How Students Can Use Evernote

Evernote is widely regarded as one of the best productivity tools in the entire world. Not only is it efficient and dependable, it’s also one of the top note-taking tools to offer cloud support, file organisation and many other great features. If you like taking notes, writing ideas down or storing important files locally/in the cloud, then Evernote might be right app for you.

Important Evernote features

Cloud Support

One of Evernote’s advantages is both a desktop and mobile app that stores it’s date in the cloud. This means whenever you write a note on mobile, it transfers to desktop and the other way around.

Add images or documents

You can also create a variety of note types and even use different fonts for convenience. To make things better, you are also allowed to attach documents and clip full pages if you want.

Excellent Organisation

Another key feature for Evernote is the fact that you can search and find your notes with ease. Just searching a keyword will bring up all of your notes where it is included. If you want to better organise your notes, you can create your own tags and notebooks.

Import online research easily

A great feature for students comes in the form of a web clipper. Using it you can save pages, articles and web pages to your account. This way you get to do research on a topic and then have it all in a single place. It definitely beats bookmarks and coupled with the above mentioned search function you can pull up all of your research on a topic in seconds.

Handwriting Support

Evernote even have support for handwriting, so if you prefer to write notes by hand, Evernote’s machine learning system can recognise what you wrote. It can identify 11 handwritten and 28 typewritten languages. Results can differ based on how complex your handwriting is, but this can definitely make a huge difference.

Scan documents

With Evernote you can also scan documents and add everything in your account. Having all those documents ready to go in a single place is very convenient, and it can go well beyond your school life. Students will like this feature because they can take a picture of every important page in a book and have the content available as they see fit.

Integration with other popular apps

It’s also important to note that Evernote also offers lots of integrations with popular tools. For example, it offers Gmail integration, Outlook, SalesForce, Google Drive, Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations.

How Students Can Use Evernote

• You can have notebooks for every class, you can add documents and integrate audio recordings or manage drafts.
• As we mentioned above, you can also search and also scan handwritten notes.
• It works great if you want to record talks and lectures.
• Annotation is key for a tool like this, and Evernote does not disappoint. You can add notes to PDFs, you can even indicate stuff with arrows and so on. Modifying the content of PDF files does not seem like a lot, but it makes a huge difference and it shows the true value of such a tool.
• Students can also manage assignments with reminders and to-do lists. Managing tasks is hard most of the time, but Evernote does a very good job at helping you track all those personal and school tasks in a single place.

Conclusion

If you want to take advantage of all these features, all you need is to download Evernote for free from https://evernote.com/. This is by far one of the top tools you can use to manage your documents and content. Give it a try

Learn more about the DSA assessment process.

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COVID-19: Ideas For Exercise

This is a follow on article from our previous post on how to minimise anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s really important for both your physical health and mental health to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and keep moving. With gym doors firmly closed and access to the outdoors currently limited, maintaining previous fitness routines probably won’t be possible, however adaptation is the key, the following ideas for exercise should help…

Desk Posture

If you are working or studying from home and find that you are sitting at a desk for much of the day, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have a download with tips and hints about exercises and posture. Even if you are still busy, be sure to plan regular exercise sessions into your new daily routine. It can be done!

Outdoor Exercise

One of the government rules at the time of writing this blog is that one period of daily exercise is allowed outside of the home (check for latest guidelines), taking care to maintain the recommended minimum two metre, (6feet) distance from others. If possible, use this time to go for a bike ride, a jog or a stress reducing walk. The additional benefit of 15 to 20 minutes of daily exposure to the spring sunshine should also be enough to top up much needed Vitamin D levels.

Online Workouts

For those in self-isolation, there are a plethora of free online options for all age groups and levels of ability, ranging from armchair stretching exercises, gentle yoga sessions, pilates, aerobic exercises, weight/strength training and dance sessions. Try the NHS Fitness Studio for a great variety of ability ranging workouts. In addition, lots of gyms are also providing free online workouts for their existing members.

