LAST MINUTE EXAM TIPS

Last Minute Exam Tips 
and 
Relaxation Techniques 
for Exams

Exams are just around the corner. Being prepared reduces stress so take time to set your priorities in the days ahead. Keep friends and family updated about your plans and ask them to cheer you along to the finish line.

Think about what you’ve already covered and review your study schedule. Set 15 minute study goals and take a 10 minute break every 50 minutes or after two hours. Repetition improves memory. Continue being an active learner- eg. Use highlighters, make summaries or mind maps. You might like to revise past papers, practice writing timed essays or study with a friend. Give yourself regular rewards.

If you become distracted while studying, just notice and refocus on the task at hand. Break tasks down into smaller chunks and tackle them one at a time. Remind yourself “I can do this” “I enjoy learning.” Expect to succeed.

Minimise interruptions eg turn your mobile on silent. If you find your self procrastinating, weigh up the pros and cons. Stay motivated by imagining a well earned break or seeing yourself on graduation day. Maintain some balance. A brisk walk will clear your mind. Try not to live on caffeine.

If you like, you can practice slow abdominal breathing whenever you sit down to study. Inhale in a way that allows your stomach to expand. As you exhale, your stomach should move inward. If you practice this for a minute your body and mind will naturally begin to relax. You can use this technique in your exams to improve your concentration or calm yourself. Each day imagine yourself in the exam room, knowing how to answer the questions well.

Make sure you check the date and location of your exams.

On the day of the exam:

• Eat well. Have a good breakfast the morning of your exam
• Wear a watch, check your pens etc and give your self extra time to travel
• Sit apart from the anxious crowd just prior to your exam
• Use self talk to stay focussed. Tell yourself “I’m calm and thinking clearly.”
• In the exam room, scan your entire paper, read questions carefully and allocate your time according to marks. 
• Some anxiety is a cue to cope. If you feel too anxious or blank out for a moment, just take a few slow, deep breaths and remind yourself “Relax. Concentrate. I can easily do this, just one step at a tim
• You can also describe your surroundings for a moment, have a drink of water or chew some gum
• You can take a mental break and then begin again. Don’t give up.
• Dangle your arms by your sides to promote circulation when resting briefly from writing.

GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY  !!!!!!

Laughter

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

 

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF HUMOR AND LAUGHTER

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

LAUGHTER IS STRONG MEDICINE FOR MIND AND BODY

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”

~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

 

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter Is Good  For  Your  Health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. 
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

LAUGHTER AND HUMOR HELP YOU STAY EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss. 

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in on the fun.

The Link  Between Laughter And Mental Health

• Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
• Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
• Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

THE SOCIAL BENEFITS OF HUMOR AND LAUGHTER

Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. 

Laughing With Others Is More Powerful Than Laughing Alone 

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times. 

Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:

• Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.
• Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.
• Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.
• Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

Laughter And Relationships

Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Music Relaxation

 Music and Stress Management

With all the ways music affects your body, you can probably already clearly see how music can be used as an effective relaxation and stress management tool. In addition to the many physical changes that music can bring, music is especially helpful in relaxation and stress management because it can be used in the following ways:

Music and Physical Relaxation

Music can promote relaxation of tense muscles, enabling you to easily release some of the tension you carry from a stressful day (or week).

Music as an Aid in Stress Relief Activities

 Music can help you get ‘into the zone’ when practicing yoga, self hypnosis or guided imagery, can help you feel energized when exercising, help dissolve the stress when you’re soaking in the tub, and be a helpful part of many other stress relief activities. It can take an effective stress reliever and make it even more effective!

Music and a Meditative State

As mentioned before, music can help your brain get into a meditative state, which carries wonderful stress relief benefits with it. For those who find meditation intimidating, music can be an easier alternative.

Music to Promote a Positive Focus

Music, especially upbeat tunes, can take your mind off what stresses you, and help you feel more optimistic and positive. This helps release stress and can even help you keep from getting as stressed over life’s little frustrations in the future.

Music and Affirmations

 The way you see the world and the type of self talk you habitually use can also have a profound effect on your stress level, which is why positive affirmations that create more positive self talk are so helpful. Music that has affirming lyrics can bring the double benefit of music and positive affirmations, helping you to surround yourself with positive energy and more often look on the bright side, letting stressful events more easily roll off your back.

These are some of the reasons that music relaxation is among the easiest and most effective forms of relaxation available, and music is such a great stress management tool.

