Showing posts with label Study Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Study Tips. Show all posts
29/01/2018
[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]: “MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX GIVES ME A STABLE AND RELAXED STATE OF MIND” –KANT
Unknown
2:24 pm
There is a big difference between hoping to graduate from the University
with a First Class and actually doing so. It is not everybody that starts the
University with a First Class that actually ends up graduating with one; this
is because it is not easy to keep up with the pressures and challenges of
maintaining a First Class. Today, one of the current First Class Students of
the Department of Accounting, University of Uyo speaks about the challenges he
faced, maintaining a First Class from Year One to Final Year. Excerpts:
Please, may we meet you?
Yes. You are welcome. I am Emmanuel Billy popularly known as Immanuel
Kant, an undergraduate student of the department of accounting of this great
University and I am currently in my finals.
You are popularly known as Immanuel Kant, but Kant was one of the
founding fathers of philosophy and you're studying accounting. What is the
relationship?
I adopted the name before I gained admission into this university but
only a few would believe this. I love reading and talking philosophy and most
importantly, I subscribe to the ideas and philosophies of Immanuel Kant because
of his ethical works such as his popular theory of categorical imperative.
Kant is one of the founding fathers of philosophy but I'm studying
accounting because it has been my early childhood dream to work in a bank –a
mentality I had till I got to know some things about life. If I were to come
back for an undergraduate study, I could move into the line of philosophy. This
is because, philosophy teaches me everything about life and makes me think
critically and make rational arguments about phenomenon.
So you already had an interest in Philosophy before you gained admission
to study Accounting; why did you pick Accounting, then?
Like I earlier said, it was a mere childhood mentality that grew up with
me and it is affecting me now in Accounting major courses. I'm not “exceedingly tight” though I’m doing my
best
Would you rather say you prefer Philosophy to Accounting?
I like philosophy but I prefer accounting because of its lucrative
nature. In Nigeria, Accounting is a very professional field of study that has
much relevance and prestige and can fetch me a lot of lucre but we can't say
the same for philosophy. I could either build others or build myself with
philosophy and nothing more
You made a statement earlier about not being "exceedingly
tight" in Accounting major courses. How is that, considering the fact that
you are currently one of the best students in your class?
I said I'm not "exceedingly
tight" In Accounting major courses. And that's because I had a very
weak foundation in Accounting in my secondary school days due to some
constraints. However, I've been doing my best and it's been paying off but not
to a very professional level.
But you're in final year and you're currently a first class student. Is
that right?
By God's grace I am.
How then, do you hope to make up for your lapses?
Well, with God all things are possible. I'm a very ordinary student,
though I’m diligent. I'm so fortunate that I'm only offering just two
Accounting major courses this year which accounts for only 15% of my results.
Be it as it may, I would still follow up as I've always been doing and thrive
as others would do. In addition to my resolve to be acquainted with these
courses, I’d also employ the free online aids of my senior colleagues to
explain some befuddling concepts and principles relating to these courses.
How do you cope being a first class student?
To be honest with you, it is not easy at all to be at the top. The
exacting requests from my parents to maintain it, the inherent pressures of
being there, the hates from friends, the gossips and backbiting, and above all,
the love and reverence from friends and families are not easy to deal with.
They could make me fall if I heed to either side of the encomiums or hates, but
I've been trying to neglect them and stay focus until I achieve it. Hopefully,
I would.
Apart from the obvious things of reading and attending lectures
regularly, what else can you say contributed to your current academic success?
Firstly, it is God. So many of my friends think I'm not a church person.
They could be correct in that I don't go to church often as most of them do but
I can say I pray a lot. And that is what I feel is the most important
ingredient of my success. Secondly, I could say it's the satisfaction of my
physiological needs such as food, comfort, etc., and making relationships
especially with the opposite sex. These relationships give me a stable and
relaxed state of mind of being relevant and as well, help sharpen my reasoning
process: Having a relaxed state of mind is the best emotion that leads to
success in life. Like I said earlier, making relationships with the opposite sex
enhance a stable emotion and as such, I could easily do anything to help myself
with that. Also, there is something I call “street wisdom” which also makes me
aware of my purpose in school and awakens me whenever I am going astray in
terms of academics or issues relating to Christianity relevance.
Lastly, I would mention the normal reading and attending lectures like
you've said.
So you do not belong to any social group that helps students study and
all that?
I don't belong to any group that relates to academics coaching. All the
ones I tried initiating or joining ended up crumbling at the nascent stage due
to negligent people there. So, I'm currently on my own.
How about peer pressure; does it affect you in any way?
