Best Studying Techniques & Tips

Exams and assessments are really stressful so it’s important to know exactly how to make the most out of your time to do well in them! I know that I do get really nervous but doing everything in the list below has helped calm my nerves down before every exam and leaves me feeling completely prepared!

This was a scientific study done by some researchers and they found that the most common ways of studying are actually the least effective out of all.

L e a s t  E f f e c t i v e

1. Highlighting — including underlining textbooks and other materials
2. Rereading
3. Summarisation
4. Keyword mnemonics — the use of keywords and mnemonics to help remind students of course material
5. Imagery use for text learning — creating mental images to remind students of material

M o d e r a t e l y  E f f e c t i v e

1. Elaborative interrogation — uses “why” questions to get students to make connections between new and old material.
2. Self-explanation — prompting students to provide their own explanations for problems while learning material
3. Interleaved practice — mixing different kinds of problems or material in one study session

H i g h l y  E f f e c t i v e

1. Practice testing — any form that allows students to test themselves, including using actual or virtual flashcards, doing problems or questions at the end of textbook chapters, or taking practice tests.
2. Distributed practice — studying material over a number of relatively short sessions. Studying in 30 to 50 minute intervals with 10 minute breaks in between is the most effective way to retain information!

♡ Use page tabs when studying textbooks. This will make it so much more convenient for you to access certain topics and information, especially when it comes to later in a term or semester when you would have covered so much information that you forget where it is in the book!

♡ This may not be for everyone but for me, using colour helps a lot! I like to colour coordinate my notes so that it is more visually appealing to read. If it’s all monochromatic, I find that it looks incredibly boring and I will not want to look at it! =P

♡ Prepare stationery and extra equipment the night before! Make sure you bring extra pens and pencils in case they run out during an exam. A calculator is also a must for certain subjects so make sure you remember to bring it if it’s necessary!

♡ Get a good night’s rest! Your brain actually retains information better during sleep so it’s important that you don’t do an all nighter the day before an exam! Make sure you start studying earlier so you don’t need to and you will be able to sleep better knowing that you’ve prepared in advance

♡ Eat good food during the day leading up to your exam! Your mind needs fuel to function just like the rest of your body does and it’s important to provide your body with the proper nutrients it needs to work at its best!

♡ Don’t cram information into your head right before it’s time to enter an examination room (or even just for studying in general)! It can make you feel even more nervous and can cause doubts that you won’t be able to remember anything during the exam

♡ Take a deep breath and relax! You have studied as hard as you can and that is the best you can do! =)

I hope you found this post helpful! Study hard and ace your assessments!

Review: Beauteque Mask Maven (April)

First of all, I would like to mention in advance that I was sent this for review purposes but that does not, in any way, shape or form influence my opinions or thoughts! My reviews will always be completely honest and genuine. =)

For some background on the company, Beauteque offers a monthly subscription service, where you can try out 9 to 11 masks every month at an affordable price. The bags do not only contain sheet masks but also hand and feet, hair, wash-off masks and many more. With this subscription, you get to try out a variety of different masks and it is the perfect way to test out new products. With the overwhelming number of different masks sold by Asian companies, it can be really difficult to figure out which ones you want to try because the options are endless. However, this subscription makes the choice for you!

The packaging is really simple but organised! The masks are sealed inside a mesh bag. This April’s bag contains 9 different masks from various different companies, which you can see below.

If you wish to try out the service, there are a range of options for you to choose from:

1. Month to month at $16 per month
2. 3 months at $16 per month
3. 6 months at $15 per month
4. 12 months at $14 per month

The prices are very reasonable and the subscription itself is fantastic value considering that each mask will come down to less than $2 each! If you do decide to subscribe, keep in mind that billing occurs on the 20th of every month if you choose the first option. If you subscribe after the 10th of the month, you will receive next month’s bag! Bags get shipped out on the 20th of each month. =)

Overall, I would recommend this service for anyone who has any interest in masks! Whether you are new to trying masks or have been using them for many years, it is a great affordable service that I know all of you would enjoy!

⟪ Click here to start your monthly subscription! ⟫

I will personally be doing a few first impression reviews of the masks as I go through them so be on the lookout for those! For now, I can only give a rating for the service, which definitely has no flaws in it at all!

