posted by Carleigh on Thursday, August 27, 2009
I'll admit it: I am a multitasker.
Do you multitask? Are you good at it? Some wear it as a badge of pride, boasting of their multitasking abilities.
But this study may cause you to reexamine your habit.
Researchers found that multitasking can actually hinder productivity, as it may be more difficult for heavy multitaskers to focus on one task or efficiently switch between tasks.
Are you a multitasker? Do you feel this research reflects your multitasking experiences?
related topics: Effective studying
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posted by schoolishard on Monday, June 08, 2009
Today's guest blogger shares thoughts on self-teaching.
I hate learning in a classroom setting. Every meaningful thing I have actually learned since multiplication has been self-taught. From musical instruments to French, the time that I have spent learning outside of the classroom has always been more efficient, engaging, and relevant. Schools simply approach education in a way that does not resonate with me or real life.
John Holt put it best when he said, "Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned."
Few schools and colleges understand this, and that is why I embrace autodidactic learning, or the teaching of oneself. With autodidactic learning, your job is to learn what you need to learn, then determine which method and materials would facilitate that learning the most. You are your own authority.
In the past, autodidactic learning was often a product of necessity. Today, with the modern education system, this style of learning may seem archaic and unnecessary, but it is not. College education is simply not enough. Sure, you can take advantage of new connections and the few things you remember from your senior year, but ultimately, though a piece of paper may open a few doors, it is your ability to learn that which will have others holding the doors for you. This glaring fact makes becoming proficient in teaching yourself whatever it is that you need to know that much more imperative.
Modern society, for whatever reason, seems to believe that people cannot learn as well outside of a classroom. This is bizarre since we live in the most accessible period in history for self-directed instruction materials. This accessibility is extended to nearly everyone willing to take advantage of it.
If you have an internet connection, you can teach yourself almost anything. Websites such as How Stuff Works and Expert Village could keep you occupied with nothing but learning for years. If you are interested in almost any book out of copyright, Google Books is trying to index and make available every book ever published!
Tried and true methods such as the local public or university library are amazing options, as well. Modern libraries are usually connected with dozens of other local libraries. In both my hometown and college town, all it takes is a simple request and the book I want will be shipped to my local branch free of charge.
What about new books? Go to local bookstores. Some of you may have enough money to buy the latest books, but I do not. This means that whenever I take a notion to acquire some knowledge on a current topic, you can find me at Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble sampling whatever it is which interests me. (My current interest is small business - I am learning much more than I would have in a de rigueur accounting class!)
One point I should emphasize is that autodidacts will still benefit from tutors or a mentor. (This strays a bit from what classifies a NATURAL autodidact, but natural autodidacts simply do not have teachers at their disposal. It would be ignorant to eschew an available resource which would inure to your benefit.) The only catch is you have to find instructors that will teach you only what YOU want to learn. There is no sense in wasting time. I am new to the Cramster community, but it looks to me like there are plenty of people here willing to help you with what you are learning.
The more you think about all of this, the more school may seem obsolete; however, it is a safe bet that you'll need that degree someday. The best way to make it through the drudgery of general curriculum, pointless lectures, and bureaucracy is to realize that college is nothing more than a framework which allows you to practice adult life and make new friends and connections. Within this framework, with your due diligence, your goal is to acquire the most important knowledge of all - learning how you learn.
Patrick Sizemore is a part-time college student and life-long learner. Unless the recession ends soon, he will begin his Master of Arts in Education next spring. He currently splashes ink around at SchoolisHard whenever he takes a notion.
related topics: Classroom strategies, Effective studying
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posted by Lynn and Jeremy on Monday, June 01, 2009
Though most college students have already taken finals (and are probably lounging poolside by now) high school students are in the home stretch of school. Today's guest blogger provides some tips to help you prep for exams!
