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Post exam Delhi guide

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The only thing which motivates us to give exams is that they will end soon after! Here is a list of the things you can add to your post exam bucket list!

Go Cycling! – Honestly, winter is the loveliest time in New Delhi. It gives us the opportunities to go out in the open and do things which become rather difficult in the summers due to the raging heat. Hence, cycling in the winter is a great activity to do as a group or all alone. Central Delhi is an open, cycle friendly part of Delhi, where you can see numerous joggers and cyclers every morning. So, rent a cycle, take it out, and ride all across India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lodhi Gardens, Connaught Place, Janpath and tread your own path back home the same way.

Visit Majnu Ka Tila – Winters also bless us with the opportunity to explore places in Delhi which we would find difficult to spend our time in during the summer. Near Delhi University’s North Campus, we can find Majnu Ka Tila, a Tibetan refugee settlement which boasts of great shopping deals and lip smacking food. Take time out and visit Ama Cafe for their delicious cakes, bakes and coffee. Spot the street vendors selling La Phing, and indulge in a comforting bowl of it. Taste amazing Tibetan, Nepali, Khasi and Garo cuisines and you won’t return disappointed!

Visit Chandni Chowk – I can tell you this much with certainty that most of the people living in Delhi have never been to Chandni Chowk and seen the whole complex. Winters is the perfect time to go to Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, Jama Masjid, The Red Fort and explore the sights around the place. Start with a morning trip to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib or Gurudwara Shishganj, pay your respects, and have some ghee dripping halwa. Then set out to explore the markets and get yourself anything you wish, Chandni Chowk markets boast to have ‘all that one may need’. Visit the Paranthe wali galli, have some Daulat ki Chaat, kachori sabzi and end it off with jalebis, kulfis and phirnis. A trip to Chandni Chowk and cover your whole day.

Visit the Daryaganj Book Market – And now, we have something for all you bookworms out there. Winter, again, is a perfect time to visit the famed Sunday Daryaganj Book Market where one can buy classics at a throwaway rate. Starting at Delite Cinema, the rows of stalls have everything that a book-lover or student could wish to find, dictionaries, NCERT books, second-hand books, manga, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels; just name it. You might, however, have to really work to find a specific book. If you’re just on a visit, the range will lure you into buying a lot more than you planned to, so go prepared.

Happy Holidays! Go knock yourself out after exams.

Featured image credits: Pintrest 

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

TAKE NOTE! The importance of note-taking while studying

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As exams are on, it is tempting to abandon quality studying techniques and resort to merely reading whatever is in the tens of readings or books assigned to us. However, this technique will not get you very far, and instead you must resist taking the easy way out and focus on studying effectively.

The best way to take notes is to be precise. Read the entire paragraph, and then summarise it in a couple sentences or bullet points. Make sure to only write down what is relevant, and what triggers the content for you. Notes should encourage you to remember all the information through key words.

To make note-taking fun, you can try using different coloured pens or highlighters to make your work look pretty (and to feel more productive). In fact, colour-coding is a great strategy for when you have extensive notes and need to quickly access the crucial parts of them. People with photographic memory can benefit greatly from this, as the colourful notes will remain in your mind even during the exam. Post-its and flashcards will soon become your best friends. If you’re a stationery enthusiast, this is your chance to splurge guilt-free on supplies!

Keep in mind that notes do not necessarily have to be handwritten. While there are studies that show that writing by hand helps more in the registering process than typing on a computer, if you feel that you function better on the screen, then go ahead! Do what works for you best, and don’t shy away from using technology to enhance your prep.

There’s no use in making notes if you don’t revise them. Instead of spending all of your prep leave making notes, make sure to set aside around two whole days to go over those notes. It helps you recall the information and to collect your thoughts, which will make you feel infinitely more calm and confident when it comes to the day of the exam.

So, stop laying around in bed all day and mindlessly reading the assigned texts. Get your hands dirty and make notes that will make you feel productive and efficient, and will truly be your saving grace this exam season. Good luck!

 

 

Image Caption: Flashcards
Image Credits: Pinterest

 

 

Vineeta Rana

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DUB Speak

Things Not to do While Preparing for Semester Exams

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As exam fever strikes the varsity, students find themselves overpowered by anxiety and frequent panic attacks. Time appears to be flashing away at double pace, and finishing the work burden within that period seems challenging. While focusing a lot on tips for nailing the same, we tend to overlook some important things that end up being detrimental for our scores. So, here’s a list of things that you should avoid, while you prepare to ace this semester.

