#overall got a high-average grade (it was actually high merit overall)

[leeyanyanyaaan]

19/11/2022

i just saw my grades for my english creative writing assessments and i'm quite happy with the feedback and results :D especially my poem, which got the highest grade of my two pieces, as it was really one that meant a lot to me. i might post it here soon but this was the feedback:

[nanami-says]

Part III (1/2): chapters 19-25

Vs. Mahito Arc

Chapter 19 (aka why this blog exists)

J:”Yeah, we know that. But we flatter her because she looks easy.”

⇒ ”And the three of them know it as well. But they flatter you exaggeratedly anyway because they think you’ll let them do you”

Actually Junpei’s lines.

J:”I can’t believe people like that go to my school.”

Not incorrect, I just want to point out that Junpei didn’t just say “people”, the word he used is “race” (人種）, which implies he doesn’t see them as the same kind of human he is.

J:”Was it that guy who did it? There’s no way a person could do that! If he did it, he must not be human.”

⇒ “Was it that person just now? No, would such a thing be even possible for a human being? And if it was, would they really be a ‘human being’?”

Overall correct but the flow was different. Mind you, 人 can be translated both as “person” and “human being” (among others) depending on the context. Imo this captures the nuance better but YMMV!

N:”I’m here to identify the truth and uphold the law. There was a time when I thought the society had the same goals”

⇒ ”Adapting to the facts [in front of you] and managing yourself accordingly. That’s who I am. There was a time where I mistakenly believed society operated on the same basis.”

This was really hard to translate, especially since the phrase Nanami uses here is rather formal language. I actually checked the official anime subtitles for this one and they went with “I adhere to the facts and judge on that basis”, which I guess is close enough? I’d probably go with it as well if not for the fact that he doesn’t just say 律する but 己を律する (己/onore = I/me in humble language).

Seems like the exact meaning of the phrase is difficult to understand even for Japanese people - there are whole articles out there breaking down the meaning and giving examples of how to implement it in life 8D Anyway, the simplest explanation is “to control yourself”, with further nuance of “enforcing rules on yourself in order to achieve a goal”, “restricting your desires and impulses by your own will” etc.

Thanks a lot, Gege.

Btw, Ino, who respects Nanami greatly and considers him a mentor, actually uses the same phrase, word for word, in ch. 95! (事実に即し、己を律する) That’s how important it is. Also, continuity!

Y:”Let’s do it!”

N:”There’s no need to get excited”

⇒ Y:“Let’s go all out!!”

 N:”No, if moderate’s enough, let’s just do it moderately”

They both used descriptors for just what kind of intensity they should approach the mission with. Imo, an important distinction because after they learn the full extent of the situation, Nanami takes back his words from this moment and agrees with Yuuji, going as far as to use the same words Yuuji did here.

N:”I wonder what others would think hearing you say that”

⇒ “I’m sure the others wouldn’t want to hear that from you [of all people]”

So not so much “don’t be rude” as “dude, you’re the weirdest of them all”. Emphasis mine.

N:”What I learned at Jujutsu High is that jujutsu sorcerers are idiots” 

& “What I realized while at the office is that work is idiotic”

He actually says “shit” both times lol. If it was just the humour that suffered here, it still wouldn’t be too awful but unfortunately it’s not just that. The “sorcerers are shit” line gets recalled when Nanami’s facing death, trapped in Mahito’s domain, which makes it pretty damn important. It gets translated yet differently by the official release then, too, which further damages continuity I believe Gege intended for this.

”So I took the lesser of two evils. Nothing more, nothing less”

⇒ “If both are shit, then I just chose the one I’m more cut out for. That’s all as far as the reason for my coming back is concerned.”

I mean, if we realllllly insist on watering down everything that Nanami says (as JJK translators apparently did), then the basic meaning was conveyed but the original wording and nuance was closer to what I proposed.

N:”Prove to me that you can be useful in spite of the demon Sukuna inside of you”

⇒ “Give your best to prove that you’re useful despite carrying the bomb that Sukuna is.”

Considering how 2 pages later Nanami tells Yuuji that he’s not the one Yuuji should be proving himself to, it’d have been weird if this is actually what he’d said, wouldn’t it. But Nanami’s nothing if not reasonable, so that wasn’t the case.

Y:”I’m weak and useless. I’ve been hearing a lot of that these days”

⇒ “That I’m weak and useless... I’ve been realising that to a painful extent these days”

“I’ve been hearing it” would imply that someone was actually saying it either to Yuuji himself or to others which he was aware of. (I mean, other than Sukuna.) The original wording doesn’t really hold such connotation.

N:”If you think you’re in trouble, let me know”

Y:”Have some faith in me, will ya? Just a little.”

N:”It’s not about faith.(...)”

Y:”A child? I’d rather be underestimated”.

⇒ N:“If you decide you cannot win, please call me.”

Y:”Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”

N:”This is not about ‘underestimating’ or ‘not underestimating’.(...)

Y:”[Even] being underestimated would’ve been better over being treated like a kid.”

I guess the translators wanted to avoid saying “underestimate” 3 times in a row? Albeit that’s what the original does.

More importantly though!!

N:”I’m an adult and you’re a child. I have the obligation to look after you”

⇒ “(...) It’s my obligation to prioritise you over myself.”

Quite a different nuance, right. Not just “I have to look after you” but “your well-being [life] takes priority over my own”.

N:”Experiencing these little losses is what helps people grow into adults”

⇒ “It’s the accumulation of such small despairs that turns people into adults”

Not that wildly different but despairs (hopelessnesses) >>> losses, y/y. Also “helps” made it sound more positive when it’s both a poignant and at the same time dry statement.

Chapter 20

N:”There are techniques that aren’t affected if revealed to certain enemies”

Those two feel more like separate examples to me. I.e. that there are techniques that aren’t affected if revealed, and there are some enemies that you can afford to reveal your technique to. Could apply simultaneously but don’t necessarily have to, if that makes sense?

“There is a merit to revealing one’s hand and the rules it initiates. You can make your technique even more effective.”

⇒ “It has its merits too. The ‘binding’ of ‘revealing one’s hand’ amplifies the effectiveness of your technique.”

Wild lost “binding” appears! Like I indicated before, it’s the lack of consistency to translating terms that are consistent in the original, that has negatively affected the fans’ ability to understand the basics of jjk techniques and world-building.

[Explaining Yuuji’s divergent fist]

GJ:”But it’s a lot easier said than done for anyone else.”

