organize all my stuff into folders.

So, long story short, for long-term storage and easy accessibility, computer use is the best for all my class notes, but studying off the computer to read my class notes is another story.  I’ve discussed this with several of my classmates and similar remarks were these:  ”I can’t study off a screen”; “I need to have the notes on paper”; “I need to write things down”.  Essentially, these remarks are indicative of tactile learners, which I learn that I too am a tactile learner.

These seem all redundant in that with notes on my computer, I take further notes on paper but that isn’t the case.  As I study, when I write my notes down into a notebook, I view my notes as disposable at a later date.  I only need the process of writing my thoughts down to help me understand the concepts.  I’m sure you’re only one google or pubmed search away to find empirical proof from studies that the use of the tactile sense, accompanying visual and auditory senses, together all augment learning and memory retention.

(Let me know how you study or how you organize all your notes in the comments box below.  I’m curious to know how other PT students incorporate technology with their learning experience.)

Anyways…awesome to realize that I’m just another step closer to my first clinical rotation, another important component in my training to become the Doctor of Physical Therapy I aspire to be.  Now with that said, in the words of the famous Big Black, I’m off to “DO WORK!”

Happy studying everyone.

Wo, the books and brochures are in piles after the Saco’s student fair and when I look at the piles I just can’t think of anything else but “take it away from me, I don’t want to see it”. Well, I actually had a really nice day, enjoying what I learned even though I was so damn stressed because of the lack of time. But it turned out to be so many things I wanted to do and so many opportunities to do them, that I’m more confused now than I was before the fair. I really don’t even want to think of my future anymore. There’s to much things and change.

I’d like to move to UK to study and that was possible and pretty easy actually, but still I feel like this apartment is great and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. How big are the odds of getting such a nice apartment before even turning 18? And I want to give it up, for what? A student apartment where I have to share shower and kitchen? I don’t think so. But if I don’t, I won’t get the education I want and that won’t really lead me to the future. Wtf? What the fuck is my future? How can I write that something won’t lead me to the future when I haven’t even planned it? Aaah, see. There’s too many things going on in my head. Why not start with writing down some goals? Where do I want to be in future?

I’ll write later, when my confusion has disappeared.

Is it time to take the "home" out of homework?

An idea I’ve been thinking about for a while recently came across my Twitter feed: The Reverse of Homework.  A little digging brought me to the original article referenced in the tweet.  Essentially, the idea is to take the lecture portion of a class and put it online.  Class time can then be used for problems and activities that had been relegated to homework.  While not everything in an ESL context can be put online, there are some areas where this strategy can be used.

In my own intermittent attempts in grammar classes, I’ve run into some of the issues described in the article, most of which had to do with students’ adjustment from the traditional homework paradigm.  But the benefits included students being able to review the material as much or as little as they chose (which may also constitute an “issue”) and having much more class time to answer the most difficult, challenging and interesting questions which students often run into by themselves at home and then forget to ask the next day.

Another benefit is that this approach can accomodate multiple learning styles.  When I was in college, I had trouble doing the background reading for lectures, but found it easy to read the material after the lecture.  Similarly, in language classes, I would rather build my knowledge by attempting things and making mistakes because I have to find the reason for learning a particular structure or set of vocabulary before I am motivated to study it.  My teaching often reflects my own learning style, but I recognize that not everyone prefers to learn the way I do.  Reversing homework allows students to prepare for the activities by listening to the lecture in advance or to attempt the activities and then go back and use the lecture as a resource.

The biggest downside is that it can take a long time to develop and adapt lectures to an online format.  But, if they are developed in a modular way, components can be shared and reused, eliminating the need to reinvent the wheel each time a course is taught.  By combining original resources with preexisting resources, students may be given a wide variety of options which they can use to meet their goals and the goals of the course.

The studying bandwagon, that is.

