DIY Stylus Pen!!!

Hey, guys!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! I hope you will have an amazing year, and make awesome realistic New Year's resolutions!
Today I'm bringing to you a DIY of a stylus pen! Firstly, some pros and cons about it:

Pros:
- it's $0
- it's quick to make
- it's surprisingly precise

Cons:
- it's ugly (unless you know how to change it)
- the tip has to be somewhat moist for the pen to work


So, here's how to make one:

You will need:
- ball-point pen
- scissors
- aluminum foil
- cue tip
- tape
- water/saliva

1. Take out the ink part and a spring from the pen

2. Cut a cue tip in half (one should be smaller than the other)
Make sure you are choosing the better half (the right one, in my case)

3. Re-connect the cup (or whatever it's called) with the pen, leaving the ink part and spring behind

4. Put a cue tip inside the small opening in the cup

5. Wrap aluminum foil around it, making sure that it touches the cue tip

6. Put some tape around the point where cue tip and foil connect

7. Slightly!!! water the cue tip

8. Decorate if you know how to :)

How I Take Notes | Done First Semester!

Hey, guys!

I am 1/8th through my undergraduate career! HOW CRAZY IS THAT? 

In this blog post, I want to share how I take notes on my laptop, as well as show you some of my samples. I'll try to be as detailed as I can in order for you to take use of my methods!

I decided to type my notes for all my classes because it is not only faster but also way more organized and manageable. I still practice the writing component, as I am handwriting my review notes as well as drawing out all of the diagrams. I initially thought that it's pretty impossible to take decent science notes on a laptop, but I was completely wrong...

Before we start, I must mention that I use Microsoft OneNote to type out my notes.

Take for instance my Biology class, before every lecture my prof would post the Power Point online for our convenience, and instead of printing it out and writing it, I type out my lecture notes and then just add the visuals from a PP. I will also be recording my lectures in the next semester since I was occasionally zoning out during Bio, and this particular class doesn't have podcasts.

I also wanna show you what happens if you just have to draw something on your notes by hand. Now, if you have a touchscreen (laptop, tablet, phone) it all works because OneNote syncs with those devices. But basically, all you have to do is draw it on your touchscreen by hand. Here is my version of an attempt (with a mouse)

Forgot to mention, you can also color code the pages, and make them blank, lined, squared, etc. for your comfort.

With Chemistry, I really like to just insert a pdf and annotate on it like so:

Next semester I have:

Biology: Evolution, Diversity, and Humanity

Calculus for Life Sciences (I will take handwritten notes)

Introductory Chemistry 2

Medical Terminology

Neuroscience 

Please, check out the following videos which hold a more comprehensive review of note-typing! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED6DeR6Z4-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha631y35A9M

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I'm really hoping to post more in 2017! ;) 

My First Semester Review

Hi, guys! My exam season has officially started, and I have already written my physics exam - it went well! This blog post is going to talk about what I thought of my first semester at Mac, and I promise to be as open as I can.

I learned a lot. This semester partially destroyed my confidence, improved my critical thinking skills, taught me that even though you are always surrounded by people, you are on your own, but at the same time, you're not. There is a lot of contradicting statements that I've gone through this semester, and overall - I loved it

1. You are better than you think
I came here very confident in my academic success, and then, after a few evaluations, I realized that I might potentially drop out of the university (a lot of people did!). That's completely not true. The reason why I felt way stupider than others, was that people around me were talking about their grades and achievements, which are better than mine. Although there are certainly very intelligent people out there, the actual majority of those who seem very successful are just social loafers who sit near A students, and receive LOTS of "help".
When they are on their own, though, it doesn't go that well.
Never be overconfident, either! Always strive for better, and even if you already have an A+, improve the actual percentage within that grade.

2. You have to do you homework
Unless you have assignments, no-one will check your daily homework, and if you're not doing it, you will suffer. Some courses have an overwhelming amount of resources available, and that's your job to discover what resource fits you best in the first few weeks of a semester. You must definitely be consistent with your homework, and make sure all of your questions are answered.

3. Understand the concepts!
There is no knowledge questions present on science exams, and you have to understand the actual concepts from top to bottom in order to do well. But that's also not enough, so you have to practice to be able to apply them. Be prepared that you will rarely see same questions with different numbers, so you really have to grasp the concept.

4. Typing notes actually works!!!
I was very skeptical that typing my notes will work better for me, but it did. Not only it is faster, but you can also copy and paste awesome diagrams without much effort. The app I use is Microsoft OneNote, and it gives you a lot of freedom as of the design of the page, your own drawings, the organization of your notes, etc. The only classes it is worth writing your notes is physics, and math, because it's much faster.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=typing+notes&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=826&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIgN6Hq-jQAhVJ82MKHTNtAdkQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=kvOEe2xOAa96aM%3A

Learning in University

Hey, guys!

I'm so sorry for such a long absence! I've got midterms, assignments, quizzes, and labs, and now I have a few days before I start studying for my finals! I wanna dedicate this blog post to how different the learning styles are in university from high school. I am still trying to adapt, and I wish I would have known this before coming to uni! Disclaimer: ALL UNIs ARE DIFFERENT, so I just base it off of McMaster University (Science Program). However, if you are going to a moderate-to-big size university, expect things to be similar:

1. Online Learning
Honestly, the amount of hour I spend in lecture per week is tiny - about 15 -18 hours or something, however, 4/5 courses I take have online material that must be revised during the week prior to or right after coming to lectures. At Mac, it's called Online Modules, and these are basically presentation slides with a voiceover, which you can pause to takes notes from. They are usually more detailed than lectures, but you can do one over the other because you'll definitely miss out on something. Those modules are 20-40 minutes long each, and there is usually one such module per lecture. The problem is that to actually study the modules, it will take you (I base it off of myself and my friends, not the entire uni) twice as much time, so 40-80 minutes minimum. There are also little not-for-grade questions present along the modules, which help you comprehend the material.

2. Weekly Quizzes
3/5 classes I have, have mandatory weekly quizzes to complete for a grade. They generally are worth a lower fraction of one's final mark, but it is still valuable to complete well! Some people do it in groups, and some do it individually. Whatever works best! :)

3. Textbook Readings
You are generally required to follow some textbook readings prior to or after attending a lecture. However, it is indeed manageable with some courses, but not with the others. The best strategy for using textbooks for heavy load courses is to read the summaries of the chapters and do assigned questions to ensure you're not missing anything

4. Lecture Style
Again, it will be different for every post-sec institution, but my uni has a thing called iClickers, which are little remotes that allow you to participate in pop-up multiple choice questions happening in 3/5 of my classes. Some of your answers will be graded; some - won't. Nonetheless, you are getting some sort of credit out of doing it. In general, my classes have 400 people. 150 in my smallest class (Health, Aging, and Society), and others have an attendance of 300-500 people. During lectures, a prof would review the modules, and highlight some material from it, which is crucial for the test. As I thought before, first or second row seats are very important in uni for one or the other reason. Even though I do prefer to sit in the front, it doesn't matter that much. As long as you participate in class regularly, and stay in one are of the lecture hall, it will have the same effect.
Also, if for some reason the lecturer didn't finish going through a presentation (happens rarely), they will not continue next class. This material is either going to be on you to learn (not likely), or just taken off of the exam.

5. Homework
It is very easy to drown in homework in university. You have a million resources available to you, and each one has something to offer. Some students stick to only one of them, thoroughly study them, and do well, whereas some students just try all of them here and there and do well as well. I chose the second type because I find the first one to be a little risky.

6. Resources
Besides lectures, you also have labs and tutorials in a science program to go to, and besides all of that, you can go to the help centers, and office hours. Moreover, you have a bunch of online resources, including modules, animations, textbook materials, etc.

7. Professors
All of my professors are very nice and approachable. They hold regular office hours, and are willing to help you all the time!

What Will I Major In?

Hey guys,

It's crazy how fast the end of the first semester is approaching, and I think it's appropriate for me to start thinking about what my major will be for the next 3 years...

1. Honours Life Sciences
2. Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior (PNB)
3. Honors Biology

So, why Life Sciences?

PROS

1. It opens up almost any science course for me

• I really like anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, and chemistry. If I were to major in any of these, there's most likely no way I would deeply experience the others, so I really love the flexibility in terms of the course enrolment

2. I can do co-op

• Again, having such a broad specialization, I can apply to multiple types of positions in the field

3. I figured I really like how all sciences work together

• Even though I am definitely not a physics or math person, I really appreciate how it works within our organisms, and I would like to take some more courses in that area

4. It has an awesome course list: Health & Disease, Life Lab, Anatomy, etc.

• Not only I can take courses from different faculties, but I will also have an awesome list of mandatory courses, which won't be a burden

CONS

• If I wouldn't be 100% set on going to the Medical School, this would not be the best major to choose because it is just too broad (but like I said, I only choose Medicine)

Why PNB?

PROS

1. Brain is a fascinating organ to me

• Neuroscience is fascinating. There is so much our brain is capable of doing, yet we didn't even discover a small fraction of it. It’s a worthy organ to dedicate a major to

2. There are endless research areas

• Because the brain is so mighty, there is an endless amount of opportunities for me to do research in.

3. I'm really good at Psychology (highest grade)

• I have a fantastic professor and a wonderful  teaching assistant (TA) who I would just admire to work with in the future

CONS

• As someone who really likes all sciences, I would not want to limit myself to only one big type, however, I would definitely take a lot of courses in Neurosci
• It has a few mandatory courses (math, writing), that I think I won't thoroughly enjoy
• I will really miss my bio labs

Why Biology?

PROS

1. I thoroughly enjoy my time in lab

• I finally learned how to appreciate work in a team, and it is probably the first team of people I have, who genuinely wants to help and encourage each other. So, along with fascinating lab activities, I also enjoy 2 hours of work with my lovely partners.

2. I want to learn about humans from micro (cellular/molecular level) to macro (organ, organ system, organism) perspective

• Biology is diverse. From a cell to an ecosystem, and as something in the middle (human), I want to know how things work within and around me.

3. I can do co-op

• Once again, a wonderful opportunity to apply my knowledge in the diverse disciplines of biology

CONS

• It is kind of similar to Life Sci, but the course list is not as broad and amazing (to me)

Having said all of that, I am still very torn...

I really apologize for not posting frequently, this is because I was drowning in homework. Soon, I'll post about learning, time management techniques, and writing in University!