⇒ “It’s not something that can be easily done on purpose”

N:”His physical strength is superhuman. The impact of his hit doesn’t have incredibly strong energy, but it’s still about 20% more than a normal sorcerer. That means his delayed hit comes from his main source of cursed energy. It must be quite annoying for those on the receiving end. Such potential. If he’s able to go out all and combine his full physical strength with a cursed technique…”

⇒ “(...) The initial impact contains little cursed energy but it still achieves 120% of an average sorcerer. And then the actual cursed energy hits with a delay. For those on the receiving end it must be more unpleasant than one could imagine. And he’s got potential for growth, too. If he becomes able to add 100% of cursed energy to a 100% body…”

Uhh, this was a tricky one because on the first read it doesn’t seem that terribly wrong but when you read the original carefully, you realise this and that got lost in translation. My version should be closer to the original meaning.

I:”We’re going to have to ask the murderer about the technique”

⇒ “That’s just something that you can’t know unless you ask the offender about their technique”

Obviously Ieiri wasn’t suggesting to literally ask the murderer.

“However there’s evidence the brain stems were modified. Their consciousness were also modified to create a state of confusion”

⇒ (...) This was probably done to create a disturbance of consciousness... a state of mental confusion”

Slightly different nuance for this one.

Y:”For me, the gravity of death is the same regardless. This isn’t right!”

First sentence is mostly correct but it should’ve been “the gravity of death of another person” (emphasis mine).

Second sentence sounds too mild for what is actually Yuuji being super mad specifically about the way those people were killed? The phrase he uses means something like "This is just in way too poor taste”, “way too vulgar” etc. I guess if you went for a less literal translation, you could say “just too disgusting”/”revolting”.

N:”This matter won’t be taken care of so easily. Let’s do it”

⇒ “Looks like ‘moderately’ won’t be enough here. Let’s go all out.”

This is the instance of Nanami retracting his words and backing Yuuji up by borrowing his own words that I mentioned earlier!

M:”Jujutsu sorcerers brand such entities as “special grade potential spirits” and fear them as much as powerful curses. The fact that they categorize them as such really shows their shallowness”

⇒ “Jujutsu sorcerers register them as “special grade potential apparitions” and remain on alert against them [on alert for their appearance]. The same applies to powerful unidentified curses. That they categorise them as ‘potential apparitions’ just shows how little they truly see.”

It’s not that sorcerers fear them per se but that they (most likely) monitor them and are on guard against them. When followed up by the “what people truly genuinely fear are natural disasters [forces of nature]” conversation, it becomes clear that what Mahito scorns sorcerers for is their short-sightedness for thinking all powerful curses must be born out of people’s imagination, ~urban legends~ etc.

[Junpei asking what Mahito was born from]

M:”Thanks to the hatred spewed between people I was born”

⇒ “I’m a curse born out of the fear and hatred people harbour towards [other] people"

or even

“I’m a curse born out of people hating and fearing people”

Again a quite different nuance. They really shouldn’t have edited “fear” out.

Chapter 21

J:’Don’t you think that whoever first said, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference’ must be rotting in hell? There’s no way hating people is better than feeling indifferent towards them.”

⇒ “(...) There’s no way that approaching others with evil intentions is better than not interacting [with them] at all”

The first sentence is mostly fine although the original doesn’t include the “is not hate” bit, it only says “the opposite of love is indifference”. The second part is quite different. After all, hating doesn’t necessarily imply there’s any action taken.

“Complicating simple things for the sake of meaning is such a Japanese thing to do”

⇒ “Japanese sure love it - complicating simple answers and gloating in it”

I didn’t like the “for the sake of meaning” bit, imo it’s over-interpreting.

J:”Indifference. That’s what humans should strive for.”

M:”Sounds more like revenge”

J:“Are you saying that I got it all mixed up?”

Junpei’s first line here is fine although interestingly enough he puts it as “a virtue humans should strive for”. Then it’s

⇒ M:“And yet you wish for revenge”

J:”Are you trying to say I’m contradicting myself?”

M:”In this world, only I understand the soul’s composition. I can even transmogrify living beings. Emotions come from the soul. It’s too simplistic to call it ‘heart’. People overthink the things they can’t see. (...)”

⇒ “In this world I’m the only one who understands the soul’s composition. After all, I change the shape of living beings by touching it. Emotions are products of the metabolism of the soul. It’s altogether too mechanical [of a process] to call it a heart. People assign too much value to things invisible to the eye.(...)”

Last one is literally “consider ‘special’ way too much”, simpler wording than what I went with but I tried to make it more legible.

The “metabolism of the soul” phrase is especially vital because Junpei throws it at Yuuji almost word for word when confronted by him at the school after his mother’s death.

More philosophy lessons from Mahito-sensei \o/

“Don’t limit yourself to just being indifferent. There’s no reason to live by such a restricting philosophy.”

⇒ “Don’t allow yourself to be shackled by the ideal called ‘indifference’. There’s no need for there to be consistency in one’s way of life.”

Mahito actually takes the “is ‘consistency’ necessary” stance a few times in the manga, including when he and Getou squabble about the relationship between the body and the soul in Shibuya. A pity about the mistranslation here.

“I support everything you represent, Junpei”

⇒ “I’ll affirm your everything, Junpei”

Imo the act of supporting and the act of affirming while similar aren’t one and the same, hence the change.

N:”Either come alone, or risk bringing Itadori with me. I chose the former, nothing more. He’s still a child, after all.”

⇒ “The risk of venturing [into the enemy’s territory] alone, or the risk of bringing Itadori-kun with me. I simply chose the former. He’s still a child, after all.”

Idk, I feel like cutting out “the risk” from the first option makes Nanami sound more callous? Like Yuuji’s a liability and going by himself is a sounder option. Whereas, it was actually him weighing two risks against each other and deciding that potentially endangering Yuuji is the one he can afford less.

[After Yuuji asks why he doesn’t know important jujutsu related stuff.]

I:”Because Gojou’s your mentor.” ⇒ “it’s because Gojou’s ...”

He actually uses a lovely adjective to describe Gojou, which can mean a plethora of things, including: irresponsible, sloppy, lazy, unreliable, careless, perfunctory etc. etc.

Ichiji? Not a member of Gojou Satoru Fanclub.

Y:”This feels like a bad plan”

⇒ “This feels so staged, I don’t like it.”

Lit. “play [perform, read] one's own work”. I think what Yuuji might’ve meant here was that the plan felt dishonest? Second sentence could also be “I don’t feel up for it.”

Chapter 22

M:”Was that some kind of cursed technique?”

N:”What do you mean by ‘some kind’? I don’t appreciate questions that are left open to interpretation”

⇒ “(...) I hate abstract questions that put the whole burden on the other person”

Lit. “that leave it to others”. Other than Nanami being more straightforward with “hate”/”dislike”, I think this was him expressing he doesn’t like people who don’t even try to think for themselves and immediately demand answers from others instead.

“It would be silly to not assume a connection(...)”

⇒ “It would be more unnatural not to assume a connection(...)”

Different wording (unnatural instead of silly), which imo affects Nanami’s characterisation.