♡ Very Mini Haul: YSL Lipsticks!

When my parents went overseas a few weeks ago, I told them that I wanted some YSL lipsticks because I’ve always been a huge fan of them but considering that they are almost double the price here in Australia, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity for them to pick some up while they were overseas! Originally they asked if I wanted the YSL Rouge Pur Glossy Lip Stain trio that is sold in Duty Free Airlines exclusively but because you don’t get to pick the colours, they decided to purchase these lipsticks individually! =)

The packaging of the lipsticks themselves is just absolutely gorgeous. It looks luxurious because of the gold casing and I love the detailing in the middle. It has got to be one of my most favourite packagings ever! The shades I got seem the same in the tube but they are very, very different as you can see in the swatches!

R o u g e  V o l u p t e  S h i n e  ( 8  P i n k  I n  C o n f i d e n c e )

The first lipstick is in the ‘shine’ formulation so it is a lot sheerer and has a beautiful glossy finish to it. It feels really moisturising on the lips and the colour looks very natural on me. =) It’s the kind of shade that I would classify as a natural my lips but better. It’s an easy colour to wear for everyday and it pairs well with absolutely any eye makeup. It doesn’t last all day but it is easy to reapply!

R o u g e  V o l u p t e  S i l k y – S e n s u a l  R a d i a n t  ( 9  R o s e  C a r e s s e )

The second lipstick has the standard creamy formulation and it has amazing pigmentation. I love using this shade as a stain for everyday wear and only a little bit of product is needed to achieve a soft look. I like to apply it to the centre of my lips then use a lip brush to blend it out. The texture is so buttery and is completely comfortable to wear. The colour is so flattering and I find myself reaching for it a lot when I want a pop of colour on the lips, but it isn’t too out there at the same time!

Overall, I am beyond pleased with these lipsticks and I have been using them so much. In the future, I will do FOTDs so you can see how they look on my lips but the swatches are very true to colour! I would love to know if you have tried YSL lipsticks before and which ones are your favourite! ♡

Review: Missha Jewel Star Eyes in 05 Pecan Pie & 06 Lovely Chocolate

I have been absolutely loving cream eyeshadows lately and I thought I would do a review on these ones by Missha! =) The packaging is quite standard. They come in a glass container with a black screw top lip. Each come with 25 grams of product, which is a large amount considering how little is needed to achieve great pigmentation. The texture is quite interesting, they’re quite hard but are soft to the touch at the same time. They do not feel creamy at all though!

Left: 05 Pecan Pie; Right: 06 Lovely Chocolate

Both of the shades swatch beautifully and are highly pigmented. They also both have a significant amount of glitter in them so if you don’t enjoy glittery eyeshadows then these would not be for you! Pecan Pie is a medium golden brown with gold glitter and Lovely Chocolate is a deep chocolate with silver glitter.

Applied 06 Lovely Chocolate all over the lids as a simple one eyeshadow look

Lovely Chocolate applies really evenly and easily. I just use my fingers to apply these! The colour is buildable and layers really well. However, I find that Pecan Pie just leaves glitter on the eyelids. It doesn’t appear on your eyes as it does in the hand swatch. It is still pretty (considering I do like glitter) but I know that it is a shade a lot of people would be disappointed with. They also do not last the entire day but this might be because I have oily lids so it’s difficult to come across products that don’t crease on me without a primer!

Overall, these can be a hit or miss in terms of performance. I haven’t tried the other shades but considering that the two I have perform quite differently, I can only assume that the other shades would be inconsistent as well. I will continue to use these as a base because they do work well for that purpose! However, they do not last all day by themselves. If you do have drier eyelids then I do not think you will have an issue with these. =)

♡ Great colour payoff

♡ Large amount of product

♡ Works great as an eyeshadow base

♡ Does not last all day

♡ Application of colours inconsistent

How Do I Look? Tag

Thank you for creating and tagging me to do this Bella and Nina! This is a great tag to actually know how the person behind all the blogs look like physically! I know a lot of you are writers, artists or do other creative posts and don’t show your faces in pictures etc, which is totally fine! But I’m a visual person and I’m always curious to see what all of your beautiful faces look like! =D I tag all of you to do this!

1. What colour is your hair?
My hair is balayaged with a darker brown base and transitions to a light/medium golden brown.

