Making your memory work

Tips on how to make your memory work during exams

You are sitting in front of your examination question paper and all you can hear around you is the frantic scribbling of pens and the ticking of the clock. You worked very hard for the test, you even ‘put a night out' for it. And yet you cannot recall the correct formula to solve the problem. You remember studying it and making efforts to remember it but your mind just seems to go blank every time you try to recall it. This is a scenario almost all of us have been through. Why does our memory fail us sometimes and, more importantly, how can we ensure that our memory is trustworthy for that important test? While the first question goes to the realms of scientific research, a few simple techniques can ensure that your memory works extra hard in making you look great.

Tests and feedback

The first step in ensuring that your memory works is to check if it is really working. There is no better way of doing this than constant checks, tests and feedback. With the help of the feedback, you can identify problem areas and gain confidence from areas of strength. Recitation, quick tests, quizzes are great ways of getting feedback about your learning progress.

Recitation

There is a reason why all of us still remember the nursery rhymes we learnt years ago. Recitation is an excellent way of ensuring that you remember what you learnt for a long time. It consists of summarising aloud whatever you learnt. Since the purpose of learning something is to retrieve the information later, recitation helps you practice this. So, while reading anything new, you should ideally stop periodically to summarise aloud what you have learnt so far. This is the principle behind learning by rote or ‘learning by heart' where constantly repeating aloud your learning material will ensure that you remember it.

Building a structure

You should ideally think of remembering any information as a form of building a structure. The structure is only going to stand when everything is properly connected. When you are learning, you should ideally try to connect the new material to facts and information you already know. Thinking about connections to existing knowledge will ensure that you process the information at a deep level while connecting it to the existing database will solidify the new facts in your memory.

Selection

When most of us are enthusiastically studying new chapters, we tend to underline important sections. More often than not, you will find that about 80 per cent of the lines on the page are underlined. If you are underlining too much, you are not being selective. And if you are not being selective, you are probably not going to remember the important parts. While reading new material, you should look for one or two key ideas per paragraph. You could underline these aspects or make notes on the margin to highlight them. This will ensure that your recall of the material is better.

Organisation

Try memorising this random list of letters: F,S,B,U,E,B,S,A,I,I. Now consider the same list of letters: F,B,I; S,E,B,I;U,S,A. Is the second list easier to remember? Organising information helps in improving memory and recall significantly. You should summarise your class chapters and make a note of the key ideas of the chapter and how they are interconnected. Drawing diagrams, flowcharts and graphs are excellent instances of organising information.

Break it down

When you are confronted by a large section of information (like, say, a new chapter) you should ideally break it into small parts and study each individually. You should aim at studying the largest meaningful chunk of information you can at a time. As you read new material you should connect it to the older material you just learnt.

If you have information you have broken down into sections A, B, C, you should ideally study section A first. After you have mastered it, study section A and B; once that is mastered move on to studying sections A, B and C. This way you are learning new material while connecting it to information you already know.

Over-learning and revision

After school, very few of us have stuck to the concept of revision. Most of us are usually learning new material on the day of the exam, at least in the case of class tests. However, revision plays an important role in making sure that the information you learnt is indelibly etched in your memory. When you revise, you over-learn, thus guaranteeing that the facts are easily available for recall. Ideally you should revise daily whatever you learnt the previous day and revise weekly what you learnt the previous week and so on.

Taking breaks

One of the most common assumptions about learning is that the time you spend studying quantifies the amount you learnt and retained. The actual truth is the number of breaks you take while studying decides how much information you retain. It is better to split a one-hour study session into three sessions of 20 minutes each than to study continuously for an hour.

You could take a five-minute break between each session where you do not indulge in distracting activities like watching TV, talking on the phone or checking your e-mail. Ideally you should stretch your legs while you think about the information you just learnt in order to ensure that it is encoded in your memory better.

Eating and sleeping

Although we have been told that we need to eat and sleep properly for a test since the time we first started taking tests in first standard, we tend to forget this simple truth. People who are hungry or poorly rested tend to have relatively poorer recollection, so it is important to eat and sleep well before your exam.

During your preparation, it is important to sleep at least seven hours a day in order to ensure that you are retaining all that you study properly.

Know more about job interviews

There are various types and styles of job-related interviews. Apart from the usual one-to-one or one-to-panel face to face interview, there is the telephone interview in which there is a great saving in time and energy spent for travel.

Often the telephone interview would be the first stage, to be followed by a face-to-face interview of the candidates selected at the first stage. We discussed in some detail the stress interview and the behavioural interview during the past weeks. Let us now have a quick look at some of the other interview styles followed by employers.

