There’s two weeks left of class and your mind may be more preoccupied with summer plans and Spring Weekend but don’t forget that finals are right around the corner. So how are you going to make it through that final stretch so that you can kick back and relax? If you haven’t thought about it yet now is a great time to start planning out how you’re going to finish out the semester.
First and foremost, you should take a look at the rest of your semester and see what assignments, group projects and quizzes you have before the final. Try to get a head start on those things this next week so that you will be less stressed out and will have more time to concentrate on prepping for finals.
Next, take a serious look at the classes you’re taking. Which classes have cumulative finals? How much does your final count towards your final grade? Which classes have you had trouble with during the semester and which classes will take more time to study for? By answering these questions you will have a better idea about which classes will require more time and how you should divide your studying time. Also make sure that you double check your final exam schedule at http://www.registrar.uconn.edu/examinfo.html. Use all this information to prioritize your classes.
Then make a list for each of your classes of things that you feel would be helpful for studying for your exams (such as reviewing past exams, making notecards, finishing up any readings, completing study guides, outlining exam questions, etc.) Then separate them into sizable chunks and prioritize them by importance to get the most out of your studying. For example, instead of completing an entire study guide in one night split it into two or three nights. Also, remember that if you plan on creating notecards they take a long time to create and you want to make sure that you have time to not only make them but also a substantial amount of time to review them.
Once you have done all of that you can now start planning out your study schedule. I would suggest that you start as soon as possible but at the very least one week out from your exam. Plan on completing about three tasks a night, however, be aware that the later you start the more that you will have to complete per night and this could potentially create a great deal of stress.
It’s hard to come up with a plan that will suit everyone’s schedule, classes and demands but these are some helpful tips that will help you get started on the right track. If you’d like even more help with planning out your last few weeks of class the coaches at the Academic Achievement Center would be happy to meet with you and come up with an individualized plan. The center is open Sunday through Monday from 4-8pm and our friendly coaches look forward to meeting with you!
Showing posts with label study skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label study skills. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Improving Your Memory
We all know the reason for getting an education is to gain new knowledge you can use and remember for the rest of your life. However, as an exam approaches and you have pages and pages of notes to memorize, whether or not you will need this information years from now is the least of your concerns. You just need to pass the exam. This is why having a good memory is very important piece to success in college. If you struggle with remembering class material, I have some advice for you and like anything else your memory can get better with practice.
Oh No, It's Only March! Tips For A Successful Second Half
My name is Christopher DeMilia, and I am one of the coaches here at the Academic Achievement Center. I'm a senior majoring in psychology, and have been a coach for two semesters.
I hope everyone reading this is feeling nice and refreshed after being away from campus and everything that goes along with it during Spring Break. Whether you've just been around the world and back, or spent the week catching up on some much needed sleep (or perhaps on those LOST episodes that you haven't watched because of school), Spring Break was a much deserved time to unwind from all of the stresses of college life. The semester, however, is only half over. Despite the wonderful weather outside, it is still only March! Here's some tips that will help you during the second half of the semester:
I hope everyone reading this is feeling nice and refreshed after being away from campus and everything that goes along with it during Spring Break. Whether you've just been around the world and back, or spent the week catching up on some much needed sleep (or perhaps on those LOST episodes that you haven't watched because of school), Spring Break was a much deserved time to unwind from all of the stresses of college life. The semester, however, is only half over. Despite the wonderful weather outside, it is still only March! Here's some tips that will help you during the second half of the semester:
- Make sure to keep attending class! You've worked so hard throughout the long winter months, and now that good weather and March Madness has arrived, you want to go outside and and enjoy yourself. It's alright to watch the NCAA Tournament games or to try and get a tan when you have the time, but never do so at the expense of going to class. Work just as hard as you did for the first half and you will be rewarded with the grades that you want. Besides, we're college students ... we have four months to get a tan later!
- Interact with your notes. Sometimes attending class, taking notes, and reading the book still doesn't prepare you for an exam, and with finals coming up this is even more important. Study for an upcoming exam before your professor even gives you a study guide and it will pay off. For each chapter you go over, create 10 questions from your notes, and then answer them in the same format that your professor uses for their exams. You'll be more than prepared for that next test!
- Reward yourself for a good grade. Play Ultimate Frisbee with your friends. Play catch. Relax outside in the sun. If you save these activities until after an exam, you'll be able to have fun and do them guilt-free.
- Don't forget to talk with your professors. Seeing your professors during their office hours allows them to get to know you outside of class and see that you really are determined to do well. Go over previous exams with them, especially if you got a grade that you didn't expect. This can help you figure out how to prepare better for the next exam (and eventually the final).
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What to DO with all those notes...
I've coached several students about effective note-taking and creating a daily study routine, but it can be a little confusing. So, I took the notes from one of my Philosophy classes and demonstrated several of the skills we talk about in the AAC. First, just take a look at the notes I took during that class:
Next, comes the critical step and its better if you do it sooner rather than later. It's time to use the left-hand column. There are some variations to this method, but the point is to write down memory triggers to the left of important information. Questions work as great memory triggers because they require you to both understand the information and provide a method for recalling it. To do this step, you'll add questions to the left-hand column that have their answers in the right-hand column. Keep the questions straightforward and the answers relatively short (try to keep them no longer than a phrase or two). Have a look at the same notes from above, once I revisited them and added memory triggers to point at the pieces that matter most.
The two pages above are just my ordinary, typical notes. You may have noticed that there is a date and title. You may not always be able to add a title to your notes, but a good place to fine one is on your syllabus. In this case, the title of my notes is the reading assignment that was discussed that day in class. I always date my notes because it helps to keep them organized and helps me find them later.
