5 STUDY HABITS NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT!

I was an average kid at school.

All right, who am I kidding, I was just about okay at school. My parents were happy that I got okay grades, my teachers were even happier that I never stayed back (Gosh, Thankfully), my school counselor was happy that I didn’t lose hope (was there any hope…) and I was just dazed when it came to academics. 

In college, things changed, I was suddenly a star student….now how did that happen. Well, first I chose not to study something I disliked (numbers) and certain habits which I had to change to get okay grades (it is tougher in college). Now everyone kept talking about stress management, note taking, effective study habits, concentration, and memory skills and so on. But no one told me about these things, things that actually made me STUDY. So here’s what got me studying in college:

1. WINNING LOSING IS THE BEST MOTIVATION:  Everyone around me told to look up to the best student around. It never worked for me. I kept asking myself….am I happier with a C or do I slog myself to an A? Happier with the C was always the answer. Instead, look at those who get an F – they might be having problems, that might be bad luck but do you want to be there. Ask yourself this, do you want to get an F and live under the pressure or work a little now and get the desired B? Will get you running to your books right away!

2. GET THE BEST STATIONERY BEFOREHAND: Whenever I sat down to study, my pencil was a shade too light or dark. My pen didn’t work and if it did work (Voila…!) the color wasn’t suiting my mood. The stationery always got the better of me. So, the next time I decide to study, I go for stationery shopping first, it always works!

3. TIE UP YOUR HAIR: Very irrelevant you might say, but very valid…believe me! As a kid, I always had short hair and when I sat down to study, I managed to find faults with it. I would tug on it, pull on my fringes, keep tying and untying…just play with it (unknowingly) and finally realize that I should wash my hair (right now!). It had to stop…in college I had longer hair, tied it up real nerdy before I had to study. Oh hair, I don’t bother you, you don’t bother me.

4. NEVER, EVER GLANCE AT THE TV / MOVIE SCHEDULE: This is valid for the exam season. Otherwise, go watch TV, no hassles. During exams, there is an evil conspiracy by the broadcasters to air my favorite movie / shows / sitcoms and during favorable hours. And the airing will exactly overlap my study regime. In college, during exams I took a vow not to glance into the TV schedule listing. It works!

5. KEEP UPDATING YOURSELF WITH THE CLASSROOM “NERD”: Call up your best friend (who is most likely to be as lazy as you) and ask them how much they finished studying and this is how the conversation will most likely go…only 2 Chapters out of 10…Oh that’s sad…you know I finished like 4 chapters….you are in deep *beep*… go study quick….end of conversation. Then this is the conversation you have with yourself….4 chapters…twice as much...I am way ahead…this is easy….I have plenty of time….let’s watch TV….end of studying. What have you done? Not only have you busted your friend’s motivation, you have also let go of yours. So what did I do…called up the certified class “nerd” and this is how the conversation went…so you finished all the chapters…Oh so you are like revising now….ya I know but we still have 2 more days right…what do you mean ONLY 2 days…ok, I got to go….I am in deep *beep*. Then the conversation with yourself will be like this….Oh God…nerdy is revising, I am still on chapter 4…what the *beep*, I have to study. This will definitely get you back to your books!

So how are you planning to get back to your books?

THE TOONS AND ME!

I actually didn’t know what my first post of 2011 would be. 2010 was lousy (let’s never talk about 2010 again!) and I wanted to start on a happy note. And what’s happier than Tom & Jerry…yes, the cartoon! As a young girl I was so in awe of them that I believed they existed in some part of the world. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I remember stating “Jerry is cuter; I would like to be Jerry when I grow up”. Well, that didn’t happen but they still have a lot of significance in life.

I mean, I have learnt a lot…well yes, fun life lessons. Why do you think they even make cartoons…as children there is no better way to learn things than visual humor and as adults…well that’s another story; by the time we are adults we become way more intractable than kids…  

So what did cartoons teach me? Here are my favorites

Tom & Jerry taught me that we can find our closest friend in the most unexpected person ever. A cat and a mouse, who would have thought….they fight, beat up each other, plan “executions”, stay cross but at the end they make up and move on.

Another important thing….you might be beaten, bruised, crushed to pieces, banged flat against the door, thrown into the garbage can, kicked out of the house but it shouldn’t take you long enough to “get up and get going”. Just shake yourself up, be alert and run after your “nemesis”!

Another of my favorites is Garfield. That lazy, obese, pessimistic little cat teaches you what the “real world” is all about. He pushes all those dreamy details of a fairy like, naïve ideas about life and teaches you to be a little sarcastic, a little nasty…. A little bit of sour never hurts! And the orange, fuzzy cat is so adorable!

My current favorite is Simpsons…And even though he might be indolent, clumsy and a little rude, he is completely devoted to his family… and his wife still loves him (my dad’s words!)

So next time while watching a cartoon (adults, too)…let the child in you learn!

So what does your favorite cartoon teach you?