Celebrity Workouts

Celebrities are also bringing classes to your living room, Joe Wicks has a daily Instagram workout aimed primarily at children, but adults up and down the country have been joining in, these are uploaded onto his Body Coach TV Youtube channel.  The site also has an amazing variety of free workouts for everyone, pick one to suit! Davina McCall is offering a free 30 day membership to her website which offers a range of exercise options and advice about nutrition. You can sign up here, no card details required. Gabby Allen is also doing a HIIT workout every morning at 10 am live from her Instagram page.

The Nike Training Club (NTC) app has also made all of its premium workouts free until further notice, download here for iOS or Android.

If you are in isolation with others, encourage them to join in, you will be helping them to stay fit, it will be more fun and help to keep you motivated. Alternately you can access fitness sessions using apps like ‘Zoom’ where you can participate as part of a group or even find an online personal trainer. There really is something for everyone, find something you like at your own level, stay focused and enjoy!

At the very least, walk your way to fitness with the fifteen minute mile, ideal if you’re a beginner or lacking space, everyone can find fifteen spare minutes in a day or numerous fifteen minute sessions, chalk up the miles and stay positive, at the very least, this video provides some much needed comic relief.

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COVID-19: How To Minimise Anxiety During The Coronavirus Pandemic

It is perfectly normal that people are feeling anxious during the current pandemic, however, it is important to keep fear and worries in perspective and to take care of your physical and mental health in order to minimise anxiety during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Avoid Rumours and Fake News

Stay informed but try to minimise exposure to the constant stream of available newsfeed which can heighten anxiety and aggravate stress levels. It is important for your own safety and the welfare of others to be aware of the most recent guidelines, but obtain the latest facts from reliable sources and check updates only a couple of times a day. There has been a lot of misinformation spread on social media and in the newspapers since the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Reputable sources of information can be found at
NHS.uk and Gov.uk.

Daily Routine

Try to maintain/create regular daily routines. Have a rough plan of each day with goals, however small, that you want to achieve. Include tasks to complete but pencil in leisure time to pursue hobbies and interests, make time to relax. Routines help you to feel in control. Check out our video on how to set goals.

If you are working/studying from home, consider using different techniques to help you to stay focused, check out the The Pomodoro Method for example and Time Management Techniques. It is essential to plan regular working hours and separate your working life from the remainder of your day. Try to have a designated work space to help you be more productive.

The mental health charity ‘Mind’ has some useful information and tips about working from home. Keep up regular contact with work colleagues, tutors or fellow students, share problems and seek advice when needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Diet

Try to eat a well balanced diet, stick to regular meal times and healthy snacks. A poor diet low in essential nutrients and low blood sugar can contribute towards feelings of anxiety. Experiment with new recipes, try websites such as Pure Wow and Vegan Recipe Club.

As always stay hydrated, try to drink the recommended six to eight glasses of water every day. Try filling a glass or container and keeping it with you to remind you to drink regularly.

Exercise

Take regular exercise. It is as important as ever to stay fit and look after your own health, but it can be fun and releases natural feel-good endorphins that boost your mood. Take a look at some of our suggestions for keeping fit while on lockdown. If you have a Fitbit use it to track your activity and complete its hourly ‘get moving’ routine, if not set an alarm and carry out a short exercise routine every hour.

Socialise

Use technology to maintain social contacts, it is so important in these times of minimal physical contact to stay in regular touch with friends and family. It is easier than ever to call by phone, text or email. You can video call friends individually or create group get-togethers using various apps. Some of our favourites are Zoom, Houseparty and Whatsapp

Hobbies

In the current situation you probably have a lot more spare time at home, for instance there is time gained in the day by not having a daily commute. Use this to explore new hobbies, sign up for a course, learn a language, finish that book you just haven’t had time to read. You could even learn to play an instrument, Fender is offering three months of free guitar lessons.

