Managing Time: School, Work and Leisure

Everyday in our life we set aside a time and much of this is for studying and working either outside or at home doing some errands and house chores. After high school or college comes next is entering the professional career and that again is work and study but more in working. The question is where is the leisure part comes in? Some would say, "I have no time for fun", "I need to work harder"... But is it worthwhile?

Studying and working hard is very essential in building one's career or future economic stability. The benefits that one can reap from being diligent at what he does is vastly enormous. As Marlon Wayan says, "Success is not a destination, but the road that you're on. Being successful means that you're working hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it. That's living your dream." Even Vince Lombardi Jr. agreed too by saying,“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.” I could almost claim that because of my hard work I graduated from college, and after years of studying hard finally passed the qualifying exams. But how I did it, blows me away! What I discovered along my journey to success is the missing piece to my pie chart, first is Study, second is Work and lastly Leisure. Spending quality time with my family and friends and at church is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things. It refreshes one's mind, it creates a clearer thinking mindset and a wider perspective. In these times I've got to rest, pray, recharge and do my favorite hobbies and this is where my inspirations is built.

Working and studying hard can benefit us from achieving almost anything, but it doesn't guarantee success in a world's point of view. Because there are a lot of factor to consider in become "successful" n the world. These are just few but important factor such as wealth, connections, and a little bit of politics and successful communication or marketing oneself. The link between the gap of "working hard" and "success" is known as of what we called "Working Smarter". As the saying goes, "Time is gold" so better use time wisely and part of working smarter is Time management. Chapter 3, p. 85 of Managing Your Time from the book Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong, says, "Time Management is a highly prized skill in both the work force and the academic world. Learning to manage time effectively will help you meet your goals, be productive, and achieve success in many different avenues of your life. The following strategies will help you apply your time-management skills more effectively and consistently."

How to apply Time Management?
First, Be Flexible - Set a flexible daily task to accomplish each day. Even the littlest thing done is a great achievement. If a task is a long term process, patience is the key. Just keep on working on it.
Secondly, Post a note reminder - Post a note of things to do, in your work area and even right in front door of your fridge, this will remind you of your daily tasks and schedules to meet, knowing your schedules, maybe your family and friends could help in their little own way.
Third and lastly, Seek Solutions to Time-Management Problems. "Some would find that their lives have specific circumstances that make creating a weekly time-management schedule difficult. Be resourceful and seek solutions to your scheduling conflicts. Discuss your circumstances with your instructor or with other students; frequently they will be able to suggest solutions." Chapter 3 p.85, Managing your Time, Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong.

To summarize it, Learning Time-management helps one balanced their time for studying and working and for leisure. It is a skill that need to be practiced, and eventually mastering it will help one to  achieve the desired goal in a span of time or a specific amount of time. Everyone needs everyone, helping a friend, making time for family, and setting time for God and church, do charity works is using your time wisely. As would Ecclesiastes Chapter Three verse One would say,"To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:..."


Written by:
Christine Guerrero


 Marlon Wayan says, "Success is not a destination,...."; Vince Lombardi Jr.,“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. work is the key to success,...."
Chapter 3, p. 85 of Managing Your Time from the book Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong,

Multiple-Choice Exams: Myths, Misconceptions, and How to Conquer Them

Multiple-choice exams have existed for more than 70 years—so have the myths surrounding them. Still, many students believe such tests put them at a disadvantage. Thus, it would be worthwhile to dispel some of these myths, and then find out the best way to prepare for them.

Myth #1 “They measure only isolated facts, not what I really know.”

In truth, since a multiple-choice question can be answered usually within a minute, many questions can be asked in a given period of time. Thus, coverage of topics can be more comprehensive than other kinds of tests such as essay and short-answer.

Further, the more questions you have to answer, the less likely your overall performance will suffer if you encounter problems with a single topic.

By contrast, since essay and short-answer questions tend to be highly selective, your overall performance will suffer if you are unsure you
addressed the question correctly.

 Myth #2 “You just have to memorize.”

Actually, properly designed multiple-choice questions test your capacity to understand a body of complex and sophisticated information, and to reason and analyze using that understanding. In other words, multiple-choice questions demand the same sort of capacities as other kinds of tests such as essay and short-answer tests.

Granted, you must know terms and their definitions. Even more crucial, however, is gaining a thorough understanding of a subject’s particular discourse that will enable you to interpret and apply your understanding come test time.

Myth #3 “Your need to know the little tricks.”

