HALL ARRANGEMENTS
Use of Common Spaces
Kitchens: Some Halls may designate quiet study areas and cooking areas in your kitchens speak to your RSTO for further information.
Main Common Rooms: these can be used by residents to unwind and relax (movie nights, games, hanging out with friends etc) but noise must be kept to a minimum. Some halls may set aside some common rooms as study spaces, please check for signs and talk to your RA
Noise curfew
Until the end of exams:
● At Clayton the noise curfew is 10pm, unless indicated otherwise.
● At Peninsula the noise curfew is 9pm
If you find your neighbours are making too much noise, do talk to them or call Security on 9902 7777 If you are using your VOIP phone, please dial 27777 According to MRS regulations and policy, noise is defined as: “any noise which disturbs other residents where noise originating from but heard outside the confines of a resident’s own bedroom may be deemed to be excessive.” If you have any questions about noise, please contact your Residential Support Team.
Above all, be considerate of those around you. We are all here as students, and it is essential that everyone can find a place to concentrate, study and complete examinations
Visitors and Overnight Guests
Residents are responsible for the noise levels and behaviour of their visitors at all times An overnight guest form must be submitted at least 24 hours prior if a guest is staying after midnight (Please note, RSTO have the right to refuse any guest)
Suppers
Suppers will run throughout the exam period and we encourage you to continue to connect with your community.
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Looking for a comprehensive range of resources? Go to the Monash Study Skills website where you will find information about efficient reading strategies, exam prep, studies and lectures online, finding a tutor and study spaces on campus monash.edu/students/study-resources/skills
Here are some ideas we have put together for you!
Set Up Your Study Space
Everyone has their own idea about the best place to study. Find a space that works for you and you feel comfortable to set up. Here are a few things to think of before you select a space:
▪ Do you prefer to study in silence or listen to music?
▪ Studies have indicated that listening to sounds of nature (running water, birdsong etc) can have a profound effect on reducing stress and lowering heart rate
▪ Do you work better alone or with other people?
▪ Do you like to study at home or at University / library?
Be Organised
Make sure you have all the materials you need in your study space before you start studying. Getting up to look for a calculator or pen and paper will break your concentration, make you frustrated and waste your time.
Clear Your Mind
If you’ve got a lot on your mind, you may wish to take a moment to write yourself some notes about what you're thinking about and put them to the side. This will help to clear your mind and focus on studying. You can come back to what you were thinking about during a study break. This technique also works if your sleep is disturbed by busy thoughts. Having a pen and paper by your bed can help.
STUDY TIPS
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Set Yourself Goals and Get Motivated
Set yourself clear goals such as what marks you want to achieve. This will help motivate you to study, so that you can aim to achieve the goal you have set yourself Think about how you will feel if you achieve the mark you wanted; if you set yourself goals and keep the end result in mind it will help you stay motivated.
Plan Your Time (and stick to it!)
It helps to plan when you will study and how you can make the most of your study time, remembering to take time to exercise, hang out with friends, sleep and eat well are all very important factors to include in your study plan.
Use a calendar or a list of dates to help you keep track of exam dates and plan ahead – for more information as well as go here: monash.edu.au/exams/
Be sure to space out your study time and don’t try to cram it all in the night before! Do the hardest work when you’re feeling your best. Save the easy stuff for when you’re tired. After you have studied with your notes, set yourself a time limit and practice on past exam questions under practice exam conditions; this will help improve your memory recall by sitting in similar conditions to the exams.
Know Your Learning Style
Most of us have a preferred way of learning. You may wish to get to know your learning style and study in the ways you learn best. Here's a few different learning types below:
▪ Auditory learners - learn by listening. If you’re an auditory learner you could try reading your notes aloud and discussing them with other people. You might like to record key points and play them back.
▪ Visual learners - learn by seeing. If you’re a visual learner you could use colours in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.
▪ Tactile/kinaesthetic learners - learn by doing. If you’re a tactile/kinaesthetic learner you could use methods like role-playing or building models to revise key points. Take a quiz to find out your At Home Study Style: https://bit.ly/3yz3Fgl
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Make Your Own Study Materials
Think up some practice exam questions, explore sample questions and ask your tutor/faculty about past exams: monash.edu/rlo/study-skills/preparing-for-exams/sample-exam-questions monash.edu/exams/electronic-exams/about#tabs__2544724
Create your own flashcards: quizlet.com/en-gb
This way you'll be able to apply what you have studied to practice questions.
If you prepare your own study material you'll learn what you have studied twice: once when you make the study materials and again when you use them to revise.
Test Yourself
Don’t wait for an exam to test your knowledge – test yourself first. Get a friend/group or family member to quiz you on key concepts or offer to help other students with their work. It’s a great way to get confident with what you do know and find out what you still need to learn. Here is an online quiz generator to help! purposegames.com/create
Take Time Out and Reward Yourself!
You study better when you're feeling good so make sure you eat well, stay hydrated, exercise and get enough sleep Remember, the key to study/exams is balance. Make sure you achieve a balance between studying, catching up with friends, eating well and exercise.
