How to Revise for Exams!

OK people, it's that time of year again ... Exam season. Everyone I know from people in their final year in their degree (5th years for medics/law students) right down to my year 6-ers at work taking their SATs is stressed out. But we need to chill, and take some advice from someone who may or may not have revised for their GCSEs and A-Levels (not). However, this someone has friends and co-workers and teachers and everyone in between that CAN revise, and may I say, are pretty darn good at it. So I've taken an interest, mainly for you lovely people, and devised some of my favourite revision coping mechanisms.

1. Start Early. This may be coming a tad late for some of you, but it's never too early to start revising. Even just a little bit. Just to get yourself used to it and come on, we all know it's better than leaving it till the final 24 hours and then trying to cram it all in at once

2. Preparation is key. This comes from something I've learnt while at university. Revision is SO much easier if you attend all the lectures, do all of the seminar prep and the required reading. This is something that I have failed miserably at. I am currently up to my January reading for Contract Law. And I have to say, revising the topics that I did do the reading for is way easier. Same goes for seminars, this is especially with my Property module. It kind of comes back to you if you've done it before. So, take note for next year (sorry).

3. Make revision timetables and checklists. Splitting your modules up topic by topic into a list that you can tick off when you've done makes it so much more satisfying. This way you can see how far you've come, and how much you have left. Timetables are also a good idea for those A-level students out there. Make sure you don't revise one topic all at once though ... which leads me on to my next point.

4. Delegate your revision. Do not, I repeat do NOT revise one topic per day. This won't work. Even worse is those who try to revise all of their maths course, then their English, then their Spanish, just no. It's been scientifically proven that after 20-30 minutes of the same content, the brain retains less info. So it's such a good idea to set your timer. Spread out your revision into your separate categories. And do short, 15 minute bouts of revision. This has been so good for me.

5. Colour code. I know, I know. It's my favourite thing to tell people. But if everything has a different colour, then it's easier to pick up where you left off in each topic, and nothing gets too mixed up.

6. Find a quiet space. (Preferably not your bed - why are naps SO much more appealing when revising?!) This is key. This can be anywhere. The library, your desk at home, your garden as it's getting nicer outside, even your grandparent's house. My music teacher is kind enough to let me go there to revise sometimes if there's too many people at home.

7. Do not waste your day. Get up and get to it! Waking up early and having a good breakfast, even going for a jog, will free your mind and make you more inclined to retain information when studying. As the evening gets closer, there are more distractions around, people are coming back from work, the pub is more inviting and Game of Thrones is way more appealing than Jeremy Kyle.

8. Condense your notes - then condense some more. This is something that I feel really works for debates or aural exams. If you have pages and pages of notes from lectures, seminars, workshops, readings, you're just not going to learn them all. But if you have say, less than 1 or 2 pages per topic or only flash cards for debates, it's going to be worthwhile.

9. Record your notes. This is AMAZING. Future lawyers and medics (or anyone really) take note. Recording your notes onto your iPhone for example is such an efficient way of revising if your life is insanely busy. Take me for example, I am a law student who has a 45 minute drive to and from uni. I work part time 20 minutes away from where I live and I also like to go to the gym 3+ times a week. Recording my notes means that I can listen to them when I'm driving, when I'm doing my make up and even when I'm on the treadmill. Erm HELLO shortcut!

10. Reward yourself. This may come as a shock to some of you (not). But I find the best way to motivate myself is to reward myself with ... wait for it ... SHOES of course. I have in mind the pair of shoes I want, and I'm not allowed to buy them unless I feel confident in one of my modules. The more I revise, the more confident I'll be and the more likely I'll be able to get the shoes. If you have a sweet tooth a great way to get your required reading done is to strategically place sweets in your book too.

11. Flash cards. This is a bonus tip for you all. Up until this very point of me writing this blogpost, I always copied out chapter summaries to revise. But today, (Yes TODAY - Tuesday 12th May) I discovered the power of the flash cards. I have a multiple choice exam on Thursday and I can't tell you how much these flash cards are helping me out. There like a gift from the gods, (more like a gift from my little Italian beauty of a friend at uni). But honestly, I have never learnt so much in a single night. I can't believe I've got up until this point without using them. They may not be for everybody, but there's no harm in trying!