M:”The shape of the body will always be dependent on the shape of the soul”

This sounds a bit too passive and generic? Closer to “The shape of the body gets pulled along by the shape of the soul”, which is literally what Mahito’s technique does.

I’m heavily paraphrasing but!

magazine raw scans: ”it's 6:30 PM now and I started working at 11 AM, so I'm going to finish by 7PM no matter what”

official English release:”it's 5:30 PM now and I started at 10, gotta finish by 6”

The time change is so random, I wonder if Gege simply changed it themselves for the volume release. Maybe to bring it closer to the common office job times? Typical Japanese work day at the office begins at 9AM and lasts 8h + 1h break (completely unpaid but compulsory). I guess if Nanami skipped the break then working 10AM-6PM would make it exactly 8h?

The biggest mystery of jjk.

Chapter 23

M:”Even if sorcerers can protect their bodies using cursed energy, they can’t protect their souls”

⇒ “Even if sorcerers can protect their bodies using cursed energy, they [just] aren’t used to protecting their souls”.

So it’s not that they “can’t” as in “are incapable of” and more that there’s never been the need, so they never learned how and aren’t used to doing it. As proven by Yuuji later it’s not impossible.

M:”Overtime? He restricts himself based on time! He was limiting his power until now!”

⇒ “Overtime work? A ‘biding’ based on time! He was suppressing his power by himself until now!”

Another instance where “binding” as a term makes its appearance (it even uses quotation marks) but wasn’t properly denoted by the translators.

M:”A large-scale attack, and he doesn’t care if he gets hit while doing it!”

⇒ “A large-scale attack [done] with the resolve of [potentially] getting killed along with me!”.

The phrase Mahito uses here is 相打ち, lit. “killing [hitting] each other at the same time”. Also, “doesn’t care” and “is prepared/has the resolve” are quite different, aren’t they.

Chapter 24

J:”The way a perfectionist is willing to lay everything out there is beautifully portrayed”

⇒ ”The change in emotions [leading up] to a perfectionist abandoning everything is properly portrayed here”

I’m including this because knowing Gege, it’s not just simple movie talk, and it’s actually foreshadowing Yuuji’s future fate or something 8D

I can’t decide if it’s “abandon” (also “throw out of the window”) or “sacrifice” because the word used can mean either. I’m leaving that to everyone’s interpretation.

“Like I thought, that sorcerer’s nuts!”

⇒ “He doesn’t look it but he sure does reckless things, that sorcerer”

How does "he doesn't look it but (...)" even become "like I thought (...)"? He was laughing at and enjoying the contrast between Nanami's appearance/attitude and his actions/fighting.

M:”My cursed energy is also controlled by my will”

⇒ “The spending of cursed energy too is among things I can supply by myself.”

I’m not entirely sure because it’s a tricky one, so take this one with a grain of salt. But the official release is definitely missing “spending/expenditure” and Mahito isn’t talking about using/manipulating his cursed energy in general but “the amount of cursed energy spent”.

“Mr. Irresponsible Gojou” ⇒  “Devil-may-care Gojou-san”

“Mr. Mature Nanami” ⇒ “The adult of [all] adults Nanami-san”/”the adult above all adults”

I just really enjoy Ichiji and his little epithets, I guess.

J:”Have you ever killed anyone?”

⇒ “Have you ever killed a human being/another human?”

Just putting it out there because imo there's a distinction between “anyone” and “a human being”. Especially considering how much of this arc was questioning what being a human means.

Y:”Um… I mean, the choice to kill will definitely find its way to me”

⇒ "How to put it... once I've killed someone, "killing" would become one of the possible options [to take] in my life".

Maybe the nuance was there in the official release too and I just didn't pick up on it but to me the former makes it sound more like he’s saying "I may still have to kill one day". Whereas the original seems to hold the connotation that if you do something once - even if it’s something as horrible as killing another human being - it becomes easier to do it again in the future because it's a choice you've made before, it's not untouchable anymore.

Chapter 25

[Yuuji expressing his regret over Nanami choosing to go fight Mahito alone.]

"Am I in your way, Nanamin?”

⇒ “Am I a burden [to you], Nanamin?”

A different nuance for this line.

“’My friend died but I wasn’t there because I’m a child.’ I wouldn't do that to you. That said"

⇒ "’My comrade died. But I wasn’t there. Why? Because I am a child.’ I would hate something like that" [to be put in such a position]

And this is just pure mistranslation. The whole “my comrade died but I wasn’t there because I’m a child” line is actually Yuuji painting a possible scenario (he does it with short sentences but the speech is overall polite). What they translated as “that said” was actually a follow-up to that scenario and could be translated as “something like that”.

N:”Being a child is not a bad thing”

⇒ “Being a child is in no way a crime”

I wanted to point this out since the original word’s most common meaning is actually “sin”, which is significantly heavier than just “not a bad thing”. Could also go with a milder “is not something to feel guilty about” here I guess.

G:”How’s the curtain coming along?”

M:”Can’t get in, can get out. This only applies to humans with weak cursed energy.”

⇒ G:”What’s the effect of the ‘curtain’?”

M:“Can't get out from the inside, can get in from the outside. (...)”

Literally the opposite for the curtain’s effect. Emphasis is Gege’s, too! Also Getou’s question was actually about how exactly the curtain in question would work, and not just how it was coming along.

M:”We’ll make them fight and force Yuji Itadori to make a binding vow in Sukuna’s favor”

Just to reiterate, whenever “binding vow” appears, it’s actually just “binding”.

[to part iii (2/2)]

[to part iii (2/2)]

[vikingrose24]

I recently started a course that works perfectly with my ADHD, and now I’ve got some thoughts on how college should look.

For starters, through high school I averaged As and Bs with the occasional C in the few classes that were just Too Much ™️. Then in college, my grades dropped.

The only As I ever got were the ones that were like “if you show up you get an A” or whatever. Not a single A was earned from my own merit. I hated it all, and eventually I just stopped going to class until my teachers dropped me from their classes. (Not my best decision, but it at least saved me fighting with my parents about dropping out).

A few months ago I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to do something with my life (I told him exactly what I wanted, but my future profession may be a trigger so I’ll avoid saying it to reach the most amount of people, feel free to send an ask if you’re curious though). When I mentioned this to my friend, he told me about this school, that is cheap, and has a 100% pass rate for the national certification exam for the profession.

Things I like about the structure of this class

This is a daily class (getting 100 hours of class done in 5 weeks, I’m taking 2 classes) meaning no days off from learning, so no chances to lose interest in what I’m learning.

No focus on homework. Like yeah, she has it assigned, but she doesn’t collect it or grade it, she assigns it because it makes us study at home. No need to panic if I slipped at missed the work, and if her assignments aren’t working for me, cool, I have other ways to study.

