Procrastinating: Tips of the Trade!

You’re an avid procrastinator. That is why your reading this post when your assignment is due in few hours with 1000 words to go. Welcome to the club. There are no two ways around it, its boring, its hard, its painfully, its not on an Xbox, its not directed by Zach Snyder and it does not even involve sex. You promised yourself you would do it today, and like any true procrastinator you want to study without doing the work. So here are a few ways to procrastinate guilt free.

Phantom Impulses

Its time to study and all of a sudden you realise you need to level up on Destiny, or you realise yeah, you are really pumped to go to the gym. You don’t want to push it, if you study too much you may forget the material you already learnt from that time you did study. Which was the first time you studied, and the last time you are going to study. The best thing you can do is embrace these impulses and compromise. Pick up the Xbox controller, why not play Xbox for what you think will be only half an hour, you will study after, right? Sure.

The Feeling Ain’t Right

You need to be impossibly ready to study. For you to successfully study, everything in the universe needs to be just right. If you can convince yourself that even one little thing is off, it is best not to force it. Yep, just as you sit down you realise that it is the vernal equinox. Better leave it for another time.

The Hunger Games

You finally convince yourself to sit down and begin but you realise that you have not consumed nearly enough calories to carry you through this one-way trip through Hell. If you are going to study, which is a big IF, you’re going to go need to eat to last as long as a Christmas ham, a month or two.

Gone in 60 seconds

You sit down and you realise that your Adobe is updating on your laptop or that you left your lecture notes in the car. Don’t even consider amending the situation because you know it will take the rest of your day to fix. You didn’t come here to sit around, you came here to study and you weren’t even 100% on that, just let bygones be bygones and accept that you won’t get any work done and turn the Xbox on.

Yawning

You just yawned once, there is no way you are finishing this assignment tonight. The best thing you can do is accept that sleep is needed then just curl up in your doona cover. Don’t bother setting an alarm you know how long you need to leave to finish it off in the morning.

Priority Principle

You think to yourself, I could go some KFC then you think ‘if I don’t have enough energy how will I remember all of this material?’ Apply the priority principle, your stomach is always full of food but your brain is never full knowledge. You must go to KFC and realign this imbalance. Obviously ordering a meal with a mountain dew. Trust me.

The Buddy System

Its time to study and you hit up your buddy to see if they will study with you. They have already gone over the material, however you agree to meet up anyway. Next thing you know you're drunk in a taxi about to hit the club. You may not be getting your work done or tomorrow morning for that matter, but was it worth the 10% late penalty? Yes, it was the best night of your life.

And there you have it, that’s how the Uni student procrastinate guilt free.

- Josh

For my method on how to study go to this link - http://howtheunistudentsdo.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/my-method-for-studying-at-uni.html

Saving on Transport

This is to all trouble makers and the cheats.

*I am not responsible or liable in any way for your actions. This post is to educate anyone who is reading it and it is up to your discretion to use this as it may not be foolproof

Trains:

It is a bit tricky, but in the name of science and for all the hobos' out there, here goes. This method, if done correctly, can be cheaper than a pensioner's ticket (if you have a concession card). And it also depends on how far you need to travel. You obviously have to be a little bit shifty if you want to try this out.

Purchase a valid single ticket from A to B, which means if you are ever checked, you are not doing anything wrong. However, when exiting you will be required not to put the ticket through the gates and retain your ticket. You will need to find ways of jumping over the gates by literally jumping over it, walking behind someone, or using the disable gates because it is open longer than the normal gates.

When returning from B to A, you will have to jump the gates again, which means you will have the same valid single ticket from A to B. This can work if you don't want to pay the $200 fine for fare evasion as you have a valid ticket. Be sure to come up with a good excuse if they do question you lol.

gl hf,
Tharinda

Organising For Beginners

Organisation skills – Studying Part TWO!

Ever since Year 11 onwards, I (Karen) have found studying a bore. It is painful and the more you try to learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know. But bear with me! From my experience, maybe you just aren't organising yourself as best as you can.

With University comes debt, paperwork and more paperwork. Deadlines and receipts where if you don’t keep organised, you’ll seriously lose your place in it all.
I've had to learn the hard way about being organised and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone to go through the same thing! So it’s time to help you get organised!

Tips to help you get organised:

1. Clean your room. Spring clean it.

Yes I said it! No I’m not your mother. Cleaning your room isn't a chore. It’s the opportunity for you to get rid of years of collecting dust, toys, and old clothes you’ll never wear.

Benefits:
A. You get to find money you forgot about (saving point)
B. You get a decent workout (no gym for today yay!)
C. All the clothes/items you don’t want can be donated (You’re a role model, Jim!)
D. You feel better once it’s done. You probably won’t have to do it again for quite a while!

