Managing Your Time

Time management is a tricky task for most students. Enough time must be allotted for school, friends, and hobbies among other priorities. The technique is to allot enough time to accomplish tasks and still be able to find time to relax and unwind, suggests the tutors of AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center.

Prioritizing is the key to effective time management. What must be done in the soonest possible time should be on top of your priorities. Sometimes, recreation and less urgent matters must be set aside to meet deadlines. Studying for an exam should come first before hanging out with friends. Finishing a project is more urgent than finishing your computer game, advises tutors of AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center.

In line with prioritizing is setting goals. These are the things that you want to accomplish or attain., which are not limited to schoolwork. Setting goals will help you stay on track. It gives you a sense of direction as to what you want to do. By setting goals, you can plan what you want to do with your time.

But the most important aspect of time management is discipline. A schedule will only work if you follow it. However, this doesn’t mean that you should account for every minute of your day. Just take note of the tasks that need to be done. It is risky to pile things up because you end up with not enough time to finish them.

If you’re tired of cramming for your projects or studying at the last minute for your exams, then it’s about time you give time management a shot, says tutors of AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center.

Clear Your Mind for UPCAT

This weekend, thousands of students will be taking the University of the Philippines College Admission Test or simply, the UPCAT. A lot of these high school seniors would be nervous, for sure. After all, the UPCAT is one of the most difficult college entrance exams in the country. However, if you had taken the month-long test-based review program of AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center, then you are well prepared for the UPCAT.

And if you had attended AHEAD’s UPCAT Refresher Course a week or so ago, you know exactly what to do.

So for now, relax. Clear your mind and the lessons you’ve learned and practiced and reviewed for the past few months will come back to you when you most need them. Stop worrying! You’ve got this!

Best of luck to AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center students and to all the young people taking the UPCAT this weekend!

Manage Your Stress During Exams

It is a normal to feel some kind of anxiety, especially when it comes to taking an exam. The pressure from parents to do well and the demands from school to accomplish requirements can add up and create a lot of stress among students. This becomes even more pronounced come examination time.

This is the moment of truth, the time when you must prove yourself.

When you are too stressed out, however, you may be incapable of functioning properly. You may find it difficult to perform the way you normally do. Indeed, stress can be an obstacle to attaining good grades and accomplishing tasks completely. Here are a few suggestions to relieve some of the anxieties you are likely to experience, especially during examination time:

• Learn to manage your time. Making good use of your time will decrease the amount of tension in your body. Give yourself a good head start. Allot sufficient time to review your lessons long before exam week. Make a study schedule and follow it strictly. You will feel a lot less anxious because you are well prepared.
• Get organized. Create your own structure of order. Be systematic in taking notes, accomplishing assignments, or keeping track of other important school papers. It is difficult to be relaxed in a disorganized atmosphere. Have a written schedule. Keep an organizer handy.
• Make your study place conducive to learning. Keep it free from anything that may distract you. Some students like playing soft music; it soothes their mind, making it easy for them to absorb whatever it is they need to learn.
• Get a good night’s sleep. No matter what you do, you must give your mind time to rest, and this is exactly what sleep can do for you. By getting enough sleep, you will wake up feeling refreshed and ready for another round of studies. 

There other techniques that could relieve your stress during your quarter exams. Keep in mind, however, that what may work for you may not work for others. Most of all, believe in yourself and what you can do. Building up your confidence can alleviate a lot of the stress you are encountering and help you perform your best.

Budgeting Your Allowance

Whether you’re a grade school student or a college freshman, one of the things that you love about school is getting your allowance. Yes, that magic word that gives you a semblance of financial freedom. But while having your own money can be quite exciting, managing it is a different story. Here are some tips to help you budget your allowance effectively:

Prioritize your needs. Parents usually allot a daily amount for all your requirements, which mostly revolves around food and transportation. If you live in a dormitory, set aside money for your weekly food expenses first. Buy your needs first before you even think of spending on your wants.

Exercise discipline. If you get your allowance weekly, you will have a tidy sum on your hands. And the temptation to spend it on things you want but don’t necessarily need is very great. Don’t! If you’re not careful, you might find yourself with no allowance by the end of the week.

Save for the future. Saving is a big part of money management. True, you might only have enough money to last you the week but with a little scrimping, you might be able to save even just a little amount. Don’t underestimate the P50 you were able to save by the end of the week. In four weeks, that P50 would have become P200. In five months, that P200 would have become P1,000. Start small but think big!

