Why every blogger needs Blogosphere Magazine

   As a blogger who is always on the lookout for inspiration, advice and more content to read, subscribing to Blogosphere Magazine is the best thing I've ever done.

   Read on to find out how Blogosphere can help you to better your blog...

Instantly improve your instagram with these smart tricks

   Bored of your own Instagram profile? Not seeing enough engagement with your posts? Just two months ago, I felt exactly the same but, since then, I have completely changed up my content and noticed a huge difference in my growth! 

Why I won't read your blog

   Now and again, I love having a good binge read of other people's blogs. I return to a few select favourites and scroll through my feeds to discover new bloggers and check out their posts.

   On many occasions, I have spent all of a good five seconds on blogs before clicking the exit window. This might sound very bad but did you know that, on average, it takes all of five seconds for your audience to lose interest? That's how fast you have to be to grab their attention!

   In this post, I am going to describe what causes me to swiftly navigate away from your page or even clicking on your link in the first place!

Habits not to get into when you're at University

   Taking flight from the nest to university comes with a great deal of responsibility. You won't feel the weight of it at first but, shortly after all the fun, dancing and boozing at freshers, there will come a time where you must 'adult'.

   Take it from me, a university student who has completed her first year, you will do very well not to pick up any of these bad habits...

Why not to despair if your A Levels didn't work out

   A few days ago, the dreaded annual A-Level results day swarmed mainstream media. Televised everywhere, tantalising truths were disclosed at the tearing of envelopes and tears that followed.

   Were you one of those students? In the heat of the moment, it might feel as if those typed grades will forever be imprinted on your life, defining your self worth, your future and your success. You couldn't be more wrong.

What to expect from your first driving lesson

   If you're reading this, you are either considering taking driving lessons or you're one of my lovely regular readers who already know how to drive but decided to drop by anyway. If you're the latter then your almighty wisdom would be very much appreciated in the comment section!

   As for me, I started my driving lessons fairly recently and - so far - so good! (At least, my driving instructor tells me so.) For those of you bricking it at the prospect of operating a vehicle, I must digest: you have absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

The Skin care routine you need

   Something I have been doing for a while that I wish I started doing earlier is double cleansing. It is now an essential part of my evening skin care and make up removal routine. When I am consistent with these steps, my skin clears up fast and always leaves me feeling refreshed.

 

Valentines Day Gift Ideas for Her

   Valentines Day is just around the corner and you have not yet purchased a present for your girlfriend - sacrilege! Fear not. If you are struggling to find the ideal gift for your loved one that is less on the pricey side, you have come to the right place. With these simple but effective ideas, you will obtain the perfect present for your lady in a heart beat!

Rosa White Photo Frame, £12,
Paperchase

1. A Framed Picture of You Together

   Nothing makes one smile more then reflecting on a treasured memory. So, what better way to do this than presenting her with a framed photograph of you together? That way, she will always have an aesthetic reminder of how great you are together to display in her room.
   I would recommend purchasing a Paperchase picture frame as they have a beautiful selection that is cost efficient (There is a 10% discount for students!). My personal favourite is the simplistic Rosa white photo frame, which is only £12 and guaranteed to go well in any room as white goes with any colour! It is, however, available in other colours.

Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy
Eau de Parfum, £15.30, Boots

2. Perfume

   Do you like the perfume she wears? Let her know you do by gifting her with her favourite fragrance.
   I use the Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy perfume, which is faultless with its sweet smelling aroma that, unlike a lot of perfumes, is not sickly or overwhelming. It is currently on offer at Boots at £15.30. That saves you just under £8 and so would make a bargain gift for her this Valentines Day.
   You can find more offers of up to 1/2 price on perfume here.

Cosmetic Make Up Clear Acrylic
Organiser, 20 Sections with Draws,
£12.19, Amazon

3. Make Up Organisers

   If you know that she is a make-up maniac then you can be sure that she will definitely appreciate some form of organisation!
   These Cosmetic Make Up Clear Acrylic Organisers are certainly growing in popularity. There are many variations of this product and its minimalistic design allows for it to look exquisite on any dressing table. What's more is that they can be purchased cheap on Amazon, which is an amazing deal taking into consideration it's spacious storage. No more messy make up!