We've heard this advice before: “When in doubt, choose the longest answer;” “Choose one of the ‘inner’ answers” (i.e. not the first or the last); “Eliminate distracters that contain extreme modifiers” (always, never etc.), and so forth. Multiple-choice tests, after all, contain “trick questions.”

In reality, multiple-choice questions are straightforward. What makes particular questions difficult has nothing to do with the multiple-choice format, but with the complexity of understanding needed to answer the question.

Myth #4 “You should stay with your first answers.”

Conventional wisdom suggests that if you change an answer, you are more likely to change to a wrong answer. Research suggests otherwise:

• Anywhere from 57% to 96% of students change their answers, with a median of 84%.
• The proportion of items changed is around 3%.
• Wrong to Right — 57.8%
• Right to Wrong — 20.2%
• Wrong to Wrong — 22.8%

A word of caution: The success of your answer depends on your reason for the change. While your judgment usually improves when you take time to reflect, it worsens when your mind fills with doubt or anxiety.

So, How Do I Prepare?

Toughen up.

Many students aren't tough enough with themselves about whether they really know and understand things. Instead, they passively browse and highlight text in the hope that information with stay vaguely in their minds.

Mastery, by contrast, demands self-questioning, searching for connections and relationships, making clear distinctions between terms, concepts, theories, and processes, and seeing how the details fit together to form “the big picture.”

Pair up.

Study pairs or groups work best when people who are roughly equal in their knowledge, diligence, and motivation use each other to consolidate their grasp of material they have already studied individually.

What doesn’t work: just hearing other people’s quick summaries of what they’ve read. What does work: asking pertinent questions and responding with fully elaborated explanations. Only then does the information become fixed in long-term memory.

Quiz yourself—ruthlessly.

Old exams, end-of-chapter questions, and study guides—all are useful for testing what you know and identifying areas you need to work on. Making up you own questions and answering them is also an excellent way to test your knowledge. After all, why wait for your professor’s study guide
when you can create one of your own?

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~lrngctrs/pdf/multiplechoiceexams.pdf

busy days

Been busy all this months, from personal reasons, family to work and stresses of academic pursuits. Through all of these, prayer is my saving grace and a comfort of cup of coffee and music along the journey. Being part of Order of St. Luke's, prayer is a vital part and much more is the Eucharist. Six to seven times a day is the biblical way of how should a christian pray. Or atleast three times. "Pray without ceasing".

Summer Is Coming

It means only one thing, It will be very hot. and since we're just 13º00 north  from the equator we are considered a tropical country. Some would say paradise, that be describing the country side, but definitely not the metro. And since we're in the metro expect that it will be really really hot that the temperature can raise up to 37 degree Celsius.

Here I have my own recipe just right enough for summer.

ICED CREAMY LATTE

You'll need:

Coffee Dripper (i bought mine from Saizen)

Coffee Filter  (it's in the same area where coffee drippers are, it also can be bought in some grocery stores but a lot more expensive than Saizen)

Coffee grounds (from starbucks to any local store bought coffee grounds)

Hot/boiling water for the pour over coffee

Condensed Milk as creamer and sweetener all in one

1/3 cup Fresh Milk and Lastly, ICE

Pour Over Coffee

1. Place the coffee dripper on top of a glass or a cup

2. Put the filter on the coffee dripper

3. Add 2 spoonful coffee grounds
   This is the measurement;:2 tbps. coffee grounds for every single serving

4. Pour over the boiling hot water on the coffee grounds. 1/4 cup of concentrated brewed coffee would be enough.

NEXT, 

5. With the freshly brewed coffee on the glass add on the condensed milk and STIR! (depends on your desired level of sweetness).

6. Add the small blocks of Ice, Top on the fresh Milk filling the glass.

7. ENJOY your cafe-quality Iced Creamy Latte!

L.A. Coffee of Kopiko

L.A. Coffee means Low Acid Coffee, and is a new product of Kopiko. 

As it says in the description, this coffee mix is ideal for people with medical conditions relating to the digestive system and and also for those who have high-stress jobs and are at risk to develop sensitive stomachs as well as those who simply want to enjoy good health.

I don't have sensitive stomach neither high-stress job, I'm just a coffee lover who was curious enough to bought some just to try the taste. I confess I'm a bit of a coffee snob, (just a little ^_^)

I have issues with stale coffees and not-so-good coffees.

Amazingly, I loved the L.A. taste! It's like a dessert coffee, sweet and mild, 

no pretensions, plain instant coffee. 

If I were to asked if i do recommend this, I DO!

