ISSUE THREE

22nd May 2013

MASSEY MANAWATU

The end of Semester is near...

Examinations If you think that the semester has gone by quickly, imagine how quick the next 3 weeks will pass by till exams. Dont get too stressed at the thought of your exams around the corner. Utilise this time to find out effective ways to approach your study and what you can do to prepare yourself during this time. Make sure you get familiar with your exam timetable so that you dont turn up on the wrong day. Exams can be stressful so please be mindful of the other residents in your hall. To ensure that the halls remain quiet and conducive for focussed study, Massey imposes an alcohol ban in the halls during exam time. Noise levels must be kept down to a minimum, even if you have finished sitting all your own exams. Events for May and beyond: KiwianaThis was a successful fun filled event with many international students getting a taste of both classic Kiwi food and culture with an opportunity to partake in Kiwi games and competitions.

Above: Cow Milking Activity at Kiwiana Below: Egmont vs Rotary in Touch Tourney

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Creative ArtsThis competition is still underway for the month of May and we look forward to seeing your talented creations. Halls BallNext semester will hold this major event. Remember to collect your ball gowns and suits when you return home for the holidays. Tickets will go on sale in July. Upcoming events Soccer Tourney (28th July), the Flatting Expo (11th Sept) and the Talent Night (26th Sept). The Accommodation Services Team would like to wish you all the best for your last assignments, tests and exams. Safe travels back home for the holiday break and we look forward to seeing you again next Semester!

Gumboot Shield Ladder Board Past events - Touch Tourney, Kiwiana Upcoming EventsHalls Soccer Tourney and Ball Student Counselling Exam Tips Sport and Recreation Centre Medical Centre Colds and Flu Campus LivingImportant Notices ChaplaincyUpcoming events CTL Exam Workshops

Level 2, The Student Centre (above the MUSA shop)

KIWIANA

There was food galore and the sun was out at the Kiwiana Event held during common break on the 8th of May. Feijoas, Fried Bread, Fish and Chips, Pineapple Lumps, Boil up, Marmite, Giant Pavlovas, Jaffas, Minties and Fairy Bread, just to name a few. YUM! With competitions ranging from eating cow pats, milking a fake cow, guessing the number of New Zealand lollies to throwing gumboots, it was certainly an eventful afternoon. Entertainment from Manawatahi, the Maori Students Group, created an authentic vibe that held everyones spirits high. There was also an opportunity for international residents to learn how to perform the haka and to learn different kiwi slang. Congratulations goes to Jess Drysdale of McHardy Hall for guessing the closest number of eggs in the Giant pavlova, Amy Holland of McHardy Hall for guessing the closest number of jaffas, Megan Stevenson of Atawhai for the pineapple lumps and Subadra Sagayadeyan of Kairanga Hall for the jetplanes in a jar. The cowpat eating competition was once again messy. A clear winner emerged this year, Lunar Arthuro of Rotary. The Gumboot throwing competition was quite intense this year but Reuben of Atawhai was a clear winner in the Male section with the furthest throw ever in the history of this event. Joy from Atawhai was the winner in the female section. Well done to both who grabbed All blacks and NZ gear. Check out all the photos on Facebook!

TOUCH TOURNEY
The weather gods may have rained on our original date for Touch Tourney but we werent letting it happen again. With a few showers, Touch Tourney went ahead the following weekend without a hitch. Kicked off by the completely original and slightly unconventional cheers, judges were stunned and impressed by the talents of Craiglockhart/Bindaloe, Fergusson Hall, as well as Miro and Moginie. Starting with the pool matches, halls went head to head in an effort to advance through to the quarter finals. The final eight teams: Colombo vs. Miro, Fergusson vs. Tawa, City vs. Matai and Egmont vs. Totara. Fifteen intense minutes later and we had our semi-finalists; Egmont was to play Miro while Fergusson played City. As hard as the competing teams tried, Egmont and City were destined to be in the final together and boy did it deliver a game of intense energy and high skill. On the day Egmont was no match for City Court, who took out Touch Tourney for 2013. Congratulations to all those who participated. The day was full of surprises, including some hall advancements on the Gumboot Shield Leader Board. Well done to Oliva Hickman and Ben Anderson who picked up the MVP prizes. Best Sportsmanship awards went to Hannah Wallace, Jarrod Hughes and Liam Butler. Thanks to the guys and girl from the Massey RAMs Rugby team for refereeing our games, our wonderful MC Bex T and to all of you for the great sportsmanship. We look forward to the Soccer Tournament in the second semester.

EXAM PREPARATION STUDYUP: KNOWLEDGE TO GO

Preparation makes perfect
Develop some extra memory skills and learn some structured revision tricks.

