Study Tips from our Brand Ambassadors

HINTS AND TIPS

With exam season around the corner, we know just how tough it can be for students. We asked four of our Brand Ambassadors, Aoife, Oisín, Kacey and Pippa, to give their top tip for successful studying!

Waterford IT Graduate

Kacey Maher, Thailand

As you now find yourself studying from home my top tip is to keep to your regular routine as much as you can. Start the day as you usually would if you were going into college. Shower, get dressed, do your skin care routine and whatever else is normal for you, and then sit at your dedicated study desk and get cracking. Make sure to stop studying when you normally would as it gets you into a good habit of scheduling too. I just think by getting up & getting ready for the day, you can help set the tone for making it a productive one! This is what I am doing myself right now and I find it helps.

DCU Graduate

Pippa Ryan, Dublin

Although we find ourselves in lockdown – I find days still seem to be slipping away from under you! This can be a scary time but my advice to you is to stay focused, you are so close to the finish line. The best way that I stay focused is goal setting. Everyone is so different in their ways of working so you may find it easier to set either daily, weekly or monthly goals. Try them all and see what works best for you! Before you sit down and start studying for the day, ask yourself – “what do I want to get done in this session?” I believe, studying is not about how long you sit down in front of your desk, but it is about how much you have checked off your list of goals. First, you need to clarify what are the goals that you want to achieve. Secondly, you need to prioritise your goals in order of which are most important. Finally, achieve your goals! I know what you are thinking; ‘easier said than done’. The key to introducing yourself into goal setting is starting off making very attainable daily goals – don’t go so hard on yourself! Then, as you are into the routine of goal setting you can get bigger and bolder with setting your daily, weekly or monthly goals, ultimately resulting in you staying motivated and positive leading up to your final assignments or exams.

NUIG Graduate

Aoife Geraghty, Dublin

My top tip is to look after yourself – make sure you get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and get out for some fresh air and exercise. By taking time to do this, you’ll find that you’ll be able to study more efficiently, retain more information, and you won’t burn yourself out too soon. It’s a marathon not a sprint, so don’t push yourself too hard. Find something you enjoy that you can do to destress when you feel pressure building, and chat to your family and friends if you feel overwhelmed.

Tóg go bog é agus go n-éirí leat!

University of Limerick Graduate

Oisín Flynn, Argentina

My first top tip is to aim for quality over quantity when studying. How can you achieve this? As we´re experiencing especially challenging times, routine is massively important. This is definitely the case when it comes to studying. I would suggest that you block off time each day dedicated to study. Take one or two short breaks within this time to grab a ‘cupán tae’ or sit out in the garden – just clear your head. If you´re used to studying after class or in a library, I find that blocking off your time like this is really helpful and once you start the habit, the discipline will follow and you won´t find it such a drag. If you really dread studying, someone shared a useful tip with me that I never forgot and that is, pretend to yourself you´re going to knuckle down to study for 5 minutes. Trick yourself into sitting down and after 5 minutes of study just keep going. This will help ease you into a flow and you won´t have the same sense of dread beforehand!

For people studying languages and Gaeilge as I did in college, a great tip to get your mind tuned into the language, for both the aural and the written components is watching TV shows and listening to music or podcasts in the language. Do this when you´re not officially studying. The good news with this is there are some brilliant TV shows on Netlfix in languages other than English. Also, if you study Spanish, please, start listening to Reggaeton, easily one of my favourite music genres. Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, Maluma and Karol G are some of my favourite artists. Good option for a home workout too! Rosalia is a now very famous Spanish artist. In French, Stromae is great and then there´s a lot of Trap artists like Damso.

Here´s a few TV shows to get you started with – all great and would recommend to anyone so get your friends, parents or siblings watching with you.

FRENCH: The Returned, The Chalet, Call My Agent, Marseille, La Mante, La Haine (movie)

SPANISH: Elite (Spain), Money Heist (Spain), House of Flowers (Mexico), The Grand Hotel (Spain)

GERMAN: Dark, Türkisch für Anfänger

IRISH: Start using TG4 Player, Ros na Rún is on Tuesday and Thursday nights and episodes are only 30 mins.