Screening interview

This has the limited objective of confirming the claims of the candidates in respect of their qualifications and professional attainments. There would be questions based on the data furnished in the resume submitted by the candidates. Comparison of attainments of different candidates would be easy if the data are gathered in a digital format. Candidates who do not fall in line with the prescribed norms would be eliminated, thereby saving further efforts at the next stages of evaluation and assessment. Often, the screening may be done over the phone.

You should pay attention to ensure that there is no inconsistency or mismatch in the information you provide in your resume. Long gaps or periods of inactivity in your resume may not be to your advantage. This emphasises the need for your engaging yourself in some creative or useful work, and not remaining idle for long spells. Further, employers are likely to assess the value of your service in relation to your cost.

You should present all relevant information about yourself with clarity in a straightforward manner. Your expressions should be simple and direct. You should not try to cover up any weakness or drawback through vague expressions. The interviewer would be interested in gathering specific details about yourself in the shortest possible time. The questions would be direct; so the answers should also be the same way.

Group interview

There may not be total unanimity in the definitions of group discussion, group interview, and panel interview. The same phrase may mean different things to different people.

A group discussion usually involves 10-12 candidates sitting around a table and discussing the diverse aspects of a controversial topic for 25-30 minutes. The judges will observe and assess their performance, but may not interfere with the proceedings. In a panel interview, a number of interviewers sit together and interview a candidate. The members of the panel may be drawn from different departments of the organisation.

The ‘group interview' involves a situation wherein a number of candidates meet simultaneously one or more interviewers in a small assembly. A company official who is an interviewer may make a quick presentation on the company. It would be followed by a question and answer session, where the candidates can participate effectively if they have already made appropriate preparation. Remember that a person can be assessed from the quality of his questions. The style of interaction, the quality of ideas and expressions, and the overall approach of each candidate would be observed and judged carefully.

Sometimes the candidates may be split into smaller groups and asked to perform some task with a bearing on the job. Each team will then make a presentation on its work. The interviewers would assess attributes such as interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, team spirit, knowledge, insight, ease in communication, and problem-solving ability.

A well-groomed candidate who can introduce himself well in a few words will generate a fine first impression. You should be prepared to do it. You may indicate your favourite area of work and your most important passion, without blowing your own trumpet. Admiring innovative ideas in others, participating actively in the proceedings in a pleasant manner, and not jumping into arguments are positive points. Never be aggressive. Be courteous to all. Control your body language. Remain confident.

Informational interview

This style of interview does not aim at securing an immediate appointment. The purpose is limited to gathering information about a specific career and the various opportunities it offers. The candidate interacts with experienced hands in the line, as part of job-hunting through planned networking. There would be no reference to any specific job opening. However, talking to people working in your chosen field will help you to gain a better understanding of the concerned industry, and to refine your career path. Further, it will develop your confidence in facing job interviews.

Sometimes the informational interview may lead to your appointment in a job position. The chances for such appointments are not few, since many vacancies are not advertised. Selection may be from candidates who come in contact with the employers. This stresses the reason for giving your best presentation and creating a fine impression, although you initiate a meeting with the limited objective of gathering information. Some employers would be maintaining a database of available talent for appointment on a later occasion. If you make a good impression in the meeting, you may be blessed with an appointment afterwards. Do not forget to give the interviewer your card or contact information. So also, sending a thank-you note after the interview is important.

Before you go for the interview, plan your questions well. Anyone would feel flattered if he is given an opportunity to describe the intricacies and prospects of his profession. Listen carefully to what the interviewer tells you. You have to acknowledge his comment with an admiring node or positive expression. Your intellectual curiosity should be transparent. You may explain your background and interests as briefly as possible. Give him more time, so that you gather the finer points of the profession. You should never to try to dominate the discussion. Your manners should be pleasing.

Tag-team interview

In this you may be interviewed by two or more interviewers. Each interviewer would view from his special angle. This style will give the employer insights of different people on your skills and personality.

The members of the interviewing team will have a clear understanding of the specific goal of the exercise. They work with a spirit of total co-operation.

The interviewers may take turns and interact with you one after the other in a series. Alternatively, a few of them may ask you questions simultaneously as in a one-to-panel interview. Remember that each interviewer has his own separate agenda. So you have to pay special attention to each one of them with care. The interviewers may be holding various responsible positions in the company. It is a good idea to know each member of the interview team by name and job positions. You should make each interviewer feel that you give profound importance to him. Be constantly alert. Prepare well on basics as for any conventional interview.

