How To Ace Your Final Exams

OH MY GOSH MY FINAL EXAMS START ON MONDAY AND I AM FREAKING OUT!
Raise your hand if this sounds familiar. Well, before you turn to coffee, late night cramming and hardcore procrastination - take a deep breath and read this post.

1. Make a study schedule
Before you get stuck into your exam prep, make a study schedule. Make a note of what you need to learn for each of your subjects, and how much time you need for each subject. Think about allocating more time for subjects you might not be as good at. Plan out when you're going to study, and specifically what subjects you're going to study when. Don't forget to include time for snack/youtube/read this blog breaks. This might seem like a bit of trek - but its worth it! Promise!

2. Learn how you learn
In order to study effectively, you've got to study the way you learn. Theres a whole bunch of quizzes you can do online that will tell you your learn, but this one comes up first on Google, so obviously its super professional! Check it out here, http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

The types of learning are visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic. So obviously if you're a visual learner you want to be looking at diagrams, aural learners will learn from speaking things, reader/writers can write notes, and kinaesthetic have to get moving!

I'm a bit of all of them, but I learn best from writing, so I make notes for most of my subjects.

3.  Quiz yourself
I find that quizzing myself is one of the most effective ways to learn content. Get some little notecards, like the kind you use for palm cards. Write a question on one side, and the answer on the other side. Borrow a family member and get them to quiz you, or just quiz yourself. It's a really good way to check how well you know your content, and an even better way to learn the content you don't know!

4. Take exercise breaks

Can I just put it out there - focussing for a long time is very very hard. So hard. It's so important to break it up. I normally study for around an hour on a subject, then take a 10 to 15 minute break. I'll be honest, in that 10 to 15 minutes all I want to do is hang out on Instagram. From experience, its so much better to drag yourself out of that desk chair! Get moving! I love to bring out my hula hoop, do some star jumps, or even stretching and yoga. That little bit of physical activity will help you focus on your study when you get back to it.

5. Eat Lo Gi
Lo Gi foods have a really slow release of energy, so they will keep you going for longer. These foods should be your go to foods on the days you have your exams, as they won't leave you with that dazed hungry feeling. Some examples of Lo Gi foods are oats, grain breads, peas, corn, carrot, mushroom, tomatoes, lettuce, nuts, chocolate, apples, strawberries, oranges, milk and yoghurt. Get creative and cook up some delicious lo gi food!

There are my study tips! I hope they've been helpful for you. I wish you all the best of luck in your exams, remember not to stress out. Be well prepared, and walk into that exam room with your head held high. Sadly, you won't be hearing from me next Tuesday as I'll be buried to deep into the exam hole to dig myself out and write this blog. But no worries because I am so so so excited for what is coming, and you should be too. Lastly, DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY BY FOLLOWING ON BLOGLOVIN AND INSTAGRAM! COMP IS DRAWN 3RD OF NOVEMBER X

Symmetry

Savannah Wears

Necklace - Thomas Sabo

Top - Surry Hills Markets

Skort - Princess Polly

Shoes - Rubi (not pictured)

What a week! Since we last spoke I've accomplished many great achievements. I've been more sick than I think I've ever been in my life, I've watched an entire season of Offspring, and I've spent more time on the couch than any other piece of furniture in my home. Solid effort Sav.
But in the midst of it all, I realized that I do not post as many outfits as I used to - and I miss it! I really do. So, here you go.

I found this skort in the city a few months ago, and I just had to have it! You know how it is. I just love the lines and symmetry, that the print creates. I paired it with this little white shirt, that I scored at Surry Hills markets a few weekends ago. It's quite minimalistic, but the little zig zag pattern puts a unique spin on it. Its cropped too, which I thought was quite interesting. 

I wore this little outfit to high tea over the weekend. My Grandma treated us girls to little cakes and other goodies. What a babe! Here's a little piccy from the afternoon. 

More Offspring awaits! 'Till next week we can chat on Instagram @zolablog :)

Click here to follow on Bloglovin' x

How To Op Shop Like a Pro

ITS TUESDAY! My blissful holiday of adventure has come to a close, and its back to the books with finals in less than a month. I'm hoping your first day wasn't as much of a slap in the face as mine, and if it was, I'm about to make it a whole lot better by enlightening you with my Op Shopping tips. Lets get started!

1. Think about your timing

Op Shops rely on donated items, so obviously stock doesn't come in as regularly as other shops. So, you're likely to find the most stock after a lot of people have donated stuff. I'd say the best time of year is around spring, because everyone is doing their spring cleaning. If you want to get serious, the best day to Op shop is supposedly a Tuesday. This is because everyone cleans out on weekends, and the monday is spent sorting the clothes.  

2. Go Op Shopping in cool places
This one is a serious key to success. The Op shops with the coolest clothes are always the ones where the fashionable people live. For example, some areas I know in Sydney include Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, and Glebe. I also really love the Op shops in Avalon and Manly. You can find all the Op Shops in Australia on this website, http://www.opshop.org/ .




3. Take a bag
I know all my favourite Op shops are always short on bags. Often when you buy something, there won't be a bag available for you, so play it safe and bring a little tote bag when you go on an Op shopping trip. 




4. Be nice to the volunteers
My lovely Op Shop buddies Aimee, and Caitlyn. 
This is just a general ethics one, but its super important! All the people that work in Op shops are 100% volunteers. Their often super cute old ladies, actually. So be friendly and polite!




5. Look thoroughly 

Op shops can have a tonne of stock, and their not usually as well set out as your average store. Go ahead and get in the spirit by taking the time to dig through the racks. You're sure to find something awesome. 

6. Go out of your comfort zone

An Op shop is probably a place you wouldn't normally shop, so don't be afraid to go for things you wouldn't normally wear. Try finding some vintage, and brands you wouldn't normally go for. Make sure you try whatever it is on first though!

7. Get creative!

One of the reasons op shopped pieces are so cool are you can make them totally your own. Often I find amazing fabrics, cool accessories and fun styles, but something just isn't quite right. This is where you can get creative! Think as big or small as you like, and don't forget to have fun with it. Try bringing out the sewing kit, a pair of scissors or even dye. You could even just style something a little differently. For example, I scored the cutest pair of shorts from an Op shop in the holidays. They were wayyyyy long, and I never would've worn them, but with just a few rolls around the bottom they were transformed into a cute boyfriend short! For only $9!

8. Don't forget to look at the rest of the shop
You'll probably head out on an Op shopping excursion with clothes in mind, but don't forget the other sections! When we went Op shopping, my friend Aimee turned to me and said 'what I love about Op shopping is you never know what your going to find!'. It is so true! You'll often find a treasure trove of books, shoes, and jewellery. I even found some records! 

9. Don't give up

If your Op shopping trip isn't a success, don't give up! Op shops have new stock coming in all the time, and honestly it's not very consistent. Sometimes I'll go op shopping and want to buy everything, and other times there's nothing that catches my eye. If you don't find anything, make sure you go back. It might also be a good idea to try your luck at a different shop.

10. Think about donating

Op shopping is so much fun, but it wouldn't work without donated items. If you're in the mood for a wardrobe/room clean out, sort your good quality things into a bag and take it down to your local Op shop. You can donate pretty much anything from wetsuits, to those old High School Musical DVD's. Plus, all the money made on the things you donate goes to charity! #winning

So there you have it! Happy Op shopping!

P.S. My Instagram has been going crazy over the past few days, so a shoutout to my new followers! If you want to join the party follow me @zolablog

P.P.S. If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, your missing out!! Keep scrolling for all the details x