Tues 21st May Thurs 23rd May Tues 28th May Thurs 30th May

12 noon or 5:30pm or 8:30pm

12 noon

12 noon or 5:30pm or 8:30pm

Surviving the exam

Study tips and strategies for getting through the exam.

12 noon

To view the session online: Ensure that your computer is able to connect, run Adobe's pre-flight check. The workshops will be broadcast live from http://connect.massey.ac.nz/ studyup/. Each session is half an hour. Click on the link 5-10 minutes before the session begins.

Want some really useful tips on how to revise effectively for your upcoming exams? Our StudyUp series ends off with two really useful sessions to teach you some strategies to be more effective in your approach to studying and revising for your exams.

CHAPLAINCY
Im writing this in the middle of Graduation Week. At the moment that magic time may seem a long way off to many of you. But, believe me, however distant it may seem now, the time will come round really quickly. Like many others you will find yourself asking What happened to my time at Massey? Use your time here well. Study wholeheartedly but realise there is more to life than books and certificates saying you can pass exams and are worth employing. Appreciate the wide range of people you have the chance to meet and the different takes on life you encounter. Rather than just going with what appears to be the crowd, think through for yourself just what you believe about life, the sort of person you want to be, and the values and priorities that will guide you. These things too, are part of a holistic university education and you will never have a better chance to address them. Amongst other things, the Chaplaincy team at the Centre are here to help you work through issues like these so feel free to drop by any time and have a chat. Within the day to day life of the Centre we continue to offer the following events.

Semester One Only Contracts

If your Residential Agreement is for Semester 1 only, and you wish to extend your contract and stay until the end of the year, please come to the Residential Services Office by 9TH June 2013 to sign up for Semester 2. If you are leaving at the end of this semester, please ensure your fees are fully paid and that you have completed the Bond Refund Form, (a copy of this form will be sent to you soon) and return it to the RSO. If you are unsure of the length of your contract please contact our office.

Semester Break
In the next few weeks you will receive an email regarding the 3 week break in June/July and information in regard to the meal rebate available for this time. Please note your contract does cover this 3 week period and you will be charged your normal accommodation fees for the full 3 weeks. Further information is available on page 26 of the Accommodation Handbook 2013 under the Check Out section. All Matai residents must vacate and completely clear out their rooms for the 3 week break, so that distance students can use these rooms. If you have any questions about the upcoming 3 week break, please come into the RSO and talk to our staff.

LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH THE BIBLE Mondays 12-1.30pm Fridays 4-6pm MASS Every Wednesday 12 noon PANCAKES Every Wednesday 7pm CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Every Thursday 12.30pm Everybody welcome to all of the above.
We at the Centre hope you have had a great term. We have enjoyed getting to know many of you at Pancake Nites and on other occasions. We hope your exams go well, you have a great mid-year break, and we look forward to seeing you again at the Centre sometime next term. Colin Day (on behalf of the chaplains)

Accommodation Fees
If you would like to take advantage of our prompt payment discount, payment in full for your semester two fees must be received by 1st of July. A reminder invoice will be sent to you by email in the last week of May.

Parcels
Please remember when collecting your parcels from the RSO, you must bring some form of photo id (student id card; drivers licence; 18+ card). Please also ensure that senders know to put your name on the parcel as we have recently received parcels with either no name on them or a nickname which is not registered in our systems.

Eats n Treats shop at RSO

You may notice a decrease of stock available at our Eats n Treats shop, this is due to closure at the beginning of semester two. We will continue to run our stock down from now.

MASSEY MEDICAL CENTRE

WINTER WARNING
Dont assume youre immune Only about three weeks until exams. This year winter has yet to really set in and before it does I would urge you all to straight away make an appointment to see one of our nurses for a flu jab. This would be the best few dollars you spend on your health all year. Its odds-on that influenza will strike in study week or during exams themselves and to save yourself the lost time from study, not to mention the stress it will cause you, get the flu vaccination now. Whats the difference between the flu and a cold? Lots of people come in to see us during the winter months with what they call the flu but is in fact just a plain old cold. The key difference is that flu involves fever, feeling hot, or hot and cold, headache, and generalised aching, usually of sudden onset and usually preceding the subsequent respiratory symptoms of sore throat, nasal congestion and cough. On the other hand a cold does not have those key symptoms of fever, headache and aching. The cold is just the sore throat, runny nose and cough parts. Its the first 2-3 days of fever, headache and aching that distinguishes the flu from a cold and is the reason you really struggle to do anything until that phase passes. In fact, we often see people with a streaming nose, sore throat and coughing away who say they feel a lot better, now that the fever, headache and aching have gone. If you really have had the flu youll know that a cold is just a minor nuisance.