10 Study Tips: University Edition

Hi, guys!
I'm finally presenting to you the study tips I've assembled over almost 2 months of university! Since I am taking 4 science courses (and 1 social science course), some of those techniques you might or might not need in social sciences and humanities. Anyway, please follow through, and I hope it helps!

1. Textbook is your friend

I've encountered multiple people who have said that they 'didn't even need the textbook', they 'didn't open the textbook', 'the textbook is too detailed, so it makes no sense to use', etc.
I use all my textbook, and it's true - they use greater detail, but...:
1. we never know what's coming on the exam
2. it will help in our future courses.
I not only highlight the assigned readings, but I take notes from them, work through the practice problems, and analyze tables and diagrams.

2. Gather all resources

The majority of my courses have lectures, tutorials, labs, textbook reading & problems, online modules, and online quizzes. I like to incorporate all of those when I'm studying for my exams. I have a notebook, where I record all of the information from those resources. That way, I won't have to search through everything to find the needed piece of info.

3. Create your own resources

Like I mentioned in my previous blog posts, I created my own online flashcards which are very convenient to review on the go. You can also assemble your own practice packages, question-a-day jar, or whatever your creative mind makes up.

4. Practice retrieving

It's easy to fall into a trap of thinking that you know and understand the information when you are only skimming or highlighting through it. Since it is always better to double check, cover the information with your hand or a post-it while trying to recall what a certain concept entailed.

5. Review regularly

Being regular is very important because it is a big part of time management. If you will distribute your workload effectively across a weekly/monthly period, you won't be very stressed at the end.

6. Do practice questions

I cannot stress the importance of this fundamental suggestion enough...
I was not practicing this in the beginning of my uni this year, and I have definitely faced the negative consequences. Whatever resources available to you for practice - use them. Also, when you are solving/answering questions from a practice test or what not, make sure to do at least 5 of your best attempts at solving something before actually looking up the answer/solution.

7. Make sure you are fully focused

Our Psych professor does a few "probes" (as he calls them) throughout the lecture. The probe is a question which asks whether we were "on task" before the question appeared, "unintentionally mind wandering" or "intentionally mind wandering".  Since those probes appear multiple times throughout lecture, I discovered that I begin unintentionally mind wandering after approximately 20-25 mins of an (interesting, though) lecture.
What I'm leading it up to, and what our professor suggested, is that try to control your brain's impulses, and if there is something in your head, write it down somewhere, so that it can be temporarily misplaced out of your attention. Also, take regular breaks of ~5 minutes long to "recharge" on the ability to focus on the material.

8. Do the easier stuff first

That might contradict a lot of suggestions you've heard before, but my reasoning is the pursuit of motivation. If I have a long to-do list of tasks, I will definitely get the small ones out of the way, so I will not be dreaded by a number of things I still have to do after I finish a time-consuming, "heavy" task.

9. Don't be too confident

Overconfidence is my old "frienemy", because sometimes it helps, but often it doesn't. For instance, I started out this semester with a quiz on almost every course I have, and my grades turned out to be fabulous! The problem was that I underestimated the midterms, and didn't do as well as I expected due to the lack of the sufficient amount of work put into it. Now, I am trying to bounce back with active studying techniques, and improve my grades until they will match my standards.

10. Make sure you understand why 

It applies to everything! In order to be a successful individual, an intelligent student, a good investigator, etc. you must not only understand the concept and its applications but also why is it occurring. It is a deep level of thinking, and even though you might or might not get assessed on it on a test - inquiry is still a skill which all successful people possess.


Good Luck! 

My Saturday Routine (University Edition)

Hi, guys!

Today I wanted to stay away from tips and suggestions, and I wanted to do a casual-type of blog post. I thought it will be interesting to see what my usual Saturday is like during university, because it definitely differs from my summer Saturdays!

~ 10:00 a.m.

I wake up, use the bathroom, and by this time the breakfast is already waiting for me, because on Saturdays I stay at my parents' house, and I have a pleasure of having my mom cook for me. What I like to do myself though, is brewing some coffee or tea with frothed milk. 

After breakfast, I usually just go back to my room, and clean up a little.

~11:00 a.m.

At 11, I like to work on non-academic activities, such as applications (to volunteering), presentations for my future club, or some other ideas concerning extracurriculars.

Somewhere along this time, I will want to take a shower.

~1:00 p.m.

At this time I will realize that I have a load of work to do, and once I set up my desk (sometimes my bed), I will get started with work. So, Saturday is the day when I need to do the most amount of homework, and it usually includes the following:

1. Health Aging and Society reading + notes

2. Chemistry module + notes

3. Chemistry tutorial questions

4. Physics module + notes

5. Physics textbook questions

6. Psychology reading + module + notes

Currently, I also work on rewriting my notes, and I will do that only if I cross out all of my priorities stated above

~ 4:30 p.m. 

About half-way through my homework activities, my brain will begin to boil, and I will want to get outside. Today, for instance, I went my mom and my boyfriend to a cafe, where we enjoyed wonderful pizza and a desert. Last Saturday my boyfriend and I went to the mall for some shopping and a coffee. Next Saturday, I am going to shop for some Halloween candies and decorations. 

~ 6:30 p.m.