Actually making the learning fun. She’ll randomly spout off weird stuff and stories about her making some mistakes on the field or odd people she’s met, and honestly, I’m sure I could learn what I need just from her anecdotes.

All of this combined, my grades are soaring. 70% of our overall grade is from lab, where I have all As, and 30% is tests, where I have an A and 2 Bs.

Moral of the story is that colleges should provide quick courses like the one I’m taking. ADHD requires constant stimulation, not stop and go like most classes provided. Only 15% of us are likely to get a 4 year degree, and .06% of us are likely to get a post grad degree (send an ask if you want the link to the study where I got these numbers). I guarantee you those numbers can and will get better if there were more classes like the one I’m in right now.

I’m about to be a medical professional with 10 weeks of school but 200 hours done. This is possible, now it just needs to be accessible to us instead of me just happening to say what I want to do to someone who’s heard of this school from someone else.

[mega-komal-zahid]

How to get Good Marks in Exams

Have you got an important test coming up that you really want to ace? Do you generally want to improve your grades? There are a number of tricks and practices which can significantly improve your chances of scoring high on a test. This article will help you in studying, analysing and solving exam questions, so read on!

Absorbing Knowledge Efficiently

Pay attention in your classes and concentrate. The best thing you can do to raise your test scores is to pay attention when you're supposed to be learning the material: in class! Letting your mind wander or not showing up at all are both likely to make you miss out on key information that will later appear on tests.

Take good notes. This is important if you want to have an easier time studying later. Not only will writing the information down as you learn it help you in absorbing the information and paying attention, but you'll have a reference for when you go to study later.

Do your homework. Homework, such as assignments and at-home reading are where you will find the rest of the information that will be on tests, so doing this homework is important. Schedule time and set aside a quiet place just for homework to help beat the procrastination blues and develop awareness about How to get Good Marks in Exams.

Use mnemonics and other tricks.

Various memory tricks really can be useful for remembering certain things like numbers, categories, and lists. Just make sure that you learn them correctly and don't mix them up

Mnemonics are phrases which can help you remember the order of certain things. For example, "Katy Perry Came Over for Great Songs" is a great way to remember the biological classifications (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

Another memory trick is if you have to remember a string of numbers. Instead of trying to remember 2537610925, for example, break it up like a phone number: 253-761-0925. You can break up dates this way too. 14 Oct 1066 (the Battle of Hastings) can become a locker combination: 14-10-66.

Do practice tests. Ask your teacher or go online and print a few practice tests. Taking a practice test will help you figure out how much information you actually know vs how much information you think you know. Knowing your weak spots before a test is crucial!

Study frequently. Studying hard for only a few hours the night before the test isn't going to help ensure perfect scores. If you really want to ace those exams, study old and new material every day, or at least several times a week. This will make test-taking a breeze. Best site for study is Talibilm.pk you can take benefit from them.

Take study breaks. When you study, make sure you take a 5-10-minute break after every 30 minutes of study. This will help keep your brain from getting overloaded and give it more time to absorb the information.

On study breaks, try not to fill your brain with more information, even if that information is more about your favourite celebrity's latest concert rather than Winston Churchill's foreign policy.

Study according to a learning style that fits the subject. Certain subjects are easier to understand when studied using a style that connects to the nature of the subject. For instance, if you're studying literature, you'll need visual reading and writing activities. If you're studying music, you'll need auditory resources. For art courses, kinaesthetic activities often help.

Learning styles, as conventionally understood, are somewhat controversial. Many academic studies suggest that learners develop subjective preferences for studying material, but these styles don't necessarily mean they learn better through these styles

Nevertheless, the idea of learning styles still persists even in academic circles. If a subjective preference for a certain learning style helps motivate you to study, you can still try it.

 Take advantage of sense memory. Your brain is pretty good at associating smells or sounds with ideas or memories. You should take advantage of this! While you're studying, wear some unusual cologne or perfume (with a smell you don't usually encounter) and then expose yourself to that smell again right before or during a test

Listen to music Your teacher probably won't let you have headphones during a test, but you should at least listen to music, specifically classical music, right before taking a test. Studies have proven that exposure to certain types of music right before rigorous mental activity can really help, by waking up your brain and increasing your awareness.

Eat right. The most important thing is to eat, full stop. Being hungry during a test will distract you and make you tired. Don't eat too soon before a test though, as some foods can make you tired. Instead, make sure you get a meal filled with lean protein before you have to take a test.

Eating healthy will generally boost brain performance too, so make sure you're always eating a healthy diet to help you learn all through school.

Sleep well. If you don't sleep, you won't be able to focus when the pressure's on! Make sure to go to bed early the night before a test, rather than staying up all night to study. Your brain won't be able to hold on to all that crammed information anyway

Have all the necessary supplies. Go to your test with all of the calculators, pens, pencils, blank paper, and other supplies you might need. Not having these things could mean you'll have a much harder time!

Drink lots of water. Getting dehydrated during a test can be distracting and reduce your ability to think clearly. Stay hydrated before your test and bring a bottle of water with you to the test as well.

Don't do anything different. If you aren't used to drinking coffee, now is a bad time to start. Try not to do anything different in your basic routine the day of or the night before the test. This can really throw you off.

Write important things down first. As soon as the test starts, write down all formulas or other important information on some scratch paper before you start going through the questions. This will help keep you from blanking when you need that information later

Do the problems you know first. Always do the fast, easy problems to which you know the answer first. This will help make sure that you get as much of the test done as possible. If you get stuck, just move on to the next problem that you can answer quickly.

Cross out the wrong answers. Once you've answered the questions you know, move on to the ones you're not sure about. When you're dealing with multiple choice questions, eliminating answers that you know are impossible or silly will help you better decide between the possible options.

Look for clues in the other questions. Sometimes the answer to a question can be contained within or hinted at in another question on the test. Look at other answers or questions to help jog your memory.

Never leave questions blank. Unless you're docked for incorrect answers, never just leave a question blank. Especially if it's multiple choice; you'll at least have a 25% chance of getting the right answer.

Pace yourself. This is important! Always keep track of how much time you have and try to use your time wisely. You can always go back to check or improve your answers later!

Another Tips: How to get Good Marks in Exams

How to Score Good Marks in Board Exams in Short Time: 99% Useful Tips: These are basic and helpful tips and tricks to prepare for board exams before a month of exam commencement. What are the simplest ways to get good marks in board exams? This is a very simple and most common question which occurs mostly in every student’s mind and students who are magnetised to the books are likely to get worried about good marks in each subjects. This article is about how to score good marks in board exams, means you are covering all subjects and overall you are trying to get place in merit list or under 10 students. This is not easy to get place in merit list or get place in top 20 students. You have to sacrifices many things.

