Memorization

Memorization can be difficult. Especially when preparing for an upcoming exam. In truth, however, it doesn’t have to be. In Today’s blog, I will be discussing a few helpful systems which can aid you in memorizing material for class

The Link System which involves “linking” or connecting a term or concept to an image that looks like, or sounds like it. We begin by selecting the word(s) you want to remember. Next, generate an image, homophone or word that either sounds like, or looks like the term you want to remember. Finally, come up with an abstract picture which can connect the before mentioned-images.

I am currently taking an introductory course to Architecture. Whereas it is an introductory course, a majority of the material is definition/term-based. Consider the term ”Parti”. A Parti is essentially the sketch: the conceptualization of a building or structure before actually drawing it. This example is a little easier: it sounds like “party”. For my visual, I drew a little stick-figure party. The fact that the characters are so crudely drawn reminds me not only of the fact that I’m a terrible artist, but that

I tried the strategy again with the term: “Figure ground”. The term speaks to the notion of edge assignment, and essentially getting a sense of space when drawing a building/structure. This one was a little tricky. Figure sounded like “Trigger”, and ground like “sound”. In attempt to connect the two terms, I visualized a gun’s trigger being pulled, and sound waves from the gunshot. The waves remind me of the notion of space and its manipulation. Again, this may be a little confusing to others, but it’s important to use whatever is helpful to you and your memorization process.

As a kinesthetic learner, the Link System was helpful because it forces one to generate a visual aid which can be practiced regularly and committed to memory. The fact that you are being asked to create an abstract visual to connect the terms you generate can assist one in memorizing the ideas and concepts behind the words you are trying to remember.

For memorizing more than one term: Try acronyms. Consider the Five Points of Architecture

Independent structure
Free façade

Open Floor plan

Roof terrace

Ribbon Windows

The acronym would be: IFORR

I can used different terms to help me remember this: Indie Freed Oliver’s Retched Rats

Gabi Pontell's Memory Strategy

This week's blog is about Memory. In my nutrition class, there are many terms we have to know and remember, as well as abbreviations for words. I decided that using an acronym would be a beneficial strategy to help me memorize. For example, I needed to remember that a certain type of diet included bananas, rice, apples and toast. Now, I had to make up an acrostic to make it easier to remember.

This is what I did:


I wrote the first letter of each word.

B R A T

I instantly saw that they formed the word brat and that I could easily remember it. Fortunately I got easy letters to work with in order to form a word.

I think this method would easily work with many of my classes because it is very effective in helping me remember important terms for class.


I also tried this strategy in my Arts and Ideas class because it involves a lot of memorization and terms. I needed to memorize a painting called "San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane."

S C A Q F


I looked at the letters and tried to make a catchy sentence. Finally I came up with Some Cows Are Quite Funny.


This strategy is very useful for me because it makes it very easy for me to remember terms and phrases. In my art class especially, it helps me to memorize the names of paintings and artists. Also, I retain information a lot better with repetition, so by making a catchy phrase and saying it over and over will make me remember the material.

Gabi Pontell's Memory Strategy

This week's blog is about Memory. In my nutrition class, there are many terms we have to know and remember, as well as abbreviations for words. I decided that using an acronym would be a beneficial strategy to help me memorize. For example, I needed to remember that a certain type of diet included bananas, rice, apples and toast. Now, I had to make up an acrostic to make it easier to remember.

This is what I did:


I wrote the first letter of each word.

B R A T

I instantly saw that they formed the word brat and that I could easily remember it. Fortunately I got easy letters to work with in order to form a word.

I think this method would easily work with many of my classes because it is very effective in helping me remember important terms for class.


I also tried this strategy in my Arts and Ideas class because it involves a lot of memorization and terms. I needed to memorize a painting called "San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane."

S C A Q F


I looked at the letters and tried to make a catchy sentence. Finally I came up with Some Cows Are Quite Funny.


This strategy is very useful for me because it makes it very easy for me to remember terms and phrases. In my art class especially, it helps me to memorize the names of paintings and artists. Also, I retain information a lot better with repetition, so by making a catchy phrase and saying it over and over will make me remember the material.