10 Tips for Prepping for Final Exams (and Why They Work)
Well, it's just about showtime. Soon you will face that grueling week of finals on which the fate of this semester's GPA now rests. Sorry, we can't make finals week into a piece of cake. Only your professors can, and we wouldn't be counting on it. But how well you prepare will, in no small measure, determine how well you'll do. So here are our 10 best suggestions on how to prepare for those all-important final exams (together with a brief glance into the professor's mind that will show you why the tips work):
1. Spend a week.
Start studying for each exam a week before you are due to take it. This will give you time to divide the material into manageable portions that you can digest over a number of study sessions. This is especially important in the case of a cumulative final in a course with tons of material. Whatever you do, don't try to swallow the whole elephant – the whole course, we mean – in one cram session. (Works because, in most courses, the prof is expecting you to have processed and digested the material – something you can't do in one fell swoop).
2. Do, don't redo.
Preparing for finals is not the time to reread all the reading, recopy all your notes, or listen to all the lectures again on your MP3 player or at iTunesU. Time constraints at the end of the semester just don't allow for this. Instead, concentrate on working with the materials you have (the reading and lecture notes you have, and what you can remember from having heard the lectures once). (Works because you probably remember, or can recover, more than you think. And even if you can't, you don't have time to do it from scratch.)
Extra Pointer. If you haven't done some key parts of the reading, you need to assess the relative importance of the reading versus the lecture notes, before undertaking to read even this portion of the reading. Time is of the essence now. and atoning for missed readings by reading them now might not be the best strategy.
3. Rediscover the plot.
Now that the course is coming to an end, you are in a position to know how all the parts of the course fit together and what all those highfalutin statements about course objectives on the syllabus really meant. Use this understanding to guide your studying for the final. (Works because, in most courses, the main plot of the course is what the professor wants you to have learned and, accordingly, what he or she will test you about at the end.)
4. Mark up your class notes.
The time for obsessively neat notes is now officially over. Go ahead and mark up your notes. Highlight the main points or draw arrows or stars at central issues. Make notes in the margins about how the main points interrelate. (Works because the process of actively processing your notes helps you locate the key concepts and their interrelation – just what the prof is going to be asking about on the final.)
Extra Pointer. If you don't have a full set of notes for the class, it'd behoove you to post a message on someone's Facebook page (like someone in the class, for example). And if you've taken notes on scraps of paper or scattered pages, it wouldn't be a half-bad idea to arrange the pages in lecture order, either. You'd be amazed how many students can't find the plot of the course or chart relations between points simply because their notes are out of order.
5. Load up your mind.
Some classes require that you memorize a certain body of material. Perhaps it's verb conjugations in an Arabic class, theorems in a logic class, or the dates of particular events in U.S. history. Take the time to do this drudgework. (Works because sometimes you'll get many points simply for spitting it all back. And even if your storing the content in your mind isn't directly rewarded, the exam could ask you to perform higher-level tasks that require you to have memorized the items – a translation exercise that requires recognizing the verb forms or a math proof that requires application of a theorem, for example.
6. Make the review session.
Many profs or TA's offer review sessions around finals in which they "go over" the course and emphasize the important points. Sometimes instructors even do sample exam questions. These review sessions -- though usually optional -- are gold mines and should never be blown off. (Works because this is the time when professors are especially eager to help the students so they give particularly useful information. And, since they've often just made up the exam, or are planning to write it that night, they can't help dropping some serious hints about what's going to be on the test.)
7. Dig up the prototypes.
You should never enter the final exam without knowing what kinds of questions to expect. Frequently, professors will give out study guides or sample exams that illustrate the exam format, and sometimes even the very same questions you will be facing. And even if the prof hasn't extended to you a helping hand, you might be able to get final exams from previous versions of the course. (Works because professors are creatures of habit, and they tend to give the same or similar questions year after year. Yes, in some cases, it's just laziness, but sometimes they just can't figure out new questions that are as good as the old ones or at the right level of difficulty.)
8. Construct a pretest.
Before the test, take matters into your own hands, and make up your own final, with questions of the same format as you'll see on the final (use the study guide, sample exam, homework problems, or questions tried out in section to generate the test questions). Then try out your test under test conditions. (Works for the same reason "test drives" work: You know what to expect and have had some practice doing it.)
