notes-to-sandra

[notes-to-sandra]

100 Days of Productivity - Day 49

A handful of people have been asking me whether I use any affordable stationary for my study notes so I made this little thing showing the only supplies I generally use. Most of it is pretty affordable. I hope you find it helpful.

I'm really behind on my 100dop. I have been taking some photos but haven't been pre writing my updates so I'm really sorry for the lag.

🎶 Black Swan - BTS

[notes-to-sandra]

Handwritten Note-Taking Methods

The appearance and organization of my notes plays a huge role in the amount of time that I dedicate to studying and my overall performance on tests.  Therefore, I’ve spent the past several years experimenting with various methods, and these are a few of the techniques that I’ve found to be most beneficial.

Cornell Method

The Cornell Method emphasizes identifying the key points of a textbook passage or lecture and consolidating information as much as possible.  

I’ve found that this style works best for literature and science courses that require extensive, dense reading and note-taking.  It allows me to easily and quickly identify what I understand versus what I still need to work on.

Adapted Cornell Method

I’ve created my own adaptation of the Cornell Method by eliminating the summary section at the bottom of the page and incorporating Post-It notes throughout the body of the page to highlight lists and key points.  And, of course, I had to add some color!

Outline

This is, by far, my favorite method due to its flexibility and clean, minimalist appearance.  While the image above doesn’t depict a true series of bullets at varying levels of indentation, you can experiment with different types of bullet points as well as varying spacing.  

I prefer using this method for maths because it allows sufficient space for me to draw graphs, record examples, and solve problems.  

Mind-Maps

Mind-maps are extremely helpful for organizing complex or extremely confusing topics.  There’s no right or wrong way to go about drawing one, and much of the final appearance will be related to the material that you’re diagramming.  Keep in mind that certain topics and information will more readily lend itself to this sort of portrayal.

For those of us who aren’t artistically talented 🙋🏼, these can be rather challenging to construct, especially when working with unfamiliar material.  In the past, I’ve used mind-maps for history when looking at isolated events or individuals.

[notes-to-sandra]

[5/30/19]

Feeling real lethargic. The guy beside me couldn’t stop moving and making noises which was distracting.

📖 Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill- Robert Whitaker

♪Disappear Daily- Ollie MN

[notes-to-sandra]

I’m just gonna say it…

Professors should not be allowed to ban laptops in class. Professors should not be allowed to ban recorders in class. Professors should not be able to ban students from taking pictures of the whiteboard at the end of lectures. Professors should not be allowed to ban ANYTHING that will make the class more accessible for ALL students. I don’t care what the excuse is.

“They might not even be taking notes on their laptop, they’re probably playing games!” So that’s on the student and they’ll have to live with those grades. They’re paying thousands of dollars to be there, if they want to fuck off and waste their money that’s on them.

“I’m uncomfortable with my lectures being recorded!” What EXACTLY are you saying in your lectures that makes you worried about being recorded, hmm?

“I just don’t like the idea of being on camera/recorded at work. How would YOU feel being recorded at work?” Buddy, I work in retail. I’m always being watched. Suck it the fuck up.

And before anyone says “but you can just bypass this by getting permission from accessibility services!” 1. Not all students with disabilities have up-to-date diagnosis to qualify, 2. Not all students with disabilities have had it confirmed by a professional yet and won’t be able to access those services, 3. Not all students who need these accommodations even have a disability! Some people just learn differently and lecture-style learning actually doesn’t work for a lot of people! and 4. This often puts a student on the spot to all their classmates and can make them feel very uncomfortable. 

Students should not have to jump through hoops to get an education that they’re paying for. That’s not accessibility. 

[notes-to-sandra]

3.22.19 //

Goodbye Rousseau, hello spring

[notes-to-sandra]

College Note-Taking System

Having cohesive and effective notes is one of the key skills I think one should have, especially in an academic setting. When you’re receiving a ton of information each day, you want to be able to keep track of that and remember what you’ve learned. I’m constantly trying out ways to make my note-taking more effective and tailored to my needs. Here’s what my note-taking system looks like so far.

Quick note: click on the images for better quality!

Class Notes

Taking notes in class is an invaluable way to keep track of the new knowledge you’ve gained. However, depending on the mode in which the lecture material is conveyed, I take my notes differently. Here’s a summary of how I take my notes for each type of lecture, as well as some examples from the classes I’m taking now.

