Boost Your Writing
Despite the fact that there are quite a number of educational establishments, courses, and disciplines directed at improving writing skills of students of all ages, there seems to be a common mythological perception of writing proficiency as some gift or blessing. Students claim that there is a need to wait for the inspiration (that may actually never come), while teachers proliferate strict obedience to the rules and norms of writing. There is no panacea from wordlessness, and even if some piece of writing has been produced, something is always missing, and editing becomes another torture.
There is no doubt that being trapped in the illusion of achievable perfection, students rarely realize that their writing is a piece of their creation, and it is right in any way as it represents the reflection of their thoughts and opinions. the writing that he or she produces is like a painting, or like a cloth – they represent wholeness and give the feeling of a finished product. The main thing is to choose the right framework for the imaginary picture that one has drawn with the help of words and phrases – this frame is usually found in connection words, conjunctions and prepositions that make the unified, smooth and flawless cloth out of the torn-to-pieces fabric of the turbulent imagination and expression.
Writing is a challenge for every person disregarding the age; there obviously are people who are in harmony with their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, and manage to express them freely and logically. These are usually teachers, philologists and linguists – in one word, these are people who study the language itself and know its hidden mechanics that makes a masterpiece out of a random selection of words. Nonetheless, not all people are inclined to studying the language as it, and even when one feels that he or she has a clear idea in the head, there may be so many barriers in voicing it, even orally, that the process of writing becomes and indescribable nightmare.
Altogether, after some failures with writing and speaking many people start to believe that they are somehow crippled, disabled in self-expression. The present article may reveal a true secret to some people; others may have suspected this, but have never dared to confess in this to themselves – writing is not hard at all, and the main monster depriving writers of the adequate appraisal of their writing is sitting inside them. It is the lack of confidence, the overload of various writing guidelines, and surely the thoroughly designed process of writing that act as devastating enemies for people who struggle with writing – for those who have started to write something, and for those who do not even dare to start because they believe they will not produce any satisfactory product.
The first enemy can be fought by means of adopting a healthy attitude to one’s abilities. Surely, not all people are born with the skills of Shakespeare or Whitman, but in case they can speak and know how to build sentences, they already can write. What they will write, and how intelligible it will sound is another, minor issue. The main issue in writing is to write, train, and never doubt one’s own skills. All writing deserves the right of being read and evaluated, and though the student may fail to receive an “A” grade, there will still be some grade, and some success, which is obviously not a complete failure. Sticking to high grades with disable even decent writers, as the whole process of writing will be done in the fear to fail, to make a mistake etc. In other words, self-confidence is a sure way to successful writing.
Secondly, the overload of writing guidelines is a perfect example of how the best intentions end up with the ruinous harm that was absolutely unintended. All teachers conducting any classes dedicated to writing publish their own guidelines; they recommend many other manuals and tutorials to students that have been published by the university, in the Internet, by peer students etc. It seems that any more or less successful writer feels that it is his/her duty to publish some writing tips, and the number thereof found in various media nowadays seems limitless. There is so much confusion on the issue that there is hardly anyone who can classify the tips into reliable, doubtful, and hopelessly wrong.
Students read and inhibit everything that is simple enough for them, and make their way to mistakes shorter. Therefore, there should be a common agreement about the writing guidelines, and they should be made easy to comprehend to avoid confusion and sacred fear before sitting down to writing an essay.
Finally, one should be sure that he or she knows what to write about – there should be a clear idea at least about the beginning. In case the person is comfortable with his/her ideas and opinions, the process of writing will be much smoother. And it is absolutely not true that one cannot start writing from the end or from the middle – it may well be much more successful, it may be much quicker, and it may yield a highly positive result for the writer. Writing a paper according to an outline or a thoroughly thought-over structure is a myth that has never been put into practice – people write when they have what to say, and this is what makes their writing good.
Health Tips for Students
Student life is a funny, turbulent, and cheerful period in practically all students’ lives; this is the time when young people meet with each other to become close friends, to form relationships, and to learn to socialize, to help each other, to resolve conflict situations etc. It is indisputably a great and unforgettable lifetime period, as these are actually the last years when students may live cheerfully and irresponsibly, not thinking about looking for a job, providing for the family, or making a career. The future serious adult life seems to be the issue of distant future, and the fleur of the transition from childhood to adulthood is always present in the souls of students.
Nonetheless, student life is not only fun and relaxation; it is usually associated with the hardest times in terms of combining personal life with studies that are often too demanding and overwhelming that one would expect. Regular studies require doing the homework, the time of exams is exhausting due to the nerves and long night hours spent on learning the topics that were either unclear or neglected during the course of studies. This is often very devastating for students, as they lack support from their parents in case they live on campus, and alongside with studying and socializing they have to perform regular household duties such as cleaning their rooms, cooking food etc.
The result of continuing stress and sleepless nights, unhealthy nutrition habits and restless parties at which alcohol and unhealthy food may also be consumed in large quantities manifest themselves in various health disorders. The most common problems that students come across are the nervous exhaustion and nervous breakdowns, eating and sleeping disorders, excess weight, and surely the problems with eyesight. They may seem unavoidable for the majority of students, but there are always at least two exists even from the dead end. Hence, one should follow the tips from the present article to retain his or her health and at the same time manage to participate in all aspects of college life.
The first issue to deal with is the stress from schooling. Excessively nervous and sensitive students experience constant stress even in case they are well-prepared for the exam, which is always ruinous for their nerves. Students who like to have fun have to study at nights and at weekends, which is exhausting for their nervous system anyway. Some students work at least part-time to provide for their living during studies, hence they experience constant tension and exhaustion, which in turn leads to stress.