Memory Strategies

This is the Spectral Type. " O, B, A, F, G, K, M"

Left is the Quotient Rule. Right is the sentence.

This week's topic is memory. Memorizing class materials means a lot for a student. And memorizing and remembering is also a important aspect of daily life. So if you can use some strategies to help memorize efficiently, that will benefit and equip you for life. There are many different methods, and each one has different characteristics. So which method can work best for you really depends on who you are, or we can say what kind learner you are, and what kind materials you want to remember. For me, I prefer creating an acronym sentence, or acrostic, and rhymes.

I have used these two strategies many times in my astronomy class and math class.

For example, I have to remember "spectral type" in my astronomy class. This is a method to sort stars by different surface temperature. And the basic types are designated by seven letters, they are O, B, A, F, G, K, and M. And one more thing is that this spectral type will appear on exams frequently. What is worse, I have to remember these seven letters in order, since letter O is for the hottest stars and letter M is for the coolest. So in order to memorize this efficiently, I used the strategy, that is creating a acronym sentence. In this case, the acronyms are O, B, A, F, G, K, and M. The acronym sentence is " Oh! Be A Nice Girl, Kiss Me." ( One more thing, I am not the creater for this acronym sentence above, but I decide to use this sentence since it is not only funny but also easy to remember.)

I also applied this strategy in my math class. There is a formular named " The Quotient Rule". Generally speaking, if f and g are differentiable, then d/dx[f(x)/g(x)] equals to ( g(x) d/dx [f(x)] -f(x)d/dx[g(x)])/[g(x)]^2. It seems very complicated. However, this is the formular students have to use hundred times when they learn calculous. So how can we remember this formular efficiently? In this case, I recommend acrostic, or we can say creating an unusual but rhymes sentence. The sentence which I use is " Low di high minus high di low, over the square of what's below." It does rhyme and pretty easy to memorize. Much better than the formular " d/dx[f(x)/g(x)] = ( g(x) d/dx [f(x)] -f(x)d/dx[g(x)])/[g(x)]^2".

All in all, all of those sentences should be very very unusual, so you won't forget the sentence you created. The acronym sentence, acrostic and rhymes are the key to recall the information. If you lose the key, it would be hard to open the door. Anyway, I really recommend these two strategies: an acronym sentence, or acrostic and rhymes.

Paul Laohapiengsak Tech: Memory

Paul Laohapiengsak

Tech: Memory

Memory is by far one of my weakest learning skills.  I would say most of the time, I would try to understand rather than memorizing.  This is maybe why I do better in class that required understanding.  Nonetheless, it would just be impossible to avoid classes that require lots of memorization for the reason that many introduction courses in college are memory base.  For this reason, being able to memorize well is be a big factor of how successful one will be in college career.  Currently, the classes that require the most memorization for me are PSY 205 (Introduction to Psychology) and MAT 284 (Business Calculus).  For this reason, I began using many memorization strategies from CLS 105 class to help me in studying.  The two strategies that I use are “7 Ways to remember what you need to learn” and “Link System”.

“7 Ways to remember what you need to learn” is a really useful way to memorizing because it does not only help user memorize but also understand the classes’ material.  The seven steps include 1. Select it 2. Write it 3. Recite it 4. Relate it 5. Imagine it 6. Practice it 7. Anticipate it.  Starting with my MAT 284 class, in the first step I would distinguish what the formula or concept the professor is expecting me to remember.  Therefore, I have selected the “power rule” when solving derivative.  Step 2, I would write the formula in the index card. Step 3, I would discuss the material in a study group. 

