Tag Archives: student

4 great note taking methods for students

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Notes and note taking play a major role irrespective of whether you are a student, a professional or a teacher.

My notes are often look like this : Lots of bullet points, random irrelevant doodles and maybe even some glitter.

In short: Not neat or effective.

Not to mention that it’s really hard to navigate through my stack of papers to look for the topic I need to currently study.

Which is why I’ve picked 4 note taking methods to help make your note taking system more efficient and neater.

1.Structured notes

Structured notes as the name suggests basically gives you an outline.

It’s like the rules you have to follow when part of a basketball team  – giving you team more efficiency and coordination.

That’s basically what we are trying to do here.The format is easy enough to follow, but you should consider the mode of doing it.

You could choose to do it on pen and paper or on a note taking app.

A few are – Notion,Evernote,Microsoft One Note or Google Docs.

Here’s what it looks like.

2.Mind maps

I like mind maps for their simply usability.

Open up your notebook and BAM ! Your entire topic is covered in less than 2 pages

Perfect for me since I do a lot of last-minute revision.

So, when should you use a mind map ?

Mind maps are very helpful breaking down large concepts into smaller chunks. They help absorb all the information at one go.

When you have a vast topic to cover or an overly complicated definition – grab a few colour pens and draw a mind map.

3.Flashcards

You will find hundreds of blog posts and videos on using flashcards and for good reason too.

Hand written flashcards are very bulky to carry around which is why Quizlet is the go-to revision app for students.Making flashcards on the app or the web is very easy to do and does not take much time.

But the reason I prefer Quizlet over other flashcard apps is because of it language feature – making it one of the best revision apps out there to study any language.

4.Cornell Notes system

This is my absolute favourite because it helps me glance at all my information no matter how detailed in less than a few pages.Use this system when you need to study a book, a video or a research paper.

You can use the pdf template I’ve made and follow the steps below.

Cornell-notes-system_mytakeontheworldDownload

  • Use the the topic line to label your notes for future reference.
  • There are 2 main columns –Keywords and Notes
  • Keywords column-This is where the main keywords,headings and ideas of your material needs to written or typed down.
  • In the Notes column – jot down the points and notes corresponding the the keywords on the left.
  • Remember to avoid long sentences.
  • Use abbreviations ,diagrams and small bullet points.
  • When you’re done use the summary box below to simply to concise all the information you have learnt into 1- 2 sentences.
  • And you’re done!

Do leave me a comment below! I love hearing your thoughts.

KEEP READING:

Quotes from a book : Dance first, Think later.

Here are some quotes that grabbed my attention while flipping through the pages of this book. Hope you enjoyed reading this post Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below. Stay connected: Keep reading:

by IshitaTenjerla

The law of efficiency

Time is funny.When working on a long boring assignment , it can seem to move very slowly.But when watching your favourite web series….BAM ! There goes 3 hours of your day. But why does time work like that ? Let me introduce to you Parkinson’s law of time management.It simply states that : This isContinue reading “The law of efficiency”

by IshitaTenjerla

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Studying at home during the pandemic is really hard

Raise your hand if your parents or your test grades think studying at home is no different during the lockdown from a pre-pandemic life.

You are not alone ! Welcome to the world wide problem of studying from home and being able to get good grades.

Because studying from home is a massive challenge.

Lemme quickly list down a few problems with this whole studying from home.

Over the top of my head ?

  • The T.V
  • Instagram
  • Simply not being in the mood.
  • Unlimited access to wi-fi.

Need I go on ?

I like to call this entire pandemic a “ cycle of motivation and slumps “

Because I truly believe that it is what it is.

Sudden bursts of motivation make me wanna study for 7 hours straight and get another 20 things done on my task list.

Other times I simply cannot convince myself to even open a textbook for 7 whole days.

 it’s a struggle.

Here are a few tips to tackle this – from one frustrated student to another.

1.Don’t rely on your motivation

When I get excited about a new project – I get super motivated and don’t mind working on it until the wee hours of the morning.

It could be writing a new blog post. Reading a new book. Studying a interesting chapter.

But then the motivation dissipates , so I don’t get much done.

Soon the motivation returns – sending me into a adrenaline rush.

Motivation is great – but it only comes in bursts. Making it a little unreliable.

Simply relying on motivation isn’t effective in the long run.

2.Build a study habit

As relying on motivation doesn’t always work

Building a study habit is really important.

By building a habit: you begin to get all antsy and jumpy if you aren’t at your desk the time you want to be.

You could also try getting someone to hold you accountable for your time – just when starting out.

3.Embrace the noon slump

I work best in the mornings and even late into the night.

But come 3 pm – my brain simply shuts off and goes to sleep.

More commonly known as the afternoon slump -this is not simply restricted to the mid day.

Night owls can’t work well in the mornings and vice versa for your early birds.

You ever hear of the saying ” If you can’t beat them – join them ?”

I am asking you to do the exact same thing.

Don’t try to beat the slump – instead embrace it.Embrace it by planning something fun , a jog or a quick zoom call with your buddies.

4.Your day begins the night before

My biggest questions  as soon as I wake up are :

What time do I sit down to study today ? What chapters do I need to do ? or what class do I have today ?

By planning my day the night before, I know exactly when to get up ,when to be at my desk and what to do.

So simply jot your plan for the day before you hit the sack and see it make a difference.

5.Have any 2 things to look forward to

The simple act of having something to look forward to after a long day of hard work gives you that last extra push.

Plan a movie night , treat yourself to an ice cream cone , give yourself the evening off.

Anything that motivates and inspires you to strive for better.

Some days you do better than others – but what’s really important to keep in mind is that a new day is a fresh start.

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And don’t go on a guilt trip if you couldn’t do as much as you hoped for. Just reset and try again.

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Copyright.Ishita Tenjerla.mytakeontheworld