These tips and tricks are really useful and after doing research on more than 200 students, we find that if an average student will follow these tips, s/he will definitely score more than 90% in any board exam. Students who are preparing for board exam, and other examination they should know all these tips and keep these on your mind.

Before writing my view in this article, we have bunch of question and one of them which is really most important that,

Can an average students score more than 90% in board exam?

Can I? Yes, you can, because “Nothing is impossible”. If an abnormal child can become talented star like Hrithik Roshan, then everything is possible. But there are some rules which must be followed to make that impossible, possible.

Impossible is combination of “I Am Possible “. So keep working hard for your ambitions and follow all the steps given below to score good marks in your Board examinations.

Time Management – Daily Routine

Time is killer, a though came in my mind that, “if you didn’t care for time, time will never give you a chance to care for the thing you needed”. That’s simple time is one of the most dangerous thing, you should take care of. Make a chart for your daily routine and give maximum time to your study. Suppose you spend 6 hours in your bed and rest 18 hours must be used for your exam preparation.

·  A student is never pressurized for earning and other family matters. You are a student’s so give maximum time to your study.

· Your daily routine must be like, wake up at 4 o’clock, take 15 min to be fresh and have a cup of tea/coffee. Then open your book. and study till 7 O’clock.

·  Then go for morning walk which is important, then take your breakfast till 8 O’clock. If you are at home, then again collect your notes of other subjects and start practicing. Don’t study more than 2 hours continuously take some break in between.

·  Around 1 O’clock take your lunch and then take a nap for 45 min. Then again get ready for your exam preparation.

· In the evening you must go with your friends for some entertainment or physical activities.

·Then around 7 O’clock start your study and then have your diner before 9 O’clock. After your diner you must revise all the things you read whole day.

· Go to bed before 10 O’clock and revise the chart for next day.

Having Good Food and Drinking More Water Will Help

Healthy Food, water, and juice are high of energy and protein which helps your brain to work fast and also helps in remembering what you studied.

70% of your brain is filled with water, so that you must know the importance of water. Regularly drink water and drink more than 2 letter per day.

Well food will help you to focus on your study and this will also make you physically strong. Which is really important according to the exams? Once you are suffering from fever it will less your 20 to 30 marks in each subjects and you have to face a big loss. 20 or 30 marks are really hard to get and these marks will decrease your percentages by 4 to 6.

Doing Meditation for 30 Min Per Will Increase Memory Power by 20%

Make a hobby of doing meditation. First 2 weeks you will feel it useless but once you will realize the benefits of meditation. You will become habitual of it.

We got some query from our students, one of them was – Sir, I can’t focus on study, when I sit in the desk and after few minutes of beginning my mind diverts to another thing. Every time I try to focus on study I disturbed will useless thoughts, so please help us.

For those students, we have only one solution and that is do meditation and you will be focused on your study. regularly do meditation for 30 min at a peaceful place and see the result.

Take A Nap & Sleep Well

Relaxation! Doing rest give us pleasure and one of the most enjoyable thing is sleeping while you are tired. Students study full day and worry about their exam. They should not worry about exam. Students should take a nap or break between long time study.

Don’t study for more than 2 hours regularly. Take 5 to 10 min break between your study, it will help you to remind what you learnt.

Sleeping is best experience for anyone, but our parents thing that this is exam time you should not sleep more than 4 hours.

I have heard people to scolding their children’s for not sleeping before 11 pm and waking up at 3 am. This is not good for health and you have to pay for it if you are doing so. Take full 6 hours of sleep and this relaxation will help you to score good marks.

Challenge Yourself

Challenge your self means, set target for doing things before time and doing better with the time. For suppose you got 30% in first term, then improve yourself and get 50% in second term. Then work hard and once you will get 95% in final board exam.

You will not succeed until you have not make an ambition to chase. Increase your performance day by day and this will only happen when you will regularly study and follow these steps. Read more details just visit Talibilm.pk.

[junker-town]

The biggest surprise of the NFL season (so far) for each team

The NFL went ahead and trashed a bunch of preseason storylines with just one week of action.

Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season didn’t go exactly as planned. The defending champion New England Patriots gave up 21 fourth-quarter points to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in last Thursday’s season opener. Three days later, the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons needed to withstand a last-minute drive from a rebuilding Chicago Bears team to avoid a similarly embarrassing fate.

The surprises stretched beyond the two teams who played in Super Bowl 51. AFC South champion Houston lost to AFC South basement-dweller Jacksonville after the Jaguars rung up 10 sacks on two different ineffective Texan quarterbacks. The Rams, one season after scoring a league-low 14 points per game last fall, dropped more points than anyone else in the NFL by scoring 46 against an inept Colts team.

There are plenty of storylines to follow as the 2017 season rounds into shape. Here’s each team’s biggest surprise.

Arizona Cardinals: Every NFC West team but the Rams looked bad in Week 1

It may be a different time in the NFC West after going from a power with Seattle and San Francisco to a power with Seattle and Arizona; now you have one team too young to compete, one team who may be too old, and the Seahawks may get their franchise quarterback killed.

For more, check out the entire entry at Revenge of the Birds.

Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan looks great, but the rest of the league’s top QBs are struggling

What if I had told you, after final cutdowns, that your three highest-rated quarterbacks in Week 1 would be Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, and Jared Goff? You would have thought that unlikely, at best, but here we are.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Falcoholic.

Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Suggs is still awesome while nearing 35 years old

Yes, he has only played one game, but what a performance it was. Pro Football Focus gave Suggs a grade of an 85.3. Many were unsure if T-Sizzle could continue to play at a high level. However, in week one, he answered all of those questions and more.

For more, check out the entire entry at Baltimore Beatdown.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills are in first place in the AFC East

With the Patriots at 0-1 and the Dolphins on a forced bye week sitting at 0-0, the winner of Sunday’s contest is now tops in the AFC East. If you had asked us if this was possible a month ago following Buffalo’s big trades, we would have laughed at you.

For more, check out the entire entry at Buffalo Rumblings.

Carolina Panthers: Alex Smith is the best quarterback in the NFL ... for now

Only time will tell if Smith will be able to keep up this production, but the fact that he did this against the Patriots on their home turf in the season opener is a huge surprise. The not-so-good part of this surprise, though, is when you have Tom Brady as your starting fantasy QB with Alex Smith on your bench. That’s not fun at all.

For more, check out the entire entry at Cat Scratch Reader.

Chicago Bears: Tarik Cohen looks like a game changer

Have the Bears found a new playmaker?

After racking up 159 total yards — which is a new Bears rookie season-opening record by the way — and leading the team with 66 rushing yards, 47 yards receiving, and 45 punt return yards, I’d say the answer is yes.

For more, check out the entire entry at Windy City Gridiron.

