I don’t know if anyone else feels the same way but coming back to a hybrid schedule has completely uprooted my routine, learning style and in some ways - my life. Last year during midterm season, I didn't have to…
Transitioning to Paperless Studying
It seems like since the start of the pandemic, a lot of things have begun to adopt online formats. I took this opportunity to try shifting to paperless studying and I thought I would share how I did that in…
My Experience with Volunteer Note-taking at U of T
I’ll admit that when I first heard about the volunteer note-taking program, I was kind of hesitant to join. I didn’t know how helpful it would be, and whether or not I felt comfortable sharing my notes with people I…
Let’s talk about your notes…
A lot of us wake up in the morning and manage to drag ourselves to class, not really thinking much of it. We sit down, do our time, take our notes, and leave. Simple, right? But then, there’s a lot…
Catching Up on Readings
Now that the storm of mid-term season is done for me and the Fall Break is upon us, my mind turns to my neglected readings and upcoming essays. This year, I had the unfortunate luck of having a bunch of mid-terms one after another. By the end, I felt completely drained and ready for relaxation. But after a bit of relaxation time, I realized that I was two weeks behind on readings in all of my classes. Oops. In my majors of English and Book & Media Studies, I have a lot of readings that range from novels to textbooks. When I looked at everything I had missed out on over two weeks, I noticed that I was behind on over 500 pages of readings total (granted, that total included a 250 page novel). I've started the process of catching up on those readings and trust me, it's important to do so. Every year, my profs have emphasized two key aspects to success: attending class and doing the readings. They know what they're talking about, so take their advice! So far, I've learned a few things about this process.
(Barely) Imparting Senior Student Wisdom
Hello new semester! Don’t you just love the buzz around campus this time of year? You know, its that time in the semester where midterms haven’t taken over life yet, the weather is still amazing and you have a whole new batch of stationary to play with. Okay, that last one only applies to me and a handful of very cool people.
It’s also that time of year where I usually make tons of new goals and try extra hard to get this whole studying thing right.
(Comic)ally Good Notes
Computer. Tablet. Notebook. Photographic memory.
Regardless of how you do it, we all take notes in some way or another. Some of us may take notes a little less frequently than we should, while others take notes with the frantic detail of a court stenographer. Personal note-taking preferences seem to depend on a couple things: how much of the course is based upon lecture material, how much sleep you got the night before, how neat your handwriting is and if you charged your laptop today.
Taking notes are a huge part of attending lecture and the quality of your notes can sometimes determine how well you will do in a course. The goal is finding that perfect balance between understanding most of the course material as it’s taught and jotting the most pertinent information down before your brain moves onto the next genius thing your prof says. Unfortunately, not all of us are lucky enough to have found that balance. Here are some of the types of note-takers you might know.
The Doodler
This sort of note-taker is miraculously talented enough to somehow ‘doodle’ penciled creations you couldn’t dream of and write down all of the prof’s main points. Which, now that you think about it, are really all you needed anyways. You squint to see what you thought was a doodle of a dog, only to realize this guy has done his own rendition of the Mona Lisa. Inspired, you attempt to make a doodle of your own.
...No. Scratch that. Handwritten notes in cursive are about as creative as your margins are going to get.
Pros: The Doodler’s notes are one of two things: Heartbreakingly hipster or total pinterest aesthetic.
Cons: In the time they spent doodling, you applied to four summer jobs. #$$$
I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD…actually I should probably study instead.
When your eyeballs feel like they are about to dry up into prunes, and your legs are achy, and your wrists hurt, and you’ve finally finished that last paper of the term you should reward yourself. What do I do?…
learn to be a boss at U of T – kickstart
Let me take you back to a year ago. I'd just graduated high school and was eagerly awaiting starting university. I was quite giddy in fact, when I received my admission; it was like I had just received the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's…
Note to Self: Why I Don’t Mind Sharing My Notes
"Hi there. I've been away the last couple of classes. I was wondering, can you send me your notes?" We've all been there (if we've been regular attendees at school). You know who I'm talking about (maybe you are the…