Tips to Success

Take Notes Effectively

A good set of notes can serve you well. Your notes help you remember which concepts your professor stressed and, thus, give you an idea as to what will be covered in the exam. Note taking also helps you concentrate on the lecture.

Before class

• Preview the pertinent chapter in your textbook.
• Review your notes from last class.
• Formulate questions to ask in class.
• Make sure you have plenty of paper and your favourite pen or pencil.

During class

• Listen for and write down main ideas rather than try to record everything.
• Watch for cues from your professor that help you select and organize main ideas.
• Use abbreviations wherever possible.
• Leave space to add missing ideas later.

After class

• Read your notes over and fill in missing details as soon as possible.
• Check a classmate's notes to see if you missed significant details.
• Relate your class notes to notes from your text to get the complete picture.
• Review your notes regularly and test yourself to see how much you can recall.
 

Save Money Hints and Tips

 

• Save Money Tip 1 : Spend Less.

This is not over simplifying the best way to save money! It is essential if you are serious about being a long term money saver and being able to save money every day. Review what you spend and look at ways you can save money. Consider making telephone calls for instance only at off-peak times. Do you really need to have newspapers and magazines delivered? Can you do without those coffees you buy at break time everyday - would a flask of coffee taken to work save you money? What about using the public lending library instead of buying books or music CDs? Once you start looking for little ways to save money and spend less you will quickly become an expert and really save money.

• Save Money Tip 2 : Establish a personal budget.

This is essential for families and individuals and can be the fastest way to save money. You will instantly see your incomings and outgoings once you create your budget. You will not be able to save money unless you know how much money you have coming in, and how much money you have going out. Once you have prepared a budget of incoming money and outgoing money, you WILL be able to identify areas where you can save. It is MUCH more difficult to save money over a long period of time (the rest of your life?) without a budget.

• Save Money Tip 3 : Bulk is good.

Think about shopping and buying in bulk. Save money grocery shopping by planning meals in advance and bulk-buying. You can also save money by cooking in bulk. This is a real way you can save money with little preparation and almost no extra outlay. Always purchase generics when you can. Prepared foods and convenience foods will always be much more expensive than the generic ingredients needed to make the food. Preparing food in bulk and in advance also gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and be more accurate in your budget. Save Money by buying in bulk whenever you can. One thing to be aware of when buying in bulk is to be sure that any product you buy will get used before it goes bad - you won't save money if you have to throw stuff away. Buying in bulk is not only a good way to save money it is also a good strategy for coping with and surviving emergencies.

• Save Money Tip 4 : Make sure a sale is a sale. 

By this I mean do your price research before you commit to making an expensive purchase in a retailers money-off sale. You have to be sure the sale really is a sale and not a creative marketing strategy of the store to encourage you to spend your money without thinking. Once you have researched the true price of a product (any product) you are in a good position to take advantage of a sale, special offer or discount and really save money. "Buy one get one free", "50% off", and "Huge Discount" will only help you save money if the actual price you pay is lower than you would pay somewhere else for exactly the same product.

• Save Money Tip 5 : Buy used.

Sure, we all like to buy new. But there are huge money savings to be made in buying used. Typically cars lose one-third of their value in the first 24 months from new. Why not buy a car 24 months old? Other items such as clothes can be worth even less just the day after new. Look for ways to buy "as good as new" items and save money. Typical products you might consider buying used to save money include: cars, clothes, electrical goods, garden items... tools and sheds, household items... pots and pans, the list of used goods where you can save money is endless.

• Save Money Tip 6 : Don't carry excessive debt.

Some debt in our lives may be essential. We may need a mortgage to purchase a home, we may need to use our credit card to make purchases until pay-day, but your aim to save money should be to have as little debt as possible. Credit Card debt is typically the most expensive debt we may carry. You will be able to save money every month if you make it an absolute rule to pay off your outstanding balance every month. If you can have the discipline to do this you will save money by effectively having no debt, and thus no interest charge on your credit card(s).

• Save Money Tip 7 : Save Money.

No, I mean really save some money. Each week or each month get into the habit of putting an amount, however small into your savings. You could start by saving a very small fixed amount each time and then move to putting in larger amounts once you begin to save money from your other money saving strategies. You will find that by saving money on a regular basis you will quickly build up a store of reserve money and also feel motivated to save more. The hardest part is to take the first step and start saving money - so START TODAY and save some money NOW! If you find it impossible to save money once you have it, consider having money deducted from your paycheck direct each month. This can be a great way to save money rapidly as once it is set up you will not notice it is being collected and your savings will grow with no more effort from you.