2. Any highlights?
Nope, I don’t have any. =O I think subtle highlights look really pretty though!

3. How long is your hair?
It’s a bit more than halfway down my back! I’m debating on how long I actually want it to be at the moment.

4. How is it cut?
I haven’t cut my hair in over a year and a half now. =O But I would describe it as a side parted straight cut? LOL I have no idea. o_o I’m not sure of the technical hair term for my hair.

5. What’s your skin tone?
I’m light-medium! =) When it’s cold and I’m not out in the sun a lot, I’m definitely quite pale.

6. Any freckles?
Nope, I have none!

7. Eye colour?
Dark brown!

8. How tall are you?
I’m 167cm or 5’5″! I wish I could grow 3cm more so the number wouldn’t bother me so much LOL.

9. What is the shape of your eyes?
I guess I would say they’re round!

10. What is the shape of your face?
I have an oval-shaped face.

11. Is your hair straight, curly, wavy, or frizzy? Thick or thin?
My hair is straight as soon as I brush it out but if I sleep with my hair slightly damp, I do wake up with some beachy waves. And my hair is incredibly thick!

Review: Rimmel Apocalips in Nova

Today I will be reviewing Rimmel Apocalips in the shade Nova! According to Rimmel, they are supposed to be “intense rich colour of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin smooth shine“. I own a more brighter shade from the range but it’s a colour I don’t reach for often because it is a little too intense so I wanted to try out a more wearable shade. I really dislike the scent of this, it has the classic strong lipstick smell to it! It doesn’t linger all day though so I’m able to deal with it. =)

Left: Bare lips; Right: Regular application

The colour is actually a tad bit brighter than it is coming off across in the photos. I personally find it to be a really wearable medium pink shade! It’s definitely not a ‘natural’ shade like it appears in the picture but it is a great colour to wear for everyday if you enjoy wearing pink on your lips. =) I find that it accentuates any patchiness on the lips so you do have to make sure your lips are smooth and exfoliated before applying it.

The wear time on this is quite good! The glossiness fades and it leaves a nice light stain on the lips. I can only imagine how great the stain will be with the darker shades! However, the issue I have is that because the glossiness wears off, any dry patches get accentuated even more! Because of this, it does feel uncomfortable and drying after a few hours.

♡ Fantastic pigmentation

♡ Great colour range

♡ Affordable price

♡ Great as a stain

♡ Accentuates dry and flaky lips

♡ Application can be a bit messy

♡ Scent isn’t good

Update: Life & Changes To Blogging Schedule

Hi everyone! I just wanted to do a bit of an update on my blog as a heads up on why my posts will be a little infrequent for a short while!

I’m so devastated to say that I won’t be able to upload a new post every single day for the time being! I’ve got a lot on my plate right now especially with it being the middle of semester so I have a lot of assessments to work on. =( I’ve also been attempting to get more involved in extracurricular activities so that has added another load onto my list of things to do. I had a goal to maintain daily posts but I knew that at some point this would become really hard! I’m quite surprised but proud that I have been able to post everyday for almost 3 months though, I never would’ve thought I would have so much to say HAHA. =P

Of course, I will still be on WordPress everyday to like and comment on your posts because I always have at least 5 minute breaks throughout the day but I just don’t have enough time to prepare and write posts right now. =( Once things cool down a bit, I will definitely start posting everyday again because that was a commitment I wanted to make with my blog! =) For now, I will be posting as often as I can but it will be every other day or every 3 days!

Thank you guys so much for your support and I really hope you understand! I will still be around to interact with all of you, just more through your posts and not on my own! I can also talk with you all through Twitter too so follow me on there! ♡

Review: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist

Please excuse the state of my gloss balm. As I stated in my haul, I accidentally opened the lid too roughly and it completely tore it off. =(

Watermelon twist is a bright pinky red shade that is so perfect for the spring and summer in my opinion. Even though it’s autumn here, I still like to wear my fun pink lip shades! I think it is very easy to pull off and would suit everyone.

The lip colour does last a long time if you don’t eat any oily foods but it’s not a colour you can expect to last the entire day because it’s just a gloss balm. As you can see, it leaves a decent pink stain but it just gets rid of the glossiness and at this point, it does feel a little bit drying!