9. Go to office hours.
It's always worthwhile asking the prof (or TA) if he or she will go over the test you've constructed. Ask whether your answers were good ones and whether your questions were the kinds of questions that could come up on the test. (Works because you're getting one-to-one, directed feedback on your exact work. And because the prof or TA might think warmly of you for coming and drop some hints about what's going to be on the test – above and beyond those he or she has already shared with the other students at the review session.)
10. Observe the "eight hour rule."
Stop studying for your exam at least eight hours before it begins. The idea here is to keep you from walking into your exam like a zombie from lack of sleep. Or all wired up on Adderall. This eight hour rule also allows time for the ideas and concepts you've studied to settle into your brain. Trust us: It's been scientifically proven by psychologists (and they would know) that people who study right up to the last minute perform worse than those who have had a period of relaxation prior to the test. (Works because of a simple equation: Lucid, clear thinking equals lucid, clear writing equals lucid, clear grades.)
Dr. Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman are co-authors of the book
Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College-- tips that work from the ones who know. You can download a free chapter
here, or e-mail Lynn and Jeremy a question or comment
here. We'd love to hear from you!
related topics: Tackling the test, Effective studying
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posted by Jessica Serber on Monday, May 18, 2009
Today's guest blogger, Jessica Serber, shares some tips to get you through those intimidating reading assignments. The best tip for last-minute studying? Don't wait until the last minute! :)
Teachers often assign weekly reading assignments, which can be easy to neglect when you are focusing on other projects and assignments.
Then, suddenly, it's the end of the semester and the assignments have added up to full chapters of your textbook that you need to read and understand in order to prepare for an upcoming exam.
While you're not in the most ideal situation, there's still time to catch up.
Here is a list of tips to help you get through as much of that reading as possible before exam day:
• Use your class notes to determine which readings you can't do without and which you should save for last.
Your lecture notes are the best guide for determining which information your professor considers to be the most important. Pick out the topics that have been covered in the greatest depth and/or repeated in multiple lectures.
Subject matter that your professor emphasizes throughout the length of the course is likely to be found on the final exam. Be sure to read the chapters that cover this material first since there's a good chance you'll be expected to know it.
• Familiarize yourself with the outline of a chapter before reading it in its entirety.
Getting the gist of a chapter before you read it is a great way to enhance your understanding of the content. Start by reading the title, summary, and sub-headings. This will give you a general sense of what to expect.
• Don't read word for word.
Now is not the time to read every detail of a chapter (that should be done throughout the semester).
You should be focused on getting the main idea and being familiar enough with the content to make an educated guess if you stumble across a question about which you're not too confident.
• Take notes.
Though not everyone deems this step necessary, many find it useful. While some people are able to remember information simply by reading or hearing it spoken, others need to write it down, then study it later in order to fully retain it all.
However, don't overwrite—copy down only that information that will help refresh your memory of main ideas and important concepts during the last-minute cramming you'll likely be doing right before exam time.
• Take a deep breath, we've all been there!
While I don't suggest putting your reading off until the last minute, the tips above can help you slide by in the unfortunate case that you do. Invest whatever time you have left into focused and strategic reading (and, in some cases, note-taking).
Jessica Serber is a senior at the University of California at Santa Barbara and will be graduating this June with a major in Global and International Studies and a minor in Professional Writing with an emphasis in Technical/ Multimedia Communication.
related topics: Classroom strategies, Effective studying
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posted by kev1 on Monday, May 11, 2009
Today's guest blogger shares some excellent tips on last minute studying.
Tips for Last Minute Studying
Your exams are just around the corner but you haven't even touched your books. Instead of panicking in such situations, it's best to remain calm and try and minimize the damage. You know you can't catch up with those who have remained on good terms with their books and lessons all through the year, but there are ways that you can try and scrape a pass with some good last-minute studying tips:
• Learn what you do know well: You have to choose between being a jack of all trades or a master of some – instead of just rifling through all your lessons, you could choose a few that were important and learn them thoroughly and just read through the rest of them.
