Mr. R.'s Reading Review

When Dr. Blumin listed off the strategies that we could use to improve our reading skills, only MR. R. jumped off the page. This strategy is designed for people like me, who have much to read and a little attention span to read with.

In Mr. R, the reader is instructed to do three things in order to spread out the reading to a level where you feel comfortable reading it. Before even reading, I have to measure the size of my readings, in other words, see how long they are. Even before I heard of this strategy I would do that, especially with the longer readings. I started that during AP US History junior year because I had to read long chapters with small words, and by finding out how long the chapter was, I was easily able to split the chapter into manageable chunks. Once I found out that I only had to read one article over ten pages I was pretty excited, since usually the reading is a lot more dense for this class.

Next, I read the articles, and took it section by section, making notes in the margins to help try to retain the information. Luckily for me, I learn best through reading-and rewriting so this strategy really proved helpful for me. By also chunking the reading into sections, I am able to take a break and go back and try to absorb any info I had missed. When I finally finish the reading, I then go back and recite the key words from the margins. This final act of reciting the key words solidifies the information I had just read in my mind. This strategy is really good, but I also have felt like I have been doing most of it my entire life. The idea though of going back and reciting the key words like the twenty-minute test prep is very helpful. I definitely feel as though I will use this strategy again and possibly try to tweak it to make it even more personalized.

Time to R-E-A-D

Now that spring break is over it is time to get back to studying for exams since there are only 6 weeks of classes left. As the semester comes to a close it is very important that we continue to work hard in our classes and continue using the other techniques that we have learned this semester in CLS 105. Reading plays a crucial role in almost every course. Most professors assign daily reading assignments for students to read before coming to class. However many students including myself tend to either not read or not fully comprehend what they have read for class. This can be very problematic because most reading material either comes up in class discussions or quizzes or test. I used both the TART reading strategy and the MR.R reading strategy for my CHE 116 class which requires reading to be completed before class.

Before

At the beginning of the semester I would rarely ever read before chemistry class. Instead I would go to class unprepared and uninterested in the topics that were covered in class. As a result I would sometimes fall asleep in class or talk to my friends or even go on Facebook during class instead of paying attention to my professor. I often questioned myself about why I was even attending class if I was not prepared and did not even pay attention. I never actually read the book until a few days before the exam which left me with several questions about topics but I never had time ask my professor for help or fully grasp the material. In addition, I never really looked at the lecture notes that my professor put online until the test. The TART and MR.R strategies helped to change my bad habits by teaching me how to adapt my reading style to fit CHE 116.

TART
I have a CHE 116 exam on March 31st so I am starting my exam preparation process now. The TART reading strategy helped me begin studying for my exam. If you are in a lecture dependent course then the TART strategy will be very beneficial for you. The first step is you need to read the terms that are in bold print in the glossary of your textboook then you create abbreviations for the ones that you think will be on your exam. Next you attend lecture and listen for these terms after this you reread your lecture notes before reading the textbook. Then you read the chapter so that you can understand the information that was taught in lecture. The last step is creating and answer test questions that you think your professor might ask on an exam. Now you have TART

TART for CHE 116

REVIEW OF TART
I really liked using TART because it helped me recognize the CHE 116 terms before class then when I went to class I was more interested in the topics and it made understanding the terms easier since I was already familiar with them. Furthermore I like how this technique forces you reread lecture notes before reading the textbooks because like I said before I never really used to read the lecture notes. This step helped me a lot because it encouraged me to listen in class which was something that I had previously struggled with. Another reason I liked this strategy is I am a visual learner so seeing things infront of me helps me comprehend them and this strategy was organized in chunks which was another benefit of using it. In addition, I liked how TART made me think about possible questions that might show up on the exam. Although there were several things that I liked about this strategy I did not like how the strategy took a while to complete but I think the time was well spent.
MR.R

The second strategy I used was MR.R. This strategy helped me with my attention span because I had a difficult time staying interested in CHE 116 because it is a lecture course that is 80 minutes long. It only takes 3 easy steps to use this strategy. These steps include first timing yourself reading your textbook by dividing the reading into chunks that match your attention span. Then read the textbook paragraph by paragraph while you do this write down key terms. Finally make flash cards of the key terms that you wrote down so that you can review the information that you learned.

MR.R for CHE 116

REVIEW OF MR.R
Although MR.R is primarily used for auditory learners this strategy worked well for me even though I am a visual learner. I am also a linear learner which another reason why this strategy helped me. Linear learners need to have information presented to them in a well organized and sequenced way in order to continue learning which is exactly what MR.R does. Furthermore MR.R. helped me to separate my reading into smaller sections instead of it just being 20-30 pages of reading which made it easier for me to focus on reading instead wondering when I was going to be done reading. Like TART I disliked that MR.R. took a while to complete but I do not regret using this strategy. I also dislike how this strategy is limited and can not be used for courses like WRT 205 which is a research class and is not very text dependent.