There you have it! My favourite tips on how to be a revision master! There are other tips out there like placing post-it notes around the house, and using friends and family members to test your skills. However, I find these tips are the most unique and I guess that it depends on what kind of learner you are to know if they're the most successful. But I for one will be using these strategies for my upcoming exams and I hope they do you some good too! If you have any more tips, please leave them in the comments below. I'll talk to you next time and good luck!
CJ x

PARIS Travel Diary - Day ONE

Day one started out EXTREMELY early in the morning with a 7am flight which meant I was up at ... wait for it ... 4:30 am (*cry*) but it meant I had landed by 9am which was so good. I found the flight so easy and quick, I read two chapters of my book and we were there. We also met a lovely woman on the plane whose husband was running in the Paris marathon!
Navigating our way through Charles de Gualle wasn't as bad as we thought, we managed to get down to the train station, hop on the RER B train and then even transfer onto the metro before arriving at our hotel to drop off the bags.

Once we had arrived, the first place we headed to was the Arc de Triomphe. Being the first Parisian landmark I had ever seen in real life, it took my breath away. The intricate design and details were just incredible and it was so cool to stand in the middle of the island seeing all of the avenues radiating outwards from it.

From there, we took to the Champs Elysee, (where else?!) Where my first stop was, of course, Laduree. Before this trip, I had never tasted macaroons being determined that my first ones would be from Laduree in Paris. I got vanilla, lemon, raspberry and chocolate and oh my god, they were amazing. We then walked past large high street shops like Zara, H &M, a 5 floor Jimmy Choo and even a Renault garage with a slide in it before heading for some Moules Frites. Obviously making a stop in Sephora along the way.

After this, we walked futher along the Champs Elysee to see it spread out into gardens a little more with some pretty magnificent buildings to look at along the way (I feel like they're palaces of some sort, and I also think fashion week is held in one of them but correct me if I'm wrong). Then we took to the Place de la Concorde to see Cleopatra's Needle before heading back to the hotel for a nap (Ben was tired). So we actually didn't complete my plan of walking along the Jardin de Tuilleries and seeing the Louvre in front of us. But to be fair it was a LONG way and we'd been up since 4am.

 At night time we had the idea to take the metro down to the Galleries Lafayette for a bit of last minute shopping but it was just closing as we got there so we didn't get a chance to go in argh! But we did see the beautiful opera house lit up at dusk, that was pretty amazing. And then we walked down to the Musee de Louvre to see that lit up at night too. In all honesty, if you don't have the intention to go inside the Louvre, I think the best time to see it is at night because it is stunning! And there are barely any people there so that's a bonus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, day one in Paris was pretty amazing. I love the view of the Eiffel Tower from outside our hotel - it was so comforting. I definitely got to experience the true Parisian culture I think (or at least the true tourist Parisian culture - haha) But it was really great, we just walked around and looked at everything mostly, Paris is one of those cities where no matter, how much time you spend there, you'll never be able to explore it all - and definitely not in 3 days!
See you in my next one!
CJ x


If you liked this travel diary, you should definitely check out my two previous trips that I've blogged!

London Travel Diary

Prague Travel Diary

Spring Fashion Wishlist

Hello everybody,
With Spring fast approaching, I couldn't think of a more appropriate blogpost than what's on my Spring fashion wishlist!
Not all products on here are what you can wear exclusively in Spring, some of them are summer pieces and others are transitional. I might add though, there's no real theme here, there's a huge variety in items, colours, textures, you name it.