• Learn to summarize: Organize your lessons in such a way that you're able to go through the summary of each and at least attempt to answer any questions that may be relevant to them.
• Paying attention in class helps: Though not exactly a last-minute study tip, this one is for those of you who have valid reasons for slacking off, like family emergencies or personal crises. If you've been paying attention in class all through the year, you may just be able to pull through your exams on the strength of this alone (I'm speaking from personal experience here)
• Write down what you learn: This particular method works well for me – I tend to jot down things (in my way of shorthand) as I study. I find that it helps me remember what I've learned.
• Use every spare minute: Spend all your waking hours with your books, even when you're eating. You could prepare flash cards and go through them when you're travelling or commuting or read through your lessons in the same time. The point is not to waste a single minute when you have none to spare.
• Get enough sleep: This cannot be emphasized enough; a sleep-deprived mind is not the best ally when you're trying to recollect all you've learned. So even though you haven't finished revising, get some sleep instead of using coffee to fuel your all-night sessions.
A word of warning is necessary at this point – I wouldn't recommend that you leave studying to the last minute because cramming does not help and you do need adequate rest, both mental and physical, before and during exams. So start studying as soon as possible if you want to ace those tests.
This post was contributed by Claire Webber, who writes about the best university. She welcomes your feedback at Claire.Webber1223 at gmail.com
related topics: Classroom strategies, Miscellaneous tips, Effective studying
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posted by Lynn and Jeremy on Monday, May 04, 2009
Guest blogger Professors' Guide is here with some great test-taking tips.
So What's Going to be on the Test, Anyway?
For some college students, nothing will match that moment of terror when they look down at their test and find questions they never dreamed of staring back at them. At that very same moment, there's usually some student somewhere else in the room feeling smug satisfaction at having psyched out the questions in advance. (Lynn even admits to once wasting valuable exam time shooting "I told you so" looks at her BFF and study partner.) How can you figure out in advance what's going to be on the test ? Here are some tips guaranteed to work:
• Professors test what they talk. Students often think professors are out to trick them by testing some picky, obscure issue. But professors usually try to teach the most important material – and then test it to see if students have mastered it. Kind of makes sense once you think about it, doesn't it? So look over your notes and see what the prof spent the most time on. That's likely to provide fodder for the test.
• Professors ask about what interests them. In many courses, you can detect some issue that really excites the prof so much that he or she brings it up again and again, even as the course moves from topic to topic-- kind of like how your friend keeps obsessing about her Facebook page. It's a good bet that your prof's obsession will pop up on the test in some form or other.
• Professors drop hints. Much as we try to keep mum, most professors can't help themselves. They have high-value information that throngs of adulating students are eager to get. So, take seriously comments like, "Wow, this would make a really good test question" or "and speaking of ... – nudge, nudge, wink, wink." It might all sound like a joke, but it's not.
• TAs spill the beans even more. They're usually younger and less experienced. And would like to be liked. So, they'll usually cave quickly if you ask them a few questions after class or in office hours – or just show up to section meeting. No bribery necessary!
• Professors Tell it Up Front. The syllabus often lists the educational goals of the course, which can give pretty good clues about the test questions. After the first day of class, you might never cast another glance at the syllabus, but it can actually tell you what the professor thinks is most important – and what he or she's going to want to test you on.
• Professors Recycle. Questions or problems on the homework, quizzes, problem sets, and study guide often reappear in slightly different form on the test. Hey, everybody's going green these days.
Five-Star Tip. If the professor hands out a study guide or "sample" questions – well, that's a non-brainer. Those kinds of questions – or sometimes those very questions – are bound to appear on the test. Do those questions in advance, and the actual test questions will seem like old hat.
Dr. Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman are co-authors of the book
Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College-- tips that work from the ones who know. You can download a free chapter
here, or e-mail Lynn and Jeremy a question or comment
here. We'd love to hear from you!
related topics: Effective studying, Exam prep, Tackling the test
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posted by Carleigh on Thursday, April 09, 2009
Judging by the fact that you are on one right now, I'll assume you (at least kinda sorta) like them.