As students, our primary concern in class is to write down as much information as we can. Without lecture notes, there is nothing to study from. So, in class, focus on taking the most complete notes you can. Remember not to panic about the small details, but get the important stuff first and make an honest effort to catch as many details as you can. I really like to write down questions that other students ask or question that my professors ask the class.
It's also important to think about understanding while you're taking notes, you don't need to understand everything but you do need to recognize what you don't understand. Marking points with a question mark or another symbol is like saying, "I recognize that I don't get this right now". If you do it, then you can move on and continue gathering information. Its also important to follow up with those question marks: ask your professor or TA, check your book, bring it to your study group, just don't let it go.
It's also important to think about understanding while you're taking notes, you don't need to understand everything but you do need to recognize what you don't understand. Marking points with a question mark or another symbol is like saying, "I recognize that I don't get this right now". If you do it, then you can move on and continue gathering information. Its also important to follow up with those question marks: ask your professor or TA, check your book, bring it to your study group, just don't let it go.
What comes next is most important, your job isn't over just because lecture ended. In my experience, the most effective study habit is revisiting your notes early after class. There's actually research that shows between 9 and 24 hours after class, you only remember between 20% and 30% of the information. So what are your options?
Cornell Note-Taking Format:
The Cornell note-taking format takes a little bit of pre-work, but not much. When you get to class, you'll need to divide the pages of your notebook with a vertical line about 2 inches in from the left-hand side of the page. Then take your notes in the larger right-hand column the way you ordinarily would. Below are what the same notes from above would have looked like if I had taken them using the Cornell method.
Cornell Note-Taking Format:
The Cornell note-taking format takes a little bit of pre-work, but not much. When you get to class, you'll need to divide the pages of your notebook with a vertical line about 2 inches in from the left-hand side of the page. Then take your notes in the larger right-hand column the way you ordinarily would. Below are what the same notes from above would have looked like if I had taken them using the Cornell method.
Next, comes the critical step and its better if you do it sooner rather than later. It's time to use the left-hand column. There are some variations to this method, but the point is to write down memory triggers to the left of important information. Questions work as great memory triggers because they require you to both understand the information and provide a method for recalling it. To do this step, you'll add questions to the left-hand column that have their answers in the right-hand column. Keep the questions straightforward and the answers relatively short (try to keep them no longer than a phrase or two). Have a look at the same notes from above, once I revisited them and added memory triggers to point at the pieces that matter most.
Modified Cornell Format:
This technique is a variation of the one explained above, and it requires that you do the same things in class and soon after class. The only change is that when you are reviewing your notes You can take this one step further (and I would) by color-coding questions and answers, or just highlighting the answers. I really like this process because you end up creating a great study tool that's easy to review from and its takes virtually no time at all. If you took good class notes and did any outside reading, the Cornell review process only takes minutes, especially if you do it after every class. Click on the pictures blow to see how I did this to the same notes I've been showing you.
Mind Map:
A mind map is a great way to personalize your study materials even more. Mind mapping each day's lecture notes take only a few minutes each day you have class and the end product is a page that you can combine with maps from other lectures. The combination of all of these mind maps makes exam review more efficient and less time-consuming.
To make a mind map, start with a blank piece of paper. I liked unlined paper because it means I can write anywhere on the page and in any direction. Write your topic in the center of the page and circle it. Then add branches with the major details. The next level of information contains all of the minor details and the key is to organize them in a way that makes sense to you. If you're not sure where to put something, write it anywhere and connect it later. Include pictures, charts, or any other visual cue that helps you remember a particular detail or idea. Your mind map doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but you, and a good mind map usually doesn't do as much for others as it does for the student who made it. I mind mapped this same lecture's notes below.
Add more details as you review reading notes or remember other ideas presented in class. Draw arrows to show the connections between details and ideas. I like to add color to show what kind of relationships and connections these are. I showed problems or objections in orange, examples and demonstrations of a point in yellow, and affirmative arguments in pink. The other colors just help me distinguish the structure of information. The key to an effective mind map is understanding how you think and remember and creating a tool that reflects that.
Sincerely,
Sarah M.
AAC Student Supervisor
For more information about note-taking and mind maps, you can visit the Ask Ali pages on the First Year Programs website (requires NetID sign in) or meet with a coach at the Academic Achievement Center.
If you have questions please comment below or email aac@uconn.edu
A mind map is a great way to personalize your study materials even more. Mind mapping each day's lecture notes take only a few minutes each day you have class and the end product is a page that you can combine with maps from other lectures. The combination of all of these mind maps makes exam review more efficient and less time-consuming.
To make a mind map, start with a blank piece of paper. I liked unlined paper because it means I can write anywhere on the page and in any direction. Write your topic in the center of the page and circle it. Then add branches with the major details. The next level of information contains all of the minor details and the key is to organize them in a way that makes sense to you. If you're not sure where to put something, write it anywhere and connect it later. Include pictures, charts, or any other visual cue that helps you remember a particular detail or idea. Your mind map doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but you, and a good mind map usually doesn't do as much for others as it does for the student who made it. I mind mapped this same lecture's notes below.
Add more details as you review reading notes or remember other ideas presented in class. Draw arrows to show the connections between details and ideas. I like to add color to show what kind of relationships and connections these are. I showed problems or objections in orange, examples and demonstrations of a point in yellow, and affirmative arguments in pink. The other colors just help me distinguish the structure of information. The key to an effective mind map is understanding how you think and remember and creating a tool that reflects that.
Sincerely,
Sarah M.
AAC Student Supervisor
For more information about note-taking and mind maps, you can visit the Ask Ali pages on the First Year Programs website (requires NetID sign in) or meet with a coach at the Academic Achievement Center.
If you have questions please comment below or email aac@uconn.edu
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