Tips On Taking Effective Notes In Class

Taking good notes is essential to your success as a student. You can’t rely on your memory alone; research shows that after only 24 hours, you will have forgotten up to 80% of what you absorbed in a lecture. Regular review from effective notes, however, can reverse these numbers so that you retain at least 80% of the course material. Here are some tips on how you can help yourself to take effective lecture notes.

·         Write down the date and the topic of the lecture--this will help trigger your memory when you are studying. Also, try to number the pages so that if they get mixed up, you can easily get reorganized.

·         Learn to write, or if you are using a laptop, type quickly. Don't worry about getting down every word, especially words like "a" and "the."

·         Write down definitions. If your instructor defines a term, make sure you write it down and understand what it means.

·         Don't copy outline or PowerPoint notes word for word—this is a very common problem! Students are so busy writing down every word on the slide that they stop listening to the lecture, causing them to miss information that was discussed in the lecture, but not written on the slide. It also makes proper listening impossible.

·         If your instructor indicates that something is important, mark it with a “*” or in a different color--this is a strong clue that it is something that may be on the test.

·         Reviewing your notes is very important. Review your notes to make sure you understand all the information and to keep it fresh in your head.       

·         Get help if necessary. If you're having problems, show your professor your notes and ask for some guidance. Or stop by your campus study skills center and have someone go over your notes with you.

·         To be an effective note taker, you have to be a good listener. A great tip is to listen for the main ideas and concepts of the lecture so that you can determine what should be included in your notes.

·         When you’re having trouble grasping a concept, take a deep breath and ask for clarification from the instructor. Chances are, you’re not the only one having difficulty understanding it.

·         Sit close to the instructor. You’ll be able to hear more clearly, and distractions will be minimized and it’s easier to get the instructor’s attention for questions and comments.

·         Use abbreviations--developing your own set of abbreviations and symbols will save you time in class. For example, w/o=without, or b/c=because.

How to Pick Your Major/Minors

Choosing a major in college can be overwhelming, so be sure to take some time and explore available resources and gain insight about choosing your major and minor.

As the job market becomes more competitive, companies are requiring more qualifications from their applicants—this is an important reason why you should choose a college major that suits your strengths, personality, and interests. Here are aspects to consider when choosing a major in college.

• Do you work well with people and thrive in a busy, fast paced environment, or do your strengths lie in computers and technology?
• Is it important that you work in a field where you are able to help people?
• Do you enjoy hands-on work?
• Would you like to work outdoors?
• Do you enjoy working with children or animals?
• Would you like to travel?

Choosing a major in college and ultimately deciding on the type of field that you go into, so it is important that you make sure that you are choosing a major that suits you and is something you can see yourself making a career out of and doing for many years to come.

To choose your college minor, start by writing down a list of areas that interest you and areas that complement your college major. For example, if you're majoring in marketing but enjoy criminal studies or the arts, minor in criminal justice, literature or art history. Another option is to choose a minor that stresses an area you struggle with and will benefit you after graduation. If you're an English major but don't write well, tweak your writing skills with a minor in creative writing. Or, why not have fun with your college minor and choose something you enjoy that is completely different from your major --this makes the extra work seem less tedious and lets you break away from the rigors of your regular studies. Planning a minor around your future career or travel goals and picking a foreign language minor if you plan on traveling after graduation or working in an area with a high population of non-native speakers is also a great option.

Make sure to make the final decision on your own--you are the one who has to live with these choices for the rest of your life, so make them count. Choosing a major and minor in college that coincides with your beliefs, interests, and strengths is important. Good luck!

Second Thoughts on College Education

Parents generally expect their children to look forward to college as a way to get away from home and experience life on their own. This is not always the exact case, but many teenagers want to have the experience of moving on to college.

Some see it as a necessary step in becoming mature and progressing to the next point in their lives. If for some reason your child is not among that group, it can have a negative effect on how he or she performs academically.

It is difficult to understand how children will develop because they are all so different. Experiencing new things is very attractive to young people. However, this type character does not always dictate how children will feel about similar opportunities.

You may anticipate that your child won't want to fly from the nest when first given the chance. Whatever you expect, it is impossible to accurately predict how the course of events will take place.

How Far Away from Home?

Parents often want their children to attend the same university they went to themselves, but the distance that school is away from home might be a major factor.

If a young adult wants to attend school away from home, they might not want to be a long distance away. Studies indicate that a large majority of college students attend schools within a hundred miles of home.

The reason why some students don't make it at the next level is because they are too far removed from everything familiar to them. The fear of that happening is often in the back of a student's mind causing doubts about college.

Some students want something so much they will go anywhere to achieve it. They may even want to travel to another country. Then again, there are those who want to venture away from home, but in small steps so they can come home on weekends and not feel distanced and isolated. Just knowing home is within driving distance is comforting to some kids.

The Best Plan for Motivation

The truth is no parent can predict how their teenager will feel about college location. The best thing you can do is to encourage learning at the level your child is at the present time and always be positive about the future college experience.

Even if you are not sure that a particular college is right for your student, carefully choose the comments you make that can be interpreted to disfavor college in general. Then work with your student through the situation as more facts begin to present themselves.