Afterward, in step 4, I would create a graphic organizer to relate how “power rule” fits in how to find derivatives.  Later on, in step 5, I would imagine it by creating how I would put the power in front of the number then decrease the original power by 1.  In step 6, I would practice it by doing practice questions that are available on the test book.  Lastly, in step 7 anticipate when doing exam or homework questions and be able to identify when is the right time to use the “power rule”.  “The 7 Ways to remember what you need to learn” works well with classes that require memorization skills such as Mathematics.  Shown below are the steps that I take in order to master the “power rule”

The link system is another great tools for memorization.  The way link system works is to link a certain word, concepts, or vocabulary to an image that looks or sounds like it.  The first step is to select the concept that needs to be memorized.  Next, one would create an image or word that can be pictured that is lookalike or sound similar to the abstract.  Lastly, on would visualize an absurd picture that relate to the images.  The link system works really well with my PSY 205 class where there are so many terms to be remembered. 

The word I need to learn is “Neurotransmitter” which has a key mechanism to bind receptor of the receiving neuron.  First, after identify that I will be trying to memorize “Neurotransmitter” I create an image, which is a “key”.  This is because it has a key like mechanism that bind to the receptor.  I would imagine an image of a key and the lock, which works similarly to how “Neurotransmitter” works.  Later on, I try to create a picture of a land filled with locks where the key would fall from the sky where the key would unlock the combo and transmit the information.  Shown below I how I master the word “Neurotransmitter” by using the link system.  Overall, I have success using the two memorizing skills.  Together with planning tools like ranking priorities and target planner, I can plan out my study and do it affectively with the memorizing methods.  I would encourage everyone to try use the combination of memorization method together with ranking priorities and target planner as they work flawlessly.

Viola’s Memory Strategy

 This blog is about memory strategies.

   These strategies depend on connections that you make in order to remember the information. The essence is to make the connections as absurd, exaggerated or unusual as much as possible. It will help you retrieve information as these connections can leave a deeper impression.

   For me, I have a read/write learning preference. At first I do not know whether these strategies will work for me as I rarely try to remember things by making connections. I am used to remembering things by repetition.

   I try acronyms in my ECN class. ECN class is fact-based and there are lots of terms to remember for each chapter. So I hope that the acronym strategy can help me to remember these terms.

   Here are the steps for acronym. First, I list the terms that I want to remember. Then I underline the first letter in each word. Next, I try to arrange the letters in an order that creates a word. I stare at the list for quite well. Unfortunately, I fail to make up a word to help me to remember.

The problem is that the initial letters are just random, which makes it really hard to create a word. As I am an international student, English is not my mother tongue. So I am not as sensitive as native English-speakers to English words. All in all, this strategy does not work very well for me. 

Then I try another strategy called the link system. I also apply the strategy to my ECN class. Then I find this one is easier for me to complement. Here are the steps. First I select a word to remember. Then I create an image that can be pictured that looks like or sounds like the term. Next step is to visualize an absurd picture intersecting the images.

  I select the word monopoly to remember. Monopoly means an industry with a single producer. Mono looks like “one” and poly both looks like and sounds like “play”. Then there is a picture in my head. There is only one child playing in an amusement park. He can enjoy all the fairgrounds ride, shows, refreshments and other entertainments within the park. This process really helps me to remember this term. Then another word “oligopoly” seems easier for me to remember. Oligopoly means industry with a small group of producers. “Oli” sounds like “wuli”, which is a Korean word that means “we”. Then the word looks like “we go play”. The picture in my head then changes. There is a group of children playing in the amusement park. They share all the facilities there. 

 This strategy works better for me. Everybody has infinity imagination. So creating “links” is much easier to create a word with all the random initials of the terms. With more practice, I find it even much easier for me to use the link system to remember terms. Whenever I think of a word, there is a picture in my head. This is quite vivid and it is just easy to recall. I just find it difficult to forget.

I believe that everyone can benefit from the link system.

 

How to Remember Info When Studying for A Test

The topic for Our blog this week is memory. Memory is a very crucial aspect of human life. After all the memories of events and everyday life are what you are remembered by after you pass away. Memories in a way create the story of your life. In academic terms memorizing and remembering the material you learn in your classes is part of how you achieve good grades. Whether it's junior high, or college memorizing and remembering the material you have learned is a crucial aspect in school. Depending on the individual students/persons learning style, there are different ways to memorize/remember events, homework, class materials, etc. For example I am a predominately kinesthetic learner so one of my preferred methods to remember and memorize class material is note cards. However someone who is a different type of learner might have a different method that would work for them.

