Hello, fellow Anteaters! Happy to be writing to all of you again. This is Ashley Thornton,
an aspiring teacher studying abroad this summer in Taiwan at National Cheng Kung University
(or 國立成功大學 in Mandarin Chinese).
I have been quite busy throughout July with traveling and buying souvenirs for my
family. However, that has not been the only thing on my radar. I have also been studying
practically every day for midterms, quizzes, assignments, and other assessments. Looking back, I
wish that someone had given me some study tips before I embarked on my study abroad
experience since the classes here are quite a bit harder than I anticipated. This blog will be a way
for me to impart knowledge that I wish I had known prior.
The first is to use active recall. This is a studying method where, instead of looking
through a list of words or information passively, you use things like tests, practice questions,
flashcards, and writing assignments to help you apply what you know. I am quite guilty of not
doing this when I am too tired to make something with my hands like a flashcard deck, but the
online world also provides ample opportunity to use active recall. My teacher recommended to
me another way of active recall that has exclusively been made available recently-ChatGPT.
Now I know what you might be thinking-doesn’t my teacher say that ChatGPT is the devil?
However, when used strategically, it can also be a wonderful study tool that can generate practice
questions, quiz you, and lots of other interesting things. I have little experience with it since I
was under the impression that I was never allowed to use it under any circumstances, but since
my teacher has actually recommended that I use it for active recall, I have been pleasantly
surprised with what I’ve found.
Secondly, it is smart to keep track of your study hours (and breaks!) using the Pomodoro
technique and/or timers. Often, I find myself looking back at my day and planner a little
disappointed with many questions. What did I do with all of the time I had today? Didn’t I have
two hours to finish that assignment? Why do I still have so much work rolling over to tomorrow
when I spent the whole day in my studies? This can happen very easily if we aren’t tracking the
time we spend on everything. Whether that’s a sneaky doomscroll session or an overdue chat
session with friends after a shared dinner, things can take longer than we expect them to. One
thing that motivates me to track my hours spent in my books is to reward myself for every task I
finish. This doesn’t have to be something time-consuming like listening to a playlist or doing arts
and crafts-it can be as simple as getting yourself a boba or giving yourself ‘points’ to spend at a
designated spot later. There’s Pomodoro timers on YouTube with beautiful visuals and
encouraging reminders that I love on a channel called PomodoroCrew. I prefer this because it’s
very tangible, has relaxing background music that keeps me from losing focus, and even has
pretty visuals. This last part is important for me because I find regular Pomodoro timers quite
boring since they have no artistic appeal. You don’t have to use the Pomodoro method when
studying, but I found that, even with my fairly severe ADHD, it has certainly helped me. When
starting a fun activity, time it as well. This puts things into perspective in a way that might be
hard to bear to see initially but is also motivating.
Third and lastly, properly nourish yourself. Studying and preparing for midterms and
finals shouldn’t be an excuse to not eat and sleep-in fact, it can even have consequences that
follow you to your desk. If you don’t have the energy to actually study, it’ll be practically no
time at all before you find yourself taking the easy route and being listless in your methodology.
You are not a robot. Let yourself have a life outside of studying, and stop punishing yourself for
every little mistake that adds up like a heavy mountain above you. This has been the hardest
thing for me to work on, and it is still a struggle for me. However, having a healthy balance is a
skill that you will use for your entire life, so it’s best to work on it now so that you don’t become
a workaholic later on.
That’s all for my tips, and I hope these were useful. I am going to use them more and
more as the summer progresses, and I hope that you will utilize these resources, too. Until the
next time, Zai Jian, or see you next time
Study Tips for Studying Abroad – Ashley