AFTER
TART and MR.R both helped me to read more effectively and efficiently. I will definitely continue to use MR.R in CHE 116 because it helped me to realize how long my attention span is as well as with my reading comprehension skills which were two things that I struggled with previously. Now that I know about these two techniques I feel more comfortable with my reading skills. I am also staying awake in class.I feel more prepared for class and I find myself more interested in the topics that we are learning in class.
Conclusion
Just remember that reading often plays an important role in most courses so it is imperative that you develop effective reading strategies that work for you. Do not forget that practice makes perfect so the more you use reading strategies and personalize them according to the courses that you are taking the more helpful these strategies will be for you. Using these reading strategies will make the task of preparing for test a little less strenuous.

Cornell's Way

Note Taking can normally be a problem for many college students such as my self, but there is hope…… I’ve discovered a new way to not only take notes in class but maximize my time when I review over them also. Its called Cornell note taking, you think it was some difficult task to partake in because of its name but its really not. When I first heard of it I thought it was gong to be a waist of my time yet it proved me wrong because I feel I have more time to do other things now, instead of spending extra time looking over my notes not really knowing what’s going on because my mind would always space out.



How the Cornell note taking system works is really easy first you have to draw a straight line down 2 ½ inches in from the left side of the sheet of paper. Once you’ve done that draw a straight line across the sheet of paper where you would normally put you name at. Make surrrrre that the line going down doesn’t over lap the line that’s going across the paper. You should three sections on your sheet of paper two relative small sections and one big section right in the middle.  Nowyour ready to begin taking notes, if you haven’t figured it out by now the bigger section of the paper will be where you take your notes. The smaller section to the left iswhere you would ask yourself questions and note key words. The upper section is where you would have a brief summary of what that class was about on that day.


Using this note taking system has really helped me out these past two weeks I’ve been using them. I use Cornell notes for my CRS 183 coarse and I we just had a quiz last Friday and I fond myself actually knowing what was on it. I didn’t space out or start day dreaming because I couldn’t figure out what was going on.I’m going to start telling more people about this because if it helped me I know it can help out someone else it’s a quick, fast, and easy way to review notes and get good grades while doing so.

Note Taking 101

Hate note taking? I used to hate note taking until I learned two very effective note taking strategies that helped me to take better and more useful notes. If you hate note taking then chances are you are not taking notes in a way that is resourceful and helpful for your courses. As college students it is very important that we take good notes because if we do not then we will have a harder time learning course information which will result in the loss of valuable study time. Furthermore since spring break is quickly approaching it is imperative that students take good notes because several courses have exams the week after spring break so the better your notes are the more organized you will be for that exam.

This week we learned about numerous note taking strategies which included the 1 Plus 3 notes, Plug in notes, To Do notes and the SU/Cornell notes. During the week I used all of these different note taking strategies, the two that I liked the most were the To Do notes and the SU/Cornell notes.

Before I used these notetaking strategies I never took the time to write my own notes in any of my courses. I would just study and read the lecture notes that my professor's provided. My old method left me unfocused and bored with the topics. After learning these two different techniques I am now more alert and intereseted in my topics and my courses.

The first note taking strategy that I am going to discuss in the To Do notes. On March 21st, the monday after spring break my second essay for WRT 205 is due. I chose to use this method for my WRT 205 paper because this method works best for courses like WRT that are essay or project related. You can make To Do notes too by drawing a square then draw a vertical line half way down the middle of the square. Then on the right side of the square draw a horizontal line half way done. Now you have created To Do Notes. Below is a picture of my To Do notes. You can title each column however you want to based on the assignment. I used Directions, Sources and Reminders as my headers.


To Do Notes for WRT 205

I created this table by listening to the directions for my paper in class then I wrote what my professor said under directions, then I wrote down the sources that my professor said we could use in the essay under sources and under reminders I wrote down a few things that my professor expects to see in my essay as well as what we are not allowed to use in the essay. Then after class I reviewed these notes so that I knew exactly what I need to do for this essay assignment. A few days later I wrote a five page draft of my essay and I again reviewed my To Do Notes to make sure that I had I had included every thing in my essay according to these notes.

The week after spring break I have my second exam in CHE 116 so I decided to use the SU/Cornell notes to help me prepare for this exam. To make these notes you take a piece of lined paper or computer paper first draw a horizontal line two inches down the paper then you draw a vertical line three inches from the left side of the paper now you have SU/Cornell notes. Below is a picture of my SU/Cornell notes.


SU/Cornell Notes for CHE 116

On the right hand side of the paper I wrote notes in class as my professor taught. Then after class in the left column I wrote key concepts so that I would be able to remember the information. After I did this I also wrote a summary of the notes at the top of the page. I then reviewed my notes so that the concepts would stay fresh. The SU/Cornell notes forces you to review your notes multiple times and it also helps with anticipating test questions.