2. Think about how your brain works.

Tricky twister isn’t it? Use your brain, to think about your brain. I did a workshop in year 10 that told me there are different learning modalities which means your brain responds to different kinds of learning settings (e.g.  you learn more by listening or doing something over reading). These settings can be applied to everyday life and will help you understand why you always forget your doctor appointment or that yearly visit to the vet for your pet.

A. Auditory- Learn better by listening to content > Discussion lectures that allow you to listen and respond

B. Visual – Take better notice through visual illustrations > Diagrams, Textbooks, Overheads.

C. Kinesthetic/Tactile – Like to take a more physical approach to learning > where movement is involved, games, internet etc.

Many people are a mixture of these, but there will be one that you are most predominant in. Here is a link to find out which one you are. (This won’t make you pay for anything or make you wait. We’re not mean people) BUT you have to do some addition to find your final result. So maybe I am a little bit mean after all. I’m sorry!
http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/m/mentors0708kechiawilliams/learningstylesruvey.pdf

Once you know how your brain ticks, you can choose different methods to fully use this ability of yours. For information on other modalities, visit: https://tpri.wikispaces.com/Incorporating+Learning+Modalities+in+Writing
(they have other types of modalities I have not heard of, feel free to attach and mix yourselves within the groups).


3. Set allocated spaces for different things.

Don’t study where you sleep. Don’t sleep and study where you eat. This (no joke) will confuse your brain and when you study, you’ll get bored and hungry, or when you want to sleep, you’ll feel as if you need something to eat #firsthandexperience.
This goes the same for organising your books and files you need to keep. It is best to buy some cheap folders/clear slips to put these away and whenever you need them, just pull them out of a drawer or a box. 

Benefits: (Because you won’t consider it if you think there’s nothing good about it)

A. Tidiness. (Unless you’re a grub, then move along)
B. You won’t lose important papers.
C. If you put it away in a safe place, the robbers are less likely to steal it if it is hidden.
D. You can prioritize your space for more important things
E. When you need to file away something EXTRA important, you already have a designated space/folder to place that extra important item.

Some More Helpful Hints:

• Look at Josh's post down below in the Study section where he mentions REALLY helpful tips on how to get down to business in your student life
• Don't procrastinate on important things to do e.g. your 40% REPORT THAT IS DUE NEXT WEEK. You'll hate yourself for it and if you fail the unit you have another $3600 of debt to your name! 
• Don't give up! Lame, but true. 
• Find an inspiration/role model to help you through. It can even be your mother. On that note,
• Be nice to your parents. They love you and if sh** hits the fan, they can always pick you up off your feet.
• Don't Hoard unnecessary items. It will bit you in the butt if you do!
• Focus on one important thing at a time
• Give yourself time to relax and enjoy the life you live. 
• Ask friends & teachers for advice
• Don't think about the chore - JUST DO IT!

I can lecture you about how to get organised and tell you everything you should do (IMO), but everyone is different. 

These few tips will help you start your short journey of getting organised, once you've done it, the rest is easy! Or is it.......




Nah it really is! 


Until next time,

Karen

Secrets of a last-minute student

I know you're out there. Too many of you. Don't worry, I must be #1 perpetrator on the hit list. We are the ones who either cram in all our study the night before and are going through wk 13 lecture notes one minute before walking into an exam, hand in assignments literally one minute before submission or on a bad day where you are lacking motivation we get slapped on the wrist with a late penalty. I'll let you in on a little insight into how to do last-minute study.

“Punctual”. What does this word even mean. And while I'm at it..what's a better, more socially acceptable term for “cheating?” “Unethical?” Eh..so here goes...

If you need to buy some more time in submitting an assignment, why not be sneaky and “accidentally” send in a corrupt file on time, keep working on your assignment and send in the real one once your teacher has notified you that there was a “problem” with the formatting/uploading of your file and requests you to try sending again. Corrupted-Files.com offers a service that sells students (for a fee of around $5) intentionally corrupted files with the following instructions. "Step 1: After purchasing a file with the appropriate number of pages, rename the file e.g. Mike_Final-Paper. Step 2: E-mail the file to your professor along with your 'here's my assignment' e-mail. Step 3: It will take your professor several hours if not days to notice your file is 'unfortunately' corrupted. Use the time this website just bought you wisely and finish that paper!!!." I don't like to think of myself as a person promoting cheating. You are still doing the work yourself. Think about it this way if it makes you feel any better: would your professor rather you make up an excuse and hand in your own work a bit late or submit someone else's work on time?

*Warning: you may not fool a switched-on teacher but it's better than “the dog ate my homework” excuse.

