Tag Archives: Studying

Midnight Rescue Team

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By Maggie Malone

Recently, I joined up with an unofficial student group called “The Whatever” to impact the Baylor campus with a kindness challenge called #arkweek2015. It was a great chance to step out of my dorm, make some new friends, and shower my campus with love and kindness by completing different challenges.

One of the highlights of the week, though, was Thursday night, where a group of us banded together around midnight to encourage those studying in the library. We divided into two teams: Team Delivery, and Team Propaganda.

Team Delivery loaded up into cars and acquired dozens of fresh tortillas from Taco Cabana, meanwhile, Team Propaganda went ahead to the library to create encouraging notes that would be passed around with the tortillas.

After all the prep was complete, my little group of four disappeared into the crowded basement of the library, and handed out the warm snack and cute little notes. It was great to see the reactions of the exhausted students, some surprised, and then absolutely delighted, as a delicious tortilla and a note was placed into their hands.

The Midnight Rescue Team mission was a success, and it brought us closer together, as well as perked up some of our fellow students. Although I was exhausted by the end, my heart was happy and my spirit was overflowing with cheer.

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Fueled by Distraction

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By Aaron Carter

One of the more nostalgic parts of my childhood is in the form of a restaurant that my family frequented when I was about five. It was a cheap, Greek-style place, with torn up carpet floors and dusty, fake plants hanging in every ceiling corner. Back then, you still had to specify that you wanted to sit in the non-smoking section. The glasses were a strange yellow color and all the food seemed like it had been fried. The placemats were thin white paper with an odd tan border design that looked like it had been borrowed from an ancient city somewhere.

I remember when that place got a TV. Everyone was excited. When that happened, instead of specifying whether or not they wanted to sit in the non-smoking section, customers began to specify whether or not they wanted to sit near the TV. They always did. Even some smokers abstained just to be near the screen. It was a major attraction.

Of course, we were all excited, especially my brother and I. It seemed like the future was finally moving in. I remember telling him that some day we’d have TVs that could fit in our pockets and play video games with graphics that were on par with the Nintendo 64. We would never be bored again.

Now, almost every dine-in restaurant has a TV. And if there are none in the dining area, there is nearly always one behind the bar. I used to make fun of my dad for spacing out and becoming absorbed by the screen. We would strategically position ourselves so that he wouldn’t face it and we could talk with him without worrying about him getting distracted. Today, there are screens everywhere, and I find myself getting distracted just like my dad, but not just by TVs. Everything has a screen now.

I’ve learned pretty quickly that I can’t actually study if there’s a screen in front of me. If I put my phone on the table next to my homework, it takes less than a minute for me to pick it back up again and click it back to life. It takes effort to have a conversation that goes further than simply skin-deep. If I go to a restaurant, there is almost nowhere I can sit where there isn’t some flash of light and motion ocurring in the corner of my eye. It takes work to stay focused.

I’m no Luddite, but it gets out of hand at times. I see students doing math problems at the library with a laptop open so they can take momentary breaks to check up on some notifications. I even see some people trying to read a textbook with their phone sitting on the page. It’s not an effective way to work and it’s definitely not an effective way to connect with a book, a writing project, or a person.

Even if you don’t think you are distracted, try eliminating screens from your view, just to see how much of a difference it makes. I know once the TV was set up in that restaurant, my family stopped engaging at the table as well as we used to. I also know that once we all had smart phones, interaction became shallower than a tide pool. Something tells me that it would be easy to get back to really focusing on each other if the screens weren’t such a big part of everything. It’s better to just plain focus than it is to have to continually refocus.

75° in February?!

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By Marisela Martin

I haven’t done much recently due to a busy school schedule, and not to seem cliché or anything, but this Waco weather has everyone stunned. Now many of my friends think I’m crazy because I absolutely LOVE the winter season. However, being in Texas it’s very hard to depend on the weather. Recently in Waco we have had surge of very sporadic weather. Just last week it was in the high 60s and then Thursday it went down to the low 30s!! How crazy is that?! But this weekend was one of the prettiest weekends I have ever experienced on campus! On Saturday I was able to enjoy it with my mom who came into town. And yesterday, I decided I wanted to go outside and do some homework and it was amazing. In searching for cool study spots I got to explore a little more of campus. Even two years later I still don’t know it very well! Anyway, I really enjoyed lying out in the sun and doing homework! One of the many perks of being a college student! Here is a picture I took while studying outside:

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Until next time, sic ’em!

