From a Waitress's Perspective | Opinion

I stumbled across this article today, and I strongly agree with it. As a student, I have spent many vacations waitressing at local restaurants when I am at home. At a waiter/waitress you work shoddy hours and your pay is even shoddier. At some establishments, staff aren't even paid a fixed salary and are relying solely on your gratuity. Next time you eat out, spare a thought for the people who serve you. When you're budgeting money to go out and have a meal, make sure you factor in enough to pay a decent tip. Trust me, there is nothing worse than bending over backwards to give great service and not get a cent in return.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.chacha.com/topic/restaurant/gallery/3032/world-s-worst-tippers

Don't Take Them Seriously | Advice

Recently, a friend of mine was very upset when her demonstrator (the person who oversees and facilitates practicals if you're a doing a Science degree) told her that she was slow. Here's my issue: a lot of tutors*, teaching assistants and demonstrators think they are the bees knees because they are older and more academically qualified than you are. And they will often act according to this belief of theirs. Because you are doing something that they have already done, they often look down upon students.

The thing is, no one is necessarily better than you because they are older than you or more experienced in a particular field than you are. Particularly if these people are students themselves. The opinions that matter the most are those of you lecturers and professors. Ultimately, they are the ones who will mark your final exam and so on. And they most definitely have the right to comment upon your abilities as an academic.

My point: if your tutor/demonstrator/TA has something nasty to say about you...just ignore them. Don't let it get to you. They are students too. If what they are saying or how they are marking you is an issue, take it up with your lecturer (or course co-ordinator/Head of Department etc), you have the right to, you are paying them after all!

*DISCLAIMER: My argument does not apply to ALL tutors/demonstrators/TAs. I am speaking about a few in particular

The Interwebs

Recently, I was checking out the stats section of my blog. I found it interesting to see which Web Browsers were being used by different readers. I used Internet Explorer for many years, until they brought out IE 7. Now I swear by Google Chrome. Here's why:

It's Time to Say Goodbye | Advice

Possibly one of the biggest (life) lessons I have learned this year (so far) is that deleting negative people who bring you down can actually be life-changing.

I was apprehensive at first. Particularly about letting go of friends that you have been close to for a long time. But after taking some time to really think about how my friendship with them was affecting me - and being a little selfish for once in my life - I realised that a lot of what these people say or do actually hurts me, brings me down and makes me feel bad about myself. Although cutting them out your life might hurt their feelings and it might make mutual friends feel a bit awkward, sometimes the best thing you can do is put your own feelings first. 

I have learned that one's mental health should come before everything else, although you may feel like you are being selfish (this is something I battle with). If you are not happy, you cannot be a good friend, parent, sibling or child to anyone in your life.  Neglecting your mental health can lead to serious consequences. I shall blog about that sometime...

My point is, as hard as it may be, sometimes it is best to let go of the people who have a negative impact on your life. It is a therapeutic and cleansing process. And although it may hurt in the beginning, in retrospect, you might thank yourself for making positive changes to your life.

Saying goodbye isn't easy...but sometimes it's for the best.

Advice for Tests | Advice

If you have a test coming up, especially if you have never written a test on a University/College level, here are some hints and tips that might help:

1) Prepare. Obviously. If you have not studied enough, chances are that you will not do well. However, paying/getting someone to write a test for you can result in you being excluded from Varsity. What is worse, failing a test or being excluded?

2) Try to get enough sleep the night before. It is better to get enough sleep so that you can concentrate, stay awake and access the things you already know, than to pull an all-nighter (and maybe know everything) but not be able to remember most of what you have studied because your brain is tired.

3) Take water rather than coffee into the test. Although coffee might wake you up, water will keep you hydrated and thinking clearer. Also, spilling coffee is worse than spilling water.

4) Use the loo before you get into the test venue.

5) Before you leave for the test, double check that you have all the necessary stationary. If you have a cold, make sure you have tissues. If you have a medical issue such as asthma, make sure you have the necessary emergency medication with you. If you are particularly stressed or nervous about the test, you may forget something really important - don't take it for granted.

6) Leave your cellphone at home. Unless you will need it after the test to get someone to fetch you etc. it is best to leave it out of the test venue entirely. Most Universities/Collages will penalize you heavily if your phone goes off or if you are seen with it. Rather don't take the risk.

7) Last, but not least, give yourself enough time to get to/find the venue and perhaps even use the facilities. Arriving late for a test is embarrassing, it might stress you out and hamper your ability to remember information and you might not even be allowed to write the test.

GOOD LUCK and STUDY HARD :)

READ! | Advice

Read to prepare. Read ahead. Read to understand.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in my academic career is to DO YOUR READING. Most University/College subjects - particularly those within a Bachelor of Arts degree (Humanities) - require you to read a certain number of prescribed texts as well as do your own research on the topic or course. As much of a drag as it seems, the most helpful thing you can do is keep up with your reading. If you are required to read certain things in preparation for a lecture/seminar/tutorial, set aside some time the night before to do it. The more you read the faster you will be able to read and the quicker doing readings will take. 

Academic readings are not always overflowing with stimulating content. But they will most definitely enrich your understanding and help you engage with the topic in a more productive way rather than just pitching to lectures. Also, reading throughout the year means you will be a lot more prepared when exams roll around. Instead of spending hours of your study time getting through long readings. If you spend a little time each day reading, all you will have to do during exams is revise.

It also helps to highlight important points as you read (use a highlighter or underline with a pen) and, if you're feeling super enthusiastic, you can keep a notepad nearby to make a summary of important points to read as a part of your revision.

I'm off to read a research paper...