How to Survive Midterms (Peacefully) at UT Tyler

So this is around the time of the year when all of my professors decide that they are the only class I have to study for and therefore make all of their tests and projects due on the same day. Not like in high school where they would have all of their tests and projects in the same week. This is just serves as a preview to remind me of what is about to ensue. 

I wonder what Boromir would major in...

 In a few short weeks, it will be fall semester midterms, second only to finals in level of stress. For some people it may even be more stressful than finals! Reason being, if you do well enough on your midterms, you will have less pressure to make the perfect score on your final exam to bail yourself out.

This is how to survive your midterm :)

1.   Drink lots of water. Your brain is made out of mostly water and fat. That sounds gross, but it is actually perfect for all of the processes necessary to keep us alive. To deprive it of water and sleep is setting it up for a not so good grade in my experience.
2. Study, but do not cram. This goes without saying. Make sure the day before the test, you just lightly go over your notes.
3. Work with your natural environment, not against it. If you’re a social learner, get in a study group. Don’t know anyone? Bashfully admit you have no clue what you’re doing and be surprised when you meet the best friend of your life. If you prefer to work alone? Do it. Come as you are and flourish.
4. Set realistic goals for yourself.  Don’t expect perfection; you’ll make mistakes. That’s part of the beauty of being human.
5.      Respect yourself and your work. This is not the time to throw away all your hard work by cheating. Everyone has heard of “that person” who got her hands on the answer key to memorize the answers. While they may get the better grade, they don’t respect themselves and they lack integrity. The grade becomes irrelevant.

Never fear, readers! After the midterm frenzy is Thanksgiving Break and then a mad dash for finals week. Keep calm and patriot on!

They think you rock (:

Historiography: The Final Frontier

I've recently discovered the ultimate truth for a History Graduate student at the University of Texas at Tyler. It's all about the Historiography. What's a historiography you ask? Well it's kind of complected.

A historiography can either refer to a historical work on a specific topic or the study and development of history as a discipline if you will. So as a grad student I'm not only studying history I'm also looking into its development and doing some constructing of it on my own. Pretty interesting huh?

NO!!!! Well foo to you! I don't feel I should have to impress you.... But I guess I'm going to anyway so you better get ready.

Moving Day(s) part 2

This past weekend I moved from my apartment close to the UT Tyler campus off into the wild green yonder.... No, not really. I just moved into an apartment downtown with some friends. Anyway, as promised I am coming back with loads of hindsight from my move.

Moving Day(s)

Most of you have been settled since the beginning of school and would rather not think about moving again until the end of the semester. However, I have different plans. This weekend I will be moving out of my current apartment and moving in with friends close to downtown Tyler. With my lease ending and my undergraduate career coming to an end I feel a need for change. But when it comes to change like this I prefer it sooner than later. So tomorrow afternoon I will begin moving my stuff from my current apartment across town to my new one.

This will be a task that will last through Sunday as I will still be busy with classes and work. Next week I'll be posting pictures of my move and tips on making your moving experience a pleasant one. (In hindsight of course)

Life Cheat #859074: Hindsight is always 20/20... Unless you forgot what happened 

My Car as a Study Place, Seriously

This is what happens when you people give me a camera during midterms~

Midterms? Pshhhh

So, the closer we get to midterms, the more I worry about other people. I wonder why they aren't studying. I wonder why they are still on tumblr (or pinterest, whatever). I wonder why they are downloading documentaries... oh, that one is me. Actually, all of those are me.
               
Instead of leaving all college students to their own devices, I did some research for you.

Here are some sites to waste your time~
Click Here for art.
Click Here for funny stuff.
Click Here for Spring fashion.
Click Here for cute animals.
Click Here for free stuff.
Click Here for more free stuff.
Click Here for a weird music video.
Click Here for an article about relationships.
Click Here for cute pictures.
Click Here for instructions on how to dip dye your hair.

You're welcome.
Now, back to "studying"... heh heh heh

Writers Should Write

It is Friday, and I am discouraged. Midterms are fast approaching and the stress is getting to me. My classmates are planning more study sessions, more frequently. My to-do list notebook is running out of space on the page marked "Do Before Monday".

The porch professor said,
"Write, or you'll be dead in the water."
Wow, that's encouraging.

What I wanted to say is that,
I'm already dead! My best hope is to stay afloat! I'm drowning here!

But the truth is, I should be writing. Without practice, it doesn't matter what we are capable of anymore, it is what we can properly execute. Too many people are caught up in the "correct" way to do things, or their own idea of what would be "perfect".
Throw that away.
Nobody knows your art isn't what you planned. Maybe it is better.
So, writers should write. I get it.

Midterms.

             Today I had a test in my Developmental Psychology class, which wouldn't have been so bad, except it was over 11 chapters. It's hard to keep up with a class knowing that you don't have your first test until the middle of the semester, especially when you have 4 other classes to worry about.
            Overall I think I did pretty well on it, but I just don't think midterms are a very good idea for many reasons. The test is over 11 chapters but there were only 75 questions so the professor really isn't going to be able to see if we actually learned the material or not because that's not many questions for the amount of information we covered. I'm definitely not looking forward to the final, because it's over 15 chapters, but I'm going to try and keep up and read the chapters we cover each week.

Midterms already?

             So, we've approached the middle of February. That means a lot of preparation and a lot of tests. Thankfully, there's been warmer weather. It's been breezy, but I think we all like breezy and warm instead of breezy and freezing.
            Now that spring break is getting closer, it's time for... midterms. For some, midterms are the halfway mark between the beginning of the spring term and the start of the long awaited summer. For others, it's another one of those annoying tests that have a way of tampering with your grade.
          Well, whatever midterms mean to you, they're coming soon. But just like that, they'll be over and we'll be one step closer to ending the year. Whatever it is, keep studying. Midterms don't last forever. :D