Well, I could say it does, to some extent. However, to a larger extent,
it does not because I understand myself and know what is best for me. Hence, I
cannot allow myself to be under unnecessary tension and pressures of other
students who do their things according to how it suits them. It was in my first
year that I allowed those things others did to bother me, but I have patterned
myself towards focusing on what I do and I do it well.
Also, it is believed that being social is not compatible with being a successful
student, but the same is not the case with you. How do you combine being social
with being a very serious student?
Firstly, what do you mean by being social? If being social means talking
to everyone that crosses your path, then such things would not affect my
academics. If it also means always attending social events, then the inherent
nature of the “street wisdom” in me would make me overcome the temptation of
being too involved in these things.
You were on the University Honours’ Roll in your first year in school.
What advice would you give the current freshers so that they can tow the same
line?
I was on the University Honours’ Roll in my first year and I am currently
there and hopefully I would finish this school with my name on it. When I
started this school, I was operating on a triangular basis, i.e., Lecture room,
Hostel and Nightclass. I was very committed to making the formula results in
fruition; I only made few relationships and this formula paid off. Hence, I
advise all freshers to adopt this formula though it may be difficult for a
student to limit his movement to these three locations and shun every other thing.
But it is a good strategy that should work with resolve. Above all, they should
put God first before applying this formula.
22/01/2018
[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]: “MY INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL POLITICS CONTRIBUTED TO MY SUCCESS IN SCHOOL” -CHIBYKE
Unknown
10:48 am
Most people believe that venturing into the political aspect
of schooling in the University tends to, more likely, cause a drift in the
academic stance of most students and to this end, a lot of eligible students
distance themselves from school politics (an avenue that could have effected a
whole lot of change in their career in the long run). Many students who have
actually taken the bold step to partake in school politics have given a very
different view of it. Today, one of the most popular graduates from the
Department of Accounting, Faculty of Business Administration, University of
Uyo, Uyo has lent some credence to school politics, adding that it also helped
to contribute to his academics; this and many more were discussed. Excerpts:
Please, may we meet you?
I am Nlebem, Chibuike Joshua, a graduate of the Department of
Accounting, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Uyo. I am of
Rivers descent.
Are you currently doing anything, that is, apart from being a
graduate?
Yes. Currently, while waiting to be posted for the National
Youth Service Corp (NYSC) later this year, I am into Research Writing and
Analysis for Undergraduate, Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) Students and Masters
Students.
Okay. So you are basically going to remain around the school
environment even after graduating?
Yes. Like I said earlier, for the time being; I love research
writing a lot.
You love research writing or you just love schooling? You
know a lot of people don’t love schooling.
I actually love schooling. I’ve drawn up various targets for
myself that I hope to achieve during and after my NYSC; I want to be a
full-blown professional for about 10 to 15 years, and then go back to the
University environment to take up a lecturing position to fulfil one of my
career objectives of becoming a Professor. I love education immensely.
Wow! Well, your resolution was actually evidenced in your
result as you were on the Honours’ Roll of the University of Uyo in your second
year and you ended up graduating as one of the best students in your set. Apart
from your love for education, what other thing can you say contributed to your
success?
Yes, I was in the Honours’ Roll of the University of Uyo
during my second year in the University; I had a CGPA of 4.61 then. Although it is rather unfortunate that I didn’t
finish with a first class, I still finished as one of the best students in my
set, with a CGPA of 4.28. Apart from my love for education, many other things
contributed to my academic success:
1. Love for God:
I have an undying love for God; I don’t take the things of God for granted.
2. Discipline:
I was a disciplined student; most times, I spent the night reading my
books. I hardly went for functions
outside the University premises until my final year. I was not anti-social, but
I set limits for myself.
3. Determination:
I was determined right from day one in the University to graduate as one of the
best, if not the best in my set.
4. School Politics:
I was the Secretary General of my Faculty. It contributed to my success in
school because it gave me a closer look at the outer world, and how to lead and
manage resources.
One principle in life is to “put interest in what you do because
if you don’t, you will fail trying to”. This goes out to those students who don’t
like schooling; it is one of the basic problems of poor academic performance in
Nigerian universities.
How were you able to cope with the demands of being the
Secretary General of the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Uyo,
and the demands of being a student? Did it affect you?
Well, I wouldn’t say it did not affect me; it did, but
minimally. I was still able to combine the demands of being a student and a
student leader because I was good in time management. Time management was the
key to my being able to cope. At times, I’ll draw up a list of things I have to
achieve in a day (they’ll contain both academic and administrative issues).
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the demands. It was an experience that taught me a lot
about life.
Interesting! So you actually lived by a timetable?
