Instagram hit for Cardiff student who posts revision notes
It is typically the domain of selfies, or inspirational shots of food and travel.
But one Cardiff University student has built up a large Instagram following, posting just photos of her revision. Zoe Petre, 21, of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, began posting shots of her notes in September 2016 while studying for her A-levels. She now has more than 40,000 followers from across the globe. Explaining why she began, she said: "My exams weren't going very well. I had already resat my first year, but still wasn't predicted good grades and knew I could do better. "I realised I needed new revision techniques so I began taking photos of my notes and posting them on Instagram to motivate me." Alongside the immaculately written posts, Zoe also began posting updates of how she was getting along with her revision and exams. She also added tips she had learnt on how best to study and what subjects to choose. Initially her @ZoeStudies account was followed by a handful of friends, but it soon started to attract strangers from around the world. "I kept getting new followers without really trying," she said. "My numbers just literally started to leap up." As her followers increased, so too did her grades. She said: "I wanted to go to Cardiff University, but didn't think I'd get the grades. "But people kept pushing me to succeed and, in the end, I got one A, two Bs and a C grade, which was enough to get in." In September 2018, Zoe began a course in biomedical science at Cardiff University. Now in her second year, she continues to post every other day and is still attracting new fans. She said: "I love posting. "It encourages me to make my notes look nice, so I want to look at them and learn. "I also really try and understand them, then condense them so it's easier for revision. "I find Instagramming pushes me and helps me to track my progress, as I always record my highs and lows." As for why people follow her, she believes they largely come for motivation. "Some of people who follow me are Biomed students, which is handy when I get stuck, as someone can usually help," she said. "But others aren't necessarily doing the same subject. "I believe they see someone else working hard and are encouraged. "It feels supportive and gives you a pick me up, motivating you to keep learning." She added: "Social media can get bad press, but this is a most definitely a good form of it."