Zara Ladylike Backpack £39.99

River Island Jacquard Flippy Skirt (Found on asos) £28

Asos Eagle Stone Rings £15

Topshop Longline Kimono £38

Vans Grey Slip on Trainers (found on asos) £55

Topshop Pale Pink Court Shoes £55

Urban Outfitters Dress £42

Urban Outfitters Gold Layering Necklace £18

AX Paris Crochet Crop Top £22

AX Paris Check Monochrome Playsuit £25

New Look Grey Tote Bag £29.99

Office Cut Out Shoes £60

I know it's a lot and a huge variety but it's a new season so it's alright ok?! No, but seriously, I know I can't justify everything, yet that doesn't mean I won't give it a go!
Let me know if you want to see more fashion related posts on the blog, I already have this wishlist down on my phone and it constantly has at least 20 things on it, I just want all the things. Sigh. It's nearly Spring though! Happy Sunday
CJ x 
 

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 3

This week's theme: 5 a day
Hello there! I am pleased to announce that last week's targets were achieved! I consumed at least 2 litres of water a day (even more if you count my twice daily green tea and once daily mango juice). Now, I've not been one for drinking loads of water, I don't know why, but I just can't do it. I've tried carrying a bottle round all day with me, but that only seems to get me through one, maybe two 500ml bottles a day. Want to know my secret? Increase the bottle size. Yep, it's that simple. I bought a 75cl bottle. I fill it up with filtered water before bed, and I'll have that one gone before I go to uni. I'll consume another 75cl during my day at uni, and another in the evening. If you struggle with drinking enough water, you definitely need to try this!
Furthermore, I went to the gym ... wait for it ... 3 times this week! And I knocked 30 seconds off the time it took me to run the first mile in my 5k last week and 45 seconds off overall! I also took 25 seconds off my 5k on the bikes too!
I have also been trying to get at least 5 pieces of fruit and veg in a day. I've done this by having peanut butter and banana on wholemeal toast for breakfast, taking an apple and grapes to university with me, and having at least 2 vegetables with my tea, I'm trying to mix it up a bit more though! Healthy eating this week has been OK, but I need to do a food shop so there was an incident with a fish finger sandwich (I know it sounds horrible and I wouldn't normally eat it if we actually had food in).
However, there have been incidents with starbucks this week (sorry, not sorry), but they do have to stop. I need to give up coffee for good because I've realised it's just not worth it. But I haven't had a single glass of Dr Pepper in 3 weeks now! So happy that I've managed to stay away from fizzy drinks all together because those were my downfalls. OK, OK, so there was a slight situation on Saturday with a cherry Dr Pepper, but it's because I was in Manchester! That's one fizzy drink in 3 weeks, don't judge me!
As for next week's targets, I'm going to continue walking between campuses and I'm going to go to the gym 3 times next week hopefully. I have a kettlebells class on Monday so I'll report back on how that goes! Hopefully I'll be doing at least 1 class a week from now on too. Also, I'm going to try and cut carbs .. this will be a massive challenge for me as I am a carb fiend. But hopefully with my app called My Fitness Pal, I'll be able to keep track of the amount of carbs and sugars I'm eating.
Wish me luck!
CJ x



Missed Week 1 and 2 no problem? Links here. Week 1 and Week 2.

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 1

Hi everyone,
I don't know about you lot, but I have been seriously lacking in the fitness front lately. I don't know what it is, I just haven't had the energy or the determination to keep fit. It isn't just the gym, but my diet too. I either eat nothing or I eat crap. And I've decided it's time for a change, for good. I can't go on gaining weight and dropping it, eating and not eating.
Therefore, I've decided to start a new series called The Fitness Diaries. I'm unsure whether it'll be weekly or fortnightly but I thought if I have the blog to consider, then I'm more likely to stick to my goals. Every blogpost will have a theme and this week it's Getting Back into the Swing of Things. Original, I know, but sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and start again from square 1. No gimmicks, no 30 day challenges, no fad diets, just gradually building up the change.
So, my goal for this week is to find my pedometer first of all, and then walk 10000 steps a day and go to the gym twice this week. This won't seem like a lot to most of you, and it doesn't even seem like a lot to me, but I'm starting small and building it up. I know if I go back to the gym 5 times a week guns ablazing I'm going to burn out pretty fast.
I also know that it's not a realistic goal to have a set amount of times to go to the gym. I'm going to be pretty busy with university deadlines over the next month so they come first over the gym, but getting the parking space furthest away and walking won't hurt, neither will going for a 30 minute walk when I get home. After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
I'll keep you posted,
CJ x