Overall, I do like this gloss balm if I’m looking for something quick and easy to apply. However, it is not extremely moisturising as I was expecting so it is not a must have in my opinion. However, they have some pretty colours in the range and it is not overly priced so I think it is still a nice lip product to add to your collection! =)

♡ Easy to apply

♡ Great colour payoff

♡ Natural, glossy finish

♡ Long lasting (without eating oily food)

♡ Really soft so can break easily

♡ Starts to feel drying after balminess wears off

TMI Tag!

Thank you for tagging me to do this Alyssa! This is definitely the best tag to do if you want your readers to get to know you better hehe.

1. What are you wearing?
At the moment, I’m wearing dress PJs. =P

2. Ever been in love?
Nope!

3. Ever had a terrible breakup?
Nope, I haven’t!

4. How tall are you?
I am 167cm (5’5″)!

5. How much do you weigh?
I haven’t weighed myself in the longest time, I have no clue but I would say somewhere between 55 and 60kg.

6. Any tattoos?
No but I do want a small one someday!

7. Any piercings?
Only my ears! I do want to get others though.

8. OTP (One True Pairing)?
It will forever be Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl.

9. Favourite show? 
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is really hilarious but I’m also enjoying Pretty Little Liars at the moment. How to Get Away with Murder is amazing too if you haven’t seen it. Of all time, Breaking Bad is definitely one of my favourites!

10. Favourite bands?
I don’t really have any at the moment! I was a huge fan of Big Bang though. If you know K-pop then there is no way you don’t know who they are!

11. Something you miss?
High school because of how much less stressful it was compared to now!

12. Favourite song?
At the moment I don’t have one.

13. How old are you?
19, turning 20 in July this year! =)

14. Zodiac sign?
Cancer. I don’t really follow astrology though! Only 50% of what they say for my sign actually relates to me!

15. Quality you look for in a partner?
Respectful, kind, passionate/driven, manly and has a good sense of humour!

16. Favourite quote?
All my favourite quotes are in this post here!

17. Favourite actors?
This is tough! I guess I really like Will Smith and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

18. Favourite colour?
Pink!

19. Loud music or soft?
I always like my music loud! =P

20. Where do you go when you’re sad?
I’ll usually just stay in my bed.

21. How long does it take you to shower?
It will take me 10 minutes if I’m washing my hair otherwise around 5 minutes!

22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
It takes me around 15 minutes if I’m just getting ready for uni but if I’m going out for the day then it can take up to 30 minutes.

23. Ever been in a physical fight?
Nope, never! Unless you count those typical sibling fights LOL.

24. Turn on?
Main thing is being respectful and kind to not only me but to everyone else. Physically, smelling good and having great fashion sense!

25. Turn off?
Arrogance is probably the biggest one for me!

26. The reason I joined Youtube?
I haven’t joined Youtube yet but I would love to! If I change the question to why I started blogging then the reason why I joined was because I wanted a creative outlet in my life! =)

27. Fears?
Failure and being in the middle of open water, especially if sharks are involved.

28. Last thing that made you cry?
I actually laughed so hard at something that I cried LOL. Something happened at the gym! =P

29. Last time you said you loved someone?
My friend on the phone!

30. Meaning behind your YouTube name?
‘Dorkchops’ was just something I came up with a long time ago and I’ve stuck with it ever since then! It doesn’t really have any particular meaning, I just thought it was cute LOL.

31. Last book you read?
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent. Wow it’s the same book I have been talking about since I first starting blogging LOL. I need to read more! =P

32: The book you’re currently reading?
I’m not reading any books at the moment!

33. Last show you watched?
Fresh Off the Boat! It’s a new series I started watching.

34. Last person you talked to?
My older brother just to greet each other in the morning! =P

35. The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
My uni buddy hehe, discussing our homework LOL.

36. Favourite food?
I just enjoy all healthy and nutritious food, I don’t have a specific favourite!

37. Place you want to visit?
Japan!

38. Last place you were?
I was at university!

39. Do you have a crush?
Not at the moment. =P

40. Last time you kissed someone?
I think it was about 2 months ago! LOL I don’t remember the exact time.

41. Last time you were insulted?
Hm, I don’t really remember the last time to be honest!

42. Favourite flavour of sweet?
Probably vanilla? Or anything with peanuts/peanut butter if that counts!

43. What instruments do you play?
None. =(

44. Favourite piece of jewellery?
My sentimental necklace from Tiffany & Co.

45. Last sport you played?
Weightlifting!

46. Last song you sang?
I was humming to “Only You” by miss A. Since it’s a Korean song, I wasn’t exactly singing it LOL.