My turquoise themed stationary set

including: Pukka Pad, 2017 diary,

laptop case, pencil case (including

pencils, pen, ruler and rubber) and

revision cards, WHSmith

4. Matching Stationary

   Whether your partner is organised or has a flair for creativity, stationary possesses the key to her heart. Matching stationary sets are a sight for the sore eyes of any perfectionist!

   If you struggle to find a set of stationary that matches, try instead to apply a consistent theme. For example, you could purchase a number of pastel coloured items or products with butterflies on them. As you can see in the illustration, I have a matching pencil case and laptop case as well as a diary, revision cards and a notebook that follow the turquoise theme.

   You will easily be able to find matching stationary sets in any stationary store such as WHSmith or Waterstones but I would highly recommend Paperchase because their selection of stationary is just breathtakingly beautiful and exquisite.

   

5. Books

My last book haul from
Waterstones

      If your woman is a book lover like myself then there is no doubt that she will adore the bones of you if you present her with a paperback or two... or ten.

   Unsure of what books to buy her? Get a feel of what genre she enjoys to read about (thriller, fantasy, biography, sci-fi, etc) or have a look at the recommendations in any book store. They always tend to display the latest and most popular publications that have received good reviews and awards. Alternatively, explore any book store yourself and have a read of the blurb; if it sounds interesting to you, it will be likely to appeal to her also! 

   Who knows, you might find yourself asking her to borrow them to read after she has finished with them. It would make a great discussion over a cup of tea! 

Advice - How to revise for your exams

It has, once again, reached that dreaded time of the year where we students all have to take our exams. For some of us, it is GCSEs and, for others, it is A-Levels. For whatever exams you are taking, I will be sharing all of my revision methods and tips that, if followed correctly, will guarantee you a good grade! (If you are a 'leave-it-to-the-last-minute' kind of person, don't worry, there will be plenty of tips in here for you too!)

Don't stress! Grab a cup of tea and feel more at ease as you read through these handy revision tactics.

Revising

It is preferable that you start revising a few months before your first exam is due to take place but, we all know that not everyone does this! However, this does not mean you can not get the best grade. It all comes down to your attitude and dedication.

Tips

1. When revising, have a bottle of water nearby because it will keep you hydrated and allow your brain to process information better.
2. Do not revise for long periods of time all in one go. Allow yourself breaks after 20-60 minutes (depending how long it takes for you to get into it).
3. If you like to listen to music when you revise, familiarise yourself with relaxing instrumental music like this before starting. It will keep you calm and there are no lyrics to distract you from the words in front of you. Do not introduce new music whilst you are revising because your brain will not recognise it and feel inclined to concentrate on processing that instead of your notes.
4. Introducing a sensual stimulus to your revision is very effective. For instance, if you listen to a certain song when you revise science, after a while you will be able to recall information just by hearing the song. This could work with taste, smell and sight as well.
5. Allocate times for each of your subjects. Do not spend too long revising one subject or you will start to grow bored and lose focus. I advise spending one hour on each subject maximum.
6. Do not spend all of your time revising for your closest exams because it will all be one big panic to revise for the ones that follow.
7. Turn your phone off when you are revising so that it will not tempt you to be distracted. Ask someone you trust to keep it from you until your revision time is up.
8. Get plenty of sleep - around 8-10 hours every night - so you can focus properly (and not fall asleep in the exam!).
9. Maintain a healthy diet so that you feel more energised when you are revising.
10. Don't get yourself worked up. Be optimistic!

Revision Methods

1. Colourful Mindmaps

Making mindmaps is simple and effective as it allows you to organise your information in a clear and concise way.

I created a mindmap on the unit of 'Why Russia Won' in
WW2 against Nazi Germany. I split it up into smaller headings
and then presented brief facts on each so that my information
was clear. Colour coding was also very helpful here!

