Thursday 10 October 2013

Managing your stress with mySupport


It’s the end of week 9 and we are getting towards the close of Semester 2. These last few weeks before exams are usually a hectic and stressful time. As you finish off all of your assessments and start your exam preparation it is worthwhile noting that most Uni students will experience some stress; it’s a part of everyday life. Here at mySupport we think it is important to learn to manage your stress before little problems build up and become overwhelming.

10 Tips to Stress Less

You might like to share in our top ten tips to stress less at this time of semester:
1.       Feeling Stressed? Identify the causes.
2.       Take charge of things you can control, begin now.
3.       Develop a flexible schedule for the next month & set some priorities.
4.       Keep active & work it off e.g. take a brisk walk.
5.       Be positive!
6.       Relaxation helps focus the mind. Take slow breaths & think “calm".
7.       Stay in the moment & focus on one thing at a time.
8.       Maintain a healthy diet & get some sleep. Take time out for rest & fun.
9.       Stay connected to friends & family & let them know your plan of attack.
10.    Ask for help from your tutors, peers & student support services.

Relaxation Resources at UoN

The University Counselling Service website has many resources aimed at helping you manage your success through relaxation and meditation. Why not read their tip sheet for relaxation (http://www.newcastle.edu.au/Resources/Divisions/Services/Academic%20Registrar/Student%20Support%20Services/Counselling/Relaxation2011.pdf), or even listen to a recorded mediation session (http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/counselling/meditation.html).

Exams Looming? 

Exams are just round the corner. Why not have a look at the ‘Surviving First Year Exams’ website (http://www.newcastle.edu.au/teaching-and-learning/surviving-first-year-exams/). This is a great resource for all students in preparation for the Semester 2 exams.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and would like some guidance or extra support, remember your Student Experience Officers are here! Contact us here at mySupport to make an appointment.
Do not forget about the final date to withdraw from courses without incurring a fail grade. Although census date has passed, and you are liable for course fees, there is still time to avoid a fail grade by withdrawing from a course prior to the last week of classes.

Need help with something at the University of Newcastle? AskUoN

AskUoN is designed to help you easily find the information you are looking for. You can browse our hot topics, search for any specific questions you may have, and give feedback on our answers to ensure we always keep them relevant for you. AskUoN also allows you to submit a question directly to our enquiries team, for a fast and personal response. (http://askuon.custhelp.com/)

Remember to contact mySupport if you are feeling overwhelmed or concerned with anything!

Kind Regards,

mySupport Team

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Planning for the next six weeks


It’s the end of week 7 and you’ve made it past the half way mark this semester – Great work so far! Make sure you take a moment to congratulate yourself for your achievements!

There is one more week before you can enjoy your well earned mid semester break, but it is also time to start thinking about the final six weeks of the semester.
Staying motivated going into the break can be difficult, especially when you have completed so much work already!

 What’s your plan of attack for the next six weeks?

Make the most of this recess by planning the final weeks of semester. While on your break, you might like to think about how much time you’re allocating to:
  • relax and recharge your batteries
  • catch up with friends and family
  • your final assessments
  • preparing for your exams
Here are some useful ideas:

Study-work-life balance

As part of your six week plan you could:
  • Swap some shifts or request some time off work when major assessments are due or leading up to exams.
  • Think of some quick and healthy meal options, or prepare and freeze meals ahead of time. At the very least if you’re short of time you’ll be eating well.
  • Warn family and friends that you’ll be immersed in study for the next six weeks, and that you may be hard to live with. Also remind them that you’ll resurface eventually!
Establish a realistic schedule

Take a moment to make a realistic assessment of your time management:
Are you dedicating enough time to each subject, not just the one most interesting to you or the next assessment that is due?
Are you working too many hours each week to keep up with your reading or lecture material?
Are you more focused on every other aspect of your life rather than study?
Remember that most courses recommend three hours of study for every time-tabled hour in class. Take a realistic look at how much time you are dedicating to each subject and adjust your study or work schedule to suit. It is not too late to make a realistic study schedule and stick to it! Also make the most of the recess coming up and try to study in line with your normal lecture schedule.