Then, I'll start panicking about homework and rush back home. I will try my best to finish as much work as I can, and usually, it is just one thing left, which I will feel bad about not doing, but I will put it aside until Monday, because I have 5 hours in between classes to do it. 

~ 9:00 p.m.

At this time, I will either have my dinner and fall asleep, or have my dinner, and my boyfriend will drive me around downtown (because this is how I like to relax). On Sundays I go to work for which I need to wake up at 7, so I need to fall asleep at about 11:00 p.m. after watching some Grey's Anatomy or some Youtube videos! 

University Lectures

Hey, guys!
In this blog post I would like to go over one of the most important parts of university learning - lectures. Each post-secondary institution is different and your lectures might or might not go similar to mine, but see if you can relate.

My lectures are 50 minutes in duration and each course gets 2 lectures per week (for some courses it's 3) + labs and tutorials (but we are not focusing on those).
Initially I thought that the lectures will be the place where the heaviest amount of material is presented, like in high school. It is definitely not the case. I will outline the way lectures go in each subject and then I'll give you some tips for what to do to learn effective from my lecture material.

Physics:

• daily pop-up quizzes
• lecture outlines the online module (primary source of information)
• extended (from the module) examples are performed

Chemistry:

• daily pop-up quizzes
• lecture covers simple and extended examples and application of the theory, but no outline of the actual theory
• the teacher often stresses about concepts important for the exam

Psychology:

• daily pop-up quizzes and polls
• lecture covers application questions extended from the module and new information (something found in textbook, but not in modules)

Health, Aging, and Society:

• discussions of in-class (not-for-marks) questions
• lecture covers 60-80% of the information in the textbook (no online modules in this class)
• the teacher often stresses the concepts important for the exams

Biology:

• the first lecture(out of the 2) outlines online modules
• the second lecture brings in application from the information learned in modules
• pop-up quizzes occasionally 

So this is how the lectures go. I will outline what to do before, during, and after lectures, and feel free to accept these tips even if you have a different format of questions because it'll work anyway.

Before:

• read the textbook and watch online modules
• take outline (detailed) notes 
• you should pay attention to objectives of the material to use them as your guide to most important info to focus on
• prepare any questions for your TA or prof for the lecture

During:

• take notes!
• always note if the professor talks about a "good test question"
• ask questions

After:

• reread your outline and lecture notes and study them (highlight, create e-flashcards, etc.)
• do the questions from the textbook and/or any other resources provided (online quizzes, tutorial questions)
• prepare any questions for your TA or prof for the next lecture

If you will get into a habit of doing all of that, you will see how helpful it will be! I personally did not do that in the first month of uni, and now, I'm spending time doing all of that during my reading week. So start right!

notmypicture

Studying On The Go

Hey, sweeties!

We all have busy lives - some days busier than the others, but we still never use our time to its full potential. A few days ago, it felt like I was studying for the whole day, but realistically - not more than 6 hours. The reason is that I spent a minimum of 2 hours in the car being driven to different places, and I also spend a good hour waiting for my blood work. I could have used those 2-3 hours to study, but because all my notes and books are so heavy it would be inconvenient. What should I do?
To learn how to study on the go (subway, waiting room, Starbucks line, etc.) with minimal resources, please keep reading!

You probably knew I'm going to say flashcards, and I will! I'm not talking about the ordinary flashcards though, I'm talking about the electronic ones.

When I was busy reviewing Psychology that day, I decided to make flashcards (149 in total!!!) on all the key terms in the material. I made sure to include the key terms from my notes, online modules, and textbook.

The app I used for it is Quizlet (and no, it is not sponsored), and all I had to do is to create the term and its definition. Then, the only thing you'd bring around with yourself is either a laptop, a tablet, or a phone! The 2 things I like about this app is that it allows for the addition of pictures (but there's a cost associated with it) but it wouldn't help in Social Psychology, and the second thing is the testing feature. You can practice matching the flashcards and reviewing it from both sides (which is way more efficient than reviewing just from one side).

 

In a few days, I will create some flashcards for Biology and I will probably add the pictures! It's worth it! I really suggest you check it out for your use. You'll love it!

What To Do During Reading Week (Academics)?

Hi, guys! 

This blog post will cover my plans for the reading week, as well as general perspectives for your 5-10 days off during the school year. I personally think that it is almost unreal to have nothing to catch up on, and there is at least something to review before coming back. I am definitely planning on relaxing, but to be entirely honest, even with my decent time management skills (no bragging at all ;)), even I lost some information and resources along the way. Here is my comprehensive list.

My Personal List:

1. Re-organize study materials

• Originally (before uni started, I planned on having 5 binders: 1 per each subject. Although I really like the organization of my binders, I won’t keep all 5 of them, because it gets very heavy.
• Then, I decided to have 1 big binder for all courses, but that’s not enough for my courses. Almost each course I have, has a lecture component, readings component, weekly quiz component, online modules component, and homework/assignment. All of them require notes, and the binder gets bulkier and bulkier.
• My current idea is to have a 5 subject notebook: 1 section/subject, and all my notes will hopefully fit in there. If not, I’ll get the same kind of notebook and just continue on there. The problem is that some of my lecture material is in the form of a power point, so for Psych, Chem, and Physics I will carry on in the notebook (because I don’t need ALL of those Power Point slides) but Bio’s and Health, Aging and Society’s Power Points need to be printed out and put into the binder.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

2. Re-think and practice new ways of taking notes and studying

• As I said, each of my courses has all of those different formats of learning. I think it is extremely helpful to re-write them all into one place and just add on to it. For instance, those courses where I print the power points (6 slides/page), I just highlight as we go through, as well as add any additional notes to it. For other courses, I just do my best to record the question and answer, because in Chem, Physics and Psych, the majority of stuff we really do is answer pop-up questions.
• As to the new study tips, I’ll touch on it in a different blog, but overall, I am planning to study WAY more actively!