Second interview

When the interview board has problems in making a final choice from the short-listed candidates, it may summon the candidates once again and hold a second interview. You have to maintain consistency in your approach. You can confirm the picture you first presented, and furnish useful additional information if any. In any case, you get an opportunity to cement the rapport you have already built. The second interview may be a routine follow-up interview in certain companies.

Exit interview

In this, you meet an executive of the company which you are leaving. Perhaps, the company wants to study the causes of your leaving and make corrective measures in the company for better employee retention, It is not essential that you attend it. But it is advisable that you attend and depart with no malice or ill feeling. It is indeed a good thing if you can leave a good impression even as you depart. The possibility of your re-joining the company on a later occasion cannot be ruled out.

Sound sleep insures against obesity among kids

Sound sleep very early in life is the best insurance against obesity, a research has found.

Babies, toddlers and pre-school children sleeping less than 10 hours a night are more likely to be overweight as they age.

Experts believe that lack of sleep causes one to feel hunger and crave calorie-rich snacks during the day, reports Daily Mail.

Previous research has linked sleep deprivation with obesity in adults and teenagers, but this is one of the first to look at very small children, says the journal Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers from the Universities of Washington and California examined sleeping habits of almost 1,000 children less than five years old.

They found that those who sleep less than 10 hours were twice as likely to be overweight five years later with some even clinically obese.

The study also looked at children aged five to 13 but did not find any significant trends.

And around 10 percent of six year olds are obese -- with rates predicted to rise significantly over the next few years.

Last year, Chinese researchers looked at more than 5,000 youngsters and found that those who were able to catch up on sleep at the weekend were far less likely to pile on the pounds.

Scientists have also found a link between lack of sleep and Type-2 diabetes.

Benefits of MBA

MBA is a versatile master’s degree program in business, management and finance. It signifies professionalism, breath of experience and success. And to achieve this success you have to firstly, opt for an appropriate MBA program and, secondly choose a respected and reputable institution. Some of the best B schools in India are located in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Indore, Kozhikode and Lucknow. MBA in Ahmedabad, MBA in Kolkata and MBA in Mumbai is given top priority for their bright prospect.

But lets have a close look at the various benefits of MBA program: 

Advancing your career: MBA degree is an outstanding way to advance your career. It helps to increase your job security, provides a greater chance for promotion, increases your salary and also offers good networking opportunities.

Developing your business skill: Undergoing an MBA degree will help to boost up your business knowledge thereby adding to your expertise. It teaches you all the business strategies, concepts, and related aspects both theoretical and practical. Most MBA schools even prefer applicants from non-business backgrounds.

Leadership abilities: MBA program engages in assignments, rigorous training, group projects, presentations, and reports, all of which helps you to handle business affairs.

Networking: The associations that you make with your colleagues and the connections which you generate are regarded as the most valuable thing that MBA programs offer.

Developing analytical skills: Developing analytical skills is the forte of all MBA courses. An MBA degree helps in developing analytical skills to analyze, identify and solve problems faced by the management and business.

Developing people’s skills: Developing people’s skill is another benefit of undergoing an MBA degree. People-management skill, interpersonal and soft management skills are skills that are difficult to learn. So selecting an MBA program which offers a detailed curriculum in developing people’s skill is advisable.

Career prospects: MBA courses in India offers ample career opportunities in varied fields especially for executive level and managerial jobs. It opens a new world for its employees

Marketing: An MBA program provides its students with practical marketing skills and theoretical knowledge which enables them to find jobs in marketing field.

Finance: MBA finance courses offered by MBA colleges’ enables you to get top jobs in the finance field.

Government jobs: It is a misconception that MBA courses enable you to get jobs only in marketing fields. It also provides career prospects for government jobs.

Personal business: Undergoing an MBA degree becomes a great benefit for those having their personal business. It offers you all those relevant skills that are required for starting your own enterprise, thereby making you an entrepreneur.

Non-profit Organizations: For an MBA student working in a non-profit organization can be extremely rewarding both emotionally as well as financially.

Not a good Speaker –Smart Tips to excel in GD

There is a famous saying of Mother Teresa, a part of which can be recalled as below: Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is life, fight for it. So even if you are not perfect, fight for it to be near to the perfect.

This simple saying has a very deep meaning inside which if used by anyone can see no failure in their life to come. Each one of us is blessed with some or other positive qualities which are hardly been recognized. Through this article an attempt is made to boost some positive energy to those who thinks that they lack good communication skills and so they have to face failures in every aspect. We all know that now in this competitive world of fierce rat race everyone tries to beat his competitor to win the race .But now winning the race is not the only option; winning at the shortest time counts more.