Create a space and remove distractions

Assess what may be distracting you from sitting down and studying:
Have you established a distraction free space to focus on study?
Are you having trouble focusing on study at home with television, house mates or family around?
Creating a space, a room, a desk or quiet corner just for study will help you stay focused. It may also be better to find a space on campus if you can’t at home. If self motivation is an issue, meet up regularly with someone from your class each week to sit down and study together after lectures.

Create regular breaks and rewards

If everything seems too big and overwhelming to deal with, break each subject into small manageable tasks. Try writing a checklist of what you want to achieve each week. Take a break in between each task, like going outside for 5 minutes, making a cup of tea or going for a short walk.
Reward yourself with a rest or something enjoyable if you finish all of your weekly tasks early! Limit your social engagements until you have finished your weekly tasks, this will keep you from getting sidetracked and also be a great reward for finishing your work. Remember to also reward yourself for passing your assignments and achieving your goals. If you do something you enjoy as a reward for yourself it is extra incentive to keep achieving and doing well!
Remember to contact mySupport to talk to your Student Experience Officer if you are feeling overwhelmed or concerned with anything!

Happy break!

Kind Regards,

mySupport Team

mySupport's Top Ten Tips for getting assessments done!!



It's about this time in the semester that things are heating up - with the first five weeks gone it's getting close to the time that your assessments are going to be due. To get the best results you need to get on top of your work. Here at mySupport we have included our top ten tips to help you finish your assessments.

1.     Start Writing - even if you have done little research, write out the questions that you need to answer, this will help to direct your research.
2.     Avoid taking large amounts of notes, it is better to write summaries in your own words and then conclude with a line that shows how this information relates back to the question.
3.     Do your research with the question in front of you, as you are reading, think 'How does this relate to the question?'. If you cannot identify a relationship then STOP reading and revisit the question.
4.     You might need to break the question up into different parts, look for ‘instruction’ words like: Evaluate / Define / Examine – these words will direct the structure and layout of your answer.
5.     Treat the first copy as a draft for your eyes only, do not worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar; just write! Once you have something substantial down you can then use this first copy as the basis for your final version.
 6.     While researching, photocopy information and then highlight the key points, place similar points / highlights together in piles, then take one pile, reread all the information and try to summarise the key elements. With anything you find online you can also copy and paste any quotes or other useful information into a word document of research notes – just remember to reference where you found them!
7.     When you are doing research make note of the reference details such as the author of the book you are using, the book’s title, and the specific page number. Do this for any web based research as well by recording the web address. This way when it comes time to do your bibliography you will have no problem remembering where you found your information.
8.      If you feel daunted by the size of the written assignment break it down:
Introduction = (approximately 10% of the total word count)
Body = (Approximately 80% of the total word count)
Conclusion = (Approximately 10% of the total word count)
So in an average 1,500 assignment, try working with this in mind:
Introduction = one paragraph of approximately 150 words
Body = 5-6 paragraphs of approximately 200 - 300 words
Conclusion = one paragraph of approximately 150 words
9.    Start by writing one paragraph - only 300 words or approximately 30 lines! Make sure that you start with a statement that highlights what you are trying to argue, then present evidence that both supports and contests that idea and then explain why one side is stronger than the other. Finish the paragraph with a sentence that sums up what you have said and also provides a link to the next idea / paragraph.
10. Always conclude by summarising the main arguments in the essay and try to add a new thought but not a completely new point. In other words, do not introduce new material into the conclusion, try and build on an idea you have already mentioned.

Need help with something at the University of Newcastle? 
AskUoN
AskUoN is designed to help you easily find the information you are looking for. You can browse our hot topics, search for any specific questions you may have, and give feedback on our answers to ensure we always keep them relevant for you. AskUoN also allows you to submit a question directly to our enquiries team, for a fast and personal response. (http://askuon.custhelp.com/)
Visit the Library Information Desks
The Librarians staffing the information desks can help students with anything related to library services including finding information and research (such as how to use databases, and where to find books on campus. (www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library)

Good luck in your assignments!
mySupport team