Not really, I wasn’t the timetable kind of student; it didn’t
work out for me most times. I was just a good planner. When I say I’m not
really a timetable student, I mean that I didn’t apportion time to my list of
achievable things in a day or week, but I achieved almost everything on my list
before the day or week runs out. I didn’t like the idea of apportioning time
because it would build intense pressure in me.
Okay. During your stay in the University, what were your
worst challenges?
My worst challenges were mostly financial. Also, poor
teaching and learning in the University of Uyo contributed to the challenges I
faced because some of our lecturers didn’t teach us as well as we expected.
Another contributory factor was lack of interest; at some point, I lost
interest in studying accounting because of the way we were being taught.
However, I was able to regain interest later by adequate personal study.
Speaking of poor teaching and learning; did you ever have a
carryover?
Yes, once. I had a carryover in my third year. It was a
life-changing experience to me because it happened mysteriously and I never believed
I could fail a course in the University, although I braced up to the challenge
because it wasn’t going to define my entire achievements in life.
So, to those students who have failed once or more, I advice
that you should brace up to the challenge; I believe you can do better.
How about a word of advice for the incoming freshmen?
My advice to all freshmen is that the university community
they are in is not like the Secondary School; it is a different world on its
own. Hence, they should outline their goals and set out strategies to fulfil them.
They shouldn’t allow the excitement of getting admission to a higher
institution of learning lead to distractions that will, in turn, lead to poor
performance. Rather, they should read and study hard, pray and put interests in
their various disciplines. If they abide by all these precepts, the sky would
be their starting point.
18/01/2018
[Quick Tips]: How To Conquer Sleep During Night Class
Unknown
11:18 pm
Have you ever gone for night class, with a determination to
read, copy note or do something important, but only end up spending most of the
night sleeping? It is not strange for you to feel sleepy at night; as a matter
of fact, sleep is an inevitable phenomenon as far as psychology is concerned.
However, when you have something really important to do, say, a test or an exam
the next day, sleep is more likely to be your worst enemy.
These tips/therapies are tested and trusted ways to make sure
you make the most out of your time in night class. It works for both serious
and not-so-serious students, and can be applied that night before your exam,
test, or any other important activity you would like to carry out in the night.
Here are a few tips to help your night life:
Sleep: If you are going to cheat the night
of its main activity, you need to make a small kind of appeasement in exchange.
The human body needs sleep, no matter how small; try as much as possible to get
a little rest few hours before you leave for night class (two hours, at least).
This helps to relieve your body of the initial stress of the day and also gives
you the opportunity to have a fresh start, and a fresh brain. However, it is
advisable that you do not leave for night class immediately after waking from
sleep; this is because your body might still feel insatiated from the sleep and the
temptation to go back to sleep in class will likely set in.
Leave Early: If you plan to achieve a whole lot
more out of night class, you need to also try to leave quite early (while the
night is still nascent). This tip is especially good if you got very little or
no sleep in the daytime. Leaving early for night class helps your brain to
adjust to what you are doing, and there is a high tendency for to stay up
longer when you are engrossed in what you are doing.
Get Rid Of Distraction:
When you can
successfully get rid of distractions, you are surely going to spend more time
reading. If you are the type that cannot go for night class without your phone
or device, you might want to reduce the rate at which you make use of them
because you are more likely to spend more time doing something else, than what
you actually set out to do. If you go in the company of friends who have the
same resolve to study, you would find it relatively easy to stay awake longer.
Eat Light: Eating heavy food just before you
leave for night class poses a strong threat to your effective stay during night
class as you tend to find it difficult to read and you could embarrass yourself
to sleep in the early hours on reaching your venue. If you have to eat heavy
food, you should do it few hours before you leave for the class.
Get Interested: The easiest way to get interested in
what you are doing and not sleep off while you work is to make it fun. For
instance, if you are reading, try as much as possible to make the reading fun,
don’t just go through the wordings on the book; apply them to interesting experiences
and objects (it is no crime to form music out of what you are reading, or
writing through the use of mnemonics). This also applies to when you have notes
to copy, or other relevant stuff to do.
In a nutshell, nothing works well as much efficiently as
personal resolve when you want to do something important. Being spirited with
the willpower to achieve a successful night-class helps to keep you awake for much
longer hours than expected because you will tend to be more focused on what you
are doing. However, your personal resolve may not work very well if the
aforementioned steps are not followed properly.
08/01/2018
How To Develop A Successful Study Habit (Part 2)
Unknown
1:31 am
This is the second part of the How To Develop A Successful Study Habit series. The first part listed five important tips to apply in order to enhance the way you study and ultimately, your academic prowess. This time around, I shall be talking about how to maintain a successful study habit.