 

Overcoming Mental Blocks

It happens. When I’m in the middle of writing something, I sometimes block out. I start to type it up but the idea is gone. Hello, marvelous idea, where did you go? Mental block!

Yes, we all experience a mental block once in awhile, especially when we’re under some type of pressure. That’s one of the problems usually brought up by our students at Ahead Tutorial and Review Center.

And guess what? Even the best students can suffer from mental blocks. The question seems simple enough but for one reason or another, your brain just cannot come up with the answer. Though it’s a frustrating situation, it is actually quite common. And there are a number of tricks to overcome this perplexing state.

• Step away from the question. If the answer eludes you, move on to the next question. Trying to recall the solution might take a while because you are working against a combination of frustration and anxiety under time pressure. You can either skip the question or distract your mind by looking around the room for a minute or two. When you come back, the mental block could be gone.

• Review your work. Sometimes, you might be able to remember the answer by going back to previous questions. Use the items you were able to answer to jog your memory about what’s missing. The answer might be part of a list and some of the items on that list may be found in previous questions.

• Prevention. The best way to overcome mental blocks is to prevent them from happening. Studying your lessons every day, instead of cramming the night before, is a good way to ensure that you don’t black out during exams. It also gives your confidence a boost because you know the lesson by heart.

• Do not let it happen again. If you experience another blackout, then learn from it. Remember the fear, anxiety, and helplessness of not being able to overcome the mental block. Let it serve as a reminder that you could have studied more. Every time you find yourself about to procrastinate, remember what it felt like not to know such a simple answer.

• Conquering fear. Overcoming a mental block is really about conquering fear. Fear is what causes this baffling state in the first place—fear of failure, fear of disappointing your elders. Fear and anxiety may cause you to doubt yourself. The mental block is the manifestation of the notion that you do not know the answers and will fail. However, if you have enough confidence in yourself, those fears will not confound you.

 

The Challenge of Reading

Most people find reading an enjoyable hobby. Some, however, find it a challenging task. The thought of sitting for hours reading a book, especially with no pictures, scare some people. They just find it boring.

As students, we are expected to read books and handouts for our lessons. Some teachers even ask us to read additional materials to further enhance our learning. Students who usually have a hard time reading for their lessons have a harder time keeping up in class because they mostly rely on class discussions. Some just scan the selections for the most important information. Though some find this effective for exams, it does not guarantee retention. Therefore, the learning aspect is affected.

The ability to enjoy reading is not a talent. Reading novels may be different from reading handouts but there’s no reason for you not to enjoy both. A good trick to enjoy reading is doing it when you’re bored. Try it during your free time when you’re most likely to get engrossed with what you’re reading. If you find reading pure words boring, you can look for similar references with illustrations and pictures. The Internet also has interactive and comprehensive reading materials you can enjoy. Be resourceful and open-minded. If you stop thinking that reading is boring and tiring, you will actually find a great way to spend time. Also, start small. If you’re just trying it for the first time, don’t overwhelm yourself with thick books. Instead, begin with thin novels. In time, you will find yourself reading and reading more.

 

Working Students

The past week saw thousands of students troop back to school. For some families, unfortunately, education is no longer a priority. In order to continue their education, some students end up working, most of them augmenting their family’s funds as well.

Working while studying takes the difficulty of both tasks to the next level. As a student, the time allotted for studying is lessened. One’s concentration is divided. Studying alone is very tiring, and working heightens the stress level of the student. He may need to sleep less and spend less time on recreation.

If not for proper time management, one’s grade and health may easily go down the drain. The working student will have to create a well-thought of schedule and follow it dutifully.

On the other hand, working while studying is much better than not studying at all. Some look at working as a challenge, not a problem. It is a gift given to the student for him to continue his studies.

Working teaches the student the importance of money and the concept of budgeting since he has already experienced how hard it is to earn. At the same time, it prepares him early for the real world after college. This goes to show that although there maybe hindrances, the dream of having a degree is not at all impossible.

A Note on Taking Notes

Next week, a new school year begins. But before we get into the swing of things, let’s review our notes on note-taking.

Most students take taking notes for granted. Some don’t even try at all. They rely on what is retained from discussions and stored knowledge. Though skipping taking notes saves energy and paper, it may also reduce your ability to retain the day’s lesson.

Note-taking is a tedious process. It employs the ability to multitask: While listening to the class discussion, one is also taking down the important points. This becomes especially tricky when processes and cycles are discussed.