Therefore, the only helpful tip that can be given in terms of preserving one’s nerves is to be realistic about one’s abilities and potential. It is surely easy to exhaust oneself to a nervous breakdown, trying to earn much money, to study well, and to be present at all parties, but each young person should realize that he or she will never manage to have time for everything and remain healthy.
It is time to make tough choices, and it is better to design the system of trade-offs very flexibly. For example, one week will be dedicated purely to studies, which means less work and missing some of the parties. However, the next week will be dedicated to relaxation and fun with friends. Some time of the month may be chosen for hard working days, which may bring additional income and higher self-esteem. However, these days should be chosen according to the curriculum, when there are no exams or tests that would require much attention.
The second serious problem is overweight. Living far from parents, students are rarely concerned about their eating habits and they may consume much junk food, which will bring the problem for the whole lifetime. Talking about tips in this regard, one should always be responsible, first of all to him- or herself. Knowing he or she does harm first of all to the self, and not to others, may help eliminate some unhealthy habits.
Thirdly, the health issues with eyesight have to targeted at an early stage of noticing them, as eyesight rarely improves; it only has a tendency to deteriorate. Therefore, students who study much and use computer for the major part of the day have to consult a professional regarding the eye-relaxation techniques and practice them daily. There are some medications, namely eye drops that help reduce tension on the eyes resulting from long and frequent computer use.
It is strongly recommended for students suffering from eyesight problems but unable to refuse from using the computer so often to use them frequently to give additional moisture to the retina thus preserving the eyesight on the current level. In addition, wearing glasses or lenses is not shameful nowadays as the percentage of people of all ages having problems with eyesight is constantly growing. Hence, one should clearly feel when it is time to buy lenses, at least to be used during studying sessions.
Relaxation Techniques for Students during the Finals
Studies are always connected with stress, be it a regular class or a final exam. Though there has been much advised on the issue, there seems to be no way out for students who face the reality of the approaching exam. Which is the most perplexing trend, students who are well-prepared tend to be more nervous than those who are not ready at all. Hence, there is a dilemma of facing the challenge of nervousness and physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion before the exams.
The present problem has to be recognized as a very important one, since nerves are the source of many serious illnesses and breakdowns for students. Even being overcome in the schooling years, the consequences of stress may manifest themselves in further years of the student’s life, resulting in some grave health disorders and problems. Hence, to effectively target nervousness before exams, one has to find the source of the problem at first.
Nervousness is often not connected with the exam itself; it may be the physical fatigue due to the previous preparation for the exam that aggravates the state of anxiety and worries. In addition, it may be the fear of a failing grade that is usually proliferated by the administration of the educational establishment to enhance discipline and ensure compliance with the strict educational standards. Therefore, it seems possible to assume that it is first of all the task of school administration is to mitigate the fearful factors that intimidate students and make them nervous.
The various techniques of relaxation that may be highly helpful for students during the session of exams, especially during the finals that are always intimidating most of all because of the responsibility posed on students may be applied to reduce the fear and nervousness, and ensure successful preparation for the exams. The success of their application in practice heavily depends on the personality of the individual doing this, as the psychological peculiarities of all people are different, and individuals react to various stimuli in various ways. However, most of them have proven to be successful, mostly due to the fact that they are directed inside the individual, and do not try to alter the circumstances.
The main principle of relaxation techniques used during finals is to assure oneself that he or she has done everything that depends on him/her, and there is no other contribution that he/she may make. The only effect of the nervousness is preventing oneself from succeeding at the exam – the enemy lives inside the student, and this enemy called nervousness undermines the ability to think rationally. It is because of nervousness that students may forget the obvious answers that they have always known; hence understanding the ruinous effect of nervousness is the first step to success in overcoming it.
The second technique to overcome nervousness during finals is to dedicate some time to sports; people engaged in active physical training clear their thoughts and concentrate on the healthy bodily tiredness rather than the devastating psychical torture. Going to a swimming pool, for a jogging session, or to the gym is always a sound alternative to sitting at home and worrying about the coming exam. If one notices that he or she cannot concentrate on the preparation anymore and is obsessed by anxiety, it is much better for him or her to go for a run or a swim, which will surely be much more useful and will help regain concentration.
The direct relationship of sound physical state with self-confidence and internal harmony; therefore, one should regain the internal calmness, which is better done by sports. In additional, exhausting oneself with physical exercises will help sleep better, and not spend a sleepless night rehearsing the most troubling topics for the exam.
Next, the technique of focusing on another event, or imagining something much more pleasant that the upcoming finals, is often used with much success by students. In case one finds him- or herself unable to overcome the anxiety that gradually grows into panic, he or she should imagine the time when the exam has already passed, and he or she has already got the diploma. One should think about the career choice he/she is about to make, and about more serious challenges that await him/her after the university graduation. These may be thoughts about renting or buying an apartment, making a career, getting married, having children etc.
Though it is the matter of imagination whether the individual will be able to imagine it realistically or not, still the technique helps students realize clearly that the finals are not the ultimate point in their lives, and there are much more serious challenges awaiting them in the near future. Critical appraisal of the event will help reduce fear, and will ensure that the student adequately evaluates the importance of exams, but does not worship them as deities.
The last point that has to be discussed is the technique of distancing oneself from the surrounding reality. In case one has some hobby such as cross-stitchery, sewing, reading, skating, traveling etc., one should always find some time to engage in favorite activities. Doing what one likes most is always calming and reassuring, and it is the sure way to regain self-confidence and optimism.