Minimising Spread
What can you do to minimise the spread of these respiratory infections in your hall? In the last few years we have had our share of pandemic alarms. One good thing about that is that we have all been bombarded with good advice about limiting spread of these respiratory tract infections. What applies to bird flu equally applies to influenza and colds. Regular, effective hand washing will limit the spread of these viruses from surfaces to your nose or mouth. If you have a cough or are sneezing, cover your face in your elbow crease or with a tissue. Thats all, simple basic stuff, but if we all do it, we can reduce the spread of these winter bugs significantly

Dr Mark Morris Medical Director Massey University Medical Centre

MASSEY HALLS BALL UPDATE

Dont forget to bring back your gorgeous dresses/suits for the Massey Halls Ball. This is happening in Semester 2. Friday August 9th at Travelodge, 8pm-Midnight. Tickets will go on sale day one of Semester Two (15th July). Only 475 tickets will be sold, so its first in first served! More info out next Semester.

STUDENT COUNSELLING
Scary Exam Time
You probably know the feeling you have so much to do that you spend all your time rushing there is no longer any time to visit friends, take a break, go to the gym, take a walk or go to church. You resent those people who seem to go out drinking every night and still seem to crack the semester tests. You spend every waking moment at your desk not daring to do anything else. You find it hard to concentrate; you are grumpy and sleep poorly. Your body feels gross and unfit and your mind seems to have stopped working. You are faintly aware that your chest is tight, your shoulders sore, you have a dull headache and sometimes find it hard to catch your breath. Stress! We need it to do our best but it can also paralyse us and lead us to do less unhelpful and even downright harmful things such as drinking too much, wasting time, gambling, or spending money we cannot afford. Stress is triggered by a huge range of life events not just exams and it can be the break up (or threatened break up) of a relationship, an impending sports fixture, or by a blind date. There is actually quite a lot we can do about it and simply pretending it is not there, is not one of the better strategies! But I dont have time to relax! Relaxing is not necessarily about taking lots of time away from your studies of course you need to spend enough time at your desk but it needs to be effective time and too much stress makes that ineffective! Here are a few quick strategies: Plan your immediate environment so it is not too messy and cluttered and swamps your concentration or distracts you (turn off email and cellphones, avoid a noisy or cold place, ensure enough ventilation so as to stay awake) Organise your time so you know how much you need to do and so that you can know where you are in the process. Use a timetable. Remember the 80 / 20 principle it takes 20% of the time to learn 80% of the work but to learn that last 20% is what takes time ask yourself if you have to know it all and perfectly or is 80% good enough? Stop. Take a deep breath right deep into your body. Feel your stomach expand against your waistband as you do so. Now breathe out slowly against your lips as though you were cooling a cup of hot soup. Continue to breath slowly and regularly for three of four breaths. Sleep is a time when your mind organises and makes sense of what you have learned. It is part of your studying and not something to do when you are not studying. You need to have sufficient restful sleep and it is definitely not wasted time. Exercise does not have to be an hour in the gym. A brisk walk around the ring road, either alone or with friends, can rejuvenate you, flood your brain with oxygen and give you a chance to reflect on what you have learned up to that point. Eat a balanced diet try to avoid the junk comfort foods which will leave you feeling uncomfortable. Keep a jar of something tasty such as carrot sticks or apple slices all already cut and ready to nibble when you find you need something. Stretch your whole body screw yourself into a tight ball clutching your knees and tucking your head into your chest, then uncoil slowly and reach as high as you can as you breath out. If you find that you are overwhelmed, talk to someone who can help there are strategies which can help (but you do have to actually use those strategies). It is less helpful (and a waste of precious time) to bemoan the struggles but a far better investment to face them head on and do something to change them! Both the Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Student Counselling Service run seminars to assist at this time so check out what is available and make use of it! A Stress Busters session is scheduled as part of the WOW series on 30th May as well.

I have been aware of the term mindfulness for a few years now, but had struggled to think how it could help with exams. That was before reading an article in the Guardian, Could beditation be the answer to exam nerves? Mindfulness is the latest big thing in schools. What is it and why is it so popular? In the article they describe two ways in which mindfulness may be used to help with exams. One is called the7/11 the other beditation.

This triggers the thinking part as you attempt to solve the problem. Now there is nothing wrong with this but the mind needs a balance and there is a time to think and a time to relax and sense. By moving your attention to the present moment and into the sensing mode you will instantly become more relaxed. The 7/11 breathing and meditation techniques are just ways of helping you do this. Research is showing that there are huge benefits of spending some time in the sensing mode and not in the thinking mode.