2015s Top Travel Destinations

OK people. Leave London, Paris and New York aside. You can visit those at any point in your life. Here are my 20 most sought after destinations of 2015. These are not only the locations that I personally want to go to, but some of these destinations are getting much hype in the up and coming months. Book tickets while you can, I expect everybody will be on the bandwagon by next year! And seeing as this is the busiest two weeks of the year to book a trip, you might need some last minute inspo. Let's begin ...

Europe

Berlin, Germany There's something about Berlin, a newly reunited city that was once split in two, it has risen out of the ashes o WWII and completely reinvented itself. The street style in Berlin is truly edgy and cool, much in the way of khaki and leather, what's not to love? Museum Island is not to be missed, and all of the history surrounding Berlin is truly unique. It also happens to be one of the best cities in Europe for nightlife and drinking, this year being the 65th anniversary of Oktoberfest in Berlin, beer anybody?

 

 

 

 
Stockholm, Sweden I absolutely love the idea of Stockholm. Scandinavian chic all the way. It's a city which consists of loads of tiny islands and some seriously cool people. If you're looking for some Viking-esque history and incredibly beautiful people, Stockholm is the place to be. Not to mention that I hear it has some of the best undiscovered food in Europe and tonnes of great shopping.

 

Prague, Czech Republic This is the one place on my list that I have actually been too and I can vouch that in summer or in winter, Prague is like a picturesque Eastern European fairytale. It was one of the cities that was left relatively unscathed by WWII (talking about architecture only) but it has been left with some scars over the past century or so. Only rising out of communism 25 years ago, this city is incredible. The castle is over 1000 years old and there is surprising beauty around every corner (as well as the biggest nightclub in Europe!) Check out my Prague blog here.

 

Milan, Italy This year Milan is the host of the expo 2015. There will be fairgrounds, special exhibitions and FOOD. There will be tons of new, tasty food to try out. What more could you ask for? Milan is spectacular all year round, it's Italy's capital of style. Take in the Gothic architecture and of course, all the works of art there!

Bath, UK Although Britain has many beautiful cities and more history than it knows what to do with, I'm not really sure that any city can compete with Bath. It has one of the world's most well looked after Roman bathhouses and loads of stunning Georgian architecture. Plus the cobbled streets are littered with many cute coffee shops for you to sit back and people watch in.
 

 

Norway. Do you wanna build a snowman?! You guessed it! Frozen is based in Norway, and everyone loves Frozen, right? But in all seriousness, Norway is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. All right, it's not particularly warm, but it has spectacular views that you can only dream of. Breathtaking fjords, fantastic hikes and the Northern Lights if you're lucky! Oslo is also one of the most chilled-out capitals and everyone is so friendly.

 

Malta. A Mediterranean paradise island. The capital of Valletta has over 500 years of history into such a small space! The streets of Valletta pack in cathedrals, palaces and wonderful views of the harbour. This place has the best parts of a city break and a summer holiday all in one!

 


Croatia This one is for all of my Game of Thrones fans out there (including me). Croatia is seriously stunning, if you fancy kicking it back in King's Landing, head on over to Dubrovnik to make your fantasies of the show come true. Croatia is the new Greece in sense that it's 'another day, another island'. I love the idea that it's towns are all walled-in and alleyways have hundreds of stone steps, not to mention the iridescent blue of the Adriatic sea. I'll be seeing you soon, Croatia!
 

Other Adriatic Locations Although beautiful, Croatia has become insanely expensive this year compared to recent years Joining the EU really helped them out as they have caught on that they are a top holiday destination now. BUT if you fancy Adriatic beauty without the ridiculous pricetag, head on over to the neighbouring countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro. Both stunning, both quiet, both are not to be missed. Bet you didn't know how beautiful they were, right?

