The REX Your Remote and External Newsletter APRIL 2014
A Letter from your Remote and External Officer Hi Everyone, So the first wave of assignments is done and dusted and lecture recess has passed (though a lot of us had on-campus workshops so I question how much of a recess it was!). Now that time of the Study Period is coming up faster than I think we all expected...EXAMS! As exams will be held between the 7th and the 20th of June, it is time to be getting prepared and doing so in a healthy way that doesn’t result in a mental breakdown :) This issue of The REX includes lots of information about studying, preparing for exams, and eating healthy. It also includes information on the support services available to you via Skype, email, and phone. Additionally, the JCUSA continues its search for those of you in Mackay, Mount Isa, and Thursday Island who would like to get a JCUSA Club up and running on your campus, enabling you to build a fun and strong campus culture and make sure that your campus is represented at JCU. For those of you who signed up to the JCUSA last year, I would just like to remind you that you need to sign up each year. If you haven’t done so this year, could you please take a minute (it is really that quick) to fill out the membership form. If you would like to know more about anything I have discussed here, are interested in lending a hand, have any concerns or would just like to introduce yourself, send me an email at Katelyn.ward@my.jcu.edu.au or call me on (07) 40 916 690. Happy studying and I am here if you need to vent!
~ Kate-Lyn Ward
Get connected!! JCUSA Remote and External Students
For more information on the Student Association or to become a member visit:
www.jcusa.edu.au
I have spoken to a few students who have asked for an explanation on how to find their on-campus workshops. Being given just a room number can make it hard to find where you are going if you haven’t been on-campus very often. So here is a quick explanation of how it works. Okay, so say you are told that your workshop is located in Building DA4- Room 132 on the Townsville campus. If you look at the Townsville campus map below, you can see that each building is given a number. Therefore, you would need to go to building 4. Next is the room number which is easy to understand once you break it down into its parts. The first number is the floor; 0 = ground floor, 1 = first floor and so on. The next numbers are the room number. Therefore, DA4—Room 132 would require you to go to building 4, go up to the first floor, and then find room 32. Cairns campus is slightly different. In Cairns, the letters in front of the number are important. If you had to go to A1—008, you would be required to go to A1 on the ground floor, room 8. So once you find the building the room numbers mean the same thing as in Townsville. I hope this helps you all next time you are wondering around campus feeling rather silly. Which by the way, is a situation I myself have been in many times!
Note that this is E1 So it is important That you look at the letters
Building 4 Townsville
Building A1 Cairns
JCU has changed the process for external students in regards to external exam locations. The majority of external students no longer need to complete a form to nominate their preferred exam location. Instead, JCU has arranged external exam centres around Australia. Do not be concerned if you have not received any forms as your exam centre will be assigned to you based on your Semester Residential Address in eStudent and you will be sent a letter advising the centre details. Note: It is therefore highly important that your personal information is up to date on eStudent. If you live within 100km of Townsville or Cairns you must sit your exams oncampus and your exam venue will be published in your exam timetable. For more information please contact the Flexible Delivery Exams Officer on (07) 4781 6212 or email Exams-Townsville@jcu.edu.au
While we all have the best of intentions to prepare for exams from the very beginning of the study period, the reality is that exams will suddenly be right around the corner! In JCU’s Studying for Exams module there are strategies which you can implement during the last 4 weeks before exams.
Here you can find a module developed by JCU which provides you with tactics and strategies to help you to prepare just before exams and be successful on the day. The module includes information on the topic list (with samples), preparation, supervisor instructions, perusal time, and working time. If you think they have missed something, you can even share the tactics you use to help JCU further develop the module to be of more assistance to students in the future!
This webpage provides information on exams and your results. Use this website to find out where to go, what you need, and when to turn up. You can also find information about how to apply for special consideration, your grades and how to maintain a good academic level. It includes exam start times, timetables, rules, expectations, tips, special considerations and deferred exams, academic misconduct, results, and more! Please note that the JCU Student Association can assist you with applications for deferred exams and special considerations. We can also help with accusations of academic misconduct and represent and support you in consultations with the university or individual staff members.
