Finals week and exams can be the most stressful point of the academic year. Trust us, even after college or grad school, you’ll never forget that. Collectively, we’ve learned a few things over our educational careers, and have kept up with some amazing research on how to improve memory, retention, and comprehension. They’re lessons that will not only save you during finals week but will help you out in your career to come.

1. Work in spurts and take frequent, short breaks.

Studying in intervals of 20 to 50 minutes, with breaks of about 10 to 15 minutes in between, helps your overall retention of information and is far better for learning than a cram session. Not only will you learn more easily, you’ll feel less bogged down with work and worry over the small details. Stepping away for a short time can help you process information more clearly, and there are even desktop apps for taking breaks to make it a no-brainer.

2. Eat healthy foods and say no to late-night sugar.

You learned it from your mom when you were young and it still applies in higher education: always eat a good meal before your exams. Foods that are high in carbs and fiber stick to your bones better than sugary ones, so making sure that you cook something healthy is important. A balanced diet should start well before exams start to get the full effect of a high-functioning brain — don’t forget those fruits and vegetables!

3. Don’t underestimate the power of sleep. 

Unless you’re nocturnal, all-nighters aren’t good for anyone (physically or mentally). Cramming in an all-night study session can feel productive at first, but, actually leads to poor retention and can even make you confuse facts more often. Putting in your solid 8 hours of sleep will make you happier, less stressed out, and completely coherent for all of your big finals.

4. Record and transcribe yourself to improve recall.

For many college and grad school students, finals and exams can mean a lot of public speaking and group-related presentations. Picking up an audio recorder or transcription app and capturing your voice again and again can improve your recall, delivery, and confidence faster than you’d think possible. You can even then convert the audio into accurate text to have a complete set of notes and highlights without writing anything by hand.

5. Give your brain some fresh air.

Go out for a walk or a jog, go hit your favorite hiking trail, bike around town, or just sit outside in the sun for a while during your study time. Fresh air is proven to have all kinds of amazing effects on your mind and body, including a boosted immune system, a burst of energy, and more creative juices. Plus, the scents of nature can make you calmer and happier overall.

6. Skim notes and focus on main ideas.

When you have thorough notes and transcribed voice-to-text, you can take them anywhere on-the-go for a quick review session. Skimming notes and highlighting to focus only on the main ideas is the best place to start. Once you’ve got the basics down, challenge yourself to apply those main ideas to new situations and scenarios. You’ll be better able to provide context to your exams, and will understand the material on a deeper level to ensure higher grades.

7. Change up your scenery from time to time.

The New York Times themselves reported that alternating from room-to-room or space-to-space is proven to help improve information retention. Psychologists found that college students who studied a list of words in two different rooms (one windowless and cluttered, the other tidy with a nice view) did better on a test than students who studied the words twice, in the same room. This happens because your brain makes associations between the study material and the environment – neat!

8. Listen to music that helps you focus. 

When it comes to music and studying, there’s a mixed bag of scientific results. On one hand, some studies have shown that listening to music before studying can improve your attention and memory. On the other, some have shown that music can actually negatively impact your memory and effectiveness. One thing we’re sure of is, finding the right type of music that helps YOU focus can make a world of difference — try out pop, classical, jazz and instrumental music to see what fits your productive study style!

9. Break up a study day with some cardio. 

Fresh air is one thing, but good old fashioned exercise serves its own purpose, too. Whether your favorite workout includes lifting weights, hitting the elliptical or treadmill machines, taking a few laps around the track, or taking the dog out for a brisk walk, make sure you make time for it during finals week. Exercise will stimulate your brain, give you a break from the computer screen, and help you bust through stresses in a productive and healthy way.

10. Practice, practice, practice.

Repetition is always key for recall. Once you’ve finished highlighting main ideas and preparing flash cards, it’s time to settle in for your 20 to 50 minutes of studying and practice away. Studies have shown that practicing with heavy repetition through flashcards, practice tests and lightning quizzes consistently boost academic performance, even more than traditional re-reading and summarizing. The lesson: write it out yourself, and repeat it often.

Ready to start studying?

Good luck with finals and exams! We’re here to help with any affordable, academic transcriptions you may need to make your study life (and educational career) a little bit smoother.

The post Stressed for Finals? Our 10 Best Tricks For Studying Smarter appeared first on TranscribeMe.

Key assignments, group projects, exams and a lot of research are all a big part of being a university or graduate student. There are seemingly an infinite number of things to take care of, learn, retain and analyze on a daily basis. In a sea of responsibility and time-consuming work leading up to a respected degree, academic transcription services are something that can alleviate a lot of stress and concern over time and money.

Truly understanding new information is key to performing well as a grad student, and educators must constantly be at the top of their knowledge game to stay fresh. Academic transcription can help both students and professors to learn and teach in a more intelligent way.