I’ve got this dilemma.  I enjoy school.  REALLY enjoy it.  The school work is not even that big of a problem – I am pretty good at picking topics to write about and study that I find interesting (It makes it easier to motivate myself to do the work that way).  At any rate, next week is the end of the quarter and I am finding myself strapped for time.  It makes me want to pull out my hair!  This week I need to…

1) Finish two papers.  The first explores the transition of oncology care from an inpatient to an outpatient setting.  I also discuss the administrative changes and difficulties that come with such a transition and put forth a few solutions.  The second paper analyzes quality control within hospitals, specifically referencing physician errors.  It is only ten pages, but in those ten pages I look at what causes errors, who is protected when errors occurred, how the protection occurs, and what, if any, legislation is in place to protect patients.  Both are interesting, I just need to sit down and write them.
2)  Put together a slide show presentation of paper #1.  It won’t be difficult, but I do not particularly enjoy making PowerPoint presentations.
3)  Complete a practice exam.  This is in preparation for my finance final exam that occurs after my half marathon.  Yup.  That is right.  I will be studying as my father and I drive to Vegas.  I will be studying while walking around the expo, and I will be studying on the drive back.

It shall be a stressful week for me!  I still need to find time to fit in my last couple training runs and packing for Vegas!

How about you – what was your most stressful week ever?  How did you get through it?

Hello fellow grad students!

In light of next week’s mock exams and the revising that’s currently taking place, I found some really awesome tips on a study skills-focused website to help with revisions. Although some of it seems pretty common sensical, I still think it may be useful to some. In addition to some basic tips, the website outlines how  to leverage your learning style when studying!

—

Tips for Visual Learners

-Rewrite your notes as mind-maps
-Use colour to highlight important things
-Draw diagrams and sketches to help you remember points.

—

Tips for Auditory Learners

- Read your notes aloud
-Record yourself on cassette reading key points of your notes aloud, then listen to the tape afterwards
- Revise with other students if you can

—

Tips for learners who are readers and writers

- Copy out your notes
- Read your notes silently
- Rewrite the key points using different words
- Write down key points from memory.

—-

Tips for Active Learners

- Move around the room
-Revise while working out
- Mentally review what you’ve been revising while you’re swimming or jogging

—-

Also, I’ve found that looking through old exam papers has been incredibly useful! It’s always nice to see what questions typically arise on exams and how questions are phrased to know what you’re dealing with. Click here to check out old exam papers held in the LSE Archives.

Also (since I happen to be an auditory & visual learner), I find that revising in groups is much more effective than sitting alone in one’s room, staring at a PC and old exams. In addition to hearing other’s opinions and input on a particular topic (and being able to ask questions and expand upon topics that are confusing), working in a group tends to keep relative focus. I find that when I’m working with others for five hours, I can be pretty focused for most of it. If I’m at home by myself for five hours, half of that time will surely be dedicated to facebooking, blogging and the like. It’s always nice to have others to keep you in check!

Happy revising and good luck to everyone <3.
Hello, last week of Michaelmas term!

xoxo,

]]> http://kcarterministries.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/teach-me-thy-ways/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:28:51 +0000 Keith Carter http://kcarterministries.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/teach-me-thy-ways/

As I’ve read through the Bible and looked at the life of David, I have often commented to myself that I didn’t think that I would really like to hang around with David. He seemed impulsive and at times, he seemed hard, cold, and demanding. Time and time again I wondered how David could possibly be a “man after God own heart.” [Acts 13:22] Here was a man who had adulterous affairs, many wives, yet God called him a man after His heart. Why? I had heard many teachings regarding this and knew that Paul often did what God asked him to do. I also knew that David usually, though not always, sought God’s guidance before he went to war or made a major decision regarding Israel. I also knew that he was quick to repent once his error was pointed out to him. In truth, I saw that he was a lot like many Christians. In other words, he messed up a lot, but loved God and wanted to do His will. I knew all this, but I still didn’t see what made David a man after God’s heart. One day as I was reading through the Psalms of David I began to gain an understanding of how David could be a man after God’s heart. David desired to know God. He desired to be taught by God. 

Psalm 25:4 – 5
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 

David asked God to teach him. You will see this fact repeated time and time again in his Psalms. He was meek in his approach to learning from God and knew that all true teaching came from God.

