30 Oct 2016

my week #237

This week was my last on my surgery assistantship and I felt super sad about it! I loved the team I was with and I really felt like I was useful during this time, doing discharge summaries, taking blood, scrubbing in when they needed someone, etc. It's made me all the more excited to do this next year and get paid for it all :)

My sister and I went to the Science Museum Lates on Wednesday and it was a lot of fun. They had a lot of interactive stalls and as someone who gets bored easily, this was a good thing! I would definitely recommend going to one if you're interested in a free (!) educational evening where it is acceptable to have a drink or two whilst still learning ;)


How has your week been?

27 Oct 2016

my study week #17: revising revision notes

As a student, we all try and make revision notes that see plenty of use right before exams. However, I like to also revise these revision notes by making more focussed and condensed ones. I'm not quite sure how I do this (but once I figure it out, I'll share the process) but as a result, I have a few notebooks full of really random notes! I'm not sure how handy this all is for me but it seems to work. I'm quite an active student - reading alone does nothing for me - so making notes, rough or otherwise, seems to work well in aiding information retention.


During this note making process, I also use post-it notes and in fact, go through loads of them! They are handy for condensing little chunks of information, of which there are many in medicine.

What revision techniques work for you?

25 Oct 2016

book review: harry potter and the cursed child

This summer, I read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (HPATCC) and it's taken me this long to write a review! As a huge Harry Potter nerd, I read this in a few days and it didn't disappoint. I had heard rumours of various plot twists and whatnot but to me, it had a perfect balance of the unexpected coupled with some more predictable moments. If you didn't already know, HPATCC is in a script form so this is why it can be read so quickly. I was okay with this format but my sister didn't like it.


The description from Amazon.co.uk reads as follows:

"Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on 30th July 2016. 

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children. 

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

It was weird thinking of Harry as a father of three Hogwarts-aged children but it was fascinating to find out what himself, Ron and Hermione were doing. The plot twists that I referred to earlier kept me hooked and I liked the darker edge of the play compared to any of the seven novels. I've not yet seen the play but I definitely want to after reading this script. Overall, 8/10 for this from me because even though I didn't mind the script form, novels are more my thing.

23 Oct 2016

my week #236

This week was a busy one - one of my friends was left the country on Thursday and won't be back until Christmas so we met up on Wednesday. My Swedish learning on Duolingo is progressing well and I noted down a few phrases in my planner this week :)


How has your week been?

20 Oct 2016

documenting my summer stockholm trip

As most of will know, or at least will have probably guessed by now, I love keeping track of things and also writing things down. When I went to Stockholm this summer, I wanted to make sure I didn't forget what I did/saw/ate each day and that's where my obsession with pen and paper came in handy. I used an A6 Moleskine in pink because of the pocket at the back (ideal for receipts, tickets and all those little pieces of paper that would be great in a travel journal...!).

The pen used is a Kuretake Cocoiro brush tip in black.

Each day, I would write down the things I saw in bullet points. I even noted down how many steps I did and the distance walked (according to my iPhone's health app). If something funny happened, I would also note that down briefly.


I kept all receipts so that I could document how much I spent in Stockholm. This is important me on two levels - it helped me stay within budget and also check my credit card when I came home, just to make sure nothing unexpected appeared on my monthly statement.


This'll all come in handy when I finally make my travel journal from Stockholm. I got some photos printed and all I need to do now is to stick them in and write a blurb about each of them. That'll be a job during the Christmas holidays I'm sure, depending on how much free time I have! A post on that to follow at some point in the near future :)

18 Oct 2016

a recipe a week for a year: a 2017 recipe diary

Meal planning is a headache even for the most organised of us at the best of times so what if this could be taken out of our hands once a week? This is where this recipe diary could come in handy.


As you can see, it has a hard cover which is durable. There is a pocket on the first page where you can store loose bits and pieces. There is also a year planner with three months per page.


There are a bunch of handy pages in this diary including: a section for contacts, cooking hints and tips and washing instructions too. I think this kind of thing could be good for students going off to university for the first time or for people who just need a little guidance with these things (I definitely do - I'm forever googling what the symbols on care labels mean!).


The layout is a week-to-view and there is a recipe each week.


Finally, at the back, there is a section for any 2018 plans you may have, home budgeting, birthdays and anniversaries, and usefully, a recipe index in case you tried out a really cool recipe but couldn't remember which week it was during. The diary also has a lovely green ribbon which complements the orange design well.

The paper has a sheen to it which means fountain pens, rollerballs and even gel pens wouldn't be too well suited to it. Biros and pencils would be better as they would dry quicker and reduce the risk of ink transfer to the opposing page if you closed the diary too quickly.

Thank you to Emily at Eaglemoss Limited for sending me this diary to review :)

All views are my own and this review has been written as though I paid for the diary.

16 Oct 2016

my week #235

My sister came back from her three week holiday this week and she brought me back so many presents from Korea and Vancouver. This was pretty timely as well as I've been a little bit stressed applying for the Foundation Programme. Things have changed and staying in London is the preferred option but it is still all a bit uncertain due to three little letters: S, J and T. It's probably better if you don't know what these three letters stand for and what it all means but it is definitely a source of angst for many final year medical students around the country, I'm sure!


How has your week been?

13 Oct 2016

what's in my pencil case #3

My pencil case is now looking much less a pencil case rather than a place for all things random. Here is the proof...


As you can see, I have the most random bits: Trebor mints, Loveheart sweets, Nuxe lip balm, a selection of pens (at least one being a fountain pen), Benefit Dandelion blusher, a Gin Gin sweet, a Ricola sweet and a bulldog clip. 

My pencil case has become a dumping ground for things that don't have a place in my handbag. As a result, I'm not quite sure if it even qualifies as a 'pencil case' anymore! Maybe more like a pouch of random items :)

11 Oct 2016

ink: j. herbin crème de menthe

Another day, another ink. I'll let the image do the talking!


All in all, I love the colour of this ink! I'm not sure when I'd be able to use it so I'm glad I only purchased a sample of it. However, if I do end up thinking of a use, I may invest in a bottle...

9 Oct 2016

my week #234

Although my diary might not look it, this week was pretty busy! I've been sorting out some life admin (ahem, applying for my first job) and getting stuck in with all things medicine-related. I did a 2pm-11pm on-call shift with a doctor on Thursday and although it was tiring, I learnt a lot and I feel much better for doing it (and lasting the whole shift!). It has made me feel a little bit more prepared for when I become a real doctor in August (fingers crossed finals go well in April!).


How has your week been?

4 Oct 2016

my study life on IG

Back in August, I blogged about a study challenge I wanted to do on Instagram and here are the results! I actually started my final year on a project block so I didn't actually get that much study in if I'm honest! It was mainly revision in preparation for my surgery assistantship placement I'm on currently. My instagram is paperl0vestory if you want to see more! :)

 

If you took part, thank you! :) It was lovely seeing what you shared through the hashtag #pls30daysofstudy :) Hope you enjoyed it and managed to get some study out of it too!