Crunch Time

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By Emily Martin

As the semester comes to an end, everyone is frantically studying for finals in an attempt to pull up their grades. I don’t know about you, but that exhausts me and stresses me out to the max. When I stress, I get headaches, and when I get headaches, my brain is pretty much useless. To help myself cope with the stress of finals, I have come up with this fail-proof list of stress relievers. Feel free to use these tips in your own lives!

Tip #1: EXERCISE!

My favorite way to relieve stress during finals is to go to the discounted yoga classes at the Yoga Bar in downtown Waco. During dead week, they usually offer classes for Baylor students at a discounted rate, and your first class is completely free! Don’t have a yoga mat? No worries, they can provide you one! You don’t need to have yoga experience to attend these classes…but be warned, they are usually hot yoga classes, so the room heats up throughout the class. I didn’t think I would like hot yoga, but at the end, they always put a cold towel on your face. It is SO worth it! Another great thing to do is to check out the Bearobics finals schedule or just go for a run from time to time to get rid of some stress.

Tip #2: Don’t overdo your coffee intake!

Last year, I made the mistake of drinking too much coffee and not eating enough food. I got so caught up in my studying and trying to stay awake that I completely forgot to eat. I found out the hard way that too much caffeine and not enough food can lead to major migraines and an upset stomach. Try to limit your caffeine, and remember to drink as much water as possible. You can also try to substitute smoothies for coffee or even switch to decaf (I know…it’s hard to do, but it works!).

Tip #3: Take breaks!

If you can study for an hour or two and then take a short break, it will help you to be more focused! Make sure that you are being productive in your study time and not just passively going over material. When taking breaks, it is always good to exercise or grab food with friends! Another great idea is called the 50-10 Rule. The idea is to study for 50 minutes of every hour, and then take a 10 minute break to clear your mind. Just be sure that you are 100 percent focused during the 50 minutes of studying.

Tip #4: SLEEP!

This is probably the most important tip that I can give you. Getting a good night sleep before any test is always a good thing to try to do. While you are sleeping, information will move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, making the information easier to remember. It also helps you to feel rested on the day of your test instead of being tired and falling asleep in the middle of it. Pulling an “all-nighter” may sound like a good idea at the time, but the next day you will definitely feel the repercussions of staying up all night.

Tip #5: Study in groups only if it helps you!

I know that sometimes I get roped into studying with a group of people even though I tend to do better studying on my own. If you know that studying with a group of people helps you to do well on tests, by all means go for it! However, if you are like me and you know that studying with other people distracts you, then my advice would be to limit your group studying time. Try to only study in groups when you have missing information in your notes or if you missed a class and need to get that information from someone else.

Tip #6: Make a study guide in advance!

Study guides are SUPER useful – if you make them in advance. Don’t wait until last minute. If you make your study guides a couple of days before your test, you will have more time to look over them and you can review instead of trying to learn all of the material the night before an exam. Doing this ahead of time will also allow you to know what you still don’t understand or what information you are missing. Then, you can ask your professor or class members for help.

Tip #7: Create a calendar!

It may sound silly, but having a detailed calendar of when your exams are can really help you to prioritize your time. You should also try to map out times to study for each exam and also times to take breaks. The idea should be to make sure you are 100 percent focused while studying, so that you can afford to take breaks periodically.

Tip #8: Quiz yourself!

Creating practice tests and quizzes can be a huge benefit to you. While making the test, you are forced to look over your material, and then you will also have a way to test yourself on the material! It also helps to quiz other classmates on the information. When they get one wrong, you can explain the answer to them (which will also help you to know the information).

Tip #9: Start early!

This one is a biggy. Don’t put off studying until the day/night before your exam. Not only will it be harder to learn all of the information in that short period of time, but it will also stress you out more than you would be if you had started studying earlier.

Tip #10: RELAX!

Now that you are prepped and ready to ace your exam, RELAX! Before your exam try to review your material, but then put it away and pop in some headphones. Listen to pump-up music (I usually jam to Taylor Swift…don’t judge me) and tune out your classmates while they frantically try to talk to each other before the test. Usually when people are talking before a test, it freaks me out and makes me think that I didn’t study enough. I have found that I am a lot more confident if I am listening to music before a test instead of talking with the people around me.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Finals Week

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By Maggie Malone

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Finals week is almost upon us, ladies and gentlemen. You know what that means. College students around America are shrieking with horror and stampeding to the nearest Starbucks to overload their brains with caffeine.