Complaining and Procrastinating

That’s quite obvious that freaking out over abundance of course and limited time won’t change it in anyway. It might just waste your time and make you more frustrated and stressed out then before. At the same time, unnecessary delays will just cause more tension and anxiety.

panicking

Pulling consistent all-nighters

Pulling all-nighters doesn’t even seem like a big deal when it comes to giving university exams. But that is actually not recommended as it increases the stress level and makes your brain and body tired. Furthermore, consistent all-nighters might result into various health issues as the body tries to cope up with stress, change of sleep pattern and lack of mental rest. In many cases, sleeping proves to be better than studying all night.

all-nighter

Using social media platforms during breaks

It’s an automatic reaction for us to grab our cellphones and laptop the moment we decide to get off our books for a while. Browsing Facebook news feeds, putting Snap Stories about exam stress and starting random conversations distracts our brain to a considerable amount. No wonder, we end up feeling that the break time passed too soon. Social Media Platforms use more of our time and attention without us realising it.

social-media

Watching a TV series

No one will disagree to the fact that TV series are one of the most addictive things that can happen to anyone. During exam breaks, an idea of starting a new TV series will kill your focus levels and waste enormous time.

tv-series

Stress Eating

With stress comes stress eating, and with that, come unhealthy habits. With a desperate attempt to stuff our brain with massive amount of information, we tend to munch on junk foods – high on carbs and sugar level. Such food items might provide temporary relief, but will end up causing lethargy and tiredness in the long term.

stress-eating

Thinking of post exam plans

Isn’t this one of our favorite topics to think about? While it seems like the sweetest escape from the brutal hell of exams, it ends up consuming a large portion of your time – making it even more hellish than before. No?

post-exam

 

We are all well aware of the aforementioned points yet end up ignoring them. A constant reminder to self is extremely necessary as you plan to perform your best and pass another semester – Like a boss!

 Feature Image Credits: youngplusmag.net

LovleenKaur
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DUB Speak

An exam guide on how to beat the cold and study

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Last month, I struck the following deal with myself: Let go and give in to the unavoidable October festivities, only to come back in full form and study hard from day one of November. But half of November was already over and my progress graph is a terrifying horizontal line. I didn’t study then, and I am unable to study now. The only thing that has changed over the course of time (last week of October and first week of November) is my enemy. While previously, I was battling the ‘levity’ induced by the grand festival of Diwali, now, I am struggling to keep my productivity high against the laziness-inducing ‘winter cold’.

But with less time on my hands to prepare for the semester exams, it’s time I pulled up my socks (to keep the cold away, too?) and got down to business.

After a lot of thought and research, I’ve put together the following strategy to boost my efficiency and effectiveness and tackle the present evil aka ‘winter cold’ that is thwarting all my attempts at studying:

1. Wake up early and exercise
The hardest thing to do during the winter is to pull yourself out of the warm blanket and get to work. But if you have a morning exercise regime scheduled, you can not only get a head start to your day, but also have the sweat you work up in the process keep you warm and enthused through the day!

2. Bathe and dress warm
I know, it is hard shedding layers in the cold. But a bath with warm water, followed by dressing up in snug woollens is the best weapon against this winter cold! Once you’re warm, you can focus on studying and not get affected by the bone-chilling cold around you.

3. Eating small meals at regular intervals
Appetite in winter goes off the roof! Tame your mind and hunger by keeping your tummy content with healthy and frequent snacking. Think nuts and fruits. This way, you’ll concentrate better as you’ll be giving your brain the necessary and regular supply of glucose it needs.

4. Skip the siesta
Afternoon (when it’s warm) is the time when the sun is up at its brightest best. Don’t let this golden period of productivity go by sleeping through it. Instead, study outdoors. And get your eight-hour shut eye by sleeping early at night (when it’s cold).

5. Drink up on warm fluids and beverages
Coffee, green tea, lukewarm water and the works: these are your best buddies through the cold winter nights as they not only keep you feeling pleasantly warm, but also bring about the much need mental stimulation!

With this list, I hope that like me, you feel adequately equipped to fight the ‘winter cold’ and salvage the semester!
All the best!

Kriti Sharma
[email protected]

Image Credits:  blogdailyherald.com

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How to stay confident and hopeful in the exam preparation frenzy

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All our existential crisis falls upon us during exams, we tend to procrastinate more than we should and after that, we tend to over burden ourselves. The key to sail through the exam period smoothly is to not overwhelm yourself with too many tactics. Here we bring to you 3 simple ways to deal with exam tension!