For me, this is cheap alternative coffee fix just in case I run out of coffee beans in my coffee jar. 

Disclaimer: I am not paid in this article. Just an honest review based on my personal opinion.

Coffee Cups And Tea Cups Home Cafe

Setting up a cafe or coffee shop has been a dream to many coffee lovers and or coffee connoisseur like me. Since setting up a coffee business can be very expensive, why not set it at the comfort of your home. Practice makes perfect, right? One of the best place to practice and do the deed of brewing to perfection is at your home cafe, your place at your own time. 

Isn't that great? 

So let's start it, 

set-up your coffee tools,

 get the spatula, 

flour into the bowl, 

pat the dough and bake it,

pour over the coffee into the coffee cups, 

set the breakfast table

 serve the fresh lovely brewed coffee and tea 

and enjoy the chewy and moist delectable hot baked bread and cookies.

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.

Benjamin Franklin 

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

Jane Austen 

People who have good relationships at home are more effective in the marketplace.
Zig Ziglar 

Who knows maybe day we can have a chance of owning a coffee shops/cafes. But for now I treasure and enjoy my own home cafe.

“Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.”― Robin Hobb, Fool's Fate

Effective Study Habits Tips

I started my refresher course 4 years ago at my own time place at my own pace. Isn't one of the best deal? Since I've been out a bit long time now from my course of field since my marriage and my daughter came along, time and money would one of the issue to consider in leveling up your professional career. How to save time and money and still get that licensure exam or certification exam passed is tough and mind consuming. So here's some few tips I wanna share and is very effective to me, so here it is;



Study Tip # 1. If you a timeline/time table or schedule for your review time, PREPARE AHEAD.

How?
a.) Rest the day before your study time or rest before you study (If you prefer studying everyday). Play, read your favorite book, have your coffee time, get a body massage, watch your favorite tv series or listen to music (I prefer smooth jazz by this time), do your chores and errands and more. Remember not to tire yourself much.

b.) Prep up your emotion, psyche yourself (you may listen to a relaxing music or instrumentals, read your bible and don't forget to pray. Remember to get a good night sleep. Or to those who study everyday just make sure have a rest in between errands/chores before studying.

note: These are just small things you do to yourself with little or no effort at all. So just relax.



Study Tip #2  LISTEN TO CLASSICAL MUSIC AND BREW SOME COFFEE.
The moment I wake up  I tuned into Mozart online radio, brew my own coffee (from beans to cup), bite some biscuits, and face my books. Let Mozart and coffee take effect and you'll see everything will follow. Not realizing you already read almost a hundred pages for just a hour or two. Don't worry or be surprised if you keep that mode until the end of the day or be possible a week, it's the Mozart and caffeine effect.

note: Don't be too harsh on yourself, get some sleep and food. Rest a day or two before going to another study session with Mozart. It's a normal thing if your brain wouldn't process more information that's to keep the information you had and process it in your long term memory. Rest is a good thing.



Study Tip #3. GRAB YOUR TEXTBOOKS. 
We all know that time is precious, we are on constant move in this fast-paced generation. Review books are a great deal for us who wants to learned the condensed or just the most important information in a short period of time. But the question is, are we really learning or understanding the concept? Or it's just another way of memorizing the material with little to no understanding. I've learned that from 3 to 4 years of experience. I started in a review/concise books and ended up a lot of questions of how's and why's and wasting time. 
So what should I do? 

Go get your textbooks and reread and relearn it again. It may be bulky, so what? there's what we called E-book nowadays, so no excuses to that...sorry! But these contains the whole story of how and why It began and why you should study the material.

note: Don't get me wrong, I really love review/concise books. I used these books to reaffirm, remind, organize and highlight the important information in my brain, but that does mean the "less important" stuff that aren't included in the condensed notes are not important, it's the "less important" in addition to the "most important" knowledge that makes the whole story understandable.



Study Tip #4. FAMILIARIZED YOURSELF WITH THE LEARNED MATERIAL.
Now this where the Review Books, Concised Notes, Q and A Books, Flash Cards and notebooks comes in. After learning the textbooks, time to brush up what you've learned. Bring your pocket notes or flashcards wherever you are and reread and reread. Practice answering the some questionnaires everyday. This is very important, and I'll be discussing this topic in another blog post. That's it and we're almost done.



Lastly, 

Study Tip #5. NEVER STOP LEARNING, whether it be learning a new skills, watching informative or historical documentaries, reading an article or writing a blog can make the brain active and healthy.