But allow me to share a secret: There’s no need to panic as long as you’re prepared!

How do you prepare? Come along with me as I give you a rundown of some do’s and don’ts of the most dreaded week of the semester.

Do get a head start. Just because you’re going to be studying for your finals during finals week doesn’t mean you have to start studying for your finals during finals week. Start gathering what you need to study before the week begins so you’re all ready to go.

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Don’t pull all nighters. Your brain isn’t going to want to function the next day if you wear it out. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. All that info you crammed into your brain the night before is more likely to stick if you get a little sleep.

Do make a daily schedule. I, for one, am the worst at this. However, you won’t be caught not knowing what to do at any period of time, which can minimize stress and distraction. Be sure to stick to this schedule and block in eating, sleeping and breaks. Don’t forget to set alarms if needed.

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Don’t stay in one location the whole time. This one can be tricky, as students can find themselves competing with hundreds of their peers for prime spots around the library.  Sometimes the mind tends to wander if it’s been looking at the same four walls for 8 hours straight. If it’s warm enough, go outside! If not, duck into a lounge in of the many buildings around campus or even grab a friend and chill at Common Grounds, which is a short walk from campus.

Do take study breaks. Sometimes when my mind is focused on a task for far too long, it starts shorting out. I start forgetting all the notes I’ve worked so hard to look over. Make sure that info gets time to soak in your brain before you shove more stuff in. Use this time by taking a walk, hanging out with a friend or watching some Netflix (But not too much Netflix. OK. Just one more episode, I promise!). Sometimes Moody Library even brings in therapy dogs! Take the opportunity to go play with cute puppies!

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Don’t give up! You’re probably going to need that therapy after this week, but now’s not the time to think about that. Stay strong, my friends. We’ll survive this week together, one day and one snack break at a time.

Optional Bonus Tip:  Dress for success! While it doesn’t matter what you wear the rest of the time, dress up for your actual test. It sounds crazy, but not only is the time you take cleaning up a good mental prep, but when you step into the room, you may feel a little more confident (and you’ll look it too!).

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Got Time?

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By Patara Williams

Your syllabus says, “Semester Long Project,” but of course, you were at the top of your class in high school and no assignment has ever taken you more than a few hours, even projects.

Do away with that thought.

Seriously.

College is the time to do away with procrastination, because if you still suffer from it, then it will inevitably sneak its way into your postgrad life. Don’t let it do that.

Like me, you’ll find yourself busy from sun up to sun down, only to have enough leisure time to watch Scandal once a week. Projects won’t become priorities until the deadlines approach. Deadlines are surreptitious and not to be tested (no pun intended).

Inevitably, you’ll start your project less than a week before it’s due, two days for some of you, and then the incessant questions will rush in.

Does Professor X mean like this or like that?

Do I use APA or MLA?

What the heck is APA?

How long should my literature review be?

Don’t let it get this far. Begin your semester long projects, portfolios, research papers, etc. with ample time so you can sit down with your professor during office hours and get an idea of what he or she is looking for. Do this, and:

  1. Your professor will be impressed
  2. You will have more insight than your counterparts
  3. Your project will be stellar
  4. And even if it’s not, you just got 100 cool points from Professor X for not procrastinating

Let’s just say you do indeed choose to wait.

The questions will go unanswered because you’ll feel too embarrassed to email or ask your teacher questions about a project that you have yet to start, less than 72 hours before it’s due.

Instead, glean wisdom my friends:

Procrastination is an A’s kryptonite.

Timeliness is the antidote.

Sic your semester projects!

Balancing Act

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By Avery Jackson

Now that the fall semester is more than halfway over, project deadlines and finals are looming in the near future. Sometimes it can be hard to balance a crazy class schedule with free time, and by free time, I mean your passion in life.

My passion is painting. I love everything about it, from the smell of a new canvas to the feel of the paint on my hands. It’s very soothing to me.

I have found that I am the most productive when I spread out my course work and add in some fun. Here’s an example of a typical study afternoon for me. First, I will paint the background on my canvas. Then, while it dries, I will begin my paper for my Religion class. Halfway through my paper, I will switch back and begin the outline of my animal or whatever I feel like painting. I will let that dry and finish up my paper. Then, I’ll move onto my next assignment, like starting on designs for a class project in one of my Public Relations courses.