Allow yourself some breaks when you study. Check out the Pomodoro technique: set a timer for 25 minutes. Start a task. Work on it uninterrupted for until the timer goes off. Take a 5 minute break. Repeat. After 2 hours take a 20-30 minute break. It’s the opposite of multitasking, and it helps increase your focus and productivity, and overcome distraction and procrastination. BUT you may want to consider what you do on your breaks. SUGGESTION: No.1: put the devices down, No.2: get up and move
Manage Your Stress
You'll be less stressed if you've got an idea of how the lead-up to your exams is going to look, so plan what you're going to study and when, and stick it up on the wall, or on your desktop. Break it down into manageable chunks and start working through it at the rate you planned. It's probably more boring at the start, but it's far less stressful. Plan some break times and days off too!
Take the Pressure Off
Deal with stress and pressure by realistically assessing how you think you will go, and working to do the best you can. Give your brain a rest (and let your subconscious work on things), e.g. close your eyes, take three deep breaths and relax physically, mentally & emotionally
Have a mindful moment. Here are some suggestions for stealth mindfulness: mondaycampaigns.org/destress-monday/mindful-monday
If other people's expectations are pressuring you, talk to them and ask them to give you more space.
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Study Together
There are other residents studying for the same exam, and they probably don't like having to lock themselves away to study any more than you do. Get together with them online, chat on the phone and if you're not as strong in certain areas, it could help to talk to other people as well. If you are good at it, share the brain-wealth.
WHERE TO GET HELP AND SUPPORT
Residential Support Team
Speak to your Residential Support Team if you are having any issues coping with your studies. They can assist you in locating on-campus support services available to you.
Counselling
On Campus-Face to face + Telehealth consults
Open: 9am-5pm, all campuses
Phone : 9905 3020
Cost: Free
After hours
From 5pm - 9 am, weeknights, 24 hrs weekends
Phone: 1300 788 336
Cost: Free
Crisis Support 24 hour, 7 days a week
Lifeline: 13 1114
Cost: Free
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University Health Services
On Campus-Face to face + Telehealth consults
Open from 9am-5pm, weekdays
Phone: 9905 3175 (Clayton)
Phone: 9904 4615 (Peninsula)
Website: monash.edu/health
Have your Monash ID card and Medicare, OSHC or Health Care Card with you
Academic progress concerns
For any academic progress concerns please contact your faculty for more information. If you wish to explore the other support services on campus please go here: monash.edu/students/support/
Remember to speak to someone (your RA, RSTO, friends, neighbours, family, doctor etc) if you need help.
OTHER RESOURCES
eEXAMS
Many of your final assessments may use Monash’s eAssessment platform – these online assessments are called eExams. Monash has prepared a range of resources from practice exams to a video showing you how eExams work: monash.edu/exams/electronic-exams
Study programs
Find out about PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions), Staying Motivated, Exam Busters, Stress Management, Polish Up Your Grammar and Leap into Leadership Online monash.edu/students/study-support/programs
Monash Library Services
Monash library services are offered both online and in-person. Services include digital texts, journals and textbooks. If you need any help, check out the support page, monash.edu/library/services-for-students or drop in online to chat with one of the learning skills advisers or librarians, monash.edu/library/skills/resources/we-will-support-you/drop-in
Mindfulness Session - Sunday 28th May
Monash Residential Services (Sport & Wellbeing Committee) is offering a free Mindfulness session to help support you before the SWOTVAC and exams period. Join us in the MRS Function Room on Sunday 28th May, where a Monash Sport facilitator will take you through a mindfulness session. Wear comfortable clothing and BYO towel/yoga mat and water bottle The session will run from 1pm-1:45pm.
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Further information will be available via your hall Facebook page.
WHERE TO STUDY DURING EXAMS (ASIDE FROM YOUR ROOM!)
STUDY AREAS AROUND MONASH
Check out an up to date and comprehensive list for your Campus: monash.edu/students/study-support/study-spaces#tabs__1744876
STUDY AREAS AROUND MRS
Location
Residential Common Rooms
MRS Halls Café
58 College Way
MRS Function Room
58 College Way
Key Features
See door signs in your common rooms or contact your RSTO for more information on current room restrictions
Purchase barista style coffee, snacks, lunch and dinner: 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-8:30pm, weekdays
Free tea & coffee in Function Room, tables and chairs: 9am- 9pm, 7 days a week
LIBRARY OPENING HOURS
**28 May - 23 June 2023**
Campus Library Opening Hours and accessibility may be subject to change. For the most current details go here: monash.edu/library/libraries/australia/opening-hours
Hargrave-Andrew Library, Law Library, Peninsula Library:
● Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm
● Weekends: 1pm to 5pm
Caulfield Library
● Monday to Friday: 8am to 12am
● Weekends: 9am - 9pm
Sir Louis Matheson Library
● Monday to Friday: 8am - 2am
● Weekends: 9am - 9pm
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Good Luck with your exams! Monash Residential Services Team 2023 S1 - MRS SWOTVAC & EXAM THRIVING GUIDE (THRIVING THROUGH EXAMS) | 12