Pick your Poison –

No, it does not mean what you think it means. However, the fact is that our body must be replenished with fluids at regular intervals. Drinking water is a necessity which goes without saying, but everyone has one other liquid substance they survive on, especially during exams. My personal favourite has always been Bournvita, and many others swear by coffee, hot chocolate or chai. Avoiding cold drinks and carbonated beverages is always a wise idea, but in case you do crave a Fanta now and then, mix it up with something healthier and tastier, like mix fruit juices, milkshakes or smoothies. If you dose up on coffee heavily, do remember that an overdose of caffeine in our body is also not the best option in terms of health. Stay healthy and hydrated!

Get to work; put that phone down for a bit! –

Flipping through our phones during study hours as a break is not much of an issue, however there is an issue with us calling up our friends to get a quick update on ‘Kitna karliya?’ ‘Kaunse chapters nahi kare?’ ‘Yaar, I’m toh pakka se getting a back this time!’ Honestly, this is the worst way to ruin your confidence when you prepare for exams. Stop caring about what others are doing. Once you focus on yourself and prepare according to your abilities, aceing the exams will be a much easier task for you.

Breathe and have faith in yourself –

You might be studying six, four or even two hours a day. But, you should always have faith in your capabilities. Try to manage your time by making your daily routine a mix of serious studying and short breaks. You must also learn how to put the books down for a while, go to the balcony with a cup of chai and breathe the fresh air.Don’t compare yourself with other students in your class; they have a different skill set than you do, cultivate yours instead of eyeing theirs! Don’t look at your enormous syllabus and lose hope on your capabilities, choose what you want to do and work on it. Don’t let your thoughts overwhelm you; let them empower you to do your best.

Keep your chin up, drink water, study well and ace this semester!

 

Joyee Bhattacharya

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Campus Central

10 lessons learnt after the end of first semester

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It is that time of the year when everyone is busy photocopying notes, pulling all-nighters to settle a decent score in internals and getting submissions done just before the deadline. From easy-going days, it looks like college has suddenly transcended into a war zone- clearly, the honeymoon period is over. The semester flew away way too fast and while I’m still trying to grasp how that can be, I have to admit that I find myself wiser than I was a few months back. I’ve learned a few hacks which I wish someone would have told me before.

Here are 10 tips I learned by the end of the first semester, that can make college easier.

  1. Maintain your finances– With College comes independence and with that comes responsibility which includes finance management. It may seem harmless to spend 30-40 bucks here and there on multiple kiosks dotted around the campus, but these seemingly small spendings will turn you into a broke while you will be cluelessly wondering where all your money went. Hopefully, the demonetarization scheme is making you a better budgeter.
  2. Prioritize- With too much going around, it’s important that you prioritize your life. Whether it is society rehearsals, assignments or socializing with friends, make sure one thing isn’t eating up all your time.
  3. Wear whatever you want- If you want to get all dressed up or simply want to live in sweatpants, it doesn’t matter. You can do whatever you want.
  4. Participate and involve yourself– College is about thriving and not merely surviving, so participate and get involved in different sorts of events, public meetings, festivals, seminars and sign up for internships and volunteer. Sometimes you’ll be successful and sometimes you’ll end up making a fool out of yourself, but ultimately you’ll gain experience and that counts.
  5. Swear by these essentials-

– Always keep your Metro card recharged.

– Don’t forget the headphones or else the 20-minute metro ride will feel like an eternity.

– Deodorant is very important. You don’t want to be that smelly kid.

  1. Be friends with the Class Representative– If you want to request your professor to change the extra class timings or want the notes that the teacher floated to be photocopied first, the friendship with dear old CR will come handy. Besides, if you are a busy person and don’t happen to attend classes regularly then the CR will be the most reliable person to update you about the classwork.
  2. Use the college resources- Make the best use of libraries, online database, computers, scanning and printing facilities, bus pass, massive open online course (MOOC’s) and of-cause the Wi-Fi. You will be surprised to know how much you can avail for free!
  3. Go to college no matter what- We may convince ourselves that by missing one day we will catch up on all the reading and complete the pending work. However, going by my experience I can tell that it’s not going to happen, so it’s better you attend the college and at least get the attendance.
  4. Lean to function alone– Okay so college is mostly about friends and togetherness, but sometimes you have to ride solo, so be prepared. It shouldn’t bother you to sit by yourself in the cafeteria or attend some seminar alone. Being alone doesn’t mean being lonely and you must learn to enjoy your own company.
  5. Sit back and relax- It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the negativity, sheer boredom or workload in college. You may feel that you’re not good enough. In that situation, it’s important that you sit back and relax before all the stress gets on your nerves.

 

Niharika Dabral

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DUB Speak

Why November is the worst month to take exams!

