Don’t let the title mislead you. Victorians are ALL Outstanding, Outperforming and Out Having Fun
This is a series of blog posts by Subjectif to encapsulate what makes a Victorian.
In this second edition, we’re here to dole out some tips on how to make full use of your June holidays to avoid sacrificing our grades when it comes to CT2s or Midyears. Outperforming indeed!
First off, a word of encouragement to the seniors who’ll be facing that daunting challenges of CT2s/Prelims/A levels in quick succession in the next term. We’ve come so far, so don’t let this last chance slip by. Work hard and have no regrets.
To the juniors, Midyears are just the first in a series of tests and exams you’ll face, but don’t be fooled by the ‘deflated’ grades that your seniors might have gotten in their J1 year, only to return with beaming smiles and straight As. Fight on, and you will be rewarded. Nothing without labour.

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Now on to some study tips I’d like to share:
1. Get ORGANISED.
You can’t study when your study table looks more like a dumpster/warzone than well, the table. No, seriously, if you can’t tell what the original colour of your table is, it means you have some decent clearing up to do. But what to do with that half-done tutorial you never got round to finishing? Or that stack of readings you were supposed to complete? Oh… So that’s where all the CT compilation books were!
If your revelation sounds anything like mine, I suggest that you take about 30 minutes to just GET ORGANISED. Put papers you no longer need into a recycling pile; stray stationery back into their place; paperclip or staple loose leafs. I like to put all the stuff I’ve got into little organised piles on the floor by subject, so nothing gets lost and I can find stuff easily for revision.
2. Get YOUR GAME PLAN.

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Find out which topics are tested for your exams (most teachers would have emailed you a list, along with your exam time and venues).
You might want to do a To Do list, or a weekly schedule. A calendar will definitely come in handy at this point, and be sure to block out any dates you’ve already planned for stuff you’ve signed up for like interview workshops, career talks, meeting friends or tuition. Don’t forget some ‘me’ time as well. I like to keep my weekends free for that.
When you’re done planning a revision timetable, don’t forget to stick to it!
3. Get RID OF DISTRACTIONS.
This is the not-so-fun part where you get rid of everything that has procrastination-causing potential. What am I talking about? The computer, your iPhone, television and for some reason, children’s storybooks (every holiday, I end up reading Harry Potter for stress relief… Don’t judge.).
I’ve discovered a wonderful piece of technology that can help combat the lure of the Internet. Google Chrome extension StayFocusd^ is free and totally works in boosting productivity, especially if you claim to be doing research on some paper you’re supposed to be writing, but end up reading FML like there’s no tomorrow… Just install it in your Chrome browser, activate it and plug in websites that you frequently waste time on. Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are notorious time-wasting sites. Trust me, I’ve been there. You can change settings to allow yourself to spend anything from 1 minute to 1 hour on all these websites for the entire day- but no more.*
^StayFocusd is a Chrome extension that works only well duh, on Google Chrome. There is no shortlink for the application, so Google to get it!
For Mac users, Self Control available for free at:
http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/
*If you plan on using StayFocusd temporarily, do not activate the function that doesn’t allow you to switch settings unless you type a scathing, 100 word-long paragraph about how procrastination is a sin without making a single mistake. And it knows about cut and paste. You’ve been warned!
So there you have it, this author’s 2 cents on study tips. May the force be with you in your efforts!