Study Habits

“Changing Paradigms of Inaction”

Next, please watch this short video on why we need to change the way we think about education generally.  It is called “Changing Paradigms” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U).  The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) is an enlightenment organization committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges. Through its ideas, research and 27,000-strong Fellowship it seeks to understand and enhance human capability so we can close the gap between today’s reality and people’s hopes for a better world.  Feel free to check out their other videos and publications and share them where you see fit.  Also, I am always up for recommendations of things you think would improve the world we live in.

What do you think the main point of this video was?  Why do you think changing the way we think of education will get students motivated to act?    

How has your educational experience been up to now? 

“How to Take Notes by an Admitted Attention Deficit Distracted Person”

By Jason Leggett

As a student you really must look at the big picture first (see the forest before zooming in on trees) and realize what I (the presenter) am trying to do. My job is to take complicated topics, with an infinite amount of research and resources, and deliver it to you in a package that makes sense. For example, in my U.S. Government class I might chose to do this in a particular slideshow in a simple way: 1) this is a “mini-seminar” that

uses a case study (mid-term elections) to analyze the systems of U.S. government; and 2) I guide your analysis by providing a narrative (a story) that introduces you to the big thematic topics in U.S. government as a course. With this in mind, a student in my course would go back through their notes and consider the following 4 tips:

Organize your notes.  

This is important! If you simply copied down word-for-word what was on the slides (or lecture) you are not processing anything. You need to make this information your own. My notes would look like this:

Name:

Date:

Topic:

Current Events or Relevant Examples: 

To do:

Review your notes the same day. 

It’s tough I know but spend ten minutes reviewing your notes and CORRECT MISTAKES. It’s going to be a sad day indeed when you put the wrong thing on the final exam (or in your knowledge of the world around you) simply because you didn’t take 10 minutes to correct it in review. The benefit to this is that you are also learning the material a third time but now in your own context (worldview).

Adapt.

I see too many people who get organized, are studying somewhat regularly, but they can’t adapt. You are going to learn better the longer you are in school. Most of college is really teaching you how to learn and study. This really means that at some point you should get frustrated with how you organized on day one. Every class

is different and you will need to learn how to re-create your notes and organization to meet those particular needs. All you really need to do is assess whether the way you are taking notes after 4-5 weeks is:

helping you remember the material;

organized in a way that helps you find the material easily and quickly;

helping you analyze and understand the material in a way that you could then show and teach someone else.

If the answer to any of these 3 is no, back to the drawing board and see how to adapt your notes and study strategy to match these criteria.

Treat studying like a job.

I didn’t really get “good at school” until I really took it seriously. I remember having one of those “aha” moments when I was in a science class. I realized I wasn’t organizing my notes or reviewing them the same day but I was in my other class (social science). I could see the problem in front of me. One class was organized and I could see where the problems were, what I was forgetting, and how to adapt. The other class was a mess. I couldn’t analyze and learn the material until I knew where the material was and what on earth I meant in my notes. I hadn’t treated the class like a job, it was more like a boring vacation.

The easiest way to do this is simply to invent a new routine. There is no

doubt that mornings are the best time to get done (look at nature). I KNOW it is hard. There is no doubt that getting up early is the last thing you want to do. But what is the first? Do you want to do well in school? In life? Develop the habits that will take you to success now.  I recommend starting your day getting organized for 20 minutes. From

there, make sure you have a system that you repeat.

So, what about the admitted attention distracted person part? I have been where you are. I am where you are. There is no shortage of things to distract you on the internet, outside, or in your personal life. The good news is this: once you get a system of routine in place and develop good study habits, you can use your ability to focus on multiple things in your mind and your ability to energetically and efficiently achieve your goals, to explore new areas and dive deeper into areas we cover in class. When

you do this, the real learning begins, and you start to find yourself and determine where you want to go as a student and in life. Trust me, give it a shot.

Assignment:  Design a Weekly Calendar and bring it to the next class.

Introduction to the Reading Template”

By Jason Leggett

College Level reading requires that you are able to analyze the material as you read.  This is a developed skill, not something that you are born with.  So here is an approach (or a template) that you could follow to develop this skill.  Like any skill, hard work and practice pay off beyond your imagination.

The first time you read you should be reading for context.  Sometimes you can read something once and get it but that kind of reading usually builds on top of a shared context, something you already feel like you know.  One way you can improve your contextual reading, or reading when you don’t know anything about it, is to read for vocabulary instead.  Below are two exercises, when done together, should significantly improve this skill. 

As you read, stop when you find a word that you don’t know the meaning of and cannot figure it out from the context of the sentence or paragraph.  Look that word up and jot down the definition here:

Now go back to the reading and compare that definition to what you have read so far.  Try to explain here how it relates:

Next you should identify words that have obvious importance.  This is another vocabulary test of sorts.  There is no straight line rule for this skill but you could start by looking for famous names, big ideas, new inventions, unusual beliefs, or unique observations that the author seems to be focusing on.  Write down 5 here:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now you should be reading for comprehension, or what is going to stick in your head. 

Try to come up with the main point of the chapter.  This usually is stated in the title but is also usually restated in the last paragraph.  This is a rare case where it is much better to read the end first.  An astute student would also note that it should also be in the first paragraph stated as the thesis.

Then you need to sit and think a moment and try to figure out what the author’s purpose was?  What did he want us to do?  To remember?  What is his angle? 

Now you should record your reaction to the reading here.  How does it make you feel?  What do you think? 

5.  Finally try to relate what you just wrote to the main point and purpose of the chapter here: 

   

  

Composition Free-Writes

You will need to purchase a “Composition Book” for this course which you will bring with you every time we meet.  You will not record your notes here but you should be sure to write down any quotes, themes, or interesting items that make an impression on you from class. 

Following every class session you will conduct what is called a “free-write” sometime that day.  You will also be instructed to conduct free-writes at various places in this electronic text.  These writing exercises help you work out a lot of learning without realizing it.  The key is to do your best to just let what is in your head get down on the paper.     

To do a free write all you need to do is:

Plan to have 15 minutes available where you wonʼt be interrupted or distracted.

2. Close everything on your computer except a word processor (Word, Pages, Text Edit)

blank screen.

3. Without brainstorming, outlining, or thinking ahead, simply begin writing whatever

comes into your head in response to that week’s major themes and content.   

4. Do not worry about grammar, punctuation, or spelling. The only rule is to write

without stopping for 10 straight minutes.

If you get stuck just keep typing and try to get back on track.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Please come up with two review questions that you think cover the main points of this module and answer them below:

Student Designed Review Question 1:

Answer:

References or Citations:

Student Designed Review Question 2:

Answer: 

References of Citations:

Reading Template: Main Point and Purpose

Please determine what you think the main point and the purpose of that main point you think the author is making.  In order to do this you need to copy and paste a paragraph from the chapter that you think best supports what you think the main point and purpose is.

Main Point: 

Purpose: 

Paragraph from Chapter: