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A list of five TED Talks to inspire you for the upcoming exams

By Nishita Agarwal May 1, 2016

The period before and during exams can be tricky as you come across the fleeting nature of human motivation. There are days when you’re immensely focused and are doing everything by the schedule and then there are days where you are questioning your existence while lying on the bed, not able to face the pile of books which are yet to be read. So, for the latter sort of days, here’s a list of five inspirational TED Talks, sure to evoke your slumbering motivation and help you ace this semester.

1. For a change of perspective

Many a times, we become so engulfed in the petty problems of our day to day life that we forget about the people fighting and trying to overcome even bigger obstacles with twice our enthusiasm and positivity. Here’s a video by Amy Purdy, who loved to skateboard and travel. She wanted her life to be a series of adventures till an unexpected disease made her lose both her legs below the knee. Witness the journey which made her believe that her legs didn’t disable her but rather enabled her to achieve her goals and dreams.

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2QZM7azGoA” width=”500″ height=”300″]

2. Developing grit and a stronger work-ethic

Angela Lee Duckworth is a management consultant turned New York maths teacher who talks about how the ability to learn is not fixed and can change with your effort. She believes that the formula to do well at life isn’t IQ or the ability to learn things quickly but is ‘grit’

“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals,” she says. “Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8″ width=”500″ height=”300″]

3. Changing stress from a foe to a friend

Kelly McGonigal, PhD and a health psychologist, has a golden rule to make life easier: Make stress your friend. She says that when you change your approach towards stress, you can change your body’s response towards stress, as well. So, stress doesn’t need to be a dreaded thing. Rather, we all can embrace and appreciate it.

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU” width=”500″ height=”300″]

4. To avoid procrastination

We’re all guilty of this, aren’t we? I say this while writing an article just a few hours before my deadline. So, to make us understand more about this oh-so-familiar habit, we have a video of Tim Urban, explaining about procrastination through the amusing characters inside our heads. There is an ‘instant gratification money’ telling us to to enjoy and be carefree and then there’s the ‘rational decision maker’ who wants to secure our future. He also outlines some very helpful tips to beat this habit, provided you don’t procrastinate to apply them in your own life.

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU” width=”500″ height=”300″]

5. For a visual treat and rejuvenation

Louie Schwartzberg’s time-lapse photography will leave you in a state of awe. His project ‘Happiness Revealed’ will make you realise the importance of ‘today’ and how an appropriate response to the present day should only be gratefulness and gratitude.

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lXYZ6s3Dfk” width=”500″ height=”300″]

Image credits: youtube.com

Nishita Agarwal

DUB Speak

Difference in attitudes towards exams during various semesters

By Ayesha Sareen April 29, 2016

Exams come and go every semester but in a three – year graduation program, the question papers are always welcomed with a unique expression by the students. To put it more clearly, all students of the second, fourth and sixth semesters have their own special attitudes towards the Delhi University examinations in May.

Semester 2:

These are the one-semester-down lot who have not yet understood the system. Still fresh-on-campus, appearing for just one round of exams doesn’t make you very comfortable with the whole idea of college examinations. A few of them are currently being frowned upon or looked at with jealous eyes, because they have scored quite exorbitantly in the first semester. There are also those who are quite scared of what happened in the previous semester results. Both the latter and the former categories are gearing up with full gusto for the coming month. The behaviour of semester 2 students generally reminds me of freshly hatched turtles who are moving towards the sea, unaware of what might hit them on the way. These are the naïve group of people who, as of now, have not decided what future in DU will be like for them. They’re just too new to the system.

Semester 4:

They are dead meat! They know that their performance in the past, whether good or bad, doesn’t mean anything; irrespective of their past record, they have to score well again because averages are important. These are the ones who have got used to DU and are gearing up for internships and coaching for third – year entrances. Most of them have even begun their MBA preparations. Their interests and attention are divided between exams and forwarding resumes and filling out forms for internships. Many are even preparing planned structures of their career paths, under their parents’ watchful glances. There are also those carefree ones who wish to take life as it comes. They are indifferent about their score and have another year to think about their future. Generally, Sem 4 students are in a dilemma of sorts and are uncertain about their future, but being seniors to the first years, don’t let their guards down.