A few of you may notice that I published this last year in The REX. However, it is still valid this year so I thought I would include it for those of you who haven’t read it before.
Plan –
Prepare a study plan for the days/weeks before exams. It will be more likely that you will stick to this plan if it balances with the other important things in your life.
Let your employers know early that you will need to limit your hours while studying and have time off for the exam itself.
Create a comfortable and well organised study space where there are no distractions nearby, such as the TV, phone, etc.
Collect the things you will need at your exam the day before. That way you will not be in a rush and you will know if there is anything you need to get.
Look after yourself –
It is important to look after yourself when preparing for exams to ensure that you have the energy to commit to what you need to accomplish.
Include activities that you enjoy and that reduce your stress levels in your study plan. This will help you relax and stick to your plan.
Make sure you eat enough while studying. Have some nutritional snacks on hand to keep you going, such as fruit and nuts.
Get at least a small amount of exercise each day as it will help to keep you focused and energetic.
Relax and Retreat when you need to –
Try to work out what times of the day you have the most energy. Plan to study during these times.
Don’t study for longer than 40-60 minutes. Studies have shown that people learn better in short bursts. So study for 30 mins and then take a 10 minute break before studying again.
When you do take a break do something physical or fun, such as taking your dog for a run.
Try to keep your focus on studying rather than other stuff happening in your life.
Relaxation is important, especially before bed, to slow down brain activity Try some slow, deep breathing, a shower or a bath etc.
Don’t hold off studying! –
Cramming will not allow you to absorb the information.
Group study sessions can be a really helpful way to prepare for an exam. However, make sure that you focus on what you want to achieve with these sessions.
Talk about what you are studying with family members and friends as this can help you to retain the information, especially names and dates.
For some subjects you can view previous exams. These can help you to get a feel for what to expect. Do not, I repeat DO NOT expect the questions to be the same. I once had to cram for an exam and the same question had come up 8 years in a row. So I assumed it would again…I was WRONG! Past exams can be found on the library webpage under ‘Readings and Past Exams.’
Try to read everything and re-write your notes at least twice if not more as this will help to commit the information to memory.
Go over your notes within 24 hours of the exam to help retain more information. However, do not cram the night or morning before the exam as this can make you lose the information. Just try to remember what you have studied and if you think there is something you are missing then you can refer back to your notes.
My favourite tip is to write down anything you are having trouble remembering in colourful pen and stick it to your toilet wall, such as names, dates, theories etc. This sounds a bit odd but it really does work!
The day of the exam –
Eat a good breakfast and try to avoid caffeine as it can make you jittery and reduce concentration. Make sure you take along a bottle of water.
Double check that you have everything and that you are not taking prohibited items.
Get to the exam with plenty of time for delays.
Be focused. You need to ignore what’s going on around you. Exams are not group efforts. Now is not the time to consider what other people think will be in the exam and how they have prepared for it. You’ve done all you can. Listening to others just before the exam is only likely to knock your confidence.
You may be a remote or external student but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have access to the same level of support as those on the major campuses! Do you know about the support services you can access as a JCU student, using telephone, email, web or Skype?
JCU Counselling Service is available to help you deal with stress and personal issues.
AccessAbility Service – for students with a disability, injury or medical condition that may impact on their studies.
JCU Careers Service – for careers advice or finding part-time work.
Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
JCU Library LibGuides for your study area, referencing tips and more.
View all Student support services.
In addition, your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSA Fee) funds the following services for off-campus students:
Free postage for JCU Library books for students living more than 50 kilometres from the Cairns or Townsville campuses. Find out more about the Off Campus Library Service.
Off-campus Students website.
Welcome packs for new, off-campus students.
Info Skills Road Trip – online module about research tips and using online resources in the JCU Library.
Student Mentors for off-campus students – find out more.
Online help with study skills – Writing and Maths Skills Online, Learning Skills Online and useful Workshop Notes.
The JCU Student Association supports the rights of all students, including Remote and External Students.
These resources and services are there for you, so do make the most of them.
