EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
beyond nursing, finding the right tools is imperative
these are some of the things I couldn't have gone through school without
*not sponsored*
GRAMMARLY
The free version of this is pretty solid if I'm honest. So if you're cutting down expenses no need to go full out with the premium.
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This is so much better than the regular spell check on word documents, & I highly encourage you to use it.
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Do I have premium? Oh ya. I have always struggled with my writing. Less so in terms of coming up with content. More so with the editing out.
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Premium lets you set the tone of what you want your writing to be, gives you suggestions to improve, corrects grammar errors normally missed in other word docs & will let you know when something is hard to decipher.
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So if you're like me & need a little extra help - premium might be the way to go
CITEFAST
I cant tell you when I found this site, but I can say it has saved me multiple times.
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I despise the tedious process of writing out citations from scratch with such deep loathing that it spooks me a bit. It doesn't help that I'm obsessive about providing resources.
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When I found this site I could have cried. Maybe I did, I honestly can't remember.
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Throw in your journal article, book, webpage, ANYTHING, and it puts it in the proper format, provides the in-text citation, & when you're done you can export the entire list with the italics and all that in the right places.
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I highly recommend throwing it in your bookmarks & treasuring it forever.
SCIHUB
We've established how strongly I feel about information being free & accessible, right?
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If you didn't read the 'about' page then maybe you don't know. Its fine, its cool. Maybe you'll read it later.
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But to reemphasize - I feel pretty strongly about it.
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This site helps you access academic & scientific documents without cost - all you need is the URL or DOI.
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Very helpful when you think you found the perfect reference, only to be locked out and told to hand over $40.
ADOBE
I'm going to let you in on a secret.
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I stopped taking notes half way through my first term.
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Well - at least notes in the traditional sense. You know, sitting there with a blank sheet of paper/document & trying to keep up?
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Instead I started making PDF copies of the power points before class, uploading them to Adobe Acrobat, & using a stylus to fill in information & context directly onto the slides. & I will never go back.
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With this method I could avoid re-writing the important information since it was already in the slide & instead focus on the lecture & making sure that my notes had enough context to make sense when I reviewed them later on.
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Since it's such a staple of my schooling I shelled out for the paid version ($8 CAD/month) - which means I can:
→combine multiple PDF files
→organize pages
→do a bunch of other little things
→& most importantly upload all my files to a cloud so I can access them on multiple devices
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10/10 recommend this note taking method!
*Also Adobe has a free 'scan' app that uses your camera to scan & save whatever you need - its fantastic.
FOCUS TO-DO
Or honestly, any app that helps you utilize the Pomodoro Technique
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There is nothing more frustrating than spending an entire day studying, then realizing that you don't remember anything
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Your brain is like a muscle, working it too hard for too long will do more harm than good
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This technique utilizes evidence that showed our brains have a "golden period" of about 25m where information retention is top-notch. Any longer than that though & retention took a nosedive. Think of it like a HIIT workout for your noggin'.
25m of high focus studying, 5m break, & repeat 3-4 times, then a 25m break, & the cycle starts all over
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No joke, this method made a dramatic difference in my ability to recall information & my grades reflected it almost immediately
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I've tried a couple of different apps & so far Focus To-Do is my favourite since I can connect all of my devices - but the free apps or just a timer (if you have the self-control) definitely do the trick as well!