Semester 6:

These are the veterans. They still don’t know how DU comes up with its question papers and syllabi but are too tired to do anything about it. At the same time they also care about their percentage as their life depends on it. Their attitude is more like ‘Oh God, please maintain my average and let me pass all subjects’. Half of them have already figured out the next year or two for themselves. Many are even sidelining their exams because entrances are undoubtedly more important. Quite a few have jobs in their hands and know that further studies will come after some practical experience. These are the people everybody is looking up to. They have everything to lose. They have been bid adieu to and have nothing to lose. They are being consulted for advice. What nobody knows is that they are the most tense and anxious right now. It is the end of a journey for them, especially for the erstwhile FYUP batch that got the bad end of a bargain.

Whatever semester you might belong to, it’s time to prepare with gusto and to say goodbye to another semester on a happy note. Happy exams!

Feature Image: sacap.edu.za

Ayesha Sareen

DUB Speak

Competition, a threat to learning

By DU Beat January 14, 2016

The sense of competition is a poison instilled in our minds so fiercely that we seem to lose touch with the concept of analysing our personal progress. Ever since we started working hard for achieving anything, be it grades, prizes or anything, we are constantly reminded of how much someone else is getting as compared to us. When I was a kid, I first had my personal objection on the column of “highest marks obtained” in our report cards. The only question that kept nagging was why and how can I compare my improvement by a standard set up by someone else? We are always told to score the best, do our best. What we seem to overlook is the very sense of our honest hard work and the result that presents us our calibre.

Every semester, the same story does it rounds. We give our exams and wait for the results and then as soon as we get them, the first thing everyone looks up for is the highest marks scored and by whom. I wonder why people can not compare their progress by what they got in the previous semester. Every time, it is the same old thing. You do your best, get the result and then compare it with others and insult yourself for being yourself. In this world of competitions, it is suffocating to be happy and satisfied with what you get. It’s not only our parents or teachers who are concerned with the highest or lowest, but even us. It’s a mandatory ritual that is followed. Those who scored less are bashed up and insulted. Sadly no one ever bothers to even scrutinize the insides but just the papers. Meanwhile the ones who really do score well get a chance to feed their ego.

It is said to not compare, for if you do, you are only insulting yourself. But there comes a point when you feel insulted and pathetic when over your batch group people start discussing someone else’s result; the one that scored the highest last time and how it has deteriorated this time. It’s derogatory especially when that someone else is a part of the group. It is not only rude and stupid but indeed a pathetic act. Comparisons and competitions have the ability of making a person feel dissatisfied and incapable of everything they could do or have done. Due to this constant reminder of competition and the ever lasting impression of beating others, most of us have assumed education as a system of mugging up and pouring it out on sheets than actual learning and understanding. Our generation is so heavily influenced by the standards others have set up for them that they overlook their personal development and start rushing for the undesirable. Most of the students fall prey to acts of dishonesty and cheating. Carrying chits or looking up to your partner for answers is the very evidence of how much we have lost the correct sense of education. Indeed, competition and the want of being the highest scorer are blunting the edge of learning. Marks only present to you what you could do in three hours. Life and educations is not limited to three hours.

From primary school to the life in college, this poison seems to be an inevitable enemy to me. This idea of highest scorer and being a topper seems absurd to me. It’s hard to find people who actually learn and understand. This poison constantly controls and limits the growth, development and progress of a person. We all have heavily compromised on our broad scope of growth just to focus on reaching the column of “highest marks scored”. Every student these days need to understand the importance of improvement, personal growth, and development. Marks have narrowed down our capabilities and the broad frame of possibilities. This needs to be replaced and understood. Marks are a way of analysing a person’s personal growth and not a race to be won or lost.