3. Do practice on all subjects

• I definitely feel like I did not put enough time into practice question. Even though we have weekly quizzes, more practice needs to be incorporated. For that, I am planning to go through all practice quizzes for Bio, textbook and tutorial questions for Chem, textbook questions and test corrections for Physics, textbook questions and my own questions for Health, Aging, and Society (HAS), and practice quizzes for Psych.

4. Do test corrections on any assignments

• I kind of touched on it above, but test corrections are crucial to identify which areas you need extra practice in. We learn best from mistakes!

5. Prepare for the left-over midterms

• I have 2 more midterms (Bio and HAS) coming up, so I will spend a sufficient amount of time studying for them. I also have a big quiz in Psych, and that is also worth putting a lot of time into! In the nearest future (this week, most likely), I will post about how to study for science midterms!
• I also need to prepare for next week’s laboratories, and there is a quiz and other prep (research, graphs, etc.) that I need to do before hand!  

6. Research

• I am very curious as to what kind of research goes on at my university, and I would like to print and read some of Mac’s publications. That will not only provide me with an opportunity to meet the researchers (and maybe get involved with their work), but also to connect what I learned in class to real world concepts.
  

7. Extracurriculars

• I currently am a Vice President of the Sick Kids Foundation at Mac, and this is an honour to me to be a part of this organization. My role will be to help the President guide the activities of the club, and brainstorming new ideas for the future.
• My plan for the Reading week though, is to hire somebody for our new subcommittee (lectures about rare children’s disorders) and start actively preparing for the first meeting with all the executives.
• I also am planning to start working on my own club, which is going to be called McMaster Children’s Health Conference, where I will be presenting about common disorders in children, discussing description of an illness, symptoms, diagnostic techniques, treatment options, and prognoses. I will totally have cookies or other snacks set up for my audience! 

8. MCAT

• I definitely am not underestimating the importance of a good MCAT score, so I will look over the material I’ve gone through in uni with my MCAT books. It will give me some more practice on those concepts, as well as a new perspective (new pictures, explanations, diagrams) which might be easier to understand.
  
   

General List (in addition to personal):

1. Review

• If you don’t have any midterms, or quizzes coming up, you should still actively review the material. Just spend a few hours of your day to do practice problems, and review the info.

2. Assignment Work

• Depending on your program, you might or might not have a lot of writing to do, and during the Reading Week, you will have a wonderful opportunity to work on your papers/presentations. Even if your assignments are not due right after you return from the break, make an outline to save time closer to the deadline. 

GOOD LUCK!

QUICK UPDATE

Hi, guys!

I've been quite busy recently with studying, but I've got lots to share with you! From October 10th till 17th I'll have my Reading week, and you could totally expect a few blog posts in that range of time. I'll cover the differences between high school and university, how to study in general and how to study for midterms, what to do during reading week, and how to take lecture notes.
There is currently quite a few things I am trying to figure out:
- whether or not I like using my textbook as a primary study resource
- research positions availability in sciences in first year
- how to study more efficiently
etc.
Overall, though, I've been really enjoying university, and I can't wait until you get to hear all my experiences in the upcoming posts!
Don't forget that self-reflection is very important in life, and make sure you're constantly asking yourself whether you're honest with yourself, whether you did your best at a certain activity, and whether you're having your priorities straight!

Time Management in University

Hi, everyone!

By the 3rd week of university, I can certainly say that I have no weekends. It's not too bad, though...This blogpost will describe my homework and extracurricular schedule, as well as I will get into some tips on how to manage your time wisely.

Firstly, it is important not to burnout, because if a person never has time off, it is very likely to occur. I am not nearly at this point yet, and here is why:

I distributed all my homework among 6 days of the week. For example, on Monday I will primarily focus on Physics and Chemistry, on Tuesday - Biology and some Chemistry, Wednesday - Chemistry only, etc. It is important to immediately evaluate which subject requires the most amount of time.  

I of course keep a planner, and I write my every plan down, but since I won't always take it out of my backpack as soon as I remember to note something, I have a to-do list of my phone which I also regularly check. It's important to plan for the week ahead on Sundays, but also, plan daily for anything that will come up during the week. 

Do not underestimate or overestimate your business. If you are not using a planner, you might not realize how much catching up you must do, but if you end up having a lot of thing do to - don't worry - nobody died in undergrad yet :)

To manage your time effectively during the day, and particularly the weekends, I suggest choosing the right time and place. For instance, there is no way I can do my homework at home in Toronto during a sunny day, but I will be able to focus perfectly during the rainy one. Since I can't make the rain, I will start my day with a soothing pamper routine, and once my body is relaxed - I can perfectly focus. It's all about listening to what your body wants. 