Both of these methods are great for visual learners. Since I am a visual learner I need to see things in front of me to learn. I can not rely on just listening to a professor speaking because I am not an audio learner. Another benefit of these techniques is that the information in the boxes are in chunks. Visual learners learn information through chunks so these boxes made it a lot easier for me to remember course information.

One thing that I liked about both of the methods is that they were easy to make. I could either draw it on a piece of paper or I could make it on my laptop which was very convenient for me especially if I was in a class like WRT 205 where I am not allowed to bring my laptop. In addition, I liked how the SU/Cornell notes were adaptable and can be used for a wide range of courses besides my chemistry course. For example SU/Cornell notes can also be used from taking notes from a textbook instead of from lecture notes like I did it. A drawback to the SU/Cornell notes is that you have to summarize your class notes after class. I am not good and do not enjoy summarizing information which is why I consider this to be a drawback of the method. To Do Notes were great for WRt 205 because these notes were easy for me to use and kept me organized which is very important when writing an essay. One disadvantage of the To Do notes is that they can not be used for courses like CHE 106 or MAT 285 which are exam based courses.

Try not to look at note taking as a chore instead think of it as a way to actively engage in your couse. I guarantee the To Do Notes and the SU/Cornell Note-Taking System will not only help you learn the information in all of your courses, these strategies will also allow you to save time with both studying and exam preparation. Now that I know how to take better notes I know that there is no exam or paper that I can not handle and I can truly say I am prepared for anything that my courses throw at me.

Note Pluggin'

Normally, whenever I take notes, they will go to waste. I write down the info the professor says, only to never look at the notes again. When an exam rolls around, I try to go back and look at the notes, but alas, I cannot read what I wrote down earlier. Want an easy way to actually use your notes, use PLUG-IN NOTES!

Plug-in notes are so helpful. They have you outline the information from your notes that you took that day using a graphic organizer. Through re-writing the info and picking out key points, as a read-writing learner I attain a better grasp on the information. After creating the graphic organizer, you write down potential test questions, to help both your own understanding of the material and to help prepare for the test weeks in advance. This week, I decided to use plug-in notes to help me with preparing for my Psych 205 exam at the end of the month.

During the lecture, I took notes as I usually do. After class, I went into the law library to find a nice secluded area to begin making a graphic organizer. I made a concept map of sorts, although I am not the best at making maps or graphic organizers since my handwriting is poor. I reviewed all the materials, and accordingly put them into proper sub-categories. Then I tried to make some questions that I believe might be on the test. Luckily, my teacher says to mark certain items that will be on the test that week. So while it is tempting to make questions that follow these guides, it might be helpful to also try to create questions on material that he does not point out. So I created around five questions. Then on Friday, after my Psych recitation, I reviewed the notes and answered the questions.

I found this strategy to be helpful, but I need to make a few changes. First of all, I need to start typing up my notes after class. This will be helpful for two reasons. One, through re-writing my ability to learn what was just described to me will increase and it will be easier for me to read what I wrote on the day of class rather than at the end of the week. Second, I need to be more patient while making my concept map or other graphic organizer. I HATE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, but I cannot deny that they help outline information WHEN PROPERLY MADE!! I like to rush things, and this week I rushed my concept map because I do not like drawing. But overall plug-in notes is now a permanent tool I am going to use in my studies.

My New and THE BEST Note-Taking Strategies...EVER!!!

Taking notes is not only important when preparing for a test, but can maximize your learning abilities. During my first semester as a freshman, I would copy my notes that my professors gave on the PowerPoint or board and important things that the professor can mention during the lecture. I didn't know that there were ways that I could make the notes to be essentials for my evaluation in the future...

Plug-In Notes

I never used to take notes on the computer. But with Plug-In Notes, I found it pretty easy to to establish what I need to prepare myself for my evaluation. The first step was using my Microsoft Word on my Mac to take my notes for my CFS 201 class. The professor gives PowerPoint slides, so it's easy for me to write the notes in bullets. Writing the notes on the computer seems much more convenient for me than going to write with a pen in the notebook, especially if the class is fast-paced.

After I'm done writing the notes, I looked over them to see and review them. From the notes I create Graphic Organizers that can be really helpful when studying for my next exam. As a visual learner, it's also easy for me to look and see the graphics that I made, instead of looking at the bullets.

