How to beat exam stress

The end of yet another school year is drawing nearer and the time we all dread is here. Now that holiday season is over, it’s time to put your party dress away and put your thinking caps on! With projects piling up and examinations around the corner, the question on everybody’s mind is: will I survive yet another year? Well, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you get through this stressful time and come out with flying colors!

Tip 1: Start early

As the saying goes: the early bird catches the worm. With a worm as juicy as a distinction for your effort, why not be as early as possible? Start preparing yourself now! Something as simple as reading through notes on the way home from school can give you a huge advantage over your peers! Research shows that revising what you’ve just learnt immediately creates a more lasting effect on our brain. Waiting for the bus to take you home? Whip out your notes for a quick glance while at the bus stop! Taking these small steps will make studying easier for you.

Tip 2: Keep your eyes on the prize

It’s easier to memorize things you constantly see, so our next tip is to keep your eyes on the prize!

Buy cardboard stars in bright colors from the bookstore new you or you can even make some out of card. Write key facts and phrases on each and stick them around your bedroom in places where you'll often see them! Stick them on your mirror or inside a cupboard that you often open or even in between a file you always use. After a while, these facts will sink in without any extra effort on your part. Not to mention, these sticky notes add color to your room!

Tip 3: Ask for help

Don’t be shy to ask for help if you don’t understand a particular topic or are having difficulties. Whether it is a peer or your lecturer, there will always be somebody around you who is willing to share his or her knowledge with you. You're not alone so don't feel that you have to be. If studying in a group helps facilitate your learning then arrange to do so with your friends. That way, you can motivate each other to stay focused and can also clarify your doubts with each other.

Tip 4: Motivate yourself

If you have great aspirations for yourself in the future, keep them in mind! Whether you’re aiming for university or looking to join the workforce, use it to keep yourself focused on doing well in school. If you are tired or lack concentration, think about how bright your future will be if you just focused a little more! If you need to,

leave a little note on your laptop or in your pencil case egging you to study. It can say anything from “Don’t get distracted!” or “Ivy League school, here I come!” as long as it keeps you moving!

Tip 5: Do it the natural way

This means that you should stay as far away as possible from caffeine. Coffee, Red Bull and other caffeinated drinks give you a short lift before making you crash and burn. Caffeine is a stimulant. This means it accelerates physiological activity, speeding up the action of your brain and making you more alert. It does this by binding to adenosine receptors in the brain.

Essentially all that adrenaline makes you tensed and ready for action, but not necessarily intellectual action. You do become more alert initially, and your brain may work better and faster. However, by the time you hit that second cup, you may be anxious and irritable, which is not conducive to clear thinking.

You actually study better with regular breaks, getting lots of sleep, and from exercising. Instead of reaching for that over-caffeinated drink, grab a bottle of BRAND'S^® Essence of Chicken or Vitamin Water instead! If you need a quick energy boost, go for a quick walk outside or just get up and stretch at your desk. You should always keep to your regular sleeping patterns, regardless of how stressed you are. Having a good eight hours of sleep keeps your mind sharp and alert, so you might just be sleeping your way to your next distinction!

Bringing in the new year!

With Chinese New Year (CNY) less than a month away, many Singaporean households are bustling with spring cleaning and other preparations! But among the hustle of cleaning your house and buying flowers, have you done your CNY shopping?

Like many students, you are probably too busy juggling between school and housework to have done your shopping. Well, if you fall into that category then help is on the way!

Online shopping has never been this easy nor this fun! Who can turn down the appeal of shopping from the comfort of your own bed?

Local blog shops are the latest phenomenon that is sweeping through the wardrobes Singaporean teenagers! Modparade and the 199 shop are just a couple of the popular blog shops that have teenagers gushing.

And if you're not into the local scene, then asos or americanapparel will satisfy your craving!

Our recommendation? Try Nicolethen Boutique

Nicole Then is a cute, quirky teenager who, among being a street-style photographer and an occasional model, runs her own online boutique featuring thrifted vintage items. With everything from classic blazers to floral skirts of the 40s and even the occasional branded vintage bag, there's nothing not to love about this shop. The selling point? Every piece will be uniquely yours!

With such a large array of elegant, vintage pieces to choose from, we've save you the trouble and picked out 3 of our favorite looks for CNY!

Red Scarlett Dress

SGD$49.90

Oriental Embrioded Robe

SGD$53.00

Fuchsia Love Dress

SGD$49.90

My take on Gangsterism

Nothing stole the headlines of newspapers in 2010 like the slashing incidents that happened across the island. Teenage gangsters seemed to be on a slashing spree with at least four separate incidents occurring between May and November of 2010.

These slashing incidences were mostly linked to teenage gangs. Take for example, the slashing that happened at Bukit Panjang on the 8^th of November. Eight youths armed with parangs (knife-like weapon) and metal rods went around attacking 20 innocent bystanders. The victims of the horrific crime were aged between 14 to 20 years old.

The attackers were heard to have shouted “sah lak kau” before charging at the innocent bystanders, which directly translates to “369” from the Hokkien dialect. “Sah Lak Kau” is a notorious street gang known for violence and misconduct.

Six of the victims of the Bukit Panjang slashings were brought to the hospital immediately, with two suffering severe injuries.

Since then, teenage gangster-ism and slashing incidences have been the hot topic around the water cooler.

When news of the slashing first broke, my normally easygoing mother would bark: “Don’t stay out too late! You don’t know what might happen!” Not that I needed to hear it, I myself was quite shaken by the possibility of being pounced on while innocently walking home.