Top Uses for Academic Transcription

Teachers and professors can use academic transcription services to generate secure, accurate, and affordable text from audio/video recordings of key events, such as:

• Multi-speaker meetings
• Focus groups and interviews
• Lectures and presentations
• Lesson plans and seminars
• Dictation by professors
• Ideas for theses & dissertations
• And much more…

With 98%+ accuracy guaranteed on standard transcription (and discounts awarded to bulk or recurring orders), students are able to free themselves of the worry of capturing every lesson word-for-word, and aids in the amount of research and analysis involved in earning a degree.

Low-Cost Transcription for Students

Our low-cost transcription services for students and academic research purposes are the most budget-friendly anywhere. With voice to text transcripts at $0.79 per audio minute, it’s the perfect way to transcribe audio into text quickly and affordably.

Affordable academic transcription is perfect for those on all ends of the education system who need to record and transcribe meetings, lectures, focus groups, notes and more. Our solution is built on a streamlined, one-step transcription process that delivers easy-to-read text faster than other academic transcription services. With accuracy averaging 90-95%, First Draft is great for transcripts that don’t need to be completely edited to perfection.

NVivo-Compatible Transcription

Most majors and graduate problems require in-depth research for a thesis or dissertation; and, all research requires a lot of analysis and true understanding. Using academic transcription services for recorded research in the field, key focus groups, interviews, and all of the meetings that come about is the ideal way to analyze data.

NVivo is built to run automated analytics and statistical models in SPSS, so researchers can analyze for specific keywords easily. Our NVivo integration makes it fast and incredibly simple to transcribe recordings, then quickly and securely analyze all of the text. After creating a research project in NVivo and linking your account to TranscribeMe, you’ll be able to order transcripts directly and even upload finished transcripts for immediate analysis.

Ready to get started with fast, affordable academic transcription? Sign up for free, or log in to upload your first file. 

Any questions? We’re always here to help and even offer discounts on high volume (bulk) or recurring transcription orders.

The post Academic Transcription: The Best Tool for Grad Students appeared first on TranscribeMe.

With NVivo’s dynamic tools that allow you to quickly reference specific segments of your media files from text transcripts and our expert transcription service, analytics professionals and research students can transcribe and analyze audio/video files quickly, easily and within budget.

How to order transcripts through NVivo:

1. Create a new project in NVivo 11.

2. From your new project, right-click in the center of the screen. 

Select “Import,” and click “Import Audio” or “Import Video.”

3. Select which audio or video file you would like transcribed by clicking the filename and then clicking “Open.”

After you have selected your file, the “Audio Properties” or “Video Properties” window will open. Here you can rename the media file or provide any details about your recording, like special terminology used. Click OK to proceed.

4. Your file will upload to NVivo. 

Once the upload is complete, the file will appear in your “Internals” Source.

5. From the “Internals” Source, right-click on the file name and select “Purchase Transcript.”

6. Selecting “Purchase Transcript” will bring up the “TranscribeMe Authenticator” which links your TranscribeMe and NVivo accounts.

If you have already registered with TranscribeMe, you can enter your login details, click “Authorize.”If you are a new user, click “Create Account” to proceed to registration.

7. Once you are signed into TranscribeMe, the “TranscribeMe Transcript Order” window will appear. 

Here you can select whether your file is single or multispeaker, your preferred turnaround time, the language of your audio file, and you can also apply any promo code you may have. After you have made your selections, click “Submit Order.”

8. An Order Confirmation window will appear displaying your final costs.

Click “OK” to confirm the order, and your file will begin uploading to TranscribeMe.

9. When your file has finished uploading, you will receive an email from TranscribeMe titled “One More Step Before We Can Transcribe.”

Click the link reading “complete the payment process” to proceed with your order. Enter your credit card details and click “Continue.”

10. This will bring you to a final “Order Confirmation” page where you can confirm all details. Click “Confirm Order” and your order will be placed!

Once you have received the delivery email, simply reopen NVivo and your transcript will automatically appear in your project! The audio will sync with the transcript, so that you will be able to easily navigate through your media with fully-searchable text.

The post How to Order Transcriptions Through NVivo appeared first on TranscribeMe.

One of the largest groups of individuals who can benefit from transcription services are those involved with academia. Students, professors and other educators can all save valuable time and expended mental energy by choosing to transform voice into text, rather than typing everything out manually.

Historically, transcription services for students have never come cheap. With the tight budget of those earning a degree, and the limited time of professional educators, it can be difficult for those who need low-cost transcripts to get access to what they need.

