Procrastinus - A Procrastination Site

I know I've been yammering on lately about time management and lists - it's just that time of the year for me, February and procrastination seem to go hand-in-hand - but, I'm still going to link to one more time-related site. Procrastination Central includes online assessments (I'm apparently a moderate procrastinator), research on procrastination and links to a number of interesting sites (both serious and fun). I know that any success I've had with conquering procrastination is because I've found out as much as I could about it and learned techniques that I can use to avoid it (no pun intended).

Miriam

Google Super Searching Workshop

Have you ever used an internet search engine and walked away thinking, “I am sure there is more on this topic out there, but I just can’t seem to find it!” or, “I am not sure if this is from a website that is considered authoritative;” or even, “Why oh why did I end up with this recipe for fantastic chicken corn chowder when I am researching the Cuban missile crisis?” Don’t worry you are definitely not alone at this university. Using internet search engines effectively is a great skill to learn so that next time you sit down in front of your computer you can get the results you need. The Dafoe library is offering a number of workshops called “Google Super Searching,” which are aimed at teaching you about search concepts and tricks, as well as how to find what you want on the internet. The details are as follows:

Location: Room 11, Elizabeth Dafoe Library

Dates: Monday, February 19, 4:00 - 5:00
Wednesday, February 28, 1:15 – 2:15
Friday, March 9, 3:00 – 4:00
Monday, March 12, 4:00 – 5:00
Wednesday, March 21, 1:15 – 2:15
Friday, March 30, 3:00 – 4:00

Email dafref@ms.umanitoba.ca to register.

Have fun searching the net,

Jeff

Mnemonics

In most cases, understanding and becoming familiar with a subject area is the best way to learn; however, sometimes we just need to memorize (i.e., what are the 6 types of veins?). Mnemonics are strategies that you can use to memorize difficult to remember lists, systems, and facts. Some examples of mnemonics are acronyms (HOME = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie; MADD = Mother's Against Drunk Driving), first letter mnemonics (PIRATES = Pulmonary disease, Ischemia, Rheumatic heart disease, Anemia, Thyrotoxicosis, Ethanol, and Sepsis), or verses (Thirty days hath September,April, June, and November: All the rest have thirty-one, Except for February). You can make up your own mnemonics (you just have to make sure you remember what they mean!) or use mnemonics others have already created (like the examples above).

The wikipedia entry linked above (just click on "mnemonic") lists a number of different mnemonic techniques. I've also listed a number of other sites below that you might find useful.

Amanda's Mnemonic Page
University of Victoria's Mnemonics Page
Mnemonic Techniques provided by Inteligen
Mnemonics

Miriam