More recently, it has been reported that members of gangs lurk right outside the premises of schools in hopes of recruiting new members. They have also been spotted loitering at neighborhood malls, void decks and gaming arcades with the same intentions.

So why do these teenagers go astray? Reports say that such gang members normally come from a background of family problems or grow up with a low sense of self-esteem. These adolescences feel the need to be accepted socially, thus seek solace in these gangs.

My opinion? Nobody is too cool for school.

Stay in school, kids. First of all, there is really nothing more commendable than working hard and making a clean, decent living. Getting an education might be a long-drawn process, but it’s one that will reap huge benefits in the long run.

Imagine how sweet that moment you finally receive your certificate, after all the hard work you’ve put into your education, would feel. Imagine having a stable job with a stable family and a stable life. Gangsterism will only lead you away from these accomplishments

Not to mention, gangsters are prone to being in fights. Not only are they dangerous and sometimes potentially life threatening, it is also an immature way of resolving issues.

Gangster-ism may sound like an easy way out now but the long-term effects are detrimental. In Singapore, nobody escapes the long arm of the law. The youths involved in the slashings were caught almost immediately. Following suit, more teens who were in possession of dangerous weapons (such as parangs or long knives) were also arrested.

Moreover, joining a gang does not make you socially acceptable. In fact, it has quite the adverse effect. People generally do not respect or view gangsters in a positive light. It is essential to differentiate respect and fear. People fear gangsters, not respect them. Becoming a gangster would in actual fact, leave you shunned socially as nobody would want to be associated with you.

Whereas in school, making friends is not as difficult as it seems. All you need is an open mind and a positive attitude! It’s really as simply as taking the initiative to talk to someone around you. You’ll be surprised by how friendly people can be.

If you are having problems at home, whether it is financially or emotionally, you can seek help from others around you. Inform your lecturers or your school counselor about what you’re going through. They are professionals who will try their best to help you in your time of need.

In a nutshell, one should always stay away from going astray.

Rising trends: Tattoos

Walk along Orchard Road and teenagers flaunting their tattoos are a dime a dozen. In today’s generation, getting permanently inked is no longer a big deal and is in fact, becoming quite a trend.

In recent years, more and more teenagers (aged 16 to 21) are taking the risk and getting tattooed. Seems that getting inked no longer comes with the stigma of having a questionable character.

Back in the days, tattoos were synonymous with the underground world of alcohol, drugs and sex. However, nowadays having one is not uncommon and is no longer frowned upon by society.

“Many treat it more of a fashion statement more than anything else and hope that it attracts attention” says Sonia Tan, a 17 year old student.

She is one of the exceptions to the norm and sees tattoos as “a form of disfigurement.” Needless to say she is not considering one at all.

With shows like Miami Ink and the spin-off series L.A. Ink, which follow the daily experiences of a group of tattoo artists in America, it’s no wonder teenagers are warming up to the idea. These shows are aired on MTV and have had great success here in Singapore.

Out of five teenagers randomly surveyed, four of them religiously follow the series, Miami Ink. Three of them even account it for sparking off their interests in tattoos while the other one claims that his friends influenced him.

A teenager who declined to be named defends herself, saying: “I got my tattoo done not just because it attracts attention and is the in thing nowadays. This is just a way of expressing myself, I don’t care what they think of me.” She has a dragon on her back and is the size of an A5 piece of paper. (Half A4)

Naturally, people of the older generation are concerned over this change in behavior. When asked about her views on the trend, Julia Leong, a 49 year-old mother of three expresses her concern: “I am shocked at how teenagers these days can draw on themselves like that! Times have really changed.”

According to the Ministry of Health, tattooing procedures carry the risk of transmitting infectious diseases, like HIV, hepatitis B and C. However, if sterilized or disposable needles are used and proper infection control measures are followed, the risk of infection is very small.

There is currently no legal age limit to getting a tattoo, although some shops will not accept clients under the age of 18. Others, however, require minors to be accompanied by their parents.

Attack of the Android Apps

Are you sick of listening to your friends boast about their latest iPhone or iPad apps? Seriously, does it look like iCare? Well, if you carry an Android phone instead, here are some cool applications (apps) to your rescue! For the uninitiated, Android phones are the newest generation of mobile phones developed by Google and Android Inc. These phones, fronted by a friendly green monster, are equally smart and less pretentious in comparison to its overhyped Apple competition. So, out of the apps available on Android Market, which are the best three for you?

Abduction! World Attack

Have you ever seen a jumping cow? Well in this adorable platform-jumping adventure game, you control a cow on a mission to save your friends who have been abducted by aliens! Inspired by the nursery rhyme, “The Cow Jumps Over the Moon”, you hop from platform to platform while avoiding floating bombs and save friends along the way. To maneuver your bovine friend, tilt your phone accordingly. It is easy to play, addictive and surprisingly engaging

Twidroyd

If you are the kind of person who tweets excessively about where you are, what you’re doing and even what you’re looking at, you’ll need a good Twitter app to satisfy your busy fingers. Try Twidroyd,which is a lot faster and neater than the basic Twitter for Android app. With its easy-to-read interface, quick updating speed and LivePreview of links and media through the split screen, it’s no wonder most Android users prefer to “twidroyd”.

PowerAMP Music Player

Many cite it as the best music player app for Android phones and it lives up to its reputation. It has all the functions of a music player, but it is the sleek and sexy interface that makes it most appealing. The winning feature is its 10-band graphic equalizer - with dials for bass, treble and volume that you can adjust according to your preferences. You can also add the PowerAMP widget to your lockscreen, to minimize the hassle of constantly unlocking your phone to switch songs. Good for long bus rides to and from school!