Some students make sure their notes are neat and organized. Some even use different colors of pens to highlight certain points. Some even rewrite their notes and transform them into organized reviewers. They take raw points and during their study time, they input the information in their notebooks. Aside from having an attractive notebook, this also allows them to review and go through their lessons one more time. Indeed, a neat notebook makes reviewers unnecessary.

But notes are helpful to almost all students. Every day, we attend several classes. Some are formal classes and some are tutorials. And it is impossible to retain every information and lesson without taking notes. Though handouts have become quite popular, taking notes still adds a personal touch. What you take note have been processed by your understanding already. Therefore, this reflects what you have learned and what you go back to when it’s time to study. This also allows you to go back on certain points that you may have found complicated in class. This is helpful when you have questions to ask.

Some students find taking notes unnecessary while some find it highly effective. One need not come up with a colorful, book-like notebook to reap its rewards. Just be sure to take note of what you need in a way that you can easily access.

 

A Good Education

How can good education get you a better life AHEAD? Here are the inspiring words of Julie Gonzales:

“Mula pagkabata palang, turo na sa amin ng aking magulang na sobrang napakaimportante ang edukasyon, ika nga nila, Isang bagay na di mananakaw ninuman, Isang pamanang habang buhay na di nauubos. Bakit kaya? Nang mamatay ang aking Ina dito ko nalamang lubos na importansya, na ang edukasyon lamang ang magiging kaagapay mo sa buhay sa oras ng kagipitan.

Mula sa kaliit-liitang numero hanggang sa Alpabetong ating binasa at sinaulo ay humubog sa ating kaisipan, Di lang mental kundi ating pakikisalamuha sa ibang tao. Dito pa lamang, ay masasabing tunay na nagtagumpay ka sa tulong ng edukasyon.

Ang edukasyon ay di natatapos, bago pa man tayo pinanganak ay nandyan na sya, at Payabong ng Payabong, naghihintay na ating siyasatin at diskubrehin. Sa tulong nito tayo ay binibigyan ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng pagbabago sa pagtingin sa mundo, tinutulungan tayong makipagsabayan sa ibat ibang bansa. Ito rin ang nagbibigay daan sa atin upang malaman ang kaibahan ng bawat isa, ang kagustuhan at mga kadahilanan ng bawat pangyayari na pwedeng magbunsod sa kapayapaan at kayamanan ng isang bansa.

Sa tingin mo ba mabubuhay ang tao kapag walang edukasyon? Sa aking palagay ay hindi, Ito ay hindi isang pribilehiyo bagkus isang karapatan, isang oportunidad na dapat hablutin at pagyamanin. Ito ang magdadala sayo sa tuktok. Edukasyon ang iyong magiging Kasangkapang panlaban sa kahirapan. Ito ang magiging takbuhan mo at ang tutulong na magtayo sa sarili mo bilang isang matibay at maasahang Puno na pwedeng maging tahanan ng ibang tao na maaring gumaya’t maging magaling sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay. Mula sa maliit na gawaing ito, Tunay na makakatulong sa ating Inang Bayan na syang magiging lakas sa bawat unos na dumating.

Sa Madaling salita…

A-ning di nauubos, Aning umaapaw, edukasyong para sa lahat

H-ihila sa iyo mula sa pagkalugmok

E-nerhiyang magbibigay lakas upang suungin ang pagbabago

A-sin na magbibigay lasa sa ating buhay na tila di kumpleto

D-i mananakaw, ngunit pwedeng maibahagi kaninuman

Isang Gabay na dapat nating isapuso, Kung gusto mo ng magandang buhay sa hinaharap, maging AHEAD ka lang sa lahat ng pagkakataon, at ito ang magiging tulay mo sa TAGUMPAY!”

She won an iPad2 at Ahead Tutorial and Review Center’s recently held Facebook contest.

Learning Every Day

How long does it take before you finish your education? In the Philippine school system, one year is spent in kindergarten, six years in elementary, four years in high school and anywhere from three to 10 years in college. Add all this up and that’s as many as 17 years of reading books, doing assignments, answering exams, and spending time with your classmates and teachers. Yes, 17 years in school. But do these 17 years mean the end of your education? Certainly, not!

Education is a continuous process of learning whether you are inside or outside of the classroom. Every day you learn new things. Every day you have the opportunity to educate yourself. Your teacher may be the person seating beside you in the jeepney, a street vendor, or a teammate in a sports club. Your teacher may be all the different things you experience in life, whether good or bad.

Finishing school is not finishing education. Your education will continue every day of your life. Besides, even after snagging that much-coveted college diploma, there is still so much of the world to discover, to learn, and to know.