Relax

There are lots of relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, visualisation methods, Tai-Chi etc that can help to deal with chronic anxiety and stress. There is a wealth of information, instructional videos online and free apps available to help with this, everyone is an individual and some methods work better for some than others. However, relaxing can also mean spending time with people you live with or calling a friend, listening to music, reading a book, watching your favourite television show. Take time out to wind down.

Sleep

Sleep is important. Have a regular sleep pattern built in to your daily routine and try to keep to it. Stress, anxiety, lack of exercise and a poor diet can all contribute to poor sleep quality. Try to relax and wind down before retiring to bed, reading stimulating information and being exposed to ‘blue light’ from smartphones and laptops can also be detrimental to a restful night. If you struggle with sleeping, have a warm bath before bed, curl up with a book, try some relaxation/breathing exercises.

Conclusion

Although we have no control over what is happening currently in the world, we can control to some extent, how we deal with it. Stay safe and calm and boost your immune system and take care of your mental health by following some of our advice and tips. However, if you feel that fear and anxiety are spiralling out of control, talk to someone or seek further professional support. This pandemic is unprecedented in our lifetime, but it is important to take deep breaths and remember that it is temporary and eventually will pass.

Further reading and support
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak
https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/?
https://www.samaritans.org/
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/covid-19-and-your-mental-health/

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The College Leavers Guide To The DSA

Are you a disabled student finishing college and wondering what the next steps are to ensure you have support in place for when you start University in September?

The interval between applying for funding and receiving the appropriate equipment and support may be up to three months. It is therefore advisable that you apply as early as possible, if necessary, before the confirmation of your course. 

This page has been set up with the goal of giving you all the information you need to get your support in place.

Covid-19 (Coronavirus Update)

Although the Covid-19 outbreak has affected educational institutions, we are still all working hard in student support to ensure your DSA is in place for September.  In fact it is actually easier than ever for you to get your DSA support in place! This is due to the fact that face-to-face study needs assessments are no longer required and we can complete your study needs assessment over the phone.

This means we can take bookings from anywhere in the UK and you can complete your assessment from the comfort of your own home. (click here to book your assessment)

What is the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)?

The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a UK government-funded program providing students financial grants to cover any extra study expenses a student may have due to a disability. Both part-time and full-time students can get access to the DSA including those on postgraduate, distance learning and Open University courses.

Watch the short 2 minute video below for a complete overview of the Disabled Students’ Allowance…

 

Our Guide To All Areas Of The DSA

Click to view…

1. Find your funding body. 
2. Once you have found your funding body learn about the DSA Process.
3. Booking your DSA study needs assessment.
4. What happens at your DSA study needs assessment.
5. Receiving your DSA Entitlement letter.
6. Arranging delivery of your DSA equipment.

If you still have questions we have an extensive FAQ section towards the bottom of our main DSA page here, you can also email any questions to admin@a2bassessments.com

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Guide To The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

What is the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)?

For a brief summary of the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) watch our video below. For a more detailed overview keep reading.

 

The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a UK government-funded program providing students financial grants to cover any extra study expenses a student may have due to a disability.

You do not need to repay the DSA as it is not a loan and the amount disbursed will be dependent on your individual needs, rather than your income or that of your partner or parents.

Both part-time and full-time students can get access to the DSA including those on postgraduate, distance learning and Open University courses.

It is always recommended to apply as early as possible so you have your support in place for when you commence your studies and you can apply for the DSA even if you are yet to receive confirmation of acceptance into a university. If for whatever reason this isn’t possible, you can also apply at any point throughout your course.

Unlike the normal student loan, you are still eligible for the Disabled Student Allowance even if you have already completed a higher education course previously.

Who is eligible for the DSA?