Drop me a line anytime at: katelyn.ward@my.jcu.edu.au or visit our Remote and External Facebook page and Like us!
When studying or preparing for exams, it is extremely important to eat properly in order to keep our minds and our bodies healthy and functioning at their best! Here are a few ways in which you can eat smart and give yourself the best chance possible at achieving those high results: Get your daily nutrient requirements
The colours of the rainbow—when it comes to fruit and vegetables, eating a range of colours will enable you to get a range of nutrients. The darker the colour of the fruit or vegetables, the higher their nutrients.
Iron, B Vitamins, and Omega-3 —these are especially important to give you the mental energy needed to learn and retain all that information packed into the growing piles of textbooks and readings around you! Red meats, cereals and spinach are all high in Iron. While there are many wonderful websites providing Iron rich recipes, here is a collection of recipes to make it all the more easier. For B vitamins, whole-grains, eggs and nuts are great sources. Here are some recipes. Omega-3 can be found in fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, flathead, and barramundi), walnuts, and eggs. These great recipes will help you get your daily intake.
How much and how often?
Reduce meal size and increasing frequency—this will improve your ability to study as large meals slow you down both physically and mentally. Try reducing the size of main meals and add healthy snacks (e.g. fruit and nuts) between meals. Eating at these regular intervals will help to keep your nutrients at a healthy level and you will be less likely to eat unhealthy processed and sugary foods.
Breakfast; Your brain’s best friend!
Make sure that you eat breakfast and NO coffee alone doesn’t count! - To give yourself the best start to your day you need to eat a breakfast that includes protein, calcium, fibre, and fruit or vegetables. Fruit provides you with clean energy so you wont get that pesky sugar crash.
Protein rich foods make you more alert and eggs, nuts, and yoghurt are a great place to start.
On exam day—make sure you eat something even if you normally skip breakfast because your brain needs the energy to work properly! Stay away from foods made with refined sugar, white flour, foods high in carbohydrates, and strangely enough Turkey (contains L-Tryphan which makes you sleepy). Also, if you don’t normally drink coffee now is not the time to start and if you do...keep it to a minimum! Lastly, don’t skip on the water.
This Salmon and Leek Quiche is a great recipe that you could make the day before exams so that there is not stress in the morning. This recipe gives you everything you need to start exam day in the best way possible. Ingredients:
1 sheet (25cm) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 20g butter 2 leeks, white part only, thickly sliced 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 300g hot-smoked salmon, coarsely flaked 3 eggs, lightly whisked 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped dill 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Method: 1.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 15cm round (base measurement) by 5cm-deep fluted tart tin with removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
2.
Cover pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 6-8 minutes or until golden. Reduce temperature to 160°C. Spread the base of the pastry evenly with the mustard.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until leek softens. Remove from heat.
Reserve 3 asparagus spears; coarsely chop remaining spears. Combine salmon, leek and chopped asparagus in a bowl. Spoon into pastry case. Whisk eggs, cream, dill and chives together in a bowl. Pour over salmon mixture. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until filling is just set.
Place remaining asparagus spears in a shallow heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water and set aside for 2 minutes to soak. Drain well. Place on the quiche. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe retrieved from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/23246/salmon+and+leek+quiche
Second-Hand Text Books For Sale Email the JCU Student Association in Cairns at Admin.ccsa@jcu.edu.au and ask if they have a second-hand copy of the textbook you need. When you find a book you want to buy, check the 13 digit International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to make sure it is the right edition. NOTE: Second-hand texts are not available from the Student Association in Townsville.
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Contact Your Student Association Free call: 1800 330 021 For access to any Student Association service or to be transferred elsewhere within the University free of charge. (Note: Not accessible from mobile) Townsville
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Direct: (07 )4781 4400 Internal: 14400 Postal Address: JCU Student Association PO Box 1 James Cook University TOWNSVILLE QLD 4811
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If you would like to add an event you think would be of interest to other students in your area or have a recipe you would like to share, please email all necessary information to Katelyn.ward@my.jcu.edu.au
Remote and External Newsletter ISSUE 09 APRIL 2014