The 7/11 is a relaxation breathing exercise. Matching the

counting to the breath, you breathe in through your nose for a count of seven, and out through your nose for a count of 11. As with many mindfulness techniques this helps focus your attention, in this instance you use the breath as an object of concentration. By focusing on the breath you become aware of the minds tendency to jump from one thing to another. The simple discipline of concentration brings us back to the present moment and all the richness of experience that it contains.

How it helps with exam stress

Stress is often created by thinking what might happen if I fail, what happens if I am not good enough, or cant answer this question? These are all examples of the thinking state of attention. To feel stressed is a perfectly natural reaction; it is the result of being faced with a challenge that initially at least, looks impossible to overcome. But in an exam it is far from helpful, often cutting off your ability to think straight and sometimes paralysing your actions. By using the 7/11 breathing techniques before the exam to help you feel more relaxed, during the exam to stop a panic attack taking over, and even after the exam when you begin to wonder what you should have done but didnt, can be incredibly helpful. Meditation can help both in the short and long run, our mental health and intellectual skills are shaped by what we do with our attention, where we place our awareness. And of course intellectual skills are vital not just in the exam but whilst studying as well.

Beditation is simply the process of meditation whilst lying

down. Meditation might sound slightly new world, but it is of course thousands of years old. On one level meditation is a simple yet powerful technique that effortlessly allows your mind to become calm and peaceful. Which is not a bad state to be in when youre studying or in the exam room.

What exactly is Mindfulness?

Although mindfulness has its roots in eastern philosophy, many acknowledge the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn from the Medical Centre at the University of Massachusetts as being the founder of the modern mindfulness movement. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention, on purpose in the present moment non judgementally. If you imagine that there are two modes of attention, thinking and sensing, attention often gets drawn to whats wrong, whats threatening, our attention scans for problems and this is for good reason, it is a primeval survival technique.

Is it just in the mind?

Brain-imaging studies show that mindfulness meditation can reliably and profoundly alter the structure and function of the brain and produce, for example, greater blood-flow to and a thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotions. As well its impact on specific problems, mindfulness has been shown to have a very positive effect on intellectual skills, improving sustained attention, visual special memory, working memory and concentration.

SPORT AND RECREATION CENTRE

Orla Pettman joins our team as our Clubs and Activities Co-ordinator. She will be developing and running new recreational activities aimed at helping keep students fit and healthy on campus. Look out for Orla at social leagues and other student programmes at the Recreation Centre and on campus. Tamara Scott-Valath has been appointed in the role of High Performance Co-ordinator. Tamara is a Massey graduate and has worked for Sport Manawatu for the last 6 years. She brings a wealth of experience to our service and will be working to assist our Sports Academy Students in their sporting and academic endeavours.

Need help in the gym?

Would you like advice on how to use the equipment effectively? Or maybe you need someone to spot you through those last few reps? We have the 3rd year exercise practicum students working as Fitness Assistants in the gym. Theyre here to help you! Check out the times they are available and make use of their time and knowledge.

Confused about Sports Supplements?

The Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health in association with the Recreation Centre presents Interactive displays from the 3rd year sports nutrition students.

SPORTS SUPPLEMENTS A- Z Wednesday 29th May 12.00pm 2.00pm MUSA LOUNGE

Re-Launch
Get ready to party at the Massey Recreation Centre Les-Mills Re-Launch night:

Monday 27 May
Your chance to try out the Les Mills classes completely free and help us celebrate the awesome job our instructors do. Experience all the new music and new moves from the latest re-launch direct from Les Mills. Look out for more information at the Recreation Centre coming soon.

SPORT AND RECREATION CENTRE

COMING UP IN JULY/AUGUST
The Challenge is back for 2013! Run, Ride, Row your way to success on the leader board and take on your mates in this individual and team challenge. This year were holding a special Halls Challenge on Sunday 4th August. Look out for more information in the July newsletter.

Social leagues - Semester two

Social Leagues are the perfect opportunity for you to get involved in the sports you love to play. The leagues include basketball, football, netball and volleyball. No experience is needed and the leagues are aimed at students who want to take part in competitive sport where the emphasis is on fun. Discounted registration fees for teams made entirely of Massey students. Contact Orla Pettman (O.Pettman1@massey.ac.nz) for more information on Semester two social leagues.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Be sure to watch the new Massey TV commercial and then go to the app on the Massey Facebook page to say what you like about the commercial and enter the competition.

You could win a new Xbox Kinect Package!!!

The link to the app: http://www.facebook.com/masseyuniversity/app_448301905230676 or you can go to www.facebook.com/masseyuniversity and click on the Xbox tab.