A Ringgit for your Thoughts

Have you ever stumbled upon advanced vocabulary while reading a text? It irks most people to put down the text they are reading to look up the definition of a word. A simple strategy that one could apply is by using context clues. As the phrase suggests, it encourages readers to read through the text to identify its context; by doing so, it would assist the reader to figure out the meaning of the word in question. There are five types of context clues: inferences, definitions, examples, antonyms, and synonyms. By reading the sentences that surround a word, readers are able to pinpoint the definition of a word without the assistance of a dictionary; thus, further developing their reading skills. - Raveena Kaur Chouhan

Memorising may be a challenging task for most college students as the information learnt is usually stored in their short-term memory. However, there are numerous effective ways to retain information and transfer it to one’s long-term memory; for example, the use of acrostics. An acrostic is a type of mnemonic in the form of a poem whereby the first letter of each word represents another word. It is an efficient method to memorise a list of items. Below, is an acrostic to assist in memorising the intrinsic aids taught in Introduction to English Legal System: Some Short title Lawyers Long title Stab Schedules People Preamble In Interpretation section Homes Headings Privately Punctuation The humorous nature of acrostics allows students to memorise information better as it creates an emotional connection with them rather than purely...

Regardless of what course you are taking, note-taking is an inescapable aspect of a college student’s life. One of the best ways to take notes is by the flow note-taking method. This method is done by writing down the ideas brought up by the lecturer and connecting them with arrows that showcases the flow of ideas in a topic. There are two principles that should be taken into account when using the flow note-taking method: simplify the information in your own words and connect the ideas together with arrows. Flow notes can assist in organising the ideas of a lecture while being a convenient and effective note-taking strategy; therefore, it is recommended for students to try making flow notes themselves. - Raveena Kaur Chouhan

There are numerous combinations of learning styles but the most common one would be learning visually. What does it mean to be a visual learner? A visual learner is drawn to diagrams rather than instructions, be it verbal or written. You could probably spot out a visual learner simply by observing their outfits as these learners are brilliant colour-coordinators. One of the best qualities of visual learners are that they take down well-organised notes. Mind-mapping tools, c o l o u r s , CAPITALISATION OF WORDS and underlining key points are often used by these learners to optimise their understanding of topics. These learners can make use of online resources like educational videos to further grasp the topic they wish to learn. When studying, it is important for visual learners to keep an eye out for visual aids as they will open the learners’ eyes to the topic they wish to learn. - Raveena Kaur Chouhan

Scenario Some competitive students were teamed together for a group project. Each student wanted to outshine the other members. This caused a rift in the group’s dynamic and encouraged petty fights between the members. Cause of conflict Internal competition in the group. Solution Remind each other that the group’s common goal is to do well in the assignment. Talk it out with your group members; explain to them the overly competitive spirits may end up damaging the group’s morale. - Raveena Kaur Chouhan

Proper time management is critical for all college students as they are often caught in a tsunami of projects while maintaining their part-time jobs. In order to spend one’s time wisely, he or she can create individualised timetables as they minimise time wasted to figure out what needs to be done. Besides that, tasks should be done according to priority instead of difficulty to ensure that there will not be a race against deadlines. Finally, make sure to be lenient with yourself. Allow yourself to indulge in sufficient breaks and the occasional treats for managing your time well. It is important to remember although good time management is vital for students, they are not robots either and should be able to deflect from their rigid routines. - Raveena Kaur Chouhan