Exam

I am trusting my memory to retrieve as much information as I have put into it and in a relevant ordered sequence to answer questions in my exam. I would like to be able to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding of everything I have been taught in the ensuing module and to get marks worthy of the same.

Some people think that exams are very difficult. Yes, they may be difficult to some depending on the level of preparation one has made; or the reaction - panic can make one distressed to the extent that what had been learnt gets forgotten. Others just cannot deal with exams.


Personally, I like to approach exams with a positive, winning attitude as it's my way of getting rid of the fear and anxiety that surrounds exams. I am hopeful that I will be able to answer questions asked; and I choose to do so to the best of my ability.

Good luck to all who are gearing up for an exam sometime soon.

Cheers!

Too much

There are days when I wake up and start taking stock of my life (of late I do that virtually every day!)

I sit down and ask myself a lot of questions. The whys, when, how, which, what if? And I find that all these questions are related to a negative experience I am going through. The more I ask these questions, the more my circle of negativity grows and the more discouraged I feel. Of what help is that to me? Nothing! It only makes me feel low and kills my study motivation especially now when I need all the concentration I can get.

So I have decided that I will direct the questions towards something positive that will cheer me up and make me feel whole again. Being a student has its own fair list of challenges but I resolve not to let them put me down.

My conclusion: Tomorrow will be a better day! Cheers :-)

Fathers

Starting with Our Father in heaven, fathers are important without a doubt. They have a unique impact on our lives, one which even though people struggle to admit,exists.

The significance of fathers only become apparent when they are absent. So those people who try to argue that fathers are not important in the life of children and that children are deliberately okay to grow up without their fathers are joking. There exists circumstances when a father cannot be present in their child's life and these are unfortunate. This is where the extended family comes in. But in an individualisitic society where every man is for themselves, the extended family is fast loosing its grip on passing on family values.

Role models are not always what they are cut out to be; so those who make an effort to positively influence the lives of children, my heart goes out to you and may God bless you as you make this tireless effort to bring up those fortunate children.

Sunday

This is my day off from everything, and I mean everything. I am relaxing and not worrying about my studies today even though I have an exam to do soon. The thing is, if I don't relax, I will only get tense. The tension will then make me frustrated because I will not be able to absorb any academic stuff even if I tried and this will only lead to more frustration, anger, loss of motivation and eventually, I just might give up.

However, I find that if I keep off my studies for a day or two, I have time to reflect and think about what I have been studying. My mind gets creative and tries to apply my newly acquired knowledge and I am able to identify gaps in my knowledge which then spurs me to get up and read so that I can get the facts straight.

So my day off is mine. I will cook, spend time writing and enjoy the company of family and friends without feeling guilty about the not studying.

And before I forget, happy father's day to those who recognize it.

weight management and control

Let's face it, I am overweight. No matter what I try to do, my weight seems happy just where it is. I am not a diet fanatic so I eat whatever comes my way without counting the calories.

But, I have noticed that I get tired so quickly and walking a short distance gets me breathless to the extent that I have to stop to catch my breath then proceed. So now, I have decided to do something about my weight. Nothing drastic.

I am starting by cutting down on chocolate, meat, biscuits, cakes, crisps and too many snacks.

I am finally starting to eat 5-a-day of vegetables and fruits...a bit too late to start, but my philosophy is simple, better late than never. And I actually feel so much better, lighter, less sleepy and more energised. I am also drinking loads of fluid, water, juice and herbal teas.

I am also cutting down on dairy products, starting with no milk in my tea. Hopefully gradually cutting down on stuff will lessen withdrawal symptoms.

Wish me luck.

addicted to murder mysteries

I love watching Forensic Detectives, Agatha Christie's Marple, Columbo, CSI, Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Without a Trace, Silent Witness, etc. Recently, someone told me that addiction to such programmes could be hiding an underlying psychological disturbance!

Goodness me! I was shocked. I watch them because of the way in which the investigators analyse things and come to the conclusion as to who the perpetrator is. Columbo is just too good to be honest. His appearance can really mislead someone.
Miss Marple appears oblivious to what is going on around yet she takes in all the details to the surprise and usual relief of the investigating officer as her help in solving crime is second to none.In Murder She Wrote, Jessica is simply brilliant, Dr Sloan gives a diagnosis of not only disease but murder and CSI...where do I begin - Miami, Special Victims Unit, Crime Scene Investigation, Behavioural Analysis? And that is not all.

You catch the drift....

I cannot resist an occasional whodunnit! And I am not whatever someone thinks I could be......just for the love of the unknown.

One head, two faces

People are really interesting. Not just because psychology explains individual differences and the study of behaviour, but because they are really interesting!

Group work is something that I have found amusing. When you meet, there are those who eagerly contribute their knowledge or lack of it, without any reservations. Then there are those who say nothing that you want to hear at the time; still there are those who claim they have nothing to give but that's bull because they just don't want to share. There are those who feel that they are always giving information but when they ask for different perspectives they get nothing in return so the group-work to them is not helping in any way. Yet, it is a requirement of our study to engage in it. So how does one cope?

I am trying to find that out.

Sometimes, we decide to work on an essay together but because everyone is not sure of what to do, there seems to be nothing to share; or someone has already got help from somewhere and they want to keep it for themselves so they avoid coming to the meetings so that they are not put in an awkward position of having to share their little find. By the way, this information only becomes second knowledge after the assignment has been handed in. Why? The mystery continues....

I will keep watch and try to see which category I belong to. Hopefully, I will be the 'sharing type'.