April

Just to give anyone that cares a head's up, I'm giving my blog a bit of a temporary break for now until my exams are finished. This makes me quite sad (I'd insert an unhappy face here if Blogger let me use emoticons) but it's a sensible thing to do. Being sensible is not something that comes naturally to me, but I thought I'd give it a try. And hopefully by the time the exam period is over, I will have found something worthwhile and interesting to write about instead of aimlessly babbling like usual.

Today we came back from our holiday at Elveden Center Parcs and had such a fantastic weekend! This time there were only four of us as one of my brothers decided to stay at home, and obviously I was gutted that he had chosen not to come along. But on the plus side, it did mean that this time there was actually enough space to breathe as we crammed into my mother's horrendously small car on Friday morning. Within minutes of arriving at our lodge and in my usual ridiculous fashion, I somehow managed to set off the smoke alarm system, which was blaring for a good five minutes before we worked out how to switch the bloody thing off.

Putting that aside, one of my favourite things about Center Parcs is the tranquility of it - there is so much freedom and very little structure to the days you spend there. We went on bike rides exploring through the forest and looking for wildlife, and spent a lot of time in the swimming pool on the amazing new water ride which was recently built. All in all, we really enjoyed our visit and hope to return there again soon!

While I've been at home, I also visited the Tate Modern in London with my brother. He's studying Photography and needed some bits and pieces for his portfolio, so I offered to go along with him. I'm not usually enthused by art and looking around galleries but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Jack and I split off at the beginning and wandered around on our own, and it was quite peaceful just strolling from gallery to gallery soaking in all the mesmerising textures, shapes and colours. Certainly something to add to your to-do list if you're ever in London for the day.

Time to disappear for now and send a final wish of good luck to all my fellow students in their exams/on their placements. It might seem like a horrible few weeks are ahead of us but they'll go by in a flash. And you never know, we might even find ourselves with some summer weather as a reward at the end of it...

Nats. X

Beat the slog of exams with an alternative guide to revision

Soon to be featured in a copy of Christ Church's student newspaper UNIfied. Have a look at previous editions at http://ccsu.co.uk/UNIfied.

-

Sadly, the exam period is upon us and I’m sure most of you will be jumping for joy at the prospect of spending the next few weeks knee deep in mind-maps, flashcards and posters, with your loyal pack of highlighters and a truck load of energy drinks to maintain your sanity.

The revision process will seem like a long, boring and endless slog, but fear not! There are a few ways you can make your dull and drab revision routine a bit more bearable, with these unique and effective methods to vamp up your study sessions.

1. Students are renowned for their big love of daytime television, and shows like The Chase and Pointless have got to be up there with the best of them. So why not host your own game show with your classmates to revise?  You can choose to be in teams or play as individuals, with prizes to be won at the end of each round or at the end of the game. It might also be fun to create some crazy forfeits for any question that is answered incorrectly. Just make sure you don’t spend your entire afternoon writing the theme tune and deciding which suit to wear.

2. Gather your friends together and take it in turns to teach each other your revision notes. Divide the work up so each person has a specific module or area to teach, and then test each other at the end to see how much you've remembered. Upping the stakes is sure to make it more interesting, so throw in a prize, e.g. everyone has to buy the best teacher and/or student a drink or meal.

3. Get creative and make up a song or dance about the topic you are revising. Nobody is expecting Ivor Novello award-winning lyrics – just enough to imprint those facts and figures in your memory. I’m pretty sure this one features in an episode of Hannah Montana, but if it worked for her, it’s certainly worth a shot.

4. Word nerds who enjoy making mnemonics to revise can have a look at www.spacefem.com/mnemonics. Simply type in a word and the website will create a mnemonic for you to remember.

5. YouTube is a brilliantly accessible way to revise, as there are plenty of revision videos online to provide a helping hand, regardless of subject matter. And if you have your own YouTube account, why not create your own and upload it?

6. And if all that hard work has given you an empty stomach, make yourself a cake or some biscuits, and then decorate them with your revision notes. You could pipe scientific formulas on with icing, or write out mathematical equations with chocolate chips. And when you eat them, you've guessed it... you’ll be feeding yourself the knowledge! (Pause for canned laughter). Anyone?...No? Just me then.