Guest post by Afeefa Nishaat

Top Picks

3 things to keep in mind before starting a new semester

By Sidharth Yadav December 15, 2015

A new semester is either a dreadful or a pleasant opportunity for the Delhi University students. Irony hangs heavy when the experience of going through ‘Board Exams’ every six months has students on the extreme ends of the stress spectrum. Either they are stressed and anxious right from the beginning or are ‘casual’ about the supposedly serious things. For both kinds of people, here are three things to keep in mind for a new semester

1. Setting a target

Right from the beginning, set your goals for a new semester or just set the goal of not setting any after all. Changing things midway won’t land you either way. If you decide to achieve something by the end of the semester, then strive for it. If you decide to drop goals in the middle then there was no point in the beginning to start and pursue them. Realising what can be a realistic goal is important and no exterior force can bring this realisation.

2. Balancing social and academic lives

This realm haunts most of the DU students. The act of balancing here requires being or getting smart enough to be aware of what’s to be done when. Although a person can balance both of them efficiently, the supposed efficiency proves to be detrimental for both the areas. It needs to be understood that in a time frame, only one area needs to be focused on. Focusing on both the areas at the same time would involve a lot of juggling.

3. Figuring out the way to score

After results of a semester are declared, one understands the plus and the minus of the academic system. It is wise to discuss the extrapolation regarding the techniques to score with your college mates. Developing a concrete notion on scoring before starting a semester is always helpful.

Image credits: http://blogs.simmons.edu/

Top Picks

The #1 post exams to-do list

By DU Beat December 10, 2015

What now, once the ordeal is over? Nothing planned? Well take some hints from us, and live a little after the torture of a month.

1. Work/Internship

While mostly applications have to be submitted well-in-advance, you may still be able to find work or pursue an internship after your exams. It is a great opportunity to learn something and add it to your CV, and even a better way to make contacts in the industry.

2. Join a course

There are enough online/offline courses in the market. Go and learn something that helps you in future or maybe just boosts your interest. It does not have to be academic only.

3. Go on a trip

While road trips are the quickest and easiest, even visiting your extended family is not a bad option. A trip or maybe just a change of atmosphere will refresh you, and even give you a new zeal for the term ahead.

4. Binge on TV/Movies/Books

It is the right time to visit or re-visit those characters and their journeys that you patiently waited for all this time. Start reading a new series, after having devoted time to your course for six months. Relax and have the time of your life.

5. Social Service

It is harmless to utilize your time by teaching or volunteering for an NGO. It may just give a purpose to your life. Or just go to an orphanage or old-age home, and spend some quality time with people you don’t know. It will not only make you feel better, but will bring a smile to somebody else’s face.

6. Research

No matter what year you are in, it is never too late or too early to look up the internet. Even if you are sure, what you want to do in life and what your career will be, search options and maybe probable routes to achieve your dreams. Gain some knowledge and be surprised, if not confused!

Finally, sleep. You deserve it.

Ayesha Sareen

Image credits: http://24.media.tumblr.com/

Sex Amma

Sex Amma: Can exams get in the way of intimacy?

By DU Beat November 24, 2015

Q. Dear Amma I have been seeing this guy for a few months now, but due to exams our dates have reduced. I am afraid that due to spending less time together he might end up losing interest in me. How can I prevent that?

A. Aiyyo my troubled idli! Do not let your inner insecurity lead you astray.

Foremost, there is no guarantee that you might suffer a dry phase in your relationship due to exams and reduced date time. So little idli shun away your inhibitions and let technology come to your rescue. Sexting can keep the fire burning even if you can’t meet that often. Secondly, with exams just a fortnight away it is imperative for you to focus on completing your syllabus and urge him to do the same or atleast reach an understanding that this is just a phase and will last for a few weeks!

The trick is to strike a balance, without letting your focus slip you can manage to maintain a healthy relationship. But it is also important for you to understand this little idli; exams do require a little sacrifice and that it never goes in vain. Do not fret, reduced dates will not harm your relationship especially due to exams, Amma suggests you pull out the big guns and go all in for your exam prep because the time nigh!