*Disclaimer: I have not been smart enough to try this... or dumb enough to :P

Now I want to make sure we don't have any misunderstandings about the claim that winding your computer clock back can avoid a turnitin late penalty. Let me tell you loud and clear that this myth is busted. You can't fool the system in any way, as has been mentioned in an earlier blog. Turnitin's timestamp is based on your the university's settings when they set it up (usually by default it is the local timezone).

Now the most logical thing for me to say now is to not be late in the first place – to tell you not to leave things to the last minute.. but what a hypocrite I would be. It's not always because we're lazy, I swear!

So in terms of how to cram and chuck an all-nighter, buy yourself epic amounts of study food, sit down wrapped in a blanket, and chuck your phone away. Seriously!

You can even get your significant other to help you out with motivation by treating you at milestones (I.e. every 500 words) if you know what I mean.. ;) I'll leave it there.

Good luck in exams and any assignments to still be submitted!

Over and out,

The Uni Students.

How to Save like a Student

Hey guys!

Sometimes life just doesn’t understand that we have no time, no money, and nothing but a few dollars to our names as students. Luckily, my inner thrifty-self and friends have stumbled upon some secret and not-so-secret ways to get bargain buys without feeling like a homeless dude.

Stussy –  Nike – Santa Cruz – Sportsgirl –Roger David – Topshop – Iconic – Glue – General Pants Co. – Platypus –  Forever New – Fossil – G-Star – Lonsdale – Lorna Jane – Adidas – Portmans – Vans – Peter Alexander  – International Store

All these brands and stores are your enemy, and very rarely, you should only shop at them to take advantage of their sale rack and abuse the s**t out of it.  

Shop-A-Dockets

They’re usually free in magazines and newspapers and you get more value for money with those. http://www.shopadocket.com.au/

ALERT ALERT – STUDENT SHOP DISCOUNTS AT AWESOME WEBSITES –

Use your student email and sign up to UNIDAYS to receive discounts on MAJOR big brands around the globe. This site is great! Just redeem a code, zip it into the coupon section at checkout and BAM you can get 10, 20, 30% off the total value! https://www.myunidays.com/

*Discounts vary from shop. Discounts can change.

Online Shopping

Really, if you want to gain some time and keep that energy in you, Shop online! There’s heaps of stores selling the same styles of clothes for half the price (Don’t forget their sale section!).

Target, Big W – Salvos – Witness – Supre – Those-cheap-asian-stores-with-weird-names-like-sinj-or-dollhouse – Best-and-Less – Cocolatte – SES – Factorie – Cotton On – Jay-Jays – Kmart –

These stores will be your best friend and you will have a love-hate relationship with them.  It’s true, they’re not as fancy as Portmans, Stussy or Roger David. But they’re cheap. And you want to keep your money in your pocket, right? Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this far into this post!

Donation Stores – Salvos, St Vincent De Paul

These Op shops are great for cheap buys and the day to day things you need. Why would you pay $30 for a white singlet when you can buy one for $3 at Salvos?
The best part of this is all money you pay is actually donated to the foundation you shop at. Thank-you! They also have frequent shopper rewards as well for being damn awesome at giving!

Also, here's a link to a list of some op shops around Sydney. http://www.opshop.org/list/nsw/sydney

Ye Olde Piggy Bank

Ye olde traditional bank of the pig. Yes. It won’t do a lot in these days but isn’t it fun when you spring clean and found you made $30 savings in coins with your piggy bank!?  I love it. Here’s a picture of my cute ducky bank. He currently weighs quite a load.

Transport

Sell that car park permit and catch the bus – Sydney has new Opal cards and there are concession cards for us students! See the benefits for all transport at https://www.opal.com.au/en/about-opal/. Who knows, you might find your next catch-of-the-day sitting next to you *insert winky face*.

Prepaid Sims

Ok so I have no idea the benefits of a prepaid sim card BUT everyone around me does and they SAVE their cash! Do your research and find the best prepaid sims on the market. Optus currently has a $2 sim card that let you recharge on any phone and give you enough to scope the net, call your bestie AND text that crush!

Pre-Drinks at Mine! No Yours!

Everybody loves to pre-drink but did you every think of the amount of cash you save pre-drinking? I won’t do the math for you, but if a drink in Kings Cross costs on average $10…. A bottle of alcohol on average costs $35…. Take one down, pass it around…

*Drink Responsibly :)

 The final advice I have to give to you is just simply… DON’T SPEND YOUR CASH. Resist your urges to splurge. You’re badass as you can be without the extra clothes. Go be YOU!

- The Uni Students

How to Beat TURNITIN

Wad up cheats, liars and drunks, you read the title so lets do this!

As an increasing amount of universities around the world employ and use TURNITIN I decided to delve into the world of how to beat it.