• Save Money Tip 8 : Shop Wisely.

Consider markets, superstores, farmer's markets, local shops, marts and stores. Anywhere is worth checking out to see if you can save money. Farmer's Markets can be particularly good places to save money. Typically you are buying direct from the producer of the product so the savings are passed on to you. Use your bulk buying strategy here - farmer's markets often offer opportunities to save money by buying larger quantities of staples, for instance potatoes, rice or corn. Save money and shop wisely.

• Save Money Tip 9 : Eat in rather than out.

This is a huge area where you can save money. A cup of coffee taken out could easily cost you TWENTY times (or more) what it would cost you to make it at home. So think before you drink when you are out. Eating is the same. Fast food restaurants are counting on you eating food that you perhaps don't really need at that time but buy just because it is quick. Why not wait until you get home and have a more nutritious meal and save money at the same time.

• Save Money Tip 10 : Use less.

This money saving tip is a lesson we all need to learn. We live in a consumer society where waste is a huge problem. If we could all use and consume less there would be less waste, less power consumption, and the benefits for you are SAVING MONEY. Consider using less shampoo when you wash your hair, this may not mean washing your hair less effectively it means not flushing the excess shampoo and your money down the drain. What about saving on heating? Turn the thermostat down or put on extra clothes when you are cold. Turn off lights, the TV and the computer when they are not in use. Each little saving you make will build up and enable you to save money. Huge savings in energy can be made which will save you money and be good for our planet and the other people on it.

101 Keyboard Shortcut

General Keyboard Shortcut

   -  CTRL+C (Copy)
   -  CTRL+X (Cut)
   -  CTRL+V (Paste)
   -  CTRL+Z (Undo)
   -  DELETE (Delete)
   -  SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
   -  CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
   -  CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
   -  F2 key (Rename the selected item)
   -  CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
   -  CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
   -  CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
   -  CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
   -  CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
   -  SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text  

      in a document)
   -  CTRL+A (Select all)
   -  F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
   -  ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
   -  ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
   -  ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
   -  ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
   -  CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open 

      simultaneously)
   -  ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
   -  ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
   -  F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
   -  F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
   -  SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
   -  ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
   -  CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
   -  ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
   -  Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
   -  F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
   -  RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
   -  LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
   -  F5 key (Update the active window)
   -  BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
   -  ESC (Cancel the current task)
   -  SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts
   
   -  CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)
   -  CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)
   -  TAB (Move forward through the options)
   -  SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)
   -  ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
   -  ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)
   -  SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
   -  Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
   -  F1 key (Display Help)
   -  F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
   -  BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

 

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

   -  Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
   -  Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
   -  Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
   -  Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
   -  Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
   -  Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
   -  Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
   -  CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
   -  Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
   -  Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
   -  Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
   -  Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

   -  Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
   -  Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
   -  Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
   -  SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
   -  NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
   -  Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

   - END (Display the bottom of the active window)
   - HOME (Display the top of the active window)
   - NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
   - NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
   - NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
   - LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
   - RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map

           After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
 
   - RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
   - LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
   - UP ARROW (Move up one row)
   - DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)
   - PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)
   - PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)
   - HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)
   - END (Move to the end of the line)
   - CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)
   - CTRL+END (Move to the last character)
   - SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

   -  CTRL+O (Open a saved console)
   -  CTRL+N (Open a new console)
   -  CTRL+S (Save the open console)
   -  CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)
   -  CTRL+W (Open a new window)
   -  F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
   -  ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the MMC window menu)
   -  ALT+F4 (Close the console)
   -  ALT+A (Display the Action menu)
   -  ALT+V (Display the View menu)
   -  ALT+F (Display the File menu)
   -  ALT+O (Display the Favorites menu)
   -  MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts
   -  CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)
   -  ALT+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window)
   -  SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
   -  F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
   -  F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
   -  CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
   -  CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
   -  ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
   -  F2 key (Rename the selected item)
   -  CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut   
      closes the console)


Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

   -  CTRL+ALT+END (Open the microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box)
   -  ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
   -  ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
   -  ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
   -  ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu)
   -  CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
   -  ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)
   -  CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server  
      clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
   -  CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard 
      and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Microsoft Internet Explorer Navigation

   -  CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
   -  CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
   -  CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
   -  CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
   -  CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
   -  CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
   -  CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
   -  CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
   -  CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
   -  CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)
   -  CTRL+W (Close the current window)