Corporate now are finding for more & more effective techniques to find right candidates for the right job, and GD is one of the technique .It can be said that it is one of the easy and smart technique by which a candidate can be judged in the shortest time of may be 15-20 min .Also different skills of a candidate can be judged which are demanded of by the corporate. They are Leadership skills, Persuasive skills, Interpersonal skills, communication skills, conceptualizing skills and may be many more. Now anybody who lack in terms of communication skills can excel in other skills .But that don’t mean that one can win GD by remaining dumb .So what a poor communicator can do to win GD that is the point of writing this article.

 Here are some tips which may help you out with winning the GD.

1. A Poor Communicator may not be a good leader in terms of communication but can be a good leader in terms of action. If you cannot initiate the discussion, you can guide others when the group is going out of the track of discussing a particular topic. It may be you who can take the initiation to prevent the group to go into a fish market .Since you can win half the battle if your group wins.

2. A Good communicator don’t means that he will gain marks by using esoteric jargons in an attempt to show off his knowledge .In fact the evaluator may give negative marks .So even if you are not a good communicator try to be a good listener and by listening to all the group members, try to come up with your own points when you get the chance to speak. It is wrong notion of some people that a good communicator is someone who continuously talks and talk and don’t let others speak. Then he is not a good communicator but a good Dictator. And in GD dictatorship is not demanded. So a poor communicator can be a good listener as listening is also demanded from a good communicator.

3. Now the question is, if one is not getting chance to speak and is also not a good communicator then how he can start the discussion. It is simple, if you are a good listener, listen to those who are leader in the group or are participating more then when time permits try to give positive response to them in what they say .A moment will come, when the leader himself will help you out to participate in the discussion.

 4. GD also demands from you to remain cool even when someone provokes you by with personal comment and you develop the ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and more of a team player. So even if a candidate is a poor communicator, he can steal the show if he develops the interpersonal skills with his group members in a right way. It may happen that the leader of the group is not liked by other members due to his dictatorship, and you may get the chance to make place in their heart.

5. A poor communicator if develops the ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives without hurting the group members and while appreciating someone else's point of view communicate his views effectively without overtly hurting the other person ,then he can surpass the other good communicators also.

 6. It may often happens that a person who is frequently communicating don’t end up with a good solution to the topic given ,so if in this situation ,a poor communicator have the ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own creativity he can be the surprise winner.

 7. The last tip is if you cannot initiate/start the discussion, then you can summarize the findings in a few sentences that present the overall perspective with some new points added from your side .It may happen that some of the group members have missed to discuss some important points which you have noticed, then try to come out with those. A poor communicator can steal the show even if he speak less, even if he uses simple language with grammatical errors but with clarity and valid to the topic, even if he is not aggressive and confident but is a good listener .

A group discussion hardly last for 15-20 min ,so in a group of say 5-6 members ,a poor communicator if presents his views for even 3-4 min with good ,clear,valid,creative ,points he still have the chance to win the race . And the last, don't be disheartened if you don't make it after your first group discussion. The best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from one's past mistakes.

Try to find out the points where you have gone wrong and practice it with someone who is a good communicator than you. Maybe you can take the help of yours sisters/friends/parents, but try it always with a good one not with those who are at par with you or below par. So the above points may not be sufficient to make you winner at the first stroke but can guide you to develop the confidence to speak even if you are not a good speaker .Best of luck and always remember the sayings of what Mother Teresa have told .She was a good communicator in her own language, but have stolen the heart of millions of Indians whose language she rarely know.

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY

1.      Take tests - Why do we push things into memory. Because, we would like to recall it when the need arises. How do you know you will be able to recall when you need it? Simple, Take tests periodically and makes repeated attempts in recalling. Regular recall improves memory.

2.      Take breaks - If you have 3.5 hours to read, break it into 4 parts: 45 minutes followed by a 5 to 10 minute break. Studies indicate that you can't concentrate for more than 45 minutes.

3.      Sleep on it - What you review immediately before going to sleep is what your brain will most quickly and efficiently file away. So review just before sleep.

4.      Relax -The Thinking Brain functions best when you are relaxed and free from stress.

5.      Reading habits - Read out loud; don't bother if it disturbs others at home. Walk while you read; don't bother if it disturbs your others at home.

6.      Draw charts. Write and rewrite key ideas and formula.

7.      Use flash cards - Flash cards facilitate constant review and instantly help to check output. Rules, principles, formulae should all go into it.

8.      Revision - You should revise shortly after the learning period. At first, say within 10 minutes after learning and then, again, within the next 24 hours. The reason: when you finish learning, the brain has not had enough time to organise and store everything. It needs a few minutes to store, organise and integrate the data. Studies show that 82% of what you learn today can be forgotten in 24 hours if you do not make a special effort to remember it.

