Food for Thought

There are certain foods that do make you smarter. These foods can generally be cheap as well, so absolutely excellent for university or college students living away from home. It is important when studying to improve short term and long term memory. Five foods that are cheap and good for your mind and body include:

#1 Oats

Yes this is what we give horses, but it is also what we make porridge out of for ourselves. Oats contain glucose that is the only sugar the brain can absorb, it is responsible for your concentration and memory. You can buy Oats relatively cheaply from Woolworth's for $1.19 (AUD).

All you need to make porridge is:

• 1 cup of Oats
• 1 cup of milk
• 3 cups of water
• Pinch of salt

Put it all in a pan and cook until boiled.

#2 Rice

Rice is also a good food containing glucose and reasonably cheap. You can cook it for a dinner meal and mix it with beans, carrots, capsicum and fish. The good thing about rice is that it can be stored for the week in a airtight sealed container in the refrigerator and reheated for the rest of the week. Similar to oats it improves concentration and memory.

#3 Fish

Fish have two essential chemicals that are good for your body overall and your brain function. EPA which reduces blood clotting and decreases the chance of heart attacks and DHA which enhances leaning ability and mental development. Tuna is cheap to pick up at any supermarket, it is ok to get the cheap or homebrand tuna or salmon, especially when you are at college or uni. But you can also pick up relatively cheaply frozen fish. Fish is something that can be made for lunch, dinner or a snack, so a really good all round food.

#4 Eggs

The yolk of an egg contains Choline, which makes up the greatest percentage of the brain. This chemical is responsible for memory prompting. Eggs are also cheap to pick up around supermarkets and are a good all round food. A nice quiche recipe involves:

• 3 medium sized eggs
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 finely chopped capsicum
• 2 Tbs of butter or margarine
• Splash of milk
• 1 sheet of puff pastry

Heat the oven to 180o C. Butter a baking dish and place the puff pastry in the dish. Combine all other ingredients and in well together. Pour into the dish and place into the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked right through.

#5 Water

Your brain is made up of about 30% water, therefore it is important to stay hydrated. When you get dehydrated you may increase your memory loss and reduce cognition. Water is the cheapest thing you can drink. Most tap water contains fluoride, which is also good for your teeth. Buying water is an expensive way of drinking, if you are at college of university then it is a good idea to buy a bottle and fill it with tap water.

Goal Planner

My previous post on HSC Student Resources mentioned setting out goals for during and after High School.
Here is a goal planner for those of you that may need an extra hand getting yourself in order for your future. Either in terms of education or life in general. This planner is free to download in a word document or PDF.

Goals Planner by Emily

Assessment grid

In a previous post I mentioned setting up an assessment grid to keep track of your assignments, their due dates, prioritising and organising your semester, as well as seeing how far you have come and how far you have to go. I have created an assessment grid, which is adaptable to your semester and subject offering. It is available for free download for you to get started with the new semester organised. Simply click download below the image or embed if you would like to put it on your blog.

Assignment Grid by Emily

Similar documents are available by Newbie_pro on Scribd. Along with some study notes on brand management and business strategy.

Marketing Students: Brand Management study notes

Here is a link to brand management study notes for a brand management exam. They cover nine pages, reviewing the brand management process in the first two, then trends in brand management and managing brands over time. The notes are $2.99 per copy.
These are the study notes that I used for my exam study. Overall for brand management I got a distinction or 75% to 85%.

The process of brand management covers:

1. Brand Positioning:
1. Brand Mantra
2. Brand elements
2. Marketing Activities
1. IMC
3. Measure and Interpret brand performance
1. ROI
2. Market valuation
3. Income
4. Grow and Sustain brand equity
5. Building strong brands
1. Making brand choices
2. Building relationships
3. Managing brands over time

These marketing notes are detailed and provide a broad overview of what brand management is and how it is used. I hope that you may find the useful.

Relaxation music

Here is a clip I found on YouTube for relaxation music, in relation to my previous blog on exam study. It has helped me with my exam study, helping me relax and concentrate.
The instructions that came with the video are:

1. Put the music on a low volume so it feels like its in the background
2. Focus on the video and just imagine you are on that beach with your desk
3. Imagine the breeze as you sit with your laptop
4. Close your eyes and then take deep breaths for 30 seconds
5. Open your eyes and look at the beach again imagine you are their
6. Now minimise the window and get on with your work with the music in the background

I hope you enjoy

HSC Students

To all you HSC students out there Good Luck in your final year of school. This post is about where you can go for extra resources for your assignments, study notes and exam prep. This post is mainly for Australian students, but you can use these resources still if your not in Australia.

Study Notes for Exams

There are a number of free resources where you can get study notes for your subjects. These include:

• Bored of Studies: This site offers students the chance to interact with other people completing their HSC all over the country. There are free study notes provided, guides to university or tare and tips and tricks about the HCS papers.
• NSW HSC Online: This is an initiative by Charles Sturt University to provide HSC students with information on writing for exams, study information and resources and some short study notes for  55 subjects in the HSC, including Business Studies, Economics, Ancient History and various languages. There is also good information about how to write for your exams and your options after school.
• Board of Studies ARC: This site provides information on assessments in the HSC, including multiple choice questions and provides links to syllabus documents and past HSC papers.
• Sydney University CCE: They provide preparation courses for HSC students in NSW, as well as a guide to getting through the HSC.

It is good to start early in your preparation for exams and assignments. This will help you to get the higher marks in your class, school or state.

After High School

When you finish high school you may feel a big void in your life for about a month or two, I know I had this and so did a number of my friends. It is a good idea to have a plan for after school, what type of career you want, where you may want to work (location and firm wise) and what areas of interest have you had in school that may help you reach your goals.

Create a goal planner for yourself and hang in up on your door. Have a look at courses at university or tafe, this will give you an idea of the performance measures you need to reach in your final year of school. You can also have a look at the Jobs Guide which has information on almost all occupations you could think of and what education and training you will need to enter that career.

You can get information on specific university courses from your specific state or territories University Admission Centre.

Good Luck to everyone with their Exams and Future

Study for exams

Ok so your exams are coming up. What are you looking for? A pass, credit, distinction...high distinction. Whatever you are looking for you will need to have some good study habits.

Tip #1: Have a clean study area
Ever heard Cleanliness is next to Godliness? Well cleanliness helps you organise your thoughts and prepare for you study. Have everything in its place, pens ready for use, highlighters full of ink, paper ready etc.
Having a clean study environment helps you get organised but also helps you get into the right frame of mind to do your work.

Tip #2: Set up a study plan