Cincinnati Bengals: It’s Andy Dalton, but not in a good way

Still, a lot of the blame falls on Dalton. He started staring down receivers allowing the opportunistic defense to take advantage. He also got gun shy on a few throws instead opting to try and get out of the pocket, not to mention he cost the team points in the red zone, which is an absolute killer to morale and momentum.

For more, check out the entire entry at Cincy Jungle.

Cleveland Browns: Joe Schobert is stepping up

After Tank Carder’s season-ending injury, Schobert seized the opportunity and had an excellent preseason. The best words I’ve been able to use to describe Schobert is that he’s recognizing and finishing plays all over the field, which is something I never would have projected.

His stunning improvement presumably compelled Williams to ensure that Schobert was not just a rotational player, but a vital cog in the defense. In Week 1, he played every defensive snap against the Steelers.

For more, check out the entire entry at Dawgs by Nature.

Dallas Cowboys: A great defensive performance against the Giants

The Cowboys suffocating defense was a collective effort on Sunday. They got pressure from their defensive line, great patrolling by their linebackers, and a secondary that clamped down on the receivers.

For more, check out the entire entry at Blogging the Boys.

Denver Broncos: The Chiefs’ ability to smoke the Patriots

I spent the first part of the game making fun of the Chiefs on Twitter, which was a win for me personally. But then I spent the second part of the game making fun of the Patriots and that was a much bigger win.

Nothing is funnier than seeing jilted, arrogant Patriots fans on Twitter saying nothing to anyone. It’s like they disappeared for a few hours.

For more, check out the entire entry at Mile High Report.

Detroit Lions: Anthony Zettel looks like the team’s next breakout pass rusher

And the Lions’ sixth-round pick from 2016 went out against the Cardinals and had himself a game. He finished with the Detroit’s only sack of the game, added an additional four hurries and nearly had an interception.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pride of Detroit.

Green Bay Packers: Several things, including Ted Thompson’s roster strategy

The way Ted Thompson has put together the 2017 Green Bay Packers roster should be truly stunning to anyone familiar with his past tendencies. Thompson signed a big-name free agent in Martellus Bennett, but that is actually not that surprising to me, considering he has landed players like Julius Peppers and Charles Woodson in the past.

Rather, it is Thompson’s sudden willingness to dip into the middle and lower tiers of free agency and the timing with which he did so that should be the biggest shocks.

For more, check out the entire entry at Acme Packing Company.

Houston Texans: The decision to bench Tom Savage so early

I’m going with Bill O’Brien’s decision to bench Tom Savage at halftime of the first game of the regular season. Without getting into the merits of the decision, I was shocked O’Brien did it, only because O’Brien expressed regret about having a similarly quick hook in the past with Brian Hoyer. Even if Savage continued to struggle, I did not expect a change at QB midway through the first game of the 2017 season.

For more, check out the entire entry at Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts: Among other things, that the Colts traded for Jacoby Brissett

If you told me right after it was announced that Andrew Luck had shoulder surgery that he would enter the season without any meaningful timetable for his return, I wouldn’t have believed it. If you told me that Stephen Morris would outplay Scott Tolzien for a second straight preseason only to be cut, I wouldn’t have believed it. If you told me that the Colts would trade former first-round wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to the New England Patriots for a quarterback, I wouldn’t have believed it.

For more, check out the entire entry at Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler’s play

But Fowler looked every bit the part of a No. 3 overall draft pick with his performance in the season opener. He had three tackles, two sacks, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown. It was the best box score a defensive end has had in a long, long time.

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Cat Country.

Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith (and the whole team) was really, really good against the Patriots

Alex Smith is the top rated quarterback in the NFL after Week 1. Yes, that Alex Smith.

Even more surprising - not only is Smith the top QB in the league, but Tom Brady (yes, that Tom Brady) is among the worst (24th out of 30 if you haven’t bothered to click the link).

For more, check out the entire entry at Arrowhead Pride.

Los Angeles Chargers: Kenny Wiggins is making plays on the offensive line

For me it's easy. The fact the Kenny Wiggins not only has taken a step forward in his progression when it looked bleak for years now but also being one of the Chargers best Offensive Lineman.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bolts from the Blue.

Los Angeles Rams: The youngest NFL coach ever is a man with a plan

But for me, the most surprising thing through one game week of the 2017 regular season is how well everything has gone under the oversight of a first-time head coach with as little experience (both in the NFL and in life) as Sean McVay has.

For more, check out the entire entry at Turf Show Times.

Miami Dolphins: Jacksonville might be ... good?

The Dolphins had their opener postponed by Hurricane Irma, so the Phinsider took on a Florida neighbor instead.

Somehow, in a bizarre turn of events, the J.J. Watt-Jadeveon Clowney combo managed just two tackles, the entire Houston defensive line couldn’t come up with a single sack, and Blake Bortles played an entire game without throwing a single interception. In fact, it seemed as though Jacksonville went out of their way to do their best impression of what the Texans should have been, as they piled up a whopping 10 sacks.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Phinsider.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings’ offensive line makes strides

All in all, it was a huge improvement from what we saw from a Vikings’ offensive line that would have struggled against Big Ten defenses in 2016. If they can get their level of play to just around “average” on a regular basis, the Vikings are a playoff contender. If they can perform they way they did on Monday night, the Vikings are a Super Bowl contender.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Daily Norseman.

New England Patriots: The defense’s inability to stop big plays

In just one game in 2017, the Patriots gave up a pair of 75+ yard scores; a 75-yard touchdown to Tyreek Hill and a 78-yard touchdown to Kareem Hunt. Those were shocking plays by a defense that relies on not making mistakes.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pats Pulpit.

New Orleans Saints: Also shocked by Alex Smith’s performance against the Patriots

If Sam Bradford’s performance was reminiscent of Joe Montana against the Saints, then Alex Smith was more like a combination of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He could do no wrong, going 28-of-35 for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. Matt Patricia’s defense had no answers for Smith, who was able to connect on some big deep balls - something we aren’t necessarily accustomed to seeing. At his absolute best, Smith’s best yards per game average was last year at 233.5 passing yards/game.

For more, check out the entire entry at Canal Street Chronicles.

New York Giants: How bad the Giants’ offense looked

From a New York Giants perspective, I’d guess you’re surprised that after eight months the offense looked as bad as it did. Even without Odell Beckham Jr. it should have been more functional than it was in Sunday’s 19-3 loss.

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Blue View.

New York Jets: At least kicker Chandler Catanzaro doesn’t suck

Many people questioned the Jets signing a kicker coming off a bad year in Arizona. Even more questioned the Jets when Catanzaro made the roster despite being outkicked by Ross Martin in training camp.

Catanzaro may yet prove to be an unsuccessful signing, but he delivered in his Jets debut by nailing field goals from 48 and 52 yards out.

For more, check out the entire entry at Gang Green Nation.

