Equip yourself with the best gear!

LilyHello everyone! Now it’s time to talk about my favourite part of uni life: stationery!

Pens

Of course there’re all kinds of writing tools available nowadays — ball pens, gel pens, fountain pens — with various colours and sizes. My favourite type of pens are gel pens. They are convenient to carry around, retain volumes of ink, can be checked easily, and the same brand of pens can provide you a consistent writing quality. Continue reading Equip yourself with the best gear!

Study Methods & Penguins

Emma Foster - ASK Blog PicLast semester, while I was working with the ASK service, I had a student ask me if the only way to study was reading through their textbooks and trying to rote learn everything. The short answer? Hells no.

There are probably as many different ways to study as there are people on the planet, or something exorbitant like that. The following are just a few different techniques that might help you along. Continue reading Study Methods & Penguins

When Life Gives You Lemons

DSC_0142Hi everyone,

So I’ve been unwell the past couple of weeks. My immune system has been pretty much non-existent and as a result I have had to put up with viruses galore. I had to take the whole of week 8 off and just spend the entire time resting in bed (I’m now dealing with a sinus infection. Le sigh). I was also feeling very stressed about all the work I had to do at uni and was starting to think that I wouldn’t be able to get through the rest of the semester. It got me thinking. Continue reading When Life Gives You Lemons

Mid-Semester Break

download_20150318_143903It’s the mid-semester break at FedUni and this means one of two things: either study really hard and get loads done in preparation for the last half of semester as well as a jump on the assignments or bake, knit, take lots of shifts and socialise with friends.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with either of these scenarios, it just depends on the coping skills that you have for the workload that you end up with, depending on the one you choose. If you decide to spend the time sleeping and chilling out then more power to you, just be aware that you will have a large amount of work to come back to and you may regret not spending at least some time sorting things out. Continue reading Mid-Semester Break

YourTutor

imageHelloooooooo my lovely little kittens!

Miss me? I bet you did. Today I am going to tell you all about a fairly wonderful little thing called yourtutor.

Firstly, if you do not know about yourtutor, then you have been missing out. But given we are down to the extremely sharp and horribly pointy end of the year, it may just be the best time for you to get on it.

Yourtutor is a tutoring service. Basically. BUT it is online. AND it is free for FedUni students. PLUS it is accessible late at night when all your tutors and lecturers have drifted off into a deep slumber, or are out drinking wine and partying to their heart’s content. Whatever it is those crazy kids do that means they don’t reply to our emails right when we need them the most — an hour before the assignment is due at midnight, or the night before your early morning exam. So that’s when yourtutor becomes the greatest friend a uni student could ever have.

They are accessible from 3pm-11pm every day of the week except Saturday (because they need to party and sleep sometimes too, friends), and you do not even need to put on pants or get out of bed to talk to them. Yep, sounds pretty great, right? Well, it is.

Yourtutor is made up of experienced tutors, who can help with anything from maths and science to English and grammar. They will help you with research, topic analysis, study tips, basically anything study related that you need help with. You can even upload your assignments for them to have a look over and give you some help. Yes, they are that good.

To access yourtutor you will find a banner on the home page of Moodle. You can find more information and a short video clip about it here.

So seriously, if you find yourself struggling with a question that just can’t wait until tomorrow, or an assignment that needs to be looked over before you submit it, log onto yourtutor and watch them work their magic*.

-Tegan

*Not actual real magic. They have unfortunately not been to Hogwarts. Well, not that they’ve told me anyway…

How to juggle study, assignments, work and family

My initial reaction is DON’T DO IT! But in saying that, I have juggled all these balls and more and survived to tell the tale.

My best tip of all is to get organised! “Not again with the organised bit!” I hear you say. Sorry, but it’s the only way I survived. The Library has resources and planners that can assist you in planning your week, month and semester. Take a few minutes to throw yourself into this rewarding task. Yes, I’m serious! It is rewarding when you allocate time and end up not being totally wasted from anxiety and stress.

It’s important to make sure that, when you slot in lectures, tutorials and assignment writing time, that you give yourself time to chillax. Otherwise, the wheels will fall off and you will be totally smashed.

So if I have inspired you to give organising a try then my job is done! Good luck in your studies. If I can do it, you certainly can!

-Jennifer

General Guide to Writing & Study Skills

imageHelloooooo my lovely little kittens!

I’m here today to discuss with you a wonderful fun new resource we have available to help you with your writing and study skills. It is called (surprisingly) the General Guide to Writing and Study Skills! This handy little eBook/PDF is full of all sorts of hints and tips to make writing and studying that much easier.

This super handy guide contains things from adjusting to the university lifestyle, to writing different types of assessment, to avoiding plagiarism, to all manner of other exciting little tidbits to help you make it through university without being eaten by a crocodile*.

Even if you don’t feel as though you are struggling with any writing or study skills, I recommend checking out this book, as you may be surprised by what you can find. It is written in a way to try and make it as accessible to students as possible, so you don’t have to wade through *cough* stuffy *cough* academic language to try and find what you are looking for.

I feel like I am writing an advertisement here. I guess I kind of am, so maybe I should just commit to it. Let’s try that.

(read in big booming voice) Here for the first time ever, a study skills guide that is fun AND useful. Come on down and try out our General Guide to Writing and Study Skills, for the special price of $0! Yes, you heard me right folks, that is absolutely free for now and always!

Well…that felt weird. Maybe I should just stick to talking about it as I was. Basically, this is one handy piece of work. Let’s just stick with that. Have a look, check it out, and if you have any feedback or comments there is a form you can fill out to help this resource get even better. Yep. Better than it is now. That is going to be tough, given how good it already is, but we can try.