“You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”

Any student in the UK can apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) as long as you have evidence to show that you have a:

1. Long term illness or health condition. e.g Cancer, HIV, Diabetes
2. Specific learning difficulty (SpLD) or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. e.g. Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Asperger’s Syndrome
3. Mental health condition. e.g. Depression, PTSD, Schizophrenia, Anxiety
4. Physical or sensory impairment. e.g. a wheelchair user, a blind person, a hearing-impaired person

You need to have been previously diagnosed with any of these conditions and have proof from a doctor when you apply. Alternatively, if you have an SpLD you will need a diagnostic report done by a specialist practitioner.

What type of support is awarded to disabled students?

The type of support available will vary depending on the individual and the course undertaken. Support can include:

1. Specialist equipment allowance – This may include things such as assistive technology software and hardware or ergonomic equipment.
2. Non-medical helper allowance – This covers the cost of the expense of certain 1:1 support (e.g. hiring a sign language interpreter, a study skills tutor or a mentor).
3. General Allowance – This is to cover disability-related expenses (e.g. increased photocopying or printing due to your condition).
4. Travel allowance – This covers additional spending on transport as a result of your approved condition.

What is the application procedure for the disabled students’ allowance?

1. Obtain proof of your condition from a diagnostic assessment given by a medical authority.
2. Send your completed DSA application along with a photocopy of your evidence to your funding body.
3. Your funding body will review your application along with your evidence and If you qualify you will receive an eligibility letter.
4. Your eligibility letter will advise you to attend a study needs assessment at a centre like A2B Assessments.  Here the assessor will determine your specific needs and requirements for your course and then complete a needs assessment report.
5. Your need assessment report is sent to you and your funding body. Your funding body will process your report and send you an entitlement letter detailing all the support that has been agreed and explaining how to put it into place.

How to apply for the DSA?

How you apply will depend on where you live in the UK:

1. If you live in England need to apply to Student Finance England. You can do so here.
   If your course is funded by the NHS, then you will need to apply to the NHS Student Bursaries office here.
2. If you are a Northern Ireland student you can find out how to apply here.
3. If you are a Scottish student then you will be funded by Students Awards Agency for Scotland and you can find out more here.
4. If you are a Welsh student you will be funded by Student Finance Wales and can learn how to apply here.

Book your DSA Needs Assessment

 

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Freedom – Distraction Blocker

What Is Freedom?

Freedom is an all in one distraction blocker that you can use to block distractions in all your devices regardless of whether you are on a Smartphone, iPhone, iPad or computer. You can block any website or application for a set amount of time, ensuring you can work without any distractions.

When you need to focus, all you need to do is create a Freedom session and then proceed to block all the distracting websites. Or if like me you like to be productive in normal working hours you can set up a recurring schedule so you can block social media, shopping sites, YouTube etc during the day. 

Can I just turn it off and view the blocked websites anyway?

Freedom comes with a locked mode for people that tend to be highly susceptible to distraction. In locked mode, you are prevented from closing Freedom whilst a session is in progress. Given that it comes in different versions for all your devices, you can block distractions everywhere, and get down to doing productive work.

General Pros of Freedom

1. Blocks Distracting Websites – Whether it is YouTube, Instagram or Facebook, Freedom allows you to block an unlimited number of websites and get focused on what needs to be done.
2. Blocks Apps (this feature is unavailable on iPhone) – It not only blocks websites but also apps which are the main way that you waste time when you are on the phone or computer.
3. Blocks the Internet – If you wish you can block the entire Internet so that you cannot have access to any distracting websites. This is great for improving your sleep by blocking the internet after 9pm or so to help you wind down.
4. Custom Blocks – You get the ability to blacklist and also to whitelist websites. This means that you can block distracting websites and allow access to websites that you may need to use while studying.
5. Locked Mode – Gives you the ability to prevent yourself from ending a session by preventing you from changing the settings of scheduled sessions. This will help you keep focused and committed to your goals and break bad habits.
6. Sync Blocks Across Devices – You get the ability to block distractions on one device and have them blocked on all your devices.

