Here are a couple of useful sites that would have helped me as I took notes and studied for exams this semester. (Who knows, maybe it will still help me with my micro exam?)First, some advice on how to take perfect notes. This post includes advice for what to do before, during, and after a lecture. Here’s a few of the many tips:
- Collect notes for each course in one place, in a separate notebook or section of a notebook.
Write notes on one side of the page only. - Use a loose-leaf notebook rather than a notebook with a permanent binding. See the pattern of a lecture by spreading out the pages.
- Incorporate different colors of ink, diagrams, drawings of your own. Make your notes your notes. Take advantage of how you learn (visually, aurally, or actively) and write/draw your notes according to that style.
- Enter your notes legibly because it saves time. Make them clear.
This semester, I started using different colors of ink in my notes and it’s been a big help in diagramming graphs and highlighting important material. My friend, Triya, just surprised me by buying me an 8-pack of different colored Pilot G2 pens -- you can imagine my delight! (It's amazing how the simple things in life can bring us such joy.)
Next, a look at how to learn difficult subjects quickly:
- Bombard yourself with information
- Identify the key concepts and make them yours
- Only memorize what absolutely has to be memorized
- Get some feedback on your understanding
- Bombard yourself with some more information, but from another source
- Get some real-world feedback
Follow the link to read more about each one of these concepts.
Overall, I find this strategy to be useful – particularly starting with step 1. Far too many times, I’ve allowed myself to get stymied while reading books or notes on a concept that becomes clearer to me later on. It’s a great idea to get an overview of the topic before diving into the details.
I definitely hope to put the advice from both of these sites to good use in the future. Needing all the help I can get as I continue to my pursuit of a PhD...
Hattip to Lifehacker for both the link on notes and on learning quickly.
Other related links:
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