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Exam read more
Once you have done all your exam preparation, it is imperative to make sure that you curb your stress levels as much as possible on the day that you have to write. The calmer you are, the better the outcome!
Final exam season has arrived at the University of the Free State (UFS), and we would like to share a few quick and easy tips you can follow to ensure that you make it through successfully!
Here’s how you can beat exams: 

Step 1: Make sure that you prepare well beforehand to give yourself enough time to study. Prepare a study schedule that fits your way of studying, and do not leave anything for the last minute. It is probably easier to thrive on last-minute studying, but often this way of partial study is not the best approach for exam prep. Prioritise your studying based on how many exams you have, how many pages you have to learn, and the days you have left to study. 

Step 2: Study and practise your work using previous exam papers. This will help you see and understand the format and formulation of possible questions, and can aid you in knowing what to expect, and help you practise and estimate how much time you should spend on answering each question.

Step 3: Eat healthy and use your study/friend groups as a stimulant. Make sure to stock up and energise yourself with a lot of water and nutritional study snacks to extend your concentration and commitment to studying. Avoid overeating and consuming rich, fatty foods that will make you feel tired and sleepy. Likewise, studying in groups can also help you get the answers you need and finish tasks faster. You may have questions that your friends have the answers to, as long as you effectively plan how much time you spend deliberating on a question.

Last but not least, make sure that you give yourself regulated study breaks between various chapters or topics, and let your brain take it all in!

Please find the official end-of-year exam timetable here.

News Archive

Scientists discover a water reservoir beneath the Free State
2009-12-09

Dr Holger Sommer

The Mantle Research Group Bloemfontein (MRGB), under the leadership of Dr Holger Sommer, a senior lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of the Free State (UFS), has discovered an enormous water reservoir 160 km beneath the Free State.

This discovery, according to Dr Sommer, is the first of its kind in South Africa after he had previously made a similar finding in Colorado, USA.

However, this water cannot be used for human consumption. “It is not frozen water; it is not molecular water; it is not fresh water; it is not salty water; it is OH – water which is sitting in the crystal lattice,” he said.

He said the reservoir was comparable in size to Lake Victoria in Tanzania.
The researchers collected eclogites from the Roberts Victor (Rovic) Mine close to the town of Boshof, south-west of the Free State, for their study.

“The Rovic eclogites are rocks which represent former oceanic crust transported into the earth’s interior by complex plate tectonic processes about 2.0 billion years ago,” explained Dr Sommer.

“These rocks were finally carried back to the earth’s surface by volcanic (kimberlite) eruptions around 130 million years ago. Eclogitic rocks are therefore a window into the Earth’s interior.”

The question from the beginning for all MRGB scientists was: Is there water inside these rocks in such depth, and if so, where is it located?

To answer this question, Dr Sommer and his research fellows separated single mineral grains from eclogite samples and prepared about 100 micrometer (0,1 mm) thick rock sections. Afterwards, specific particle accelerator (Synchrotron) measurements were carried out in the city of Karlsruhe in Germany.

“And indeed, the MRGB found water inside the studied rocks from the Roberts Victor Mine,” he said. “The water was located in defect structures in crystal lattices and along boundaries between single mineral grains.”

“The occurrence of water at such depth would give first evidence that all water of the oceans could be stored five to ten times in the earth’s mantle.”
The study was conducted about a year ago.
 

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
4 December 2009

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