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders’ defense, especially the pass defense and interior line

I can’t think of a more promising way to kick off the 2017 season than to see two of the Raiders’ most glaring weak areas step up. They needed to show these things in Tennessee, because it’s highly unlikely they’ll receive any such test this week against the Jets.

For more, check out the entire entry at Silver and Black Pride.

Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor might actually be good

It’s not just that Agholor was merely bad or below average. He was literally one of (if not the) worst wide receivers in the league in both 2015 and 2016.

He sure didn’t look like one of the worst wide receivers in the NFL on Sunday against Washington. The former first-round pick finished the game with a career-high six receptions for a career-high 86 receiving yards.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bleeding Green Nation.

Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt doing something his brother never has

Then came the regular season opener in Cleveland.

2 sacks. 1 interception. 7 tackles.

Watt was all over the place in this game, and kept James Harrison on the sideline in the process. It may have just been one game, but if I were to bet on a player to be more than ready for the next step in his NFL progression, it would be Watt.

For more, check out the entire entry at Behind the Steel Curtain.

San Francisco 49ers: Carlos Hyde’s lack of touches

In looking through the San Francisco 49ers first week of the season, there are a few potential surprises to consider. The decision to sit Aaron Lynch as a coaches’ decision is a little surprising, and Jaquiski Tartt’s tackling problems on Sunday were a surprise. However, the real surprise might be the lack of more significant rushing opportunities for Carlos Hyde.

For more, check out the entire entry at Niners Nation.

Seattle Seahawks: The Rams could be a threat to the Seahawks in the NFC West

If, and this is a big if, Goff makes major strides in 2017, then the Rams have to be considered the only team in the NFC West that can challenge the Seahawks for the division title. The 49ers are rebuilding and the now David Johnson-less Cardinals are teetering on the verge of total collapse. Wade Phillips is surely going to have the Rams defense looking stellar, even more so when Aaron Donald returns (shudders), so a better Jared Goff means a better Rams offense, and a better Rams offense means they might even be in the hunt for a playoff spot in December.

For more, check out the entire entry at Field Gulls.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How badly the division-rival Saints’ offense looks

That’s surprising because the Saints, while mediocre for years on end, always at least kept a potent offense on the field — and always invested in their team, even if the results were terrible on defense. That last part hasn’t changed, at least, but if this one game is something to go off of, the Bucs don’t need to worry about the Saints walking off with the division crown.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bucs Nation.

Tennessee Titans: A dominant performance from the Titans’ next opponent

There is still a lot of football to played, but people are really high on the Jaguars after their week 1 performance. That is the biggest NFL surprise after week 1. Hopefully the Titans can go down there and bring the Jags expectations back to where they probably should be -- as a team that has a really good offense but is going to struggle to score points.

For more, check out the entire entry at Music City Miracles.

Washington: How rough Washington’s first game was

I think for me, watching week one offered this potentially surprising thought: what the hell (was Washington) working on in the preseason to come out so flat against a divisional opponent out of the gates? I was surprised that Kirk had trouble with his accuracy, given he is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history (still #3 overall ... ALL-TIME).

For more, check out the entire entry at Hogs Haven.

[davidegbert]

Lenovo Legion Y520 Review

The gaming laptop segment is exploding right now, bucking a general downward trend in the PC business. This is one of the few product categories in which manufacturers don't have to struggle to make everything thinner and lighter or lower cost, and it's also benefitting tremendously from Intel and Nvidia's latest products which deliver gaming-grade power without too many tradeoffs. Mainstream PC brands including Dell, HP, Acer and Lenovo are trying to push into this market, and even component makers Asus and MSI are capitalising on the opportunity.

This is such a big deal that many companies, afraid of being perceived as old-school and staid, have spun their gaming products out into separate sub-brands. Acer has its Predator line, Asus has the Republic of Gamers, Dell uses Alienware (and Inspiron Gaming), and now we have Lenovo moving its Y series laptops under the new Legion banner. On one hand, this tells buyers that they are getting something out of the ordinary, but on the other, it seems that everyone has the same cliched idea of who gamers are and they want. Hopefully, Lenovo's new Legion Y520 can stand on its own merits.

Lenovo Legion Y520 look and feel

Okay, we get it. Being a gamer means you must like lots of red accents, aggressive lines, exposed vents and a vaguely military/ industrial/ motorsport aesthetic. Lenovo, like most other companies, has certainly checked all the boxes when it comes to the stereotype. If you just want powerful minus all the design flourishes, look elsewhere.

That said, the Legion Y520 isn't over-the-top garish. The lid is all black, with a matte carbon-fibre-textured finish and a stealthy embossed Lenovo logo in one corner. It picks up smudges very easily, and they aren't easy to wipe off. The hinge is a barrel in the centre of the back, leaving space on either side for fairly large speakers, which have thick grilles that are angled right towards the user. At 25.8mm thick and 2.4kg in weight, the Legion Y520 is fairly portable by gaming laptop standards, but it's still bulky. The edges aren't very smooth and the front lip is angled rather than flat, which makes carrying this laptop a little difficult.

Flipping the lid up, the first thing we noticed was that if felt rather flimsy. The lid bends and flexes, and there's nothing to keep the screen from warping. The centred hinge also means that it isn't anchored along the entire bottom edge. We found that the screen frame could easily be pried apart from the lid. The construction here and the quality of the plastic used aren't up to the mark - we're concerned about how this laptop will hold up long-term.

Every single key on the keyboard has red sides and red printing, with the WASD cluster getting extra-thick red borders just to make sure we know this is a gaming laptop. There are also red lines around the trackpad and power button, and a small red Legion logo in the lower front corner. In line with the gaming stereotype, keyboard backlighting is red (while many competitors now offer RGB lighting) and there are only two brightness levels to choose from.

Generally speaking, we aren't fans of unconventional keyboard layouts because there's always something that suffers, especially the arrow keys. In this case though. Lenovo has pulled off a very interesting design that allows for a full-sized arrow cluster as well as a number pad. Media shortcuts and even the lesser-used Pause/Break have been accommodated as secondary functions, and you can use like normal keys with Num Lock turned off. However, some of the number pad keys don't have secondary functions, which renders them useless when the Num Lock is off - and we still have to use the Fn modifier for more common functions like Home, End, Page Up and Page Down.

In terms of comfort, they keyboard is quite good. The rows are slightly more offset than usual, which makes the WASD position just a tiny bit uncomfortable. The right Windows shortcut key has been replaced with a button that immediately triggers Lenovo's screen recording software, and we found ourselves activating this unintentionally way too often. You can configure video quality and the file storage location, but you can't turn it off. We think this button should have been placed outside the usual typing area, and besides, Windows 10 has screen recording built in, so this feature is redundant.