First Draft: Low Cost Transcription for Students & Educators

Our new First Draft Transcription services provides students and other academic professionals with the most budget-friendly transcripts anywhere online. With low cost transcriptions starting at just $0.79 per audio minute, it’s the perfect way to transcribe audio into text affordably.

Lightning fast and cost-effective, First Draft transcripts are perfect for those in academics who need to record and transcribe meetings, lectures, focus groups, notes and more. Our low cost transcripts are created through a streamlined, one-step transcription process that delivers tangible, easy-to-read text faster than other academic transcription services. With accuracy averaging 90-95%, First Draft is great for transcripts that don’t need to be completely edited to perfection.

How to Get Affordable Transcription Services

We’ve made it easy to access fast, affordable transcription services, with options to upload online or on-the-go!

Go Online:

1. Login to your account. The main homepage allows you to upload audio/video content. You can also organize your content into folders, and download completed transcripts in a range of formats.

2. Upload your file by clicking the “Select files from my computer” button and choosing the file you wish to submit.

3. Once the file is uploaded, order your transcript by clicking “Transcribe.” This will take you to the Order Details page.

4. After verifying details and confirming your order, you’ll receive your finished transcripts within the time specified! It’s that easy.

Go Mobile:

You can also download our mobile transcription app for iPhone to record speech and submit for transcription anywhere. It’s the easiest way to get fast, accurate transcripts of your audio to text!

The post The Best Academic Transcription for Students & Professionals appeared first on TranscribeMe.

The Challenge

The large amount of time required to transcribe interviews by hand prevented Alexandra from progressing her research and analyzing results. However the cost to have a professional transcriber with a perfect level of accuracy was too high. Not being a professional transcriber, it took her a whole day to transcribe interviews that ranged between 1 to 1 ½ hours, which was not sustainable. Alexandra had a particular need for two specific solutions:

	Recording interviews in the field: It’s often difficult to organize a time for interview with high-profile community and business leaders, and being prepared at short notice is key to getting access to busy people. Having a convenient and high quality recording device helps researchers be mobile.
	Perfect transcript of interviews: Researchers know that “Garbage In” equals “Garbage Out” and place high value on perfect accuracy of the text transcripts. Ms. Lee wanted perfect transcription of results to import into NVivo for coding, and to run further automated analytics and statistical models in SPSS.

The Result

Ms. Lee found that TranscribeMe offered an unbeatable transcription service for academics and researchers:

	Accuracy:	High quality, accurate transcripts (98%-100% accuracy)
	Speed:	Fast turnaround time (24-48 hours)
	Availability:	Round the clock availability. No downtime, and very responsive
	Simple to use:	Files are uploaded directly from the web browser or with a smartphone app
	Confidentiality:	Unprecedented confidentiality using innovative speech processing technology
	Bonus:	The ability to identify male and female speakers in complex classroom environments with multiple speakers

The post Quality Transcription Services for Researchers appeared first on TranscribeMe.

As most people know, the public school system — especially in inner-city districts — has always had a problem with school attendance. Research conducted on the relationship between note-reviewing and positive school performance shows that the two have a very high correlation with each other. On the other hand, research has also shown that transcriptions taken by college students typically include less than 50% of the ideas presented and the amount of content recorded varies systematically with course performance.

One way to increase the benefits of the review of notes is to provide students a higher quality set of notes through a transcription service. Researchers have assessed the value of providing complete notes and may describe this resource as instructor notes. In actual courses, students may also seek to supplement their own notes by reviewing the notes taken by a friend. These students demonstrate a performance advantage.

It has been demonstrated that when a delay followed an initial presentation, students were better off reviewing complete notes without attending the initial lecture than attending the lecture and reviewing their own notes. Instructor notes potentially do more than fill in the gaps in notes generated by the note taker.  In particular, research demonstrates that many college students are poor note takers. In addition, the demands of creating a quality transcription of a lecture and comprehending the lecture overextend the attentional capacity of some. Providing students with transcription notes to replace or supplement notes they take themselves, could improve performance by freeing attentional capacity during presentations and by improving the quality of the record students have available for review.

The implications for these findings are immense. The only problem going forward is determining how transcription is introduced to the education sector. Schools, especially public schools, have relatively low budgets. The answer may be specialized education approaches to transcription. An approach that offers strong incentives to educators could include showing educators they maximizing the benefit to students and that they are able to access and manage their own transcriptions.

Using such a service, teachers and professors will be able to reap more value out of their hours, and impart the knowledge they have to others eager to learn or hear the material. One option could be to record all lectures given in class, and have the academic transcriptions available via email or a website for student use. The question is, are schools willing to spend money to increase the learning capabilities and resources available to students?

This post was written by Mathew Heldman.

The post How TranscribeMe Crowd-Sourced Transcription Adds Value to Schools appeared first on TranscribeMe.