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Waves of Thoughts


Yes, everyone hates exams and dealing with exam stress. Especially when this is increased because you have to revise in a very short amount of time all you have been procrastinating throughout the year. In order to help you avoid existential crises and unwanted stress, I have some simple tips that I hope will motivate you and make your life easier: 

Start as soon as possible
There is no time to waste and the soon you start, the better. The hardest part is getting into a good routine but once you find a good rhythm, it will be a lot easier. Make slow changes: for instance, I have gradually both started waking up earlier and getting back into studying after spring break.

Make a timetable
Print a calendar, use your phone or make a dedicated spread in your bullet journal to plan out your study sessions. Leave some days blank because things usually take up more time than expected and this way, you will be able to catch up.

Find a place to focus
Honestly, when I stay in my room, and even if I am mentally prepared to study, I simply get distracted by every little thing and end up doing nothing. I have found that going to my university's library is ideal for me because there I can actually focus. So my advice is to find a place where you feel comfortable and constantly in the mood to work. Do you work better in calmer environments? Or do you prefer busier places such as cafés? Would you rather have a study buddy or work by yourself? These are all important things to consider.

Use multiple resources
Take advantage of the era you live in. Use textbooks, notes you have made, e-books, journals, sample exercises, search online for more resources,... I usually finalize topics by watching youtube videos: they are more appealing and therefore easier to memorize as well as a means of less harsh studying.

Sleep well
Are you a night or a morning person? Regardless, you should try to have a good night of sleep. While you are resting, your brain is reactivating and reorganizing all you have learned during the day. In fact, if you don't rest properly, you will have impaired abilities to concentrate and memorize.

Nourish your body
Don't forget to EAT and drink WATER. I cannot stress this enough: you might think you are doing yourself a favor by creating more time to study but in reality, you are compromising your productivity. Your brain needs to be fueled in order to have the energy to process and memorize all the information you are bombarding at it!

Prioritize
Not only prioritize what modules and topics you need to focus more on, but also what you do besides studying. The important thing to remember is to have a balance. However, you need to be aware that there are certain things that can wait until your exams are over. Do take some time to yourself but keep in mind your objectives. For instance, after a long day of studying, I end the night with a episode of Doctor House (such a great show!) in order to reward myself.

Reinforce what you don't know
It does feel amazing and rewarding when you are studying and realize you understand a concept or are capable of correctly applying a formula. However, you should also and specially put the effort into understanding what you have difficulties with. Struggling is all part of the process and with practice and dedication you will eventually manage to get through it.


As I see my exam dates approaching I start getting so nervous since I think I won't have enough time to learn all I need to know. So, if you're dealing with exam stress, you're soooo not alone. I hope you found at least one of these tips helpful and remember:

Try your best and don't be too harsh on yourself

Good luck with your exams,
Irene xx



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Hey friends!

I was planning on doing a post on a university related topic. However, this week's publishing day coincided with Earth's Day (22-04-2018). Therefore, and in honor of our planet, I have decided to both inform you a little bit about this year's campaign 'End plastic pollution' as well as share some tips on simple ways you can contribute to helping our planet without trying too hard.


The campaign:

This year's campaign is meant to both raise awareness of the risks involved with plastic use as well as promote alternatives.
Marine life, for instance, is tremendously impacted with '4.8 million to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic waste enter[ing] the ocean in a single year'1. Two-thirds of sharks, over a quarter of baleen whales and half of rays are listed as endangered species2, corals increase their chance of getting diseases from 4% to 89%1 and turtles get entangled and eventually die3, all due to ingestion and contact with contamination, result of our irresponsibility. Moreover, plastic waste also impacts the food chain and our overall health due to its toxic effects, which might lead to cancer and other illnesses. 
Earth Day is therefore a reminder that we as individuals make a difference and the website provides guides and all the information necessary for us to learn, act and engage in order to have a conscious journey.


Tips:

  • Always keep a tote bag in your backpack/bag/purse. If you forgot to take one with you, don't just buy the cheapest plastic bags you can find. Reusable ones not only won't fall apart the second time you use them but also mean less plastic being used
  • Control the food you eat and minimize eating out, especially take-aways: you'd be surprise with how much restaurants waste
  • Limit your emission of green gases by limiting your meat consumption 
  • Don't be lazy: if it is close, walk
  • Buy a reusable coffee mug and water bottle
  • Predominantly go digital: for instance, save plane tickets on your phone instead of printing them 
  • If possible, shop in zero waste markets 
  • Buy in bulk: the larger the packaging, the better value and less waste, especially when you frequently buy the same product 
  • Buy products with packagings that contain the least plastic such as cans or glass containers
  • Fruits and vegetables do not need to be put into transparent plastic bags 
  • Don't use paper towels to dry hands or clean: use cloth ones

Remember that there are alternatives for every plastic utensil and that every individual change does matter! If you're interested in signing up to the campaign or simply want to know more about it, click here. 


