Quick update

Hello, this is a quick update on what I've been doing these days.

Uni & Studying

I just finished my midterms. I would say my grades were good on average, aside from maybe two grades which were lower than expected, but I stopped stressing over marks as long as they are above average. I just have to do my best, try to improve the way I study, and understand which ways of studying are best and most efficient for me.   

I recently started using the Pomodoro technique, which is basically a time management method where you work for 25 minutes per set, take a 5-minute break between each set, and take a 30-minute break after repeating it for 4 times. But most importantly, you have to focus only on your work and remove all distractions. I started using it to boost my focus and because I tend to over estimate my studying time, so it removes doubt and makes it easier to keep track of how much I'm actually studying. I can also get an estimate of the results a certain amount of sets produce. During the breaks, I usually try to do some pull-ups, read something, or practice some kanji writing, mainly to keep my body moving and to give my eyes a break.

I'm also trying to improve my presentation and public speaking skills. I read a book called "How to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere" by Larry King (6/10), but the only lesson I learned from it was that if you actually LISTEN to what someone is saying, you probably won't run out of things to talk about. I'm currently reading "Talk Like TED" by Carmine Gallo, and I've come across some nice tips. I'm aware that practicing is the best way to get good at it, but I will still read the book to check if there are any more useful tips.

Books

This is a list of some of the books I plan on reading in summer: 

-"The laws of human nature" by Robert Greene (I read about 50 pages, and I'm loving it) 

-"Why we sleep" by Matthew Walker 

-"Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond 

-"Breathe" by James Nestor

I have a lot of books I want to read, so hopefully I will end up reading at least these. 

Music

During winter break, I learned the basics of reading music sheet, but I'm still slow at it, and I can't find much time to practice during the semester, but I'm planning on practicing regularly in summer. The instructor from the course I'm using, said that you shouldn't worry about how fast you read, it's something that comes with time, so I guess I'll just have to build a habit of practicing and wait patiently.

Language

I have two google documents for Turkish and Japanese vocabulary that I keep updating whenever necessary, and every time I use the bus, I try to go through them. I'm slowly getting better at understanding Turkish, but the progress is too slow, so I have to focus on improving during summer.

To give some context about the Japanese writing system, it consists of 4 types of characters : 

- Kanji : Adopted Chinese characters. The average Japanese can recognize around 2,000 kanji. At some point before starting university, I memorized 95 characters, but right now I might remember only around 50. I'm comfortable reading probably only around 25 of them.

- Hiragana : 48 Japanese characters used for Japanese words, which I memorized and got comfortable using.

- Katakana : 48 Japanese characters used for foreign words, which I memorized and got good at, but still not on the level of hiragana.

- Romaji : The normal Latin alphabet, but it's rarely used. 

* The next post will be in a month. I plan on writing about the courses I took this semester and my plans for summer.

Have a good day :)