There are seven different memory strategies in all. The first is select it, This strategy forces you to select what you need to learn. It challenges you to make wise choices on what to and to not memorize. Be able to have an idea of what your professor will expect you to remember (know the significant from the less significant material). Know key words or information from your notes, textbook, etc. Index cards, written summaries, graphic organizers, and taped summaries are all examples of selective learning.
Here is a visual example of selective learning (in this case a note card):

The second type of memory strategy is to write it. This is simply to write down the information you are required to know based on class/lectures or writing a summary of what you read. An example of this is note cards (because they require t re-write the info and then re-read the info so it applies to more than one strategy), or simply notes from class.

The third type of learning strategy is to recite it. This simply means to re-read or discuss the material you have learn or are supposed to learn. Once again an example of this is index cards (look at type 2 memory strategy for reason why), as well as reading your notes out loud.

The fourth type of memory strategy is to relate it. Simply think about how the new information you are learning relates to what you already know about the topic. Another way to do this is to use a personal experience that can relate to the information. Even creating an acronym that will help you remember the information is a good way to study.

The fifth type of memory strategy is to imagine it. Use your imagination to mentally visualize the material. Turning words into concrete images helps you retain them.

The sixth type of memory strategy is to practice it. This means simply review the information you need to know in whatever way works for you the best. this could be index cards, reading out loud, writing definitions down, or even just re-reading your notes.

The seventh and final learning strategy is to anticipate it. All this means is to simply try to guess before you look at the info. So for instance if your taking a practice exam and you anticipate the answer before looking at the correct answer it will help you memorize the material.

Every student memorizes in a different way. Using one of these seven strategies however, will help you retain the information in a more time efficient and easier way. It will also help you because you will be incredibly prepared for your exams and confident that you will do well on them.

Gabi Pontell's Reading Strategy

This week, I used the NSAS: No Salt and Sauce strategy in my NSD 225 class. The first step is Notes. Download the notes off blackboard and read before class. S stands for Scan. Scan the chapter to identify the main concentrations and further familiarize yourself with the material that will be talked about in class. A stands for Attend. Go to the lecture and listen for the key points your professor emphasizes. The last S stands for Study Sheets. After class, make flash cards from the notes and textbook.

The NSAS method was beneficial to me because I have a professor who posts the notes online so I am able to review before I attend the lecture. Using this method furthers my understanding of the terminology and material that will be discussed in class. After class, I made flash cards about the information from class as well as the notes and textbook. I like making flash cards because they make it easier for me to remember terminology and material when I review.


Here is an example of my flashcards:

















I used the Ready, Go, Done method for my Addictions in Cultural Context 408 class. The first step is Ready. I read the introduction, objectives, summary, list of terms, and headings and subheadings in the assigned chapter. This gave me insight about the general ideas covered in the chapter. Next is Go. I then read the chapter and reflected on what I expected to be discussed in the next lecture. As I read, I highlighted and starred important areas. Lastly, is Done. I made a study aid using my notes from the chapter.


Here is my textbook:
















This method was helpful as well because it helped me look for the important ideas in the chapter and make a review that will be useful for studying later. It helps you comprehend the material better and refer to the information later.

Viola’s Reading Strategy

This blog is about reading strategies.

   Reading is a big part in college study. As a result, having personalized reading strategies and becoming a successful reader is a goal that should be achieved. In general, learning, applying and adapting different reading strategies to different reading assignments is the best way to find one’s own personalized reading strategy.

   You should also consider your learning style, the actions, the materials and the evaluation to select your reading strategy. For me, I have a read/write learning preference. So it is good for me to get some information like glossaries from textbook and create study aids to learn by repetition and emphasizing main key points. So I start with NSAS: No Salt And Sauce reading strategy,

   I apply this strategy in my ECN class. First, I download and read lecture notes before class. Second, I scan the corresponding chapters, looking for the information identified in the notes and concentrating on terms. Then I attend the lecture. After class, I create study sheets and flash cards to help me recall and review the information. Below are my study sheet and flash card.