1+3 Notes

After looking at my notes (Plug-In Notes), I decided to make another strategy based on what I wrote that day. The 1 +3 notes is good for test preparation and the questions that the professor might ask me on the test. I divided the notebook page into three parts. The first part was writing the definitions that were given to me in the class. The second part involves creating a graphic organizer, just like the Plug-In Notes, but more hand written and with the definitions next to the graphic. Below the first two parts, are a series of questions that I created that will prepare me for the test. Since the test will be multiple choice, I based the question on which of the four types of martial relationships will she describe. Those questions are based off of what I saw in the first exam. This way, I will definitely learn more off the strategies than I ever did in the class lecture. Again, as a Visual learner, this allows me to look at the questions with anticipation and with the graphics already created by me.

My Thoughts

Both strategies were really, REALLY easy for me. In fact I decided to try this methods on some of my other courses. Using the 20 minute test prep after taking my notes on the computer, it's easy for me to study and make graphic organizers for both strategies. And it's also easy to write in the computer and making easy strategies for me to write. The one thing that I will make it different, is that I will try to have the graphic organizers after the notes to have separate sheets that makes it easier for my study abilities. Overall, the note-taking strategies are my FAVORITES things to do during my courses.

I encourage all of you to try these strategies ONLY once, because after trying once, you might want to do it all over again and again...

Note Taking Stradegies: SU/Cornell Notes & Plug-In Notes

Sometimes, students go to class, copy the teachers notes, leave and never reviews the notes again. It is crucial for a student to review the notes because it helps to prepare for an exam and have an idea what the exam will be about. One possible reason the student doesn't look back on their notes is because their notes are UNORGANIZED.

If your notes are unorganized, your going to have trouble understanding or remembering the material that was said so you say," see you later" to those notes."Later" as in the last day before the exam. Well, the SU/Cornell Notes & the Plug-in Notes were the best note-taking strategies that helped me have better notes and they allow me to re
view my notes better! Here's how they worked for me...


Let's talk about the SU/Cornell Notes ...


What did i do ?.. (format)
Before class, i drew a vertical line 2 1/2 inch lines from the left side of the sheet of standard paper. That column is called the recall column. Then you trace the first horizontal line at the top paper. The box above will be your summary box. So you will have three boxes basically.


During class
On the right box = you record your notes


After class

Left box (Recall Column)= Put the information that you recall the most key points being used in that class or you can even put terms that were most used and define them.

On the top box(summary)= You summarize your class notes a day or 2 later, by writing a paragraph from what you read from your notes.


*you review the recall column and/or the summary box once a week.

Why I used SU/Cornell Notes for my Woman's Gender Class ?
I think that the SU/Cornell Notes allowed me to have better organized notes for a class that the teacher just talks in most of the time.
In general, i feel like the SU/Cornell Notes forces you to review your notes a couple of times but in easier,organized way. Honestly, it was not time consuming because it was really quick to do a summary of my notes. i just had to re-read it and write down what was the main idea. If you review week, you will learn the information more efficiently especially if you put the information in your own words. * I used the recall box as terms that were mostly used and i defined each. For my Woman's Gender Discussion, my teacher doesn't really put up notes so she shows a lot of video. I can use some of the information from the video in my papers so i just jot down the key terms being used and the main idea.


My likes
I like how the format of the this strategy forces me to put the information in my own words and also forces me to review more. Putting things in my own words allows me to understand the material of that day. I like how it didn't take too much of my time and i found a new way to take notes better because before i would just write down my notes and when i come back to it, i forget why did i write this and that.


My dislikes
Although it helps me organize my notes and this is a really good strategy for note taking, i feel like i can't just study off of this material. I need to study off of more material whether its book or readings that the teacher gave us. This just organizes my notes and helps me understand better but i can't study off this ALONE. I have to have more strategies involved, so in a way this is just a better NOTE - Taking Strategy and not a study one like i thought i would be.


Another Note-Taking Strategy..


Using Plug- In Notes ( hand written)
When taking down notes, you can just use the right side of the notebook to jot down your notes for the day. On the left side of your note book, you can use the space after class to put plug in note of the major source of information learned in that class. Whether it is a graphic organizer or chart, or illustration. * You use this because you are breaking down the major source of information.
You can use 4-10 plug in notes as much as you want to support that the main information. At the end of class you can create 5 questions from looking at your plug in notes that you think your professor will put on the exam.



Why i used the Plug-in Notes for my Sociology class?
I used the plug-in notes for my sociology because there is a lot of information to remember but it's most people to learn about and definitions. I created a graphic organizer that allowed me to chunk the information in a efficient way. Since i was learning about people's theory and their significance use in sociology, i created a chart that listed their name, theory, an example of the theory and their significance in Sociology. For the definitions that had a lot of information which i didn't like to read and figure what should i learn, i created a term chart for that as well. I listed the term, definition and an example of it.




Likes
what i liked about the plug in notes is that it helped me see visually what's the major source of information in a more organized way. The information is chunked down into categories where i can review everyday. I like that it forces me to review the notes so i can create questions from and i know most likely the definitions will be on the exams.


Dislikes
Doing the organizer takes a bit of my time but in the end, its worth it.