If we are talking about the weekday, what you can do really depends on your academic timetable, but I suggest studying as much as you can during the day to leave the time off for the evening.

Definitely, prioritize your tasks. That does not mean throw them out of your to-do list - that means don't spend to much time on them. For example, I have to read the research articles of my professors. I won't do it until everything that I planned for the day is complete and I have some extra time. Make a goal though, to still finish your weakest priorities during the week. 

The reason why I said I have no weekends is because I work the entire day on Friday and otherwise, I would have that time off. I do study from Monday to Saturday, though, and I still can't say I'm very tired. Often, since I do my homework on campus most of the time, I don't have anything to do past 8-9pm. 

Also, try not to procrastinate because your organism will be exhausted and the longer you procrastinate, the more tired it'll be. 

Good luck! 

not my picture

Desk Organization

Hi, sweeties

Like I promised, here is a blogpost about my desk (with pictures) and the way I organize it. My writing will probably be a little disorganized, since it's an unusual blogpost to write.

Here is an overview of my desk:

First, I would like to proceed to the most, perhaps, clever organization idea on my main table: printer table and drawer from carton boxes. Note, it's not my idea, I got it from Pinterest, and twisted it a little. 

I glued together 4 carton boxes, but they came in a pack of 5, so I kept the 5th one as a holder for sheet protectors, coloured paper, squared paper, and lined paper. Into the 4 boxes underneath the printer, I put my school books and lab manuals+notebooks. Right near the printer (but you can't see) I store my whole puncher.

My white board isn't glued or screwed to the wall because it's a rented apartment and it's not allowed. However for now, I use it as a motivational board for quotes. You are gonna laugh, but my 1st quote is from Greys Anatomy, Cristina Yang's character: "Should I eat, or should I shower? I could sleep in the shower, but I'm also starving". For some reason this quote gives me a motivation to keep studying as much as I can because some people (med students and residents) are way more tired than I am, so I can't complain. And also, it motivates me to study until the point when I become a doctor and I will have a privilege of being tired at work where I save lives of my patients. You might or might not think I'm weird now :D

The other quote I didn't put up yet, but it reads: "Everything that kills me makes me feel alive" from one of the pop songs. And again, it all comes down to working really hard and that being a privilege.

I also have a tablet holder (or whatever it is) where I put my iPad onto. My uni has a blended learning format, meaning that a lot of the material is taught through online modules, and there is a bunch of other resources. So to access it while I need my laptop for something else - I use my tablet. 

It might look a little unusual at first, but the little table space which has binders underneath is a part of the design of the big table. I put a little shelf unit underneath it to have 2 more spaces available. On the higher one, I put my binders and my stationery box, and I placed my MCAT books below on the floor. Here is that pink stationery box and its contents:

It has little items like post-it notes, tape, white-outs, and staples. It's convenient to store them in one place with compartments, so that's what I did.

Behind the white shelf unit, you can locate 2 pensil and pen boxes, some binders, and a container. Those binders are empty and serve as extras in case I need to put something in there. The container is empty for now, but I'm sure I'll find something to put in there. 

The drawer unit to the left from the little table has 4 compartments, and here is how the insides look like. The 4th compartment is a little boring, as it has extra containers, batteries, skrews, and other household items:

This one has extra earphones, pensils, mini-staples, erasers, and pens.

This one has large and small flashcards

This one has all of my craft supplies: a bunch on washi tape, stickers, glitter, and labels. 

I hope you liked it! 

My First WEEK Of Uni

Happy Saturday, everyone!

My first week of undergrad is done, which is kind of crazy. Like in my last post, I'll just talk about my experience living through 1 week of uni in the faculty of Science. As you already know how my very first day (Wednesday) went, I'll just continue with the next 3 days + a few overall thoughts. Hope it's a little entertaining.

My Thursday started from me waking up at 7am with no alarm. I loved it because I was able to have some time to myself, as well as reassure that I am packed and ready for uni. On that day I had a 9:30 Physics class, an 11:30 Bio class, and a (HAS) Health, Aging and Society lecture from 7-9pm. Normally, I'd be much busier on a Thursday, but this week I had no labs or tutorials. Physics went great. Not only I got a genuine professor, but one the labs I have to do is a home-experiment. The best part about it is that I can come up with my own idea, which I will somehow connect to Medicine or Biology. The experiment has to be video-taped and done in partners. Biology also went fantastically. I came an hour earlier though, so I had nothing to do, but talk to a very pleasant girl, also from a faculty of Science. The ~6 hour gap that I had in between my lectures I spent with my boyfriend who came to visit me. We first went to Tim Hortons for a coffee and a snack, and then we went home for a lunch and a little bit of prep and study time. My prep was just a huge outline of all my quizzes, tests, labs, assignments, and tutorials. In 3 hours we got bored of sitting without internet, and we decided to go back to Mac and find a study room, and we did:

After we found my evening lecture class, my boyfriend left, and I enjoyed myself in my one and only social science class. 

As I came home, I started packing for Friday, since I was going home right after my 2nd bio lecture. I had my dinner, and watched some YouTube videos, and Grey's Anatomy episodes (I'm re-watching) on my phone, because it turns out I won't have Internet till next Friday.

On a Friday I was woken by a phone call about my mattress delivery, and when the brought it in, my room finally looked a little bit more complete. I went to lecture which went fantastically again, and then my dad picked me up and I went home for the weekend. 

