I can’t believe it’s already June! Do you know what that means? Yes, final papers are due, final presentations are coming up, and finals are quickly approaching! Time management is important during this time as you’ll find yourself having a paper due one day and an exam the next. If you aren’t able to manage your time well, June will be quite a stressful time.
Do not worry though! Hanyang (and Seoul in general) has great resources to help relieve potential procrastination tendencies. At Hanyang’s business building, there is a room dedicated for studying where people tend to go in between classes. The quiet and ambient environment will surely help any student get in the mindset to complete their assignments and study for upcoming exams. I find myself here every Thursday during my 4-hour gap and I can confidently say I get most of my work done at this time. Even though it is a study space, it is also good for working together in groups! This is because on the left side, there are a couple of smaller, isolated rooms that people can use for group studying or working on group projects! I think it is really neat, but it’s really difficult to actually get these rooms! I do not think I’ve ever seen one of them empty since I started at Hanyang! Honestly though, any place on campus would work for group work sessions!
For me, I prefer studying at cafes. There’s nothing better than having a nice drink or snack while furiously taking notes! When thinking about cafes, you probably think it’s too loud for anyone to stay in a studious manner, but you’d be surprised at how quiet the environment actually is. Many other students actually go to cafes to study as you’ll see almost every table bent over their laptop or notebook, scribbling away. Hanyang is littered with cafes all around campus, so take your pick! I’d say they are all great with really good food! Sometimes I’d even find myself traveling to Myeongdong or Hongdae to try different cafes.
Being in an entirely new country, you might find it a little difficult to study when there is still a lot to do and explore. Study abroad is almost over and you want to make the most of the trip! Well, if you can manage your time well and separate school and play, I think it’s doable to have fun and get good grades. I think three weeks before finals begin, you should set aside about 30 minutes per class per day to study! So, if you have 4 classes, you would be spending 2 hours a day learning; that does not seem bad at all! For better retention, definitely take down notes! I know people say handwriting notes helps retain the information better because you know, muscle memory and all. But I prefer typing everything out! It’s quicker, you can get more studying done per session, and I seem to remember the same amount whether I type or hand write notes. Of course, whatever note-taking strategies work best for you, use that! Good luck to all of us in the middle of exam period! 🙂