stephb-wine-skrjr

Getting started

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 16:23:37 GMT

How to kick start your wine study journey: plan plan plan!

When I embarked on my Master's degree in 2002 I planned... when I trained for my first marathon in 2013 I planned... when I registered for the DipWSET in 2022 and only gave myself 1 year to complete it what did I do? I planned.. and today as I climb up the challenging steep mountain that is the Master of Wine program, well you guest it I planned, I am planning and I will continue to finetune my plan.

Here are the 5 steps to creating a study plan:

Step 1: time, you must identify how much time you really have

how long the program/course you are studying for x how many hours a week you truly allocate

for example: 12 weeks between the moment a course starts and the day you sit the exam, looking at your schedule you know you can study 5 hours a week that would be a total of 60 hours

you need to allow for 1 week of downtime, 1 week of taper time pre exam, and 1 week allocated to mock exam

so realistically you have 9 weeks,

Step 2: what's the expectation? how will you be assessed? what are the examiners looking for?

go take a look at past exam questions,

read the syllabus,

read the examiner report,

you must identify the key knowledge pillars and skills that you are required to demonstrate at the exam

Step 3: know yourself, do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are?

based on the course & exam requirements what do you think you will be good at and what do you foresee as being more challenging?

the goal is to convert your weaknesses into strengths and your strengths into superpowers

i dentify short term objectives and milestones to hit so you can track progress

Step 4: allocate time & resources

list out the resources you have access to (websites, memberships, coursework, teachers, co-workers, books etc.)

against each item of the syllabus copy paste 1 or 2 exam questions, 1 or 2 sources of education, determine if that area is a strength or a weakness and allocate how much time in % of total study time available you can allocate to that topic

Step 5: schedule

now take your calendar/scheduler and timeblock the moments you will study along with the item from the syllabus you will study

remember to also include days off, weeks off, mock exam & feedback week, pre exam taper week

Bonus tip:

remain realistic

best to overestimate how much time things take than underestimate

be honest with yourself

keep evaluating

be flexible and adaptable

Good luck! If you need help and would like to schedule a custom study planning consultation session contact me on sb@stephbwine.com

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

websites@zenbusiness.com (ZenBusiness Admin) — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:58:03 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

websites@zenbusiness.com (ZenBusiness Admin) — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:58:03 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

websites@zenbusiness.com (ZenBusiness Admin) — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:58:03 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.