Amma wishes all her hardworking macchis best of luck for exams!

To send in your queries to Sex Amma email us at [email protected]. We respect your confidentiality as much as you do.

DUB Speak

University Exams v/s School Exams: Spot the Difference

By Shubham Kaushik November 17, 2015

College changes a lot of things and it also understandably changes the way you take exams. Come November end, an entire batch of first years will be taking University exams for the first time. Despite having given exams (a lot of them) all throughout school life, they are bound to feel a little unprepared for it. They should too. The preparation and pattern of a University exam is pretty different than that of a most school exams. From the perspective of an erstwhile under-CBSE Science student and current Economics student, here are 5 reasons how University Exams are different than school exams:

Pace of the Semester and Syllabus Completion:

Remember how in school the syllabus was finished weeks before the exams actually began? Yeah, that’s not usually true for college exams. You’ll often find teachers scrambling to finish their syllabus and asking for extra classes. You can’t blame them either, with all the activities and mass-bunks, the teachers find themselves with a lot less classes than actually allotted to them. For first years especially, the pace of the first semester will be tremendous. Expected to adjust to a lot of changes- new subjects and what not- you might find yourself face to face with them a lot more abruptly than comfortable, unlike the much more paced out school years.

There’s no one book:

For CBSE students, NCERT in Class XI and XII (and pretty much always) was The Holy Bible, The Bhagvad Gita, and every other important book you can think of. The cons (and sort of a pro) of college is that you’ll be referring to several books, all of which will be big and expensive, thus making it difficult for you to buy all of them, let alone one. Unless you’re a misinformed pseudo-intellectual like I was, you’d have embraced the photocopied relevant portions of all books (called ‘readings’). The issue with readings is that it never achieves the flow or uniformity of a book. Each author uses different symbols for different variables and asks you to refer to previous chapters for concepts which portion isn’t there from that same book, leading to a little bit of confusion. The advantage is that the same concept is explained in a number of ways and since you know the relevant books, you can look them up in the library and refer to the one which works for you the best. College exams, or any exam, at the end of the day, are about your concepts.

The amount you’ll care about them:

I don’t know about you but I took exams way more seriously in school than I do in college. Whether it’s about a change in perspective, priorities or having found things more important than academics (internships, societies, social work and others), your college life won’t revolve around your studies unless you very consciously want it to. You’ll study for exams as you should, but you will feel a difference in the motivation you have for studying. The reason for this could be anything from lack of interaction with your teachers (which served as a motivating factor for me during school) to lack of time.

With the semester exams not that far away, it’s imperative to dust off those books and sharpen pencils for a few weeks of toil, no matter how well or little you studied throughout the semester. To first years: you got this. It’s not that tough. Spend your time studying rather than freaking out about it. To us seasoned not-first years: another semester, another exam season. You’ve got this figured out now. Stick to what works, change what doesn’t. See you on the other side!

Featured Image: vox.com

Shubham Kaushik

DUB Speak

Abandoning these 5 habits may help you save the semester

By DU Beat November 16, 2015

We’re all soon about to take our college exams and this time should be ideally dedicated to studies. Yes, I said ideally and yes, I know this isn’t the reality. But to nail these exams (or even pass them, quite frankly) there are some habits which are getting the better of us and need to abandoned before our exams start.

1. Binge- watching

It’s the most common and the most time consuming addiction of our generation. We have numerous seasons of one sitcom and want to complete all of them in one go. So, I think the first and the foremost habit that we need to let go of, is this. Let’s pledge to not start any new series or watch any new movie even if they may sound as interesting as How to Get Away with Murder’s season 2. (I think I’m getting off the point here)

2. WhatsApp

We tell ourselves that we’re only going online to ask one question from a friend and soon one hour has passed, that question is unanswered because your friend also had no clue about it and you’re sharing the links of funny videos or sending each other 9GAG memes. Try and control this habit. You have a pile of books still untouched and wasted time will only make you regret later.