How To Implement Freedom To Help With Your Studies

Freedom is used by more than 750,000 professionals that include writers, software developers, researchers, editors, executives and marketers looking to improve their productivity. As a student in a world full of distractions, it is critical to have a way to enhance your willpower and increase your focus and productivity on autopilot. The following are some of the reasons to use Freedom.

1. Distractions are Habit-forming

It can be easy for the non-procrastinator to say why not just quit or turn it off but that is not how it works in the real world. The modern student’s brain is bombarded with digital distractions designed to give dopamine hits that the brain cannot get enough of. The tiny hits can keep you coming back for more unless you have a system of turning them off.

2. Multitasking Reduces Your Productivity

While multitasking has always been touted as a positive thing, research shows that people who multitask tend to be less productive. You cannot get much done when you have opened Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a Word processor. 

3. Willpower is Finite

Just like other resources that you have to power up your life, willpower is finite and will get exhausted. You typically have the highest amount of willpower in the morning and it will deplete over the course of the day. Ignoring distractions uses up willpower and with the world increasingly digital, the resource is used up ever faster. The best way to prevent this drain of willpower is to use an automated system such as Freedom. 

Where to get Freedom and How to Install It

You can get Freedom from the app store of your specific device or from the Freedom website at https://freedom.to/downloads

Conclusion

The Freedom app can make you a more productive, healthier and happier student. With Freedom, you can regain control over how you use your devices which will improve your academic life. Freedom will make it easy to focus on the things that are most important at a given time. Once you have accomplished the most important academic objectives, you can then go ahead and enjoy your social life on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and WhatsApp without feeling guilty.

A2B Assessments

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Being Paralysed didn’t stop Jason Becker Composing A New Album

Who Is Jason Becker?

Jason Becker was born in 1969 in Richmond, California. He found fame at a young age for being an extremely talented guitarist, songwriter and composer. 

At only 20 years old, Jason joined ex Van Halen front man David Lee Roth’s band and played on his 1991 solo album entitled A Little Ain’t Enough. Jason was applauded for his efforts so much that Guitar Magazine awarded him the sought after “Best New Guitarist Award”.

Being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Jason’s career was going from height to height but at the same time that he began to experience a slight limp in his left leg.  Jason went to get it checked out and after multiple tests he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A debilitating, paralysing disease.  The same condition that the late Stephen Hawking suffered from.

Jason persisted on with his guitar playing but once the effects of ALS got worse he lost the ability to play the guitar, walk and even speak. Eventually Jason was only able to move his eyes and his chin.

His doctors only gave him 5 years to live. 

Jason learned to communicate with his eyes

Having lost his ability to speak, Gary Becker (Jason’s Father) developed an intuitive language system using Jason’s eye movement that would allow Jason to communicate effectively.

Once Jason was able to express himself again It wasn’t long before he resumed writing music.

His 1996 Album Perspective

Jason went on to release an album in 1996 entitled Perspective.  This was a mix of new songs he had composed since suffering from his condition and other songs that were recorded before his condition worsened. Many people thought this would be the last album of Jason’s. And for over 20 years, this was the case.

His new album Triumphant Hearts

In 2016 though Jason announced he would release a brand new album. A total of $115,000 was raised by a Pledgemusic and Indiegogo campaign to help cover the costs of production and on the 7th of December 2018 Triumphant Hearts was released to critical acclaim.

Jason finished 2019 with even more accolades as Triumphant Hearts ranked number 4 in Guitar World’s recent “20 Best Guitar Albums Of The Decade”. What an achievement!

Jason’s latest album is a testament to the human spirit and should serve as inspiration to everyone to go after their goals. Despite his disability, he has continued to write and compose exceptional music. Even though Jason was only given 5 years to live back in 1991, his medical condition has remained stable since 1997.

Listen to the new album on Spotify below…

Book a DSA assessment

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