When I came, I decided to go see my high school friend, whom I really adore ;) and then I went to Sushi with my boyfriend to end the day. Before sleep though, I got my HAS readings done, and fell asleep.

Saturday started with my First Aid course and that lasted from 9 to 4, and now I'm sitting here, writing a blog post :) My plans for today is to get my Bio and Psych modules and readings done, and tomorrow I have work, after which I go back to Hamilton and finishing my Chemistry readings. 

WHAT I LEARNED

1. I discovered 3 very nice, different of each other places to study in. One is in one of the libraries, the other is the Study Room, and the third one is in another library. 

2. My planner is too tiny, so I printed a simple monthly and weekly layouts that have more space available. Every colour has its own meaning: assignment, lab or tutorial, quiz, midterm, etc. 

3. I will not be using binders in lectures, since there is absolutely no space for them on the ~ 25cmx25cm desk. I will instead use a clipboard and record the class code on the top of the page, to later just distribute the notes to my binders (which I will carry with me further in semester, as the notes accumulate). I might also look into typing my notes. 

4. Taking notes isn't hard at all, so I'll write a blog post on my tips and suggestions on it soon.

My First Day Of Uni

Hi, guys!
There went my first day of class. This blogpost contains no tips or academic hacks, but rather the description of my first day of uni. I hope you will like such an unusual blog post!

Since I rented an apartment outside of campus, certain things were added to the list of my responsibilities. One of them was to buy a mattress, and the other - was to install internet. None of those tasks are done as of yet. I’m waiting for my mattress to come of Friday evening, and the Internet connection to be installed on Monday. That sucks. 
Anyway…my day started from me waking up at home in Toronto because the night before I got very homesick and my dad picked me up for the night. At 1pm though, I was back at uni enjoying the Club Fest 2016. There was a huge amount of clubs and organisations having different purposes and themes. I signed up for a number of them, but I will make a decision as to where I’d like to stay after all general meeting pass. I’ll pick not more than 3 or 4 clubs though, because that way, I will be able to stay strongly committed to each of them. The majority clubs I joined were Medicine related, but there were 2 that were not. One of them was Health, Aging, and Society club, and I was interested to join because I’m pursuing such minor, and I want to be a bit more educated on those topics. The other club was Russian Speakers Association, and I joined that due to my Russian heritage.
 After the club fair, I had no idea what to do, but it was ridiculously hot (~35 degrees celcius), and I decided to go into the building where my evening lecture will proceed (it’s the MedSchool building). While playing on my laptop, an outline for my Health, Aging, and Society club came out, and after I read it, I went to the Campus Store to buy the appropriate book. After spending half an hour in line, I bought my book and decided to visit one of the libraries to study my pre-class Chemistry Modules there. Time flew super fast, and it was already 5pm, which meant that I had to go to the building of my lecture, again. Class had to start at 5:30pm, and on my way to the lecture haul, I got some water, coffee, and a caramel tart, which was apparently my lunch, since by that time I haven’t eaten for 5 hours. I also called my boyfriend, and he instantly made me happy as he reminded me of his visit tomorrow. There was only one lecture this day (General Chemistry), due to the absence of labs and tutorials, which would usually fill up my Wednesdays. 

I sat on the first row in my lecture hall, and there was approximately 800 people there. I was sitting with a few lovely girls, and the class went super fast, since the professor (who was also lovely) just talked about the course outline and expectations. I read this outline before class though, so I knew what to expect. After the class finished, I came home and began fulfilling my to-do list. I just cooked some chicken soup for dinner, showered, cleaned up a little, filled up the planner, and watched some pre-loaded Grey’s Anatomy episodes. 

Tomorrow (Thursday), I’m expecting a much more overwhelming day, since I’ll be on campus from 9am to 10pm. In that amount of time I’ll have 4 lectures, as well as a huge break in between them (due to the absence of labs and tutorials in the first week), which I will spend with my boyfriend, and prepping for future lectures. On Friday, I will just have 1 biology lecture, and after my mattress will arrive, I’m off to Toronto for the weekend! 

Little Things That Stimulate Learning

Hi sweeties!
Happy first day of school to whoever has started, and good luck for those of you whose 1st day didn't come yet! Regardless of where you are in your academic journey, it will be useful to know a few simple non-academic life hacks to improve your brainpower. Those things you can practice on a daily basis, and it would be interesting if you'd set up a little self experiment where you would record and track any changes brought to you by those life hacks. Anyway, let's get into them:

FOODS

Food exists to give our organisms the energy to live, but certain foods, like superfoods, exist to give us the brain power by providing our bloodstream with antioxidants and vitamins. Since cooking might not be an option for a busy student, you can enjoy snacking on the following items:
- blueberries (memory)
- pumpkin seeds (memory)
- walnuts (mental alertness)
- tomatoes (antioxidant)
- dark chocolate (concentration)
etc.
I highly recommend this website for all important superfoods.

Water is also crucial "brain food" because it keeps our brain hydrated at all times. If you are a coffee drinker, make sure that for every 100mL of coffee, you consume 200mL of water.