It is a regular situation for you to get tired of having to follow a schedule. A lot of people see it as a very tiring procedure that may not be easy to keep up with. This, however, can be remedied by following these simple steps:
How To Maintain A Successful Study Habit
1. Make Reading Fun: This is arguably one of the best things that can ever happen to a student (and non-students alike). Reading is a very vital part of the human existence and if you can make it a fun activity, you are bound to end up achieving many great things because you will be virtually unstoppable. One of the ways to make reading fun is to embed what you love most into the habit of reading; some people love music so much -if this is your case, you can simply make it a point of duty to attach musicals to what you learn. Whatever else might be your passion can also be embedded into your study life.
2. No Dull Moment: Allowing yourself to be thrown into despair by the very thought of reading can cause you to eventually lose interest in studying. As a student, you need to be up and doing with your books -prevent yourself from being engrossed too much in the other things you do. Some people are labelled "bookworms" because of how much time they spend with their books; this may not be the best way to develop your study habit, but it is surely a way to maintain it. However, it is easier to just make reading fun than to become a bookworm, especially if you never liked (or enjoyed) reading in the first place.
3. Like Minds: Surrounding yourself with people who reason the same way you do will go a long way in boosting your study habit. If your friends are the type that love to procrastinate reading till a night before the D-day, you are bound to follow in their footsteps very often. However, if you have friends that are always talking about the new things they have learnt, it will surely encourage and challenge you to pick up something to read so that you will also have something to say in their midst. Also, surrounding yourself with people that think the same way you do can strengthen you in your weaker areas. Everybody in a group cannot lack knowledge about a particular thing, or how to go about acquiring the knowledge of it; this implies that in one way or the other, your weak areas will be fixed while you are in a group
The most relevant factor is having a positive mindset of determination; the determination to study at all times!
07/01/2018
How To Develop A Successful Study Habit (Part 1)
Unknown
7:05 pm
Dear Student.
It is no doubt that studying is one of the most important activities carried out by students all over the world. However, for some, reading is also regarded as a stressful and boring activity; that is the reason most students procrastinate studying till the night before an examination or test -this habit has been tested over and over again, but has never produced a very good result.
Students who are really interested in passing exams and tests in flying colors do not stick to reading the night before exams; this is simply because the student tends to enter the exam with so much nervousness that he/she is bound to forget, very quickly, what has been read.
In order to attain academic excellence, students are advised to develop a study habit. This entails more than just reading, but also paying attention to what is being read so that the student does not only remember what is being read on the day of the exam, but also any other time such knowledge is needed.
Developing a study habit is actually quite easy to do. The major factor that is needed to do that is determination. However, everybody does not have the patience and perseverance to stick to a plan, especially when it involves reading books.
In this first part of How To Develop A Successful Study Habit, I will be discussing 5 simple steps to develop a successful study habit:
1. Get Organized: While you go around doing everything that makes you a student (doing assignments, writing tests, carrying out extracurricular activities, etc.), it is possible that you may end up losing track of the important things you should be doing. A planner can help you keep everything organized. Students should make a list of assignments, tests and every other activity they may be involved in, then review items in the planner at both the beginning and end of the day to stay on track.
2. Create Limits: Limit the amount of time spent online and in front of the TV. This may sound like one of the hardest things to do, especially in this age and time where everything is done online and the internet is even more engrossing than ever. However, it is practicably impossible to successfully develop a reading habit if so much time is spent chatting and tweeting. Some students even go as far as deleting their social media accounts in order to stay focused -this may not necessarily work for you if you are already a social media addict. Creating limits to time spent on frivolous activities is one of the important keys to unlock a successful study habit
3. Develop a Study Plan. First of all, students need to know when a test will take place, the types of questions that will be included and the topics that will be covered. From there, you should create a study plan and allow ample time to prepare – there’s nothing worse than cramming the night before an exam. You can help yourself by buying a wall calendar and assign topics and tasks for each day leading up to a due date or exam. Setting goals for each semester (or session) is also key to success.
4. Practice Active Listening. It is important for students to concentrate and avoid distractions during lectures. You should concentrate on the main points being made and what the lecturer is talking about, pay attention to how things are said (gestures, tone of voice, etc.) and avoid talking or thinking about problems when listening. Some lecturers also specify what points should be noted and these likely come out during exams.
5. Make Reading Fun. It is very easy for students to skim over an assigned book chapter and not know the main points of what has just been read. In order to make reading more fun, it is advisable to make an outline of the chapter or create flow charts and diagrams that help map out the concept at hand. After each section, write a summary in your own words and come up with possible exam or test questions. Making reading fun is one of the best ways to develop a successful study habit