I choose this strategy because I have the notes available prior to class and my ECN course is very class-dependent. As the lecture is the major source of information, scanning the textbook is just enough. I just need to look for the major points and locate specific information. On the other hand, my ECN class is fact-based and there are lots of terms and definitions. Flash card is a very help studying tool here. So this strategy is just suitable.

I love this strategy. Reading lecture notes before class helps me establish a listening purpose. I know what to listen to during the long lecture. Scanning the textbook familiarizes me with the terms and it enhances my comprehension in class. I can get more out of class. Then the study sheets and flash cards help me prepare for the exams as I can read and learn the terms.

The limitation of this strategy is that the lecture notes have to be available prior to class and the class must be class-dependant. If the notes are not available, you must get an overall view of the material by reading textbook first. If the class is text-dependant, scanning probably will not suffice.

   So I choose to adapt this reading strategy in my AST class. AST is lecture-dependant but no lectures notes are available prior to class. But as AST is also fact-based, there are lots of terms in bold in the textbook and I can get a list of main points at the end of each chapter. So I read the terms and definitions in textbook instead of reading lecture notes.

 

   This adaptation is good. The step is different but the effect is the same as I can familiarize the terms and definitions before class. So I can continue using this strategy in my AST class.

      

  

Paul Laohapiengsak Reading

Paul Laohapiengsak

Reading

            In every college course, there are always reading whether it is a language course or science.  For this reason, being able to read affectively will definitely help one to become successful in whatever course enrolled in.  For myself, I normally read before going into lectures in order to understand the materials covered better.  By reading the notes provided online such as PowerPoint and attending the lecture, I could memorize so much faster and easier.  From CLS105 class, I learn to use and apply the “Ready, Go, Gone” reading strategy to many courses including PSY 205 and MAT 284.

             “Ready, Go, Gone” reading strategy is a perfect method for courses that are lecture dependent.  This reading strategy allows user to create study guide to prepare for coming up tests by combining material covered in class with material the reading assigned.  The first step is “Ready” meaning the student would survey the chapter.  This is done by reading the introduction, objectives, terms, and headings in the entire chapter to get a basics idea of what will be discussed in the chapter.  In addition, it also help student recognize the ideas as well as allowing the student to see the relationship between ideas from different chapters.  Next step is “Go” where students actually go through the reading carefully. 

At this point, student is encouraged to highlight what they think are important as well as taking notes both from the lectures and reading.  This way, it is easy to refer back to the important point when preparing for the test.  This step allows student to become familiar with author’s ideas instead of being overwhelmed by the material.  Also taking notes and highlighting also made it easy to recall when reviewing for a test.  The last step is “Done” where the student create a study guide from what is highlighted and notes that are taken during the lecture and from the reading.  Student can also create graphic organizer to prepare for tests as well and organize thoughts.  The purpose of this last step is to make sure those students are able to organize ideas and truly understand the material and study effectively.

            The course that I apply this method to is PSY 205.  This is because this reading strategy suits well with course that require lecture.  Also because there are many ideas covered in one test (4 chapters in an exam) I can use the “Ready, Go, Gone” to organize ideas and prepare for the upcoming test.  I actually apply the “Ready, Go, Gone” to study for my last exam which prove to be very effective.  First, I would highlight what I believe are the main ideas for the list of terms and heading from the Powerpoint and textbook before going into the lecture. (Ready) During the lecture, I would identify that the professor stress on which hint that those material will be on the test. (Go)  I also use this reading method and combine it with note taking strategy, which is quite affecting.  I would typically use the “Ready, Go, Gone” with the jeopardy and SU/Cornell notes taking strategy.  At last, I would actually go back and review from my notes to organize my thoughts in order to create a study guide.  Shown below is the note taking strategy that works well with the “Ready, Go, Gone” reading strategy.  The step shown is “Go” where I take notes from the lecture and readings. (Done)

            I also use the “Ready, Go, Gone” reading strategy with my MAT 284 course as it is also lecture dependent.  In addition, I find that the “Ready, Go, Gone” reading strategy works really well with the Jeopardy notes taking method.  This is because I can test my understanding from the jeopardy note taking strategy and use the “Ready, Go, Gone” to organize my thoughts.  Overall, I am quite satisfying with my test results and I am certain that the reading strategy that I learn is a major factor that contribute to good grade.  I would encourage that student use the “Ready, Go, Gone” with notes taking strategy as the combination of both works flawlessly. 