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As many of us are busy gearing up for the semester-end exams, there are a few of us at debacle over nonchalantly skimming those textbooks or letting the reins free and giving up to the eternal conspiracy called fall. Care to pause?
Since we are halfway already, you might have as well perceived that November has a magic attached to it. It is a singular mystical month of vivifying charisma and enchantment. You may have realised why it has been aptly marvelled through centuries that this is a month of dreamy blends and ethereal transitions- The classical commixture of the growth with a pertinent hue of decline; fading elements of summer melting into the cajoling winter; the green canopies metamorphosing into the yellow perennial drizzle of leaves and the dryness of summer, restlessness of the rain all majestically making way for the calmness and with it, the silent hustles, the deepening melancholy. This is the time of the year which the fairy tales and dreams are made of. Think fall and you are reminiscent of the floating cloud, the faraway castles shrouded in mysteries, the vivaciously green meadows of some quixotically vivid shrubs dancing in the symphony of the western November breeze, the verdant mountains, the hills clad in the green blankets, the tranquil waters.. Lost, are you?
On the face of it, this is about what one identifies with the fall. This is about why November is a careless month.
But o the wretched fate, just when this euphoria starts caressing your minds, hearts and souls; the antidote of exam is waiting for you. What you just can’t help is giving yourself all those reasons which conclude that November is the worst time of the year for the exams. (P.S. I have no grudge against exams; I just have a fetish for November.)
First and foremost, this is the time of the year which, since eternity has been the most creative period in the eternal cycle of seasons. Come fall and the floodgates of ideas, dreams and visions are shattered open in a sort of conspiracy of the nature.

As Emily Bronte, observes, ” .. Ideas … have gone through and through me, like wine and water, and changed the colour of my mind.” It is only fair to conclude that if not for her ideas which conjured the withering heights, the world would certainly have been a less beautiful place.
So the examinations cruelly restrict the free play of the ideas. The opinions, dreams and ideas, before hitting their respective canvases, are sabotaged in the fear of the last week of November. The very existence of the acrid concept of exam lingering along the cobwebs in those unvisited vicinities of the mind, dissipate any parallel thought-process.

For the next reason, November is the best time for people among us who love to sleep. There, I said it. And believe me, it is a good enough reason, one of the best of reasons. Argue me if you haven’t felt your body surrender every time you close your eyes as much to a blink, to the fragrance of the invisible necromantic force as it sublimely lulls over you, narcotising you and hence taking you to its realms. And this happens invariably, no terms and conditions.

But now if you are done, get over. As the good ‘ol man used to say in schools, ”Go away. You have your exams.”

 

Nikhil Kumar

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Your Beat

The Battle Of Print Versus Digital

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You have been running in this epic race for a very long time, almost since the beginning. Your exhaustion knows no bounds. And now, the semester is about to come to its logical end. Besides that truckload of syllabus already parked in your backyard, there are copious, unread notes, essays and diagrams still crowding the room. Even in those few precious moments before the exams, when your finish line is in plain sight, there is a ton of study material to skim through. It is at these moments that an ancient debate (one involving all teachers and parents) spurs back to life—should you get everything photocopied or download the pdf versions on your phone?

The age of the internet and free wi-fi is here, people and it has got all the students and teachers hooked on to its wireless universe. Random study guides can only take you so far in this era. Education at the university level has itself transformed, especially for the social sciences, where it is impossible for many students to ‘learn’ without Google’s help. “In our college library, one can never find a book in its proper place. Who has the time to scan through all those shelves for one book? I’d rather look for material online,” says a source who would prefer to remain unnamed. There are many who choose the easier, quicker path by downloading books, essays and videos in the digital format.

It is a natural human instinct to fall for freebies. Who wouldn’t be attracted to the prospect of downloading a free pdf instead of splurging five hundred bucks on a book? Many see curriculum books as a waste of money.

But joining in the debate from the other side too are scholars and students who still root for the old-school tradition of libraries and hard copies. “Staring at the screen for a long time causes me a headache,” is their primary slogan. They treasure the ‘feel’ of books instead of intangible pdfs. In fact, if bad comes to worse, they would rather get their notes photocopied than strain their eyes over screenshots and countless pictures on the phone.

And thus the endless battle continues. One side argues for moving on with the times, using free internet resources to save up on (already low) student money. The other side believes that books never went out of style. They would rather get their photocopies and mark important lines using pens, highlighters and pencils—something a pdf does not allow. Even as this debate rages on, it must make us ponder why photocopy shops in DU still make profits despite websites offering free material. In fact, can the internet indeed be a better alternative for explanation than study guides? It should make us think, essentially, how a 21st century college student functions today. Time will be a testament to whether that is a good direction to follow or not.