While researching for this blog I consulted many of my tutors and fellow students at Uni and I found that similar methods kept coming up in conversation, firstly I would like to address these.

Replacing common English charters (e) with non-English (è) characters that look similar to confuse TURNITIN. This method is flawed as TURNITIN will recognise these and change them back to English and then check its database. Furthermore, it will then check the original copy with the non-English characters against its database. So it you use this, you're screwed.

Another method I heard was replacing spaces with white colored font characters to keep the word count down as well as masking copied material. TURNITIN checks for abnormal word lengths so if you use this you better believe you are screwed!

The other method I heard has the best possibility of working, only if the marker is honestly fucking stupid, is to place copied material in quotation marks.  In theory this works because it will recognise the material as a direct quote and therefore skip it. WRONG. TURNITIN will still check this. However, the person marking can turn this feature off but if there are large sections still in quotation marks they will be notified.

While researching this I found an interesting blog by a uni professor about this exact topic.  (http://blog.unemployedprofessors.com/how-to-beat-turnitin-com/). He goes onto say…

“Let me tell you a bit about what TURNITIN looks like from the inside, and why you can’t beat it. When I open TURNITIN, I see the names of all the students in my class. The filenames that they uploaded are next to their names, followed by an originality measure, and a bar that’s either green, yellow, or red. (DUDE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT TURNS RED? THAT’S SOME OMINIOUS STUFF). That’s TURNITIN matching the text that you submitted (forget about the macros – I’ve tried it myself – it does not work) with everything in its database.”

- Professor Rogue, 2012

Moreover he said that any copied text is shown to the marker when you are using TURNITIN because the program has the ability to breakdown a word document and idenitfy copied and pasted material. But even if you think, ‘oh if I delete a few words and replace them I can get around it.’ NOPE, you better believe TURNITIN will be onto your arse.

However, in saying all of this, I had to find a way around TURNITIN. So I fired up Tor and started surfing the deep web, browsing a lot of forums and found a few methods. Yes, they exist but they are so extravagant that it just makes me think that if you know how to reference properly writing your own material is honestly a lot easier.

so guys and gals, that’s how the Uni student warn you about getting caught by TURNITIN…

-Josh

The secret life of a student in a student group

Hey all you newbies,

if you are in your first year of uni, you probably don’t have any friends (boo hoo). You are lost with all the uni assignments and you try your very best to get great results. Well guess what, you need more than just your HDs to land yourself a job. You need to be build communication skills, be able to work in a team and organisation skills. If you are already good at it, well done, go pat yourself on the shoulder (i was being sarcastic) this post is for those who don’t have these skills, if you do stop reading (jks I still want you to read the post) 

I've been a part of student groups since I was in my first year, before which I was a loner, who spent most of my time playing Tetris in the computer labs and asking my friends to send me ‘energy’. It is key that when one looks around during O week to find student groups, they need to consider a variety of things such as the benefits that society offers such as food, stationary, candy, discounts, friends and even if there was that hot chick who was promoting a student society and you had no idea what she said but you ended up paying the $10 joining fee and later realise where the fuck did my money go? and since when do i have 50 unread emails from the dark arts society? who the hell joins that? jk I don’t judge.

I was with a friend during Mac-fest and he was mentioning that we should join this society called AIESEC. I always loved volunteering and helping the less fortunate ever since I was young; and I joined AIESEC thinking I had the opportunity to go to Africa, build a well and fulfil my lifelong dream of saving at least seven people. YES only seven. (I know right? WTF was I thinking?) (and yes, I was young and naïve, also did i mention i also wanted to be a Pope.. but that can be a story for another blog post! #PLEASEFOLLOW). However, instead of going on exchange, I was volunteering soooo much of my gawd damn time to send others overseas (don’t worry guys, I might go exchange someday #pleasesponsorme).

AIESEC’s vision is “Peace and fulfilment of humankind’s potential” like what the hell does that mean? They try to achieve this by creating responsible leaders? hahaha bitch please. nah but once you’re in it, you do see how it create leadership and all they links starts to tie up and its like you have an epiphany.  

 

Here’s some dancing for the LOLs. Yea they do a lot of that… it’s kind of awkward at first but you just get into it and just follow everyone because even though you probably look retarded, the person next to you looks more of a retard. So #Yolo

Most student groups you become part of it by paying a membership fee between $5 and $20. AIESEC was a different story altogether, it felt like I was applying for a job with the long application process which included a resume, online application, interview, group interview and finally, induction.

Long story short, if you join a student group such as AIESEC you get out of it as much as you put in. When I applied I was required a minimum of 8 hours a week however you end up putting way more than that is required as it doesn’t feel like a chore [and you score a few lifelong friends along the way]

-Tharinda