By breaking my work up into 30-45 minute chunks, I am able to get everything done and STILL enjoy my life!

Balance is the key to college! Of course I don’t have time to paint everyday, but it relaxes me and makes me happy! Find your happy thing and incorporate it into your life.

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1 cup, 2 cups, 3 cups…

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By Patara Williams

It was a tragic occurrence:

I was standing in a massive line to get the antidote when I began to see faces ahead of me become flustered with fear…”We’re all out!” Fear rushed through the crowd, voices were raised and eyes became glazed…“I’ll never make it!!” I heard one student say. I dropped my head and sulked away.

Espresso: the remedy to a late night and a long week; to put it more aptly, the cure to exams.

Three years ago, I could walk past Starbucks and not be tempted to get a fix. Today, it seems difficult to make it through a day without it. Lucky for me, Baylor has two Starbucks on the campus, and Common Grounds is only a short walk away…convenience!!!

So, you’re not a fan of coffee, eh? Welp! Say goodbye to those days!

On the other hand, you may never consume a drop of coffee while you’re in college, but then you’d be an outlier…a very rare occurrence. By the same token, you may become a café connoisseur and be able to recognize every single blend with a slight whiff.

Coffee helps me stay focused in the midst of studying and during in class lectures, but there are so many ways to stay alert during class and while studying:

  • Chew gum or mints
  • Nom on pretzels (a little loud and distracting) or gummies
  • Get adequate sleep
  • Participate by engaging with the professor/class (not talking to your neighbor)
  • Shift positions or stand for a bit
  • Keep a healthy exercise regimen

Find your thing, and do it early, because I guarantee you that you’ll have those dozing days! But, the best part of waking up…

Sic ‘Em Coffee!

I Found the Answer

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By Jaziah Masters

Now that midterms have come to a close, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief…but pretty soon, for better or for worse, those same tests will be returned…with a grade. Knowing this, I was particularly determined to do well on one of my more challenging tests. There are many ways to study, and if you ask 100 different students how they study, you’ll probably get about 100 different answers. For this particular test, I studied well in advance. Also, I met with people outside of class to form a makeshift study group. After all of this, I knew I was ready.

The day of the test was like any other day, except for the fact that I was a man on a mission. Before taking the test, I thought of a creative way to give me an even more competitive edge. A lot of students have traditions, rituals, gimmicks, etc. to help them do better on tests. I normally don’t, but on this special occasion I thought, “Why not?” After careful consideration, I made the choice to go with a song. I decided that I would replay a song over and over in my head, and it would instill such confidence in me that I couldn’t help but do well on the test. But what song? After strolling through playlist after playlist, I finally settled on the perfect one, entitled, “I Found the Answer.” Could there be a more perfect song choice? Anyway, that same day, I went into the room humming that very song. My professor asked me what I was singing, and I told her it was my good luck song. Then, the test began.

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A few weeks later, our professor announced she was finished grading and would be passing our tests out in class. I, along with the rest of the class, was nervous. The test was difficult, to say the least.  She handed me my test and, to my surprise, I got a 90! The grade was spectacular, but the comment next to the grade made me even more proud.

My professor wrote me a kind note, telling me “Your song worked!” Not only did I greatly appreciate her kind words, but I was also thrilled about the grade. It was an awesome day!

There are three morals of this story: (1) Hard work pays off, (2) It never hurts to have a little extra help (like an inspirational song) when taking a test and (3) Take great professors. Also, feel free to listen to the song. I hope it brings a little luck your way!

How to Survive Midterms

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By Susannah Mohrmann

These next two weeks are the ones we’ve all seen in our schedules and have tried to ignore…well until now: Midterms. During this two week stretch, I will have three presentations, four tests and three quizzes. Luckily, I’ll be able to rest once these week pass. However until then, I am stuck studying. So, I have come up with a remedy of how to make studying somewhat bearable (no Baylor pun intended).

1. Write down everything you have to do.

2. Organize your time and rank what is important.

3. Gather all necessary items (paper, notecards, pencils, highlighters, cookies, popcorn, Dr Pepper, coffee, more coffee, etc.).

4. Plan for breaks (Walk the Bear Trail, go to Common Grounds or go to Cameron Park).

5. Change up where you study (Armstrong Browning Library, the SUB, outside in a hammock).

6. Take breaks (not too many though … )!

7. Study hard, and it will all pay off!