 

Featured Image Credits: http://thefinalchapterblog.wordpress.com/

Deepannita Misra

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QWERTY

QWERTY: Prepare for your entrance exams with these 4 apps

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The first year of college usually goes in finding where you fit in, the second in cementing the bonds & friendships and the third goes in woes and worries about the future. Although some students take up the campus placements, majority of people prepare to pursue higher studies or to do professional courses. Whatever option they may choose, all of them go through a barrier, known commonly to every college-going, degree-seeking individual as ‘entrance test’. There are different types of entrance tests for different courses and institutions, all of them testing the candidate’s knowledge of a certain field. However, most of these exams have some common sections, which tests one’s general knowledge, English proficiency, etc. The following apps will come to your rescue, so that you don’t have to put too much effort for preparation of these sections:

1. Inshorts – News in 60 words

high-resolution
InShorts

The title says it all. With one of the simplest user interface out there, Inshorts offers the users with the news in the most precise and accurate manner. The news articles are stacked and can be viewed one after another by swiping up. The concise nature of content in the app helps the user stay updated with everything going around the world without getting bored, which the reader feels when going through long articles. The reader can also cover news from various sectors without having to spend a lot of time going through each of them.

2. Slide

Slide
Slide

This is a news app. An average user locks and unlocks his/her phone at least 100-200 times a day. The app banks on this simple activity. The app displays news excerpt on the lock screen. The user has a choice to swipe left and read the whole article or swipe right to continue to the home screen. The title of the article and the news is visible, which in itself, is enough to convey most of the story. This app can also help you stay on top of worldly events. In addition, the app gives 5 paisa every time the user unlocks the screen irrespective of, whether the user opens the article or not.

3. Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.com

This app’s purpose is evident in its name itself. The app helps the user improve and expand their vocabulary through word games and quizzes, which are quite addictive. Gamification, the concept of imparting knowledge through games, has been effectively used in this app. The app also helps you prepare for different standardised tests like SAT, TOEFL, GRE etc. as users can chose which exam they want to prepare for. The app covers everything related to any word, from its origin to pronunciation to meaning.

4. GK Current Affair SSC-IBPS-IAS

GK Current Affair SSC-IBPS-IAS
GK Current Affair SSC-IBPS-IAS

This app is designed with a special focus on Indian entrance exams. It is a complete exam preparation app, which offers everything a candidate might need for the exam, they are preparing for. There is a forum section where user can post question about any doubts regarding any topic they are preparing or answer any doubt question on the forum. The app has complete study material for entrance exams, which include – e-books, question banks etc. The user can also take mock tests to check the level of their preparation.

Kavach Chandra

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Top Picks

How to make the best of the last days before exams

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As exams are just round the corner, a feeling of nauseating anxiety revolves around our minds, inclining us towards stress and tension. Now, with meager time and enormous burden of covering the syllabus, the only way to score decent grades is by realizing that studying ‘hard’ is way more important than studying ‘smart’. The following points will help you in acing the semester, with the minimalistic amount of time left!

 1. Get organized :

The first step is to organise the time schedule in such a way that the last important days are utilized in the best possible way. Note down the maximum amount of time you can devote to studies during the last days. Frame a schedule accordingly.

2. Note down the ‘most’ important things to be covered :

Call up your professor, friend or senior who might have the best knowledge about the subject. Inquire about the important chapter and its contents. Use previous ten years question papers to have an idea about the format and occurrence of questions. Mark them, study them. Summarize all your notes and keep them handy.

3. Highlight :

Now that the time is less, focus on the main headings, underlined words or significant notes. Highlight everything that seems important. Read, memorize, turn to the next page. Don’t spend much time on something that you don’t understand. Mark it, and move on. When you take a break or finish, go through it again or ask a friend.

4. Focus more on ‘understanding’ than on mugging it up:

If you force feed your brains more than it can take, you’re more likely to go blank the next day. Instead of covering too much, understand the concepts and memorize the basics. Relate or link the important points to numbers or alphabets. Focus and learn up the keywords. Elaborate on it later in the exam.

5. Tell yourself you ‘can’ do it :

The only thing that ruins the exams even after proper preparations is nervousness and negativity. Remind yourself to be optimistic about doing well and don’t let stress or fear overcome you.

6. Relax! :

This is where most of the students may lack. Too much syllabus and last day preparations may urge you to stay awake the entire night before the exam. Try avoiding this, because this may cause your brain to be over exhausted, which may prevent you from performing your best on the main day. Have proper food and sleep and give it your best shot with a refreshed mind.

All the best!

Image credits : professorsworld.com

Lovleen Kaur

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