Some Reading Strategies

This shows what I gotta read each week for my astronomy course.

This week the topic was reading strategies. Reading strategies can help you a lot when you face an assignment which is to read 20 or 30 pages. For me, reading is very very painful. I like reading, but not too much. I mean I just cannot stay on the ball when I read something. I guess some people are facing the same problem, for example somebody will get tired after 20 pages or 30 pages, so they will begin to find an excuse to stop reading because they just simply don't want to read any more. So 20 pages or 30 pages are their upper limit. However, for me, the upper limit is 3 to 5 pages, or we can say 5 to 10 minutes. It will take long time and lots of patience to fix my upper limit problem, but I can increase the reading efficiency by using those reading strategies. In other words, I can read more before I get tired.

I found something very very useful on page 125. According to this chart, there are basically five steps to do: First, you should survey the chapter. Some books might have introduction or preview or summary, but some books may not have that kind thing. If they do have, then use them because they can help you build an outline or framework. If there is no such a thing, then use the title, they must have titles in each chapter. Second, recall what your professor said about the text. I believe this step is extremely important for those lecture dependent courses. Everything on textbooks is important, but not all of them are important for your course. Third, don't forget those old information which you learned on lecture or somewhere before, when you get new information from textbooks. And then, when you read, you should also pay attention on how the information is organized. For example, when I read my astronomy textbook, I will also focus on the relationship between one information and another, because if you identify each information separately, it is very easy to get confused. The last step is to list some questions and answer them. This step is pretty much a comprehension test. You will see whether you have understood the text or not by listing and answering those questions.

Basically, I use this strategy a lot in my astronomy course since we always have some reading assignment each week. And I found TART and the tactic I just talked above work for me.

The Right Reading Strategy for You is Within

For our blog this week the topic was reading. When it coms to reading many people including myself tend to procrastinate because they feel the reading is to much. I know for me personally when I see an assignment in one of my classes is to read 30 to 35 pages of a book it tends to intimidate me. Especially because I am a slow reader. While there are many studying, note taking, exam preparation strategies. There are no specific strategies for reading. There are guidelines that can help you find a way to make reading work for you personally.
To find the right "Reading Strategy" you must personalize it to fit your tendencies and better yourself as a reader and finish the reading in a more time efficient way. Some things you must keep in mind when reading are; 1) To survey the chapter to identify the general ideas in it, 2) Identify the parts of the text emphasized by your teacher, 3) Recall what you already know about the material, 4) Identify how the information is organized, and 5) Establish a reading purpose.
For me personally to finish my reading in the most time efficient way, as well as get the most out of my reading assignments; I chunk my reading (like a task) into parts. For example, if i have two days to read 30 pages in a specific book for a class; I will divide the reading into three parts of 10 pages each. By dividing the reading up I can focus on each section more so than if I read all thirty pages at once. For me personally chunking/dividing my readings up into sections works. Everyone has to find a reading strategy that will work to the best of their own personal reading skills and abilities.

Tech 4 Note Taking by Paul Laohapiengsak

Paul Laohapiengsak

Tech 4 Note Taking

 Note taking is one of the most important learning strategies in college.  This is because most of the introduction courses have lectures in large auditorium.  Therefore, by being able to get the most out of note taking will definitely help one in doing well in collecting information as well as using the notes as an effective tool to study for exams.  As for myself, I use many notes taking strategy in courses such as MAT 284 and PSY 205.  Firstly, in MAT284, there are many formula as well as many methods to solve for the solutions.  For example, as I am currently learning about limits, there are many methods to solve limits such as factoring, simplifying, multiplying by the conjugate and so on.  Therefore, taking good notes is extremely important in order not to miss small details about the classes.  Also, as for my PSY 205 class, there are many terms to memorize which is also why taking notes well can be beneficial. 