Did you read the news today?!?
If so, you'll know that online study sites, à la Cramster.com, are the hot topic of the day.
Prove it? Sure.
Read the Wall Street Journal article here. I dig it.
The discussion at hand is how online study sites are changing education. How do students benefit? How are the study habits of students evolving? What should teachers do to keep up?
Naturally, there are people on both sides of this debate. Lucky for me, I get to share my opinion on this soapbox of a blog.
What is my opinion?
I think that the game is changing.
Technology is a part of life now, and discouraging students from taking full advantage of resources at hand is doing them a disservice.
Many students are already embracing technology. Many teachers are as well. But there is a small group of educators that resist sites like Cramster.com, writing them off before taking a good look around.
If they were to explore the site, they would see a study group gone virtual. Peer teaching and learning. An interactive library that puts traditional tutoring to shame.
I love Cramster.
And not just because they let me populate this blog with the wanderings of my mind. I love Cramster because I truly believe it is embracing the tech of today and tomorrow.
And, now that I'm starting to sound like a cheesy infomercial, I'll end this post.
How do you feel about online study sites? What are the pros and cons? How has online learning influenced your education?
related topics: Classroom strategies, Student trends, Effective studying
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posted by Carleigh on Wednesday, March 18, 2009
If not, perhaps you should try it!
I love a good doodle.
To me, a good doodle occurs without the doodler even realizing what they are doodling, or that they are doodling at all.
And, though doodles (and their creators) sometimes have a bad rep., in fact doodling may be a great way to boost concentration.
There have been times that I have become so engrossed in a doodle that it actually hindered my concentration. This is not a good thing.
But, for the most part, my doodling occurs without a conscious effort ...or interruption of my attention to whatever is driving me to doodle.
Psychologist Jackie Andrade recently did a study on the effects of doodling, and found that doodling actually increased memory recall.
Andrade theorizes that doodling can keep students from daydreaming, therefore helping them to stay focused on the lecture or lesson they are attending.
I wouldn't recommend trying to become a doodler. If you aren't, there is probably a good reason. But, if you often find your notes adorned with stars and flowers, you need not be ashamed. Give yourself a pat on the back.
Now I just wish I could figure out a way to doodle and type at the same time...
I leave you today with a special treat for doodlers everywhere: the doodle decoder. Find your latest work of doodle art and see what your scribbles say about you.
So, do you doodle? Do you get lost in the art of doodling, or is your pen moving across that page without a conscious effort? What did the doodle decoder tell you about your personality?
related topics: Classroom strategies, Effective studying
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posted by Lynn and Jeremy on Monday, March 16, 2009
Woo Hoo! Guest Blogger :)
10 Tips for Taking Excellent Lecture Notes
Most college students think they're pretty good at note-taking. And yet, not one in 10 students takes a good set of notes. Here are 10 tips for taking excellent lecture notes – from the professors' perspective:
1. Write more, not less. You should be writing for most of the lecture. Rule of thumb: 15 minutes of lecture = 1 page of notes. Sure, it's a question of balance and emphasis – getting enough down so that you've captured most of the detail, while highlighting the main points so you can see how the lecture is structured. But in our experience, it's far more common for students to have written down not nearly enough than for them to have written down far too much.
2. Write down the professor's ideas, not yours. Some students lard their notes with their own questions, reflections, opinions, and free associations. But the point of taking notes is to get a good rendition of what the professor is saying. That's what'll be on the test. Leave your own thoughts for afterward or for your personal journal.
3. Forget about complicated note-taking "systems." There's no need to use the Cornell Note-taking System, Mind Mapping, or the "five R's of good note taking" (whatever they may be). It's more than enough just to simply number the professor's points (and perhaps have a sub-number or two). Worrying about systems will just slow you down and can distort the actual "shape" of the lecture.