9.      Interest is the mother of attention and attention is the mother of memory.

10.  The best way to remember is to repeat; and the best way to repeat is to “teach” some one else.

11.  If exhaustion or drowsiness comes on frequently, take some phosphate tonic, preferably kali phos 6x or 12x prescribed by homoeopaths.

Career Journal: Acing That Job Interview

You’ve finally got that job interview that you’ve been vying for.


How should you behave when you get there? What if you don’t have answers to all the questions? How do you make the right impression?

Mind your body language—don’t get too comfortable.No matter how many years of work experience you have, it’s natural to have a million questions buzzing through your head. Here, some recruiters and managers share tips to help get you through that interview with flying colors.

1. Do Your Homework

The number one complaint that recruiters have is that people turn up for job interviews clueless about the company, its top officers, or the job. Even very senior people make this mistake.

“Understand the organization you are going to for an interview,” says Ramesh Vaswani, executive vice-chairman of computer accessory-maker Intex Technologies (India) Ltd.
Look up the names of the company’s top officers, like the chief executive and the chairman, and especially the person in charge of the department where you want to work. Study the company Web site. Google news articles on the company, and make a note of any recent acquisitions, new products launched, or new directions the company is taking. Where possible, read up on the company’s financial condition, and look at a recent annual report.

If you can strategically drop some of these points [in conversation], that shows you’re very well read and clued in,” says E Balaji, head of Ma Foi Ranstad, a human resource services company.

2. Rehearse

Ahead of the interview, think through the questions you might be asked about your current or past job, why you left your previous position, what you’re looking for in the new job, and what makes you so suitable for this position.

Don’t forget to prepare for this trick question that recruiters love to ask.

Write down your answers—that’ll help you remember them—and maybe even rehearse them aloud. You’ll be more confident at the actual interview.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, politely. For instance, you can say: I’m afraid I don’t know, but I can get back to you on that. Trying to fake it usually doesn’t work because experienced interviewers can see through that.

3. Be Specific

When asked about a current or past job, interviewees “spend a lot of time talking about their organization,” says Mr. Vaswani. While it’s great if you have worked for a large or well-known company, what’s more important is what you did there.

“Talk about specific assignments you have handled,” he says. Instead of simply saying that you were the chief finance officer for your organization, talk about a target you helped achieve, such as raising millions of rupees of working capital.

4. Turn the Tables

Don’t be a passive interviewee. When you get the opportunity, ask questions. These can be about the company’s future plans, growth prospects, or about what is expected of you from the new job and what growth you can expect at the company.

These questions “convey that you’re seriously growth-oriented,” says Mr. Balaji.

Be careful, however, to not ask something that you could have found out on the company’s website.

5. Go Gentle on a Current or Past Employer

In general, you want to talk positively about your current or past employer. Badmouthing your previous employer could leave a bad impression on a potential new employer.

Find a neutral way to explain challenges you might have faced at the previous company, or reasons why your career growth required that you move on. If there was a disagreement with your previous manager, communicate it diplomatically. You could say “there were strategic differences in our approaches.” Don’t say you hated your manager.

6. The Salary Equation

Experts advise leaving the salary discussion to the very end of the interview process.

“As a rule, people shouldn’t portray that one is only driven by the money,” says Mr. Balaji.

Talk about salary only if the interviewer brings up the topic. Be truthful about what you earn currently, and be prepared to give some idea of what you expect in the new position.

7. Manners Count

Don’t overlook your basic etiquette.

“Arrive on time; not too early, not too late. Either way can send different kinds of signals,” says Nirmit Parekh, managing director and chief executive officer of international executive research firm 3P Consultants Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai.

If you get there too early, it can show that you have a lot of time to kill.

Switch off your mobile phone before the interview. “Invariably, I’m standing for a minute because the person is completing a call,” says Mr. Parekh.

8. What to Wear

Dress appropriately—not too casual, but you needn’t be in a suit-and-tie either, especially if it’s hot outside. A clean shirt, tie and trousers are good enough for men. Women can wear a modest Indian outfit, or a collared shirt and pants.

9. Body Language

“Body posture, according to me, is extremely important when you are talking to and meeting a person,” says Mr. Parekh. It immediately gives away whether the person is confident—or overconfident.

If someone crosses their legs or leans back too casually, you know he’s not taking this meeting seriously, he adds.


A firm handshake leaves a good impression. Be sure you maintain eye contact during the interview. If there is more than one interviewer, don’t ignore anyone.

“A smile is always welcome,” he says.

10. Follow-up

Send a thank-you note or email to the person you met with. And ask when you should check back to find out the interview result.