Currently, I am using two types of notes taking strategy, which are Jeopardy note taking strategy and SU/Cornell note taking strategy.  The jeopardy note taking strategy is well suited for course that require memorization of key words because user are basically creating questions from their notes which will help them memorize even faster.  The Jeopardy note taking strategy is done by writing notes on the right side of the page while leaving the left side blank.  The empty space will be later used to write questions or main points of the following topics.  From using the Jeopardy note taking strategy, there are many benefits that I gain from.  This includes ensuring that I really understand the material by forcing myself to create a question, help myself organize ideas from the notes, and allow myself to see area that I may not understand from attempting to create and answer question.  I use the Jeopardy note taking strategy in two classes, MAT 284 and PSY 205, which can be seen below.

From the pictures, it is obvious that both courses require memorization of equations, methods of solving, and vocabulary and terms.  Therefore, Jeopardy note taking strategy is a perfect way of taking notes.  Users do not only benefit from taking better notes, but also knowing the area that they require more time to study as well as consolidating their understanding.

Another note taking strategy that I use is the SU/Cornell Note- taking system, which also well suited for courses that require memorization skills.  This method of note taking divides the notes in three zones, which are 1. Notes taken in class 2. Reduce notes to only key terms and 3. Summarize and organize ideas.  I use SU/Cornell Note- taking system particularly in my PSY 205 class.  This is mainly because there are many ideas to remember as there are 4 chapters consisted in one test.  Also, because many information are related, using the SU/Cornell Note- taking system can help organize the notes and relate them if possible.  Shown below is my note for my PSY 205 class.

From using SU/Cornell Note- taking system in PSY 205 class, there are things that I learn from.  For example, I have to force myself to rewrite all the notes, which help me really understand and learn the material without having to blindly memorize terms.  Also, I was able to use the box on zone 2 to recall terms a anticipate test questions.  Last but not least, SU/Cornell Note- taking system allows me to organize my thoughts and recognize how each topic is related to avoid any confusion that may occur.  I highly encourage every college students to use the following tools as it can immensely improve their note taking skills and is also an effective way to prepare oneself for an exam.

Viola’s Note-Taking Strategies

       

         Today this blog is about note-taking strategies.

When you select a note-taking strategy, you have to consider your learning style, the actions, the materials, and the evaluation in the course to find the most suitable strategy for you to take notes. For me, I am read/write learner, so I have a strong preference for learning by Reading and Writing. As a result, it is good for me to take notes (often verbatim) and then read my notes for several times and rewrite the ideas and principles into other words. So I start with using SU/Cornell Note-Taking System.

   Below is my note from an astronomy class. You can see that the sheet is divided into three parts. During the class, I take as many notes as I can in the large box on the right-handed side of the paper. After class, I reread my notes and reduce my notes in the left column by wring terms that help me recall the key information in the lecture. Then I just summarize the note later by writing summaries in the box at the top of the sheet..

I like this strategy because this system forces me to review my notes many times after the class and this definitely help me learn the information more effectively as I am a read/write learner. On the other hand, I choose this strategy for astronomy class as this class is fact-based and the lecture is the main source of the information in this course. As it is fact-based, there are a lot of terms and definitions. So the left-hand-side term box is just useful to help me make a list of the key words of the lecture. It is an easy way to review and prepare for an exam.

As SU/Cornell Note-Taking System turns out to be successful in astronomy class, I try to apply it to my math class, for math course is also fact-based and the lecture is the main source of the information.

After applying it, I find the top box of summary is useless here. It is hard to summarize and the left-hand-side list of the names of the theorem or equations is just enough. This is because unlike the astronomy class which contains several key and subsidiary points in one lecture, there is just one topic in each lecture in the math class. So only the left-hand-side box is just enough to remind me the information in a math class. So I just create a sheet like this. The sheet includes three parts. The right-hand-side large box is used for taking notes in class and the left-hand-side small one is used for writing the main points of the class. The upper blank space is just used for writing the topic of the lecture. I find this version is useful and concise.