47. Favourite chat up line?
I think this one is pretty cute LOL: “Do you have a bandaid? Because I scraped my knee falling for you”.

48. Have you ever used it?
Not in a real situation, only as a joke LOL.

49. Last time you hung out with anyone?
Last week for lunch during uni and before our lecture was going to start!

50: Who should answer these questions next?
You! All of you should answer these! =)

The Premio Dardos Award & One Lovely Blog Award

Sorry this is incredibly late but thank you so much Tezzy, Maffy, Makeup on a Tight Budget, Tanya, Emma, Raine, Fivezero and Laura for nominating me for this award! I am so overwhelmed by this nomination, I can’t explain in words how happy I am! I really appreciate the fact that all of you think I’m worthy of this award. =)

Taken from Tezzy’s post: Premio Dardos is Spanish for ‘Prize Darts’, and is awarded from one blogger to another in recognition of cultural, ethical, literary and personal values that are transmitted in the form of creative and original writing.

Rules:

1. When you accept the award given please post it on your blog along with the name of the person who has granted the award and link to his or her blog.
2. Include the image of the “Premios Dardos” in the post.
3. Pay it forward and pass the award onto another 15 wonderful blogs worthy of this acknowledgement.

My nominees:

Alexis
Anne
Bree
DIY Just Cuz
Eivles
Hayley
Helen
Janet and Josie
Joy
Katie
Karen
Never Trust A Bunny
Nicole
Sandy
Serene

It’s seriously so hard to just pick 15 of you! Every single blogger on here is so deserving of this award! I’m sorry if you have been nominated for either of these awards before already!

Thank you Mea for nominating me for this award! For everyone who doesn’t know already, Mea does a variety of beauty and fashion related posts. She does a spectacular job at it too and all of her posts are so fun to look at! =) She leaves links to all the products mentioned so if you see something you like, you can immediately click on the link and get redirected to the product!

Also thank you Sassafrass, Sam and DramaBeautyPop for nominating me too! All of you have blogs that are incredible too! ♡

The rules of the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you by responding with a blog post in regard to the award.
2. Use the One Lovely Blog Award logo.
3. Nominate 10 blogs that you read regularly and notify the blogger of their nomination.

Since there are no other rules of this award, I thought I would do more facts about myself like Mea did hehe. It’s always nice to get to know each other more personally right? =D I’ll just do a list of 10!

1. I eat an apple every single day (specifically Fuji apples)! I typically eat one after I have lunch or as an afternoon snack when I feel hungry.
2. Becoming a blogger has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s seriously made me so much more motivated and inspired to do everything! It’s all thanks to you guys! ♡
3. I love stationery. I always buy notebooks even if I have so many others I can use!
4. I don’t own any pairs of sunglasses! I’m searching for one that will suit my face nicely. =)
5. If I don’t have my phone with me, I feel really lost LOL. I always need to have it near me, especially if I’m going out somewhere.
6. I’m a stubborn person. If I really don’t want to do something, I won’t do it no matter how many times someone tries to convince me to!
7. I don’t wear jewellery often! I used to wear earrings everyday but I got into a habit of not wearing them so I don’t ever wear any unless it’s for a special occasion.
8. I feel really uncomfortable if I’m not wearing any nail polish! I need to have at least some sheer nail polish on if I’m wanting to grow my nails out and don’t want to wear anything too bold.
9. My hair falls out a lot. It’s really frustrating, I always have to be really gentle when I brush my hair otherwise a whole clump will come out!
10. I’ve lived in the same home for 14 years now with no intentions on leaving anytime soon! =)

I wanted to take this opportunity to choose some more bloggers that I haven’t gotten a chance to previously nominate yet! So my nominees are:

Alisa
Chantal
FilipinoInsideOut
Gigi
Janice
Joy
Kaui
Maffy
Monika
Puddles of Ink

Congratulations to all the nominees hehe. I can’t wait to read your facts! ♡