The trackpad has an awkward trapezoidal shape, for no reason other than to work some angles and edges into the Legion Y520's design. It's comfortable enough and accuracy is not a problem at all. However, the trackpad buttons are extremely difficult to use. They're angled downwards and are for some reason anchored in the middle so you can only click the extreme left end of the left button and the right end of the right one.

On the left side, you'll find Lenovo's trademark flat power connector, an Ethernet port, a USB 2.0 port and a 3.5mm combo audio socket, as well as a pinhole reset button that lets you reset the BIOS or boot into Windows 10's system recovery tool. On the right, there's an HDMI output, two USB 3.0 ports, and a third USB 3.0 Type-C port, and an SD card slot. Thankfully all hot air is pushed out the back. You can clearly see copper heatsink fins through the vents on the back, which we're sure is intentional.

Overall, while they keyboard layout is a clever touch, we're disappointed with the looks as well as the material and construction quality of what should be a premium laptop. Lenovo has many competitors doing better at this price level.

Lenovo Legion Y520 specifications and software

The combination of an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050Ti GPU seems to be pretty common right now. It's exactly what we saw with the Asus ROG Strix GL553V, MSI GP62 7RD Leopard Pro, and Acer Aspire VX15, and seems like a good balance for full-HD gaming at this price level. The Legion Y520 is available in two variants, one with a GeForce GTX 1050 and 8GB of RAM at Rs. 92,490, and the other with a GTX 1050Ti and 16GB of RAM at Rs. 1,04,990. Everything else about the two is identical, and we're reviewing the more expensive one today.

Lenovo has matched these core components with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 128GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive which should be more than enough for most people. We're happy to see that the SSD wasn't overlooked - even with a low capacity, having one makes a huge difference. The 15.6-inch screen has a full-HD resolution and thankfully also has a non-reflective matte surface. Rounding off the spec sheet are a 45Whr battery rated for four hours of use, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, and a 720p webcam.

The Legion Y510 comes with Windows 10 Home, and the Creators' Update was already up and running on our review unit. There's a bit of preinstalled software, the most prominent of which is Lenovo's Nerve Sense which is pinned to the Windows taskbar and automatically does things like disabling shortcut keys and prioritising network traffic when you launch any game. You can also control screen recording settings and manually push the fans to full speed from here.

Lenovo Settings is a dashboard that lets you manage various things including the webcam, battery profile, and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality. One interesting feature is that you can trigger different profiles based on which wired or Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to, but the only things you can change are your Microsoft Edge homepage and default printer, which makes it fairly pointless. Lenovo App Explorer is a spammy app store which tries to make you install all kinds of adware and games with in-app purchases - there's even an entry for Whatsapp which says you can "quickly send and receive messages right from your desktop" but is nothing but a link to the Whatsapp website.

Lenovo Legion Y520 performance

When it comes to everyday usage, the Legion Y520 is exceptionally snappy. Windows boots quickly and apps load without any fuss. Windows 10 was set to 125 percent scaling by default which made the desktop look crowded, and we got rid of all the icons for Lenovo's bloatware to get some breathing room. There were regular popups for some of Lenovo's utilities plus the bundled McAfee security software and Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant.

The display is somewhat grainy compared to the Retina-class screens on most premium laptops and smartphones today, but it's perfectly fine for gaming and watching videos. Colours don't really pop but viewing angles are good. The speakers are very good, especially for voices and game sound effects, but music does get distorted at higher volumes.

Benchmark tests targeting the CPU, storage and memory subsystems all showed great results. We got 659 points in Cinebench R15, and 3,777, 4,613 and 3,468 in PCMark 8's Home, Creative and Work test scenarios respectively. Sequential read and write speeds for the SSD were 1.54GBps and 748.44MBps respectively. 3DMark's Fire Strike Extreme test gave us 3,561 points, and the DirectX 12 Time Spy test gave us 2,415. Unigine Valley running at the native 1920x1080 using the High quality preset gave us an average of 43.1fps, and the Star Swarm simulation managed 56.24fps.

We then ran the built-in benchmarks that a few games have in order to compare scores across different hardware directly. Rise of the Tomb Raider managed a pretty impressive 53.04fps average at 1920x1080 with the High preset, and the newer Deus Ex: Mankind Divided pushed out 33.3fps with the same choices and with DirectX 12 enabled. Based on visual quality, most of today's popular games should be comfortably playable at Medium to High settings. Ashes of the Singularity crashed on load several times, which is something that happens on many systems. Metro: Last Light Redux managed 76.21fps using the High preset with SSAA turned off.

Manual run-throughs gave us an idea of how far the settings can be pushed in each game, and how image quality actually stacks up in terms of even frame pacing and stutters or lags. Doom is one of today's most generous games when it comes to the hardware it will run on, and we had no trouble pushing a smooth 60-80fps without any trouble whatsoever at the High setting using OpenGL. Rise of the Tomb Raider was also extremely smooth, averaging 41fps with hardly any dips under the 30fps threshold indicating that there was very little variance from the average. Finally, we loaded up Far Cry 4, which is now a classic. This game pushed out an average of 85fps at its High setting, and while the average stayed well above 60fps there were a few occasional torn frames.

We were happy to note that the Legion Y520 didn't get too loud at any point during our game tests. In fact, we could hardly hear its fans at all. The area under our left hand and wrist stayed cool throughout. This is better than we were expecting given our experiences with some other gaming laptops in this segment. Battery life worked out to roughly the four hours promised by Lenovo, with light everyday usage. You're going to need to stay plugged in when gaming, though.

Verdict Lenovo has put forward a strong effort, but we like the insides of the Legion Y520 a lot more than its outsides. Styling is a subjective matter, but we can't help but wish that Lenovo hadn't gone quite so literal chasing after the "gamer" cred. The flimsy lid is a huge cause for concern, and the trackpad is an ergonomic misstep. We'd also like to see Lenovo ease up on the bloatware.

All that said, performance is excellent and you get a lot of bang for your buck. With an external mouse, gaming was quite a pleasure. We can also see ourselves carrying this laptop around with us, thanks to its manageable size and weight. A little bit of polish will take Lenovo a long way.

Other manufacturers offer very similar packages at this price level. While the core hardware seems to be roughly the same in all cases, look out for the exact GPU you're getting - the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a step better than the plain GTX 1050 - as well as the SSD capacity and amount of RAM. You might want features like an RGB backlit keyboard, or you might simply prefer the looks of some of the other options, so do look around before spending your money.

Price (MRP): Rs. 1,04,990

Pros

Very good specifications

Games run very well at 1920x1080

Runs cool and quiet

Good speakers

Cons

Flimsy lid

Uncomfortable trackpad

Lots of bloatware

Ratings (Out of 5)

Design: 3.5

Display: 4

Performance: 4

Software: 3.5

Value for Money: 3.5

Overall: 3.5

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