Extra Pointer. Be sure to set off subordinate points in your notes (that is, points that somehow contribute to the lecture but are not on the main path). Indent, and clearly identify, any illustrations, examples, comparisons, and interesting (though not central) asides. And whenever a professor uses a technical or unfamiliar term, be sure to write down -- in the best case, word for word – the prof's definition of that term.
4. Adjust your attention span. You're used to rapid-fire content. The three-minute YouTube video, the IM, the text message, , the Facebook "poke," and -- worst of all -- the 140-character Twitter. All of these are quick and dirty bursts of content. But the professor's points are often developed over 15- to 20-minute segments. Train yourself to focus – and to write -- for longer intervals.
5. Pay special attention to the beginning and the end. Often the most important parts of the lecture are the first two minutes and the last two minutes, right when many students are text-messaging or packing their bags. Many professors start their lectures by listing the main points they're going to cover, and conclude the class with a summary of the main points they have covered. Be sure to take careful notes during these key moments.
4-Star Tip. Give each lecture a title. That'll force you to locate the single most important point of that presentation.
6. Look for verbal clues. Professors are under pressure to flag the most important points with phrases like "the key point is ..." "it's especially important to note...," and "one should keep in mind that ..." Look for these indicators of the cornerstones of the lecture. And try to write down – word for word, if you can – what follows them.
Extra Pointer. Be especially on the lookout for any questions the professor poses. Those often come at key turning points in the lecture and they often introduce important issues that are going to be talked about at great length (and might appear later on a test or paper).
7. Focus on the structure of the lecture. Every lecture has a plot: a central point with a series of steps that build up this point. Keep focused on the plot – and its subplots -- and try to capture it in your notes. Continually ask yourself: what is the overall point of the lecture and how does each individual point help develop the overall plot?
8. Beware of PowerPoints. PowerPoints (and things written on the board) are usually quite sketchy outlines – reminders to the professors of what to say. Make sure you write the explanations of these outlines in your notes. Come test time, you'll be behind the eight ball if all you have in your notes are these prompts the professor uses.
9. Take notes at all class activities. Discussion sections, review sessions, individual meetings in office hours – all these should be "noted." You never know what might come in handy come test or paper time.
Finally, and most important:
10. Always do it for yourself. Don't outsource your note-taking to your friend, to the professional "lecture notes" (sold at the campus store), or to your note-taking group. Taking notes for yourself is the single best way to engage in – and remember – the lecture. Not to mention, it'll actually get you to go the lecture, which is an achievement in itself.
Dr. Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S Hyman are co-authors of the book
Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College-- tips that work from the ones who know. You can download a free chapter
here, or e-mail Lynn and Jeremy a question or comment
here. We'd love to hear from you!
©2009, Professors' Guide LLC. All rights reserved.
related topics: Classroom strategies, College know-how, Effective studying
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posted by Carleigh on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The case for allowing the use of cellphones, smartphones and laptops in class is getting stronger.
Why didn't this happen while I was in school?
As students and their devices become more and more inseparable, some educators are taking note. There are even talks of including personal tech devices in the classroom rather than banning the modern-day comfort blankets.
A recent study found that students provided with cellphones as study tools performed better on a final exam than their non-connected counterparts.
A few notes-- The cellphones were preloaded with helpful algebra programs, and students were encouraged to use the phones to record themselves working out problems and upload the recordings for their classmates to view. Also, text messages had to be school-appropriate, and were monitored by teachers.
In other words, it wasn't exactly a test of typical cellphone use.
Still, it is a case for the use of cellphones in the classroom, even if it requires close monitoring on the educator's part.
This is very exciting to me, a former student that feels uneasy when her iPhone isn't in plain view.
The question is whether or not this will really catch on.
Blogger Kathy Schrock recently asked her twitter followers about the use of personal laptops in school.
The responses vary, but most educators said that students were, indeed, allowed to access their school's wireless network from their personal laptops. One responder even went as far as to say laptop use was encouraged.
Now that's encouraging.
Are you allowed to use your cellphone in class? Your laptop? Are there limitations to the websites you can and cannot access on your school's network? Are you in class right now??
related topics: Student trends, Effective studying
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