I know this post was very different from what I usually do but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and at least learned something!
See you next week,
Irene xx


Data was collected from:
1 Lamb, J. B. et al. (2018), Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reeds, Science, 359(6374), 460-462
2 Germanov, E. S., Marshall, A. D., Bejder, L., Fossi, M. C., & Loneragan, N. R. (2018). Microplastics: No small problem for filter-feeding megafauna, Trends in ecology & evolution, 33(4), 227-232
3 Vélez-Rubio, G. M., Teryda, N., Asaroff, P. E., Estrades, A., Rodriguez, D., & Tomás, J. (2018). Differential impact on marine debris ingestion during ontogenetic dietary shift of green turtles in Uruguayan waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 127, 603-611


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Things usually don't go as planned. My trip to London was one of them. Me and my friend Ana had been preparing and organizing every single detail, from accommodation to attractions and even journeys for the longest time. In fact, we even came up with the most thorough schedule you can imagine. Nevertheless, I am grateful things didn't go as expected because it lead us to discover incredible places and do things that we were not even counting with.


April 4th

After saying goodbye to my family and crying a little, my friend's parents drove us to the airport. We were going to fly with Ryan Air which, of course, had to be on strike that day. However, things were not as terrible as we were anticipating and our plane was only delayed by one hour and a half. We arrived at Stansted Airport and ate a burger while awaiting transportation. We first managed to see London's beauty at around 10pm. We stayed in an hostel in a beautiful street in Victoria, which, needless to say, is a great central area; we even managed to find a few Portuguese people there!


April 5th

  • Buckingham Palace
A quick trip to the impressive Royal Residence.




  •  Green Park and Hard Rock Cafe
Admiring gates, memorials and fountains, followed by the iconic café.




  • Hyde Park
Undoubtedly, one of my favourite parts of the trip. Honestly, I had never imagined that a lake could be that blue. I was also astonished by the amount of ducks, swans, squirrels and other animals (still wishing I had seen a fox though!). The overall park's beauty was indescribable. The weather was so nice (so sunny and warm) that we stayed a long time there contemplating every detail. We also managed to find a gorgeous cherry blossom tree.





  • Mayfair's comercial area: lunch, souvenirs and more shopping
    • Oxford Street: In the busiest shopping street in Europe, you are able to find everything you might be looking for. Moreover, stores are absolutely insane, with four or five floors and window displays as incredible.
    • New Bond Street: The fanciest and most expensive stores. Victoria's Secret, for instance, in addition to 5 floors, also contains a 'museum' as it displays dresses worn in shows. Everything is so nicely decorated with mirrors and dark spaces and the staircase, oh the staircase (it is made of glass). Even if you're not planning on buying anything, I totally recommend having a look at the decoration!


  • Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square
    • M&M's World: a very customizable and tempting space where you can select your favourite types and colours of candy and mix and match them!

    • Chinatown, which we completely found by chance was also beautiful. One thing I actually noticed in London is the fact that when changing areas, you totally feel like you are in a completely different country.




  • Charing Cross Road
Foyles is, not surprisingly, as impressive. There are so so so so many different areas with different genres that you will find any book you might be after. There is also a café in the last floor.


  • Tottenham Court Road Station
Our first time using the tube! We were so tired we decided to go back to our hostel and rest for a while.

  • Walk by the river
We saw Tate Britain (a plan for next time, for sure), Victoria Tower Gardens (it was such a relaxing space, I adored it), Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster and of course, the Big Ben (which is being restored). 





  • Dinner
By the time we got to our final destination, the sun was setting so we decided to have dinner at Tortilla, in Trafalgar Square. We also made a quick visit to Waterstones, where we bought some very affordable books.


  • Nocturnal sightseeing
We crossed Hungerford and Golden Jubilee bridges, stopped to watch a magician's show, and took pictures around London Eye. We were way too tired (I mean, we had walked 30km that day), so we took the tube again, arrived at the hostel and slept like logs.




April 6th

  • Change of Guards
Buckingham Palace, again, yes. The change of guards involves horse parade, followed by a band playing, which are all pretty amusing. However, if you don't arrive early, you won't be able to see much. My advice is to get a place either in front of the main entrance (if you want to see the final change) or next to it (if you want to see what is happening inside the palace's gates).


  • Starbucks break near St James Park Station
They managed to write my name correctly this time (maybe due to asking me to spell it...........).

  • Lunch
At Bagels Factory in Hays Gallery, I was served with the best bagel I have ever eaten. If you're vegetarian you should definitely try the 'Halloumous' one, it is to die for!

  • Tower Bridge and Tower of London
Tower Bridge was my other favourite spot. The weather that day was also incredible: I even managed to be able to wear a dress! But honestly, that area is just too lovely; there is also a park next to it where you can relax and enjoy the view.




  • More shopping!
Victoria's Secret again (I think you might be able to tell my excitement by now). Smoothie break at McDonalds. Some more shopping and sightseeing around that area.


  • Departure
We came back to the hostel to pick up our luggage, headed to the coach station and so our journey to Colchester, where I am living now, began. Overall, we walked 15 km that day.


Final Thoughts:

London is mainly consisted of two extremes: the fanciest and the trashiest. 
Don't assume people around you don't understand you. You might find someone who speaks your language when you least expect it. It's better to try and avoid awkward situations (talking by experience.....).
Even if you're taking the tube everywhere, you still have to walk sooooo much.
The city seems 'dead', with no nature at first; but it compensates with enormous parks, gardens and lakes.


I really had a great time in London, and this very short visit only made me more eager to explore more of this city's mysteries and views.

I hope you enjoyed this type of post because I would love to make more travel related content.
See you next week,
Irene xx


* Some of the previous pictures were taken by my friend Ana

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About me


Hi! My name is Irene and I am a Portuguese 20 year-old who is currently living her dream of living and studying in the UK

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