There have been times when I approached my study of God’s word as soldier might prepare for battle. I would get out my research books, my dictionaries, my concordances, my pens and highlighters look at my Bible and say, “OK, let’s see what I can get out of you today.” I would pull the word of God apart, word by word. Looking up words and taking notes, checking cross references from one scripture to another. And I would come up with … Nothing. I studied and worked the word of God and found nothing that I was able to apply to my life.

Was there anything wrong with these methods? No, not really. But there was something wrong with my attitude. I had approached my study time without God. I was working the word of God to see what I could get out of it, rather than approaching it with meekness and joy. Look again at words that David wrote in Psalm 25. 

Psalm 25:4, 5
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 

  David asked God to teach him. I was asking myself to teach myself. I was trying to wrestle understanding and revelation out of the word God rather than asking God to teach me as I approached the word. There is nothing wrong with concordances and Greek and Hebrew dictionaries; unless they become your teachers. It is God who opens our hearts to the greatness of His word. So when you read or study God’s wonderful word, take some time to pray and ask God to open your understanding and your heart to His word. Ask God to teach you what He wants to teach you. He is more than willing to do so. 

Proverbs 4:4 – 9
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 

  Asking God to teach him was not the only quality in David’s life that made him a man after God’s heart. However, it was an important one. Let’s learn from David’s example and come to the word with a meek heart, ready always to receive God’s teaching.

Today at work was a surprisingly busy day.  Normally I can just hang out in the library and get a bit of my own school work done… but, sadly for my studying productivity level, I ended up with a lot of actual work-work to do.  Can’t complain, that’s why they’re paying me!  But that means that I need to spend more time tonight at home studying than I had originally planned.  Bummer.  (Especially with a new Law and Order: SVU on tonight at 9.  Hopefully I’ll be done by then.)

Finals studying has been going relatively smoothly.  I seem to be pretty good at pacing myself and setting and keeping arbitrary study deadlines in my head (knock on wood).  Of course, I’ve been taking a break here and there for important events *cough*UCLA*sports*cough* — even despite their disappointing results.  I had a fun, yet cold, time at the UCLA football game downtown last weekend with some awesome friends:

From here on out, though, I will be spending the rest of my Finals days locked in my room and studying.  Here is the pacing that I’ve planned for myself in my head and am  now committing to writing:

• Today: make the rest of my flashcards for the remaining 20 pages of my 60-page note/outline for Business Associations.
• Tomorrow and Friday: memorize these flash cards and actually do a Business Associations practice exam.
• This weekend and Monday: study for my first final, Conflict of Laws (which requires less studying).  Type out a few sample answers from the class problem and e-mail them to the professor.  (Sunday afternoon study break: watch UCLA play Kansas.)
• Next Tuesday: CONFLICT OF LAWS FINAL.
• Next Wednesday and Thursday: refresh myself on Business Associations; maybe re-take the only practice exam I have for the class.
• Next Friday: BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS FINAL.
• Next weekend and next next Monday-day: study for Marital Property (40 multiple choice question exam).
• Next next Monday-night: MARITAL PROPERTY FINAL.

After I’m done with the Marital Property exam and arrive safely at home, which I estimate will be around 8pm, I will undoubtedly pass out in bed.  This will make for a very well-rested me, which will be necessary for the days to come for Winter Break.  The very next Tuesday, at 1:30pm, Jamie and I are going to the UCLA vs. Mississippi State basketball game — and then we must get home immediately to prepare for the Biggest Loser Season Finale (so excited about this – Go Danny!).

Other fun things I have planned for the break:

• Tahoe ski trip w/ Taylor&Marie and Hughes&Jen (aka my first time in the snow and skiing/snowboarding… scary, yet exciting?)
• Michelle is in town (:
• Loyola ladies’ Secret Santa gift exchange @ Annie’s!
• A few other UCLA basketball games
• Jamie’s “Tree Group” reunion
• Arrowhead ski trip with the Loyola ladies (: (aka my second time in the snow and skiing/snowboarding – hopefully I didn’t hate it?)

Anyway, time to take the brother out for a very late lunch and then study study study.  But one more fun picture from the football game is in order:

(Ad for holiday lights.  See bottom left corner of board for humor.)