1) Contrary to popular belief, the best place to study is still hands down, the library.
Not Starbucks, NY Bagels or Dante where you can’t help but people-watch, but your good ol’ library where the AC keeps chugging along, and everybody’s a good influence.
2) When all else fails, use earplugs — the foamy 3M ones are the best.
3) You inevitably gain weight by studying. Check out #1 — another reason to stay away from Starbucks and the 24-hour McDonalds Cafe a few minutes walk away.
4) Talking about cake, my favorite cake is apple pie. Check out McDonald Cafe’s (NT$60) that’s surprisingly delish especially when heated:
There’s also a bakery near my house that serves a mean cheese wafer cake (NT$50). I think I’ve gorged on a couple of cakes this week:
Here’s another one I ate this week:
They don’t call it comfort food for nothing. Too bad their coffee sucks.
4) 36 Fa Liu brand coffee keeps me awake. Ironically, Red Bull puts you to sleep. When sleepy, a 15-minute nap is a better solution than trying to memorize statistical concepts. It’s just a losing battle so why fight it?
6) However, sleeping, though necessary, is still unproductive. There’s no way you can study via osmosis.
This will not make you pass.
7) Studying is a lonely activity. It’s NOT a social event. For best results, study alone.
What’s more, it’s an active act. Staring at your books is not studying. It’s called, “wasting time.”
8) Process: Read. Highlight. Memorize. Write notes. Read important points in notebook and highlight important points. Repeat.
9) Practice exams: do them now!
They’re not perfect, but they can help. Time yourself and stick strictly to the time limit. The more you practice, the more you learn.
10) Working and studying just don’t mix. After work, you’re too tired to even try. Time can also fly when you’re in the zone. Allocate and schedule enough time to study. Coming up with a plan helps.
BONUS: If all else fails, pray hard and don’t kick yourself too hard. Just do your best. If you don’t make it, you can always take it again… success comes only to those who persevere.
