Study Sessions: Study Notes

This year at university I am studying AA100 The Arts Past and Present and L192 Beginners’ French. AA100 is a compulsory module of mixed disciplines which includes English, History, Art History, Religious Studies, Classic Studies. Neither module has exams which I am happy about because exams heighten my anxiety. (I could write a more detailed post in the future about the anxiety around exams if anyone would be interested)

I have a few techniques I use to write study notes, however, I don’t have lectures because the Open University is distance learning. There are face-to-face tutorials but I haven’t attended any. There are also online tutorials for French which I have enjoyed.

For French I use the iPad app “Memrise" to learn vocabulary and test myself. There are also online quizzes and activities. I use these techniques to plan assignments, particularly for AA100.

1. I annotate my module books - I take sticky notes and take out short pieces of information that might link to the question I have been asked. I always include the page numbers. I have begun to write my notes directly in one book because it’s a secondhand copy (I’ve lost my copy which is so frustrating!) I don’t usually do this because the next step is to take the sticky notes and rearrange them into an order that will help me structure my essay. This is also a good starting point for making tables because I can take quotes for each argument and arrange them that way
2. I make mind maps - this helps me structure the essay too with headings for each paragraph. I can then see clearly which topics I want to discuss in more detail
3. I make tables - this is a good technique for essays that ask you to compare and contrast something or an essay with multiple arguments or viewpoints

There are no photos in this week’s post but I do have a Study Sessions playlist on YouTube and I post daily photos on Instagram. I am also planning a number of videos for Book Tube and Author Tube. I feel there is a lot to talk about in these communities.

Kazia x

In My Study Break: Baking Days

Firstly, I’d like to reintroduce myself and my blog for 2017. I am Kazia and I’m 20 years old. I am currently studying with the Open University towards a degree in English Language and Literature but previously studied Film and Television Studies with a Foundation year at University of East Anglia.

I enjoyed my time at UEA but my anxiety became unmanageable and I felt the need to leave so I could be with my family. I am in a happier place in my mind, although not perfect. I still have days where I’m triggered/sparked by small things that seem insignificant to other people but feel like the end of the world to me. Anxiety is really hard to describe.

* * * * *

Study breaks come in three forms for me - short breaks, long breaks and no study days. Short breaks last between 5 and 30 minutes. They include but are not limited to making a cup of tea, stretching/yoga, watching a YouTube video (I try to be strict so I don't get completely distracted!) Long breaks can be between 30 minutes to two hours. They include but are not limited to watching YouTube/NetFlix/TV, reading a book, walking the dogs. At home we have three dogs - Barney (17), Poppy (2) and Daisy (1). Barney is blind and not very steady on his feet so he doesn't usually walk with the puppies. At Mum's house, we have a dog - Willow (11).

On 'No study' days, I bake. If I can't focus on studying or I don't have a close deadline I will spend time in the kitchen. This is my happy place. I have taught myself to bake using my Step Mum's basic cake recipe. In this post, I have included the recipe I use to make a Lemon Cake and a photo of the finished product. I really love lemon so I use a lot in this bake. You may not need as much if you're not as fond of it, it's a matter of experimenting until you get the right amount for you.

Lemon Cake

• 4 eggs
• 8oz Self Raising Flour
• 8oz Caster Sugar
• 8oz Butter (at room temperature, preferably ‘baking spread’ or something similar)
• 1 lemon (grated zest)

Buttercream icing

• 200g Icing sugar
• 100g Butter
• Lemon juice from half a lemon

Method:

1. Grease two round tins with butter and baking parchment
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C
3. You can either half the ingredients before mixing or when you pour the mixture into the tins. I like to half the ingredients first because I’m ‘funny’ about having the exact measurements in each tin but my Step Mum and her Mum always separate once the mixture is ready to pour.
4. With half my ingredients measured out, I pour them all in to the mixer. Mix until the consistency is quite thick. Add the lemon zest and continue to mix.
5. Measure out the other half of ingredients and mix those; adding the lemon zest gradually to the mixture. I like to grate the lemon zest over the mixing bowl rather than a separate bowl because it saves on washing up. I do have a little buddy though that likes to watch me wash up - my kitten Lola! (Don’t worry, she doesn’t go near the cooker or the ingredients!) Lola’s brother Milo usually watches me measure out the ingredients and then goes to sleep until the cakes are ready.
6. Once the mixtures are in the tins, place them in the oven for 20 minutes. Again, I’m fussy about being exact so I use the timer on my phone or iPad.
7. While the cakes are cooking, measure out the ingredients for the buttercream icing and mix together. It should be a stiff consistency with peaks. Add more icing sugar to make the mixture thicker, this will help spread it on to the cakes when they’re cool enough later.
8. When the timer goes off, take the tins out of the oven (with gloves on - it’s easy to overlook this but I have burnt myself on more than one occasion. Also be careful when wearing glasses because the heat will hit your face and temporarily blind you - at least that’s what happens to me!)
9. Poke with a cake tester. If it comes out clean, your cakes are ready. If not, pop them back in for a few minutes. You can also use a knife, if there's steam or it's hot to touch, your cakes are ready.
10. Flip the cakes out of the tins and leave to cool on a cooling rack. Remember to remove the baking parchment.
11. Once cooled, spread the icing over one cake. Place the other one on top. If there’s enough icing, spread it on top of that and sprinkle some more lemon zest (if desired) for decoration. You could also use sprinkles or other decorations.

Lemon Cake

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I will be sharing more recipes in the future. I love to experiment in the kitchen and found my confidence for baking after being on my own at university in 2015/16. You can watch my video of the process on my YouTube channel here! 

Also for those that are studying, there will be lots of posts in the future with tips on revising, writing essays and my personal anecdotes from my experience in a brick university (University of East Anglia - 2015/16) and distance learning (Open University 2016)

Kazia x

P.S: Don't forget to follow me on Instagram!