3. Switching between Instagram/ Snapchat or any other Social networking platform

The constant habit of checking your phone every five minutes to see the latest pictures posted on Instagram by celebrities or checking Twitter for their tweets is futile. Also, snapchatting your friend about how much you need to study won’t really help either. Your attention gets divided and you’re more concerned about getting a reply than to complete the chapter.

4. Fantasising about the places to visit after exams

It’s the most common habit of us all. We go on Zomato, make a group on WhatsApp and start sharing the possible options of all the cafes that we can try after exams end. The only problem here is that, syllabus isn’t complete, exams are near and this planning may as well cost you both, time and marks.

5. Procrastination

Everyone is familiar with this habit. This habit is the reason behind the shift of your plan from completing five chapters in five days to completing all of them in 5 hours. Try this semester to not procrastinate. It sends all of us in a panic at the last minute making us unsure even about the syllabus we had completed earlier.

Nishita Agarwal

Image credits: https://mvancise1.files.wordpress.com

Top Picks

Studying for the Internet Generation

By Shubham Kaushik November 16, 2015

The internet and mobile apps fuel a lot of things in our life- TV show binges, fangirling (-boying, – appropriate gender terms), random curious google searches. With the semester exams looming ahead (yeah I know, it’s that time already), we bring you 5 internet resources to fuel your study sessions instead:

1. Online Flash Cards:

Flash Cards are widely used by students to familiarize themselves with important definitions and concepts to accelerate revision and study sessions. They can be used for anything from vocabulary, to definitions of terms and compact flow-charts of processes to important graphs or figures. There are tons of online resources available to make and print your own flash cards. And if you’re not about the DIY life, you might just find flashcards made by students like yourself on platforms like studyblue.com! (web.colby.edu)

2. Studyblrs:

If your notes and messy and you cannot make sense of them but you lack inspiration to actually make notes you’d like to study from, studyblrs are what you’re looking for. They are basically tumblr blogs (hence, studyblr= study+tumblr) dedicated to pictures of very well organised notes, flashcards and stationary, which will make you want to pull out your sheets and highlighters and coloured pens to make neat and attractive notes, because hey, we all do store some importance in how things look, right? Go to tumblr.com/tagged/studyblr, be inundated with motivation and follow whichever blogs you like!

3. Apps like FocusON:

If you find yourself distracted by constant WhatsApp messages, Facebook and Instagram notifications and you lack the self-control to keep your phone aside, or desperately have to use your phone for looking up information, apps like FocusON would work well for you. FocusON lets you choose whatever apps and websites you want to block and then asks you to set a time-period for the block. And during that block, you won’t be shown any notifications from the said apps and, what’s more, if you try and open them, you’ll be treated to stuff like:

“Q- Where do Math teachers go on vacation?

A- To Times Square. Had a laugh? Now stop typing and get back to work”

4. Study Playlists:

When distracted and fidgety, listening to certain albums or playlists can be very therapeutic because they incentivize me to stay in place and to keep writing and making my notes. If you’re not doing something that requires immense concentration, like understanding a brand new concept (because obviously you missed the class), putting on a study playlist can be awesome. You can even time yourself through setting goals of completing a certain number of questions or getting through a certain number of pages in the course of one playlist. There are amazing study playlists of softer, just instruments based songs on 8tracks and YouTube. Better still, if that doesn’t work for you, make your own! As long as you don’t end up jamming instead of studying, everything works.

5. Youtube videos:

Did you know that YouTube can be used for more than watching music videos and random viral videos? *gasps* Several YouTube channels have videos which will be able to give you an overview of certain topics of your syllabus, if not explain to you the entire thing. I find it helpful to watch a video of the concept before I delve into studying it, to give me an idea of what’s in store, especially if it’s a topic I missed in class. As an economics student, channels like ‘The Economics Detective’ or ‘Economics is fun’ prove to be helpful. You’ll even chance upon entire lectures by professors of different universities. So go on and type the name of that concept in the search bar and get learning!

Feature Image Credits: sandweisstestprep.com

Shubham Kaushik