 

North America

Toronto, Canada Everyone goes to New York, but not everyone experiences Toronto, now THE most multiculturally diverse city in the world. Yes, you read that right, Toronto. It has a skyline to envy all major cities and neighbourhoods with residents from all over the globe. Here you'll experience more cultures, foods, flowers, shopping than ever before. Plus, Niagra Falls is only a day trip away if you fancy some natural beauty.

 

Washington D.C, USA The capital of the United States is set to be a huge tourist destination over the upcoming years. With more monuments and memorials than people (not really, but you know what I mean), there's always something to discover in DC. Check out the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a Mall like you've never experienced before. Plus loads of great legendary home-grown eateries and used book stores to lose yourself in.

 

New Orleans, USA New Orleans is a place which has forever been a dream of mine. There's something about the infusion of the Deep South, France, Britain and Jazz that has attracted me (and the seafood). Embrace the cultures, take a stroll along the river and enjoy the sunshine.

 

Cuba. Cuba is making history at the moment, and what comes soon after that? Tourists. Reduced travel restrictions make it easier than ever to visit this beautiful, colourful Caribbean location. Spend time wandering the streets of Havana, or chill out on the beach. Cuba has it all. Not to mention that it's the 500th anniversary of Santiago de Cuba, which means a week long carnival in July!
 

South America

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil I'm just going to say it, you are never going to catch this city at a better time than the next two years. Directly in between hosting the World Cup and the Olympic Games, Rio has had some serious impact on the globe. From it's glorious mountains to it's controversial beaches, it really is a city of understated beauty. This city was made to be explored.
 

Asia

Vietnam Fancy Thailand this year? Try Vietnam instead, equally exotic and extraordinary just without as many tourists (and ladyboys). Vietnam has some breath taking natural beauty in its mountains, beaches, forests and rivers. The river cruises are apparently unmissable. And Thai food should envy Vietnamese food, it's that good.

 

Oman No, I'm serious. I've heard so much speculation about Oman becoming a top destination in the near future and my advice is get there and experience it the way it is while you can. Although Abu Dhabi and Dubai are amazing and unmissable, they don't really represent the true Arabian country anymore as it seems the cities are fuelled by wealth, and if I do say so, greed. Whereas Oman is still as it always was as lonely planet says 'Oman is the perfect destination for those seeking out the modern face of Arabia while still wanting to sense its ancient soul'.

 

Singapore One of the world's smallest countries, with one of the world's best airports. Singapore is seen as a gateway to the east for many European travellers. It merges the best of the Asian and Western cultures into one incredible city/country. Singapore zoo has been picked as one of the world's best and the botanical gardens and the nature reserve are a great way of escaping the buzz of the city.

 

Indonesia Indonesia has thousands of islands, hundreds of languages spoken and the most incredible scenery all in one county. With beaches and volcanoes to visit, Indonesia certainly isn't short of things to do or places to go. Plus Bali is a hugely sought after destination right now, experience it while you can.

Australasia

New Zealand Now that the Hobbit trilogy is officially over (I'm all right, I swear), there has never been a better time to visit New Zealand. It's a country where both English and Australian natives can find themselves at home, although in unfamiliar territory. One of my cousins went to New Zealand 10 years ago and never looked back. Why would he? With such breath taking scenery and welcoming people, I can see why New Zealand is well loved.

 

Africa

Gambia Once again, I'm serious. Despite The Gambia being Africa's smallest country, it is most certainly making an impact on the tourism market. 5* resorts on gorgeous Atlantic beaches are emerging amongst the wildlife life parks out there. It appears to be the perfect way to ease yourself into the African culture, and heat. The markets and nature are out of this world.

 

 

 

 

So there are my top 20 destinations of 2015. Yes, they are a little different and off the beaten track, but, I can bet that these will be the places that everyone will be raving about in a few years. Croatia might be the next Santorini, Singapore the next Bangkok ... you never know. If you have been to any of these places let me know if you enjoyed them in the comments, or even if you're going this year. I'd love to know about everyone's adventures.

Happy travelling

CJ x

 

 

 

Disclaimer: none of these pictures are my own. I wish they were though.