ANYWAY, the guide can be found here or by accessing the Federation University home page, and clicking students > learning and study > study skills and writing guides.

The feedback form can be accessed by following the same process, or simply by clicking here.

I hope you find this resource as useful and fun as it is intended to be, and that you enjoyed reading my (slightly insane) blog post.

– Tegan 🙂

 

*may or may not mention crocodiles at any point in this guide ever at all

PASS 8+ Promotion

BecHello! I’m writing today to tell you all about PASS’s 8 plus promotion. If you attend 8 or more PASS sessions you go into the draw to win an awesome voucher: a voucher for Officeworks (a student’s best friend) valued at $100. This voucher could be a great help for studies next year, or maybe you’ve been saving up for a cool gadget or something and a $100 voucher to put towards that surely wouldn’t hurt. Anyways, I can’t win because I’m a PASS leader, so do me a favour and enter the draw for me. PASS really is a great program, so while you’re studying with your friends and peers, just think what amazing things you could do with that voucher!

And now for some more info on what PASS is:

PASS (peer assisted study sessions), is a program that is runs at Mt Helen, Gippsland and Horsham campuses. It aims to help undergraduate students better understand tricky concepts, make friends, and achieve overall better grades (It’s true, students really do get better grades if they attend PASS). PASS is not just for first years or those who are struggling with a subject, but for anyone who feels like they want a bit of extra time to discuss the content in a relaxed and fun way. PASS runs throughout the semester and even during SWOTVAC. It is free and is run by a student who has previously excelled in that subject, so they can help guide you and let you know if you’re on the right track.

PASS is nothing like a tutorial. You don’t have to raise your hand, there are sometimes lollies and everyone has the opportunity to input their ideas. It is also a great way to really cement information as, when students explain concepts to other students, it can help a lot (I’m pretty sure I read research for this somewhere, but I can’t find, so you don’t get an academic source to support that). It is also great for breaking down tricky terms or languages. Students are also great at finding tricks to remembering things that the whole group can benefit from (Nursing students love acronyms!).

So anyway, PASS provides the opportunity for a laid back environment where students ultimately have the power! The students can help choose what type of activities they find work best for them, so they can use study techniques that are going to benefit them the most. PASS provides the opportunity for students to discuss their ideas, play games and also have some fun!

To find out if PASS runs for your class you can simply go to the federation.edu.au/pass, check the moodle shell for your course or enquire at the ASK desk.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourselves along to PASS, a program that is going to help boost your grades, find cool ways of remembering things, have a lolly or two and — who knows — maybe even win an Officeworks voucher!

– Bec

Study and the Outdoors

Emma Foster - ASK Blog PicI dislike sports. All the running and the catching and the coordination that they require has meant that I’m dramatically lacking the skill set required to be good (or even mediocre) at them. But I really like outside. I don’t even mind doing stuff outside. As long as it’s not sport.

Now that the weather’s started getting better (two days in a row totally counts, right?), I’m being reminded of all the things I enjoy doing outside of the four walls of my little house (and trust me, it can take a lot to get me out of the house. Although, not quite as much as it takes to get our dear editor to leave his abode)

Editor’s note: Hey!

 

Walking

I don’t at all mind going for a little stroll in the sunshine. Whether it be a 6km jaunt around the lake with my mother or my puppy, or wandering across a couple of paddocks out the back of my place, it’s always nice to get out, stretch your legs, and forgot about your stressors for a while.

Plus, walking also helps you to avoid heart disease, type two diabetes, osteoporosis AND some cancers! A government website told me so. And if the government said it, it must be true. Right?

Gardening

I did dis
I did dis

Yeah, I’m 22 going on 50, but I’m okay with that. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching something you’ve planted with your own bare (or gloved) hands grow into something marvellously green and living. Of course, there’s also something incredibly frustrating about seeing something you planted strewn across your living room floor because your dog thought it looked like a really awesome chew toy, but you’ve got to take it all as it comes. Just yesterday I planted a dozen broad beans, and the dog hasn’t destroyed them yet! Small victories people, small victories.

Trust me, it was traumatic
Trust me, it was traumatic

Gardening is good for the environment too, and sometimes you can even eat what you grow (if you can get to it before dogs or chickens do, that is)!

Studying

I am an awful studier. It’s just not something that’s ever come naturally to me, and I tend to find there are a thousand things just waiting to distract me as soon as I crack open a text book. However, there’s something about a lovely patch of sunlight that suddenly means I’m able to read at least half a chapter before the next distraction comes along. My favourite patch to study in at home is right in the middle of the doorway to our deck, and I like to drag a comfortable arm chair over to curl up in. Of course, being Ballarat, sometimes by the time I’ve set up my little study spot, the sun has disappeared (along with any inclination of mine to learn anything).

This is a picture of outside. It doesn’t look too scary, does it?
This is a picture of outside. It doesn’t look too scary, does it?

Generally just being outside, enjoying the weather and the fresh air

I also don’t have to be doing anything at all to enjoy outside. Radical though this concept may be to some, it’s nice to just sit outside and enjoy. Watch the clouds go by, chickens scratching the ground or alpacas doing whatever it is alpacas do. Just chill; maybe with a cool drink (my choice-of-the-moment is breakfast juice. Yum), or a novel in tow. Sometimes it’s nice to just be outside breathing in the fresh air, or admiring the view. It’s always worth taking a step back to just enjoy.

I even wrote this blog post outside! The majority of it on my phone. Have you ever written a 600 word text message? I don’t recommend it. Even if it is done outside.