Hey Carrie! Do you have any note taking or studying tips? I'm trying to do well this semester.
Hi Claire! Here are some of the best tips I swear by, that are more advanced for university students:
Color-Coding: it is so much easier for me to form connections (and remember them!) if I can associate material with a specific color. Some prefer highlighters, others colored pens; go with what you find more enjoyable.
Mind Maps: because we rely so heavily on our vision, it’s much easier for humans to understand and form connections, besides remember them, if expressed visually. Try MindMeister, a Google Chrome extension; Coggle, a free mind mapping website; or the app Mindly, if you’d rather not use pen and paper. Although…
You Should Really Use Pen and Paper: Studies show that the brain’s processing of handwritten material is the equivalent of reading said material 7 times over, which greatly increases the chances you’re going to remember it if it’s written down rather than typed on Microsoft Word.
Review Your Notes After Class: rereading my notes as soon as class is done helps me understand and remember what we’ve discussed the next day. I also like to revise my notes during this time so the format is neater and easier to study later on.
Prof Rivals an Auctioneer? Talk with him/her after class about slowing down a bit, or ask another student to compare notes with you after each class to see if you’ve missed anything important.
Find Your Go-To Method: Thomas Frank, the handsome and brilliant founder of College Info Geek, has an awesome video where he compares different note-taking methods!
Change Your Mindset: realize that your main objective shouldn’t be to earn the highest mark possible (although that’s always welcome!), it should be to learn for the sake of expanding your knowledge; to be more well-rounded, to appreciate the richness of human life, and to improve the world around you. Even if the material you’re learning doesn’t pertain to your major, you never know when understanding it may come in handy down the road!
No More “I Don’t Feel Like It:” again, another awesome video by Thomas Frank that’s greatly helped me overcome procrastination (partially, it’s a work in progress…).
Prioritize Information: if you have an upcoming exam and there’s material you know very well already, skim it briefly before the exam. While you have the time, focus on the concepts that you don’t understand, or find hard to remember, so that when exam day comes, you don’t draw a blank!
Tocks v. Pomodoro: the classic Pomodoro technique isn’t for everyone (a cycle of 25 minutes of studying followed by a 5 min break). Try the Tocks technique instead if 25 minutes isn’t enough for you to get adequately immersed in studying. The 30/30 app is a wonderful tool to customize your studying time. I multi-task and…
Exercise: cognitive function greatly improves with physical activity, so if I’m using Tocks, I devote my 15 minute break to a short Pilates circuit. It doesn’t have to be intense – even taking a walk or moving to a new location to study does wonders!
Teach Others: Einstein said we don’t fully understand something until we’re able to explain it to others on our own. So get together with a study group and teach others concepts they’re struggling with if you feel you’ve mastered them.
SLEEP: to retain information in our long-term memory, we need to have adequate sleep. That doesn’t mean a 20 minute power nap here and there (although those are great energy boosters!), it means getting enough REM cycles by sleeping 7 1/2 hours each night (not 8, as previously assumed). I know it’s not always possible to do, but you don’t personally realize the importance of a consistent sleep schedule until you wake up on your own, fully rested for several days in a row. Here are more tips on catching up on those zzzz’s.
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