• Make a mindmap for each topic you need to revise so that all of your information is not cluttered and confused. That way, you can branch off small headings in that topic.
• Colour code your information. For example, for dates I needed to remember for my Russia history exam, I highlighted them in yellow. For statistics and figures, I highlighted them in green.
• Avoid copying information straight from your textbook, simplify it as much as you can.
• When reading through your notes, ask yourself: "Do I really need to include this? Being realistic, will I remember these tiny details during my exam?" Only write down the relevant information!

2. Cue Cards

There are ideal for summarising information and quickly going over your notes. Cue cards are good for when you want to speed up your revision.

I made cue cards for my Tudor History exam. On one side, I
wrote the year and then, on the other, I wrote what happened
in that year

• Write a theme, date or key word in big letters on one side of your cue card.
• On the other side, write your key notes and definitions.
• Test yourself or, even better, get someone - who is revising the same subject - to test you so that you can go on to test each other. Teaching someone else the information you need to learn is a very effective way of learning for yourself.

3. Posters

I would recommend only doing these if you still have a substantial amount of time before your exam. These are perfect for presenting your relevant information onto one A3/4 sheet of paper.

Here, I am talking about the causes and occurences
of the 1905 Revolution in Russia. I have structured it
so that there are questions that are briefly answered
in bold and then further details are in smaller writing.

• I would advise using an A3 piece of paper because bigger, neatly presented information is easier for your brain to take in.
• Separate your information with headings that ask key questions then briefly answer those questions.
• Use pictures and colours if it will help you. Drawing may make revising more enjoyable for you and, if you draw symbols to help you memorise a fact, that is even better!

4. Twitter Conversations

Let's be honest, you probably get distracted by social media a lot of time whilst you are revising. We all do. So, why not make a fun and useful revision method out of it? Admittedly, no one ever forgets a juicy argument they've scrolled up and read on facebook; revision can work in the same way!

• 

  I created twitters for Stalin (@RealJosephStalin) and those
  who worked with them and then used the hashtag
  #CongressOfVictors to provide information about it in a
  very entertaining way!

  Draw a box on a piece of paper for your character to tweet.
• Invent a memorable username for them. For example, I had to remember that Yagoda was second in command of the OGPU for my history exam so I made his username: @Yagoda_2OGPU.
• Make up funny tweets amd hashtags about particular things that have happened and then create hilarious responses from other characters!
• You can do this manually like I have or you can use this effective resource: Fakebook, which allows you to create very realistic Facebook profiles for your characters!

5. Podcasts and Documentaries

These will come in handy, particularly when you are not in the mood to be staring at textbooks and notes or after a long period of revision. Relax and take some time to listen to a podcast about your subject or watch a documentary.

Revise but relax a little as well!

Podcasts tend to be more brief and are good to listen to before you sleep. Documentaries are likely to fill you in on lots of additional details as well but that would be very beneficial to you because, when you come to write your answers in the exam, the examiner will look for originality in your writing and easily pick up if you have been doing your own research. So, take any vital notes if you can!

6. Practise Exam Papers

I can not stress how essential this is for your exam preparation. You could spend countless hours revising and still walk out of that exam barely scraping a pass if you have not attempted practise papers.

Don't panic! This is not the case for everyone and schools usually schedule for you to take mock exam papers at least once beforehand but this is of utmost importance, especially if you are doing A-Level exams.

Practise exam papers give you an idea of what to expect in the real exam and allow you to prepare how you will go about completing the paper and make improvements to your approach.

Practise makes a pass!

I would advise doing this more when you are getting closer to your exams.

• Print out two practise papers for your subject.
• Attempt one with a textbook handy to help you if you need it.
• Take note of the topics you need to go over.
• Attempt the second practise paper without any assistance and using the time allowed.
• If it is a straight answer/factual kind of paper (eg: maths and science), mark and grade it yourself using the marking criteria for that paper, which can be found online.
• If it is an essay type of paper (eg: english and history), take it to a teacher for them to mark and they will give ou constructive feedback.

Good luck!

Remember, you can only do your best in an exam and, if that is what you did, then you have no need to feel upset about how you did. These results will not determine the rest of your life. There are many alternative paths to get to where you want to be if all does not quite go to plan.

Megan