ACTIVITIES

Exercising makes our heart pump the blood all around our bodies faster and this is how our brain gets more Oxygen. This must improve our cognitive functioning, memory, focusing, as well as faster information processing. If you are not a sports fan (like me), starting off with 10 minutes of jumping jacks and/or other cardio exercise a few times during the day, will improve the neurogenesis (creation of nerve cells) and therefore, improve our mental capacities.

Sleeping 7-9 hours daily at a more or less organized time frame will also contribute some brain power to our organisms. Not only we will have more energy, but also our memory and cognitive functioning will improve, contributing to higher academic standing. It is important to maintain a specific time frame for your sleep, since it will set our brains to function more efficiently during a needed period of time (during lecture, for instance).

Breathing exercises a few times during the day will help deliver more Oxygen to your brain, so even if you're not into meditating, try to breathe deeper at some points of your day.

ORGANIZATION

Having an organized desk, laptop, room, backpack, locker, or whatever it is you have is important to simply save you time while looking for something. But that's not it. Organization = efficiency. Even if you think that you will find your item within the debris in your room, your brain uses more energy to visually go through the disorganised objects, which exhausts you a little later. Not only organization itself is important, but you should also try to keep your workspace minimalistic for the same as above reason.
I will be posting about desk organization really soon, so don't forget to check it out.

The colour scheme of your work area is also important. Green is a good choice in order not to overwhelm your eyes. Same goes for the majority of light, cool colours. In terms of your desk lamp, or computer screen, though, assure that it is adjusted to a duller and warmer shade at night to avoid eye pain and exhaustion.

Preparing For The First Day Of School

Hi sweeties!

For those of you whose first school day is right around the corner, I came up with a little list of things you should be keeping in mind. My first school day is in a week, and there is a lot of stuff that came up even before my first lectures. Let's see what I can suggest to ease the first day of school:

1. Be Updated
In universities or colleges, there is often an online platform for enrolling in courses, getting to know them, and completing quizzes. Definitely register for all required courses, and once you are enrolled, don't forget to read their syllabi and find out what is expected from you by the first lecture. Please, don't forget to mark all important due dates right away in your agenda.

2. Know Where To Go
A few days before the first lecture, make sure you go around the campus/university to find out where your rooms are and how long does it take you to get there. Also, find a few places to have lunch at, or a place where you would study at after class.

3. Prepare Outfit and Bag
It's crucial that you prepare the clothing and pack your bag the night before, because if you won't do that, you'll be too stressed in the morning and might accidentally forget something. Here is a sample list of what should be in your bag for the first day of school:
- pencil case with writing utensils, white out, eraser, mi-ni stapler, (calculator, and ruler, if applicable)
- binder(s)
- notebook(s)
- planner
- water
- hand sanitiser
- cash
- timetable
- map
- ID card

4. Have Goals
You should set specific goals on your first day regarding your future. Regardless of current level of your education, you are one year closer to your adult life and whatever it may hold. Be smart about your goals, and remember to set goals that are both: long and short term; and don't forget to come up with a few plans on how to succeed in reaching them.

5. Charge Phone
Very self-explanatory, but important - you have to charge your phone to its fullest for your 1st day. Your phone will serve you as a quick access to certain things + it will be your quickest reminder. I recommend noting any to-do tasks that might come up for the evening, or even the names of people you meet.

It's a typical wish, but you should obviously stay positive, and be open minded to meet people. I believe you'll do amazing! Good luck!

Why Do Co-Op? | Little Life Update

Hey guys!
I'm sorry for such a long absence, but that is because of my trip to Cuba (which I'm still on). As I will be back, I'll be ready to post weekly again! Before I begin on a topic of co-op, I must say HOW EXCITED I AM to start university in 15 DAYS! Ok, as I've done that, I'd like to discuss why and when I will do co-op, and respectively, why should you do it as well.

What is Co-Op?
Co-operative education is, in my own words, when a student is given an opportunity to work in their field of study while pursuing a degree. You WILL get paid, but there is a lot of preparation required for your placement. As a part of preparation, you are most likely to be enrolled in a course which teaches you the basics of employment; you will also have to have a good academic standing, have a respectable resume, and pass an interview. It varies, but the earliest you can do co-op is your 2nd year, 2nd semester. In my school, the earliest I can go is 3rd year.

When and Where?
As I've mentioned above, it varies. I personally, would rather start co-op from my 4th year, just because if I will do it earlier, I will not have enough credits for Med School admissions. As to where, it highly depends on a few factors:
1. Your program
2. Preferred location/payment
3. Organization type
4. Your prep (grades, resume, interview success)
I would LOVE to be able to do my co-op in a hospital lab in Toronto, since I love the city, and the beautiful hospitals it has.

Why?
As an undergraduate student, you have a multitude of reasons to pursue co-op. As a premed, those reasons triple. I will list a few advantages of co-op here:
1. New people and experiences
2. Practical application of learning
3. Salary
4. Letters of recommendation
5. Exposure to real adult life
6. Work in a team (most likely) environment
7. You might get hired to that institution upon your graduation
8. Big boost on your resume
9. Break from constant book work
10. Motivation to continue studying as you get exposed to what's waiting for you

On a more personal note, I am moving to Hamilton in 8 days, so on the 27th I'm ordering all my furniture and packing all the things from home. I will be visiting home really often, since I'll miss my family and Toronto, but I'm really looking forward for my academic journey!