Slides (e.g. Macroeconomics)

Macroeconomics is a class in which you should be able to intuitively understand a lot of concepts but also remember a lot of things. Because of this, I’ve tailored my note-taking method and habits to achieve that goal.

I write my notes by hand because handwriting is more effective in committing things to memory.

As for what I actually do - and this is what I’ve done for other classes in which the professor/lecturer uses slides:

Read/skim over the slide.

Read each bullet point as the professor goes through them.

Copy it down if it’s straightforward or write it down in a structure and diction that I understand better (not necessarily in my own words - sometimes it’s just restructuring, e.g. splitting things up or joining different bullet points together).

Take note of any other important details the professor says about any particular point unless I think it’s intuitive or common sense.

Here’s an example from a Macroeconomics lecture.

Oral Presentation (e.g. Anthropology)

During classes in which the professor just speaks and doesn’t use much visual material, I listen before I write instead of attempting to write down every single detail mentioned.

Also, I type up my notes instead of handwriting them since the exams are all open-book so I don’t really have to commit things to memory.

Here’s what I do:

Listen for a cue that tells you what this particular part of the lecture will be about (and write it as a heading).

Write down main ideas and their supporting facts/details. If the facts/details come before the main ideas, then I’d usually draw an arrow.

Write down ideas and details from readings in their own section/subsection.

Sometimes, my professor also shows short clips in class, in which case I’d write down the message that I think the clip was meant to convey, as well as things that the professor points out that I didn’t think of on my own.

I’d also look up concepts/ideas/people/events (in real time) that are important to my understanding of the lecture material.

Here’s an example of a Google Docs document from an Anthropology lecture.

Demonstrations and Sample Problems (e.g. Computer Science)

Classes in which the lecture is mainly going through demos and problems are kind of tricky, because you want to know and understand what the professor is doing, but you also don’t want to be writing down every single step that’s being executed. Here’s what I’ve found to be the most effective so far:

If there are any, I import the slides/handout onto OneNote and annotate directly on the slide. If not, I just write down things like definitions, important concepts, and syntax-related things.

I focus on understanding what the professor’s doing with the demo or problem.

I then summarize the steps they took and

Write down comments and points they brought up, e.g. common errors, desirable habits/practices.

Also, these kinds of classes are usually classes in which you’d learn better when you actually do problems yourself, so I definitely learn more when I do assignments and labs than when I’m in class.

Here’s an example from a Web Programming lecture.

Here’s one from an Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures class. I often draw things to help me visualize the general points.

Rewritten Notes

My rewritten notes have definitely changed a lot since high school. Since most of my classes don’t require a lot of memorization, I organize my notes in such a way that they’d be easy to index or find information from. Here are some of the ways I do that:

Establishing a Visual Hierarchy

Having a well-defined hierarchy helps me flow through my notes really well as i read them. It helps me organize information like a mind map without actually making a mind map - I know the big topics and their subtopics and sub-subtopics and details … basically it’s easier to see how these ideas fit together.

But why don’t I just make mind-maps? See, the thing is, a lot of my notes require sequential or linear thinking, e.g. in macroeconomics it might be the sequence of events following a change in the economy, or in computer science it might be a general algorithm for solving a certain type of problem, or it might be proving or deriving a certain equation. These sorts of things just generally don’t work well with mind maps. Instead, establishing a visual hierarchy in my notes helps me organize different ideas while retaining the linear nature of the information.

Here’s what the hierarchy looks like.

Here is an example from my Web Programming class, which is a purely project-based class, so no prelims or exams. As you can see, I draw rectangles around important terminology so that I can easily find them while I’m working on a project. I also include examples from in-class activities as well as notes on syntax so I have an idea of how to implement certain things. These examples and notes are further grouped by terminology/concept.

Structuring Them for Easier Flow

My syllabi for my college courses are nowhere near as detailed as the syllabi for my high school courses - those of you who take/have taken Cambridge exams would know. In college, my syllabi are only lists of topics and not what you’re expected to know for each topic. Because of this, I have to find a way to arrange information so that I can achieve the most comprehensive and cohesive understanding of that topic, i.e. so that the flow of my notes is similar to the flow of my thinking.

For example, in my economics notebook, I like to have the details first (e.g. the separate markets: the goods market, the assets market, and the labor market) and then the big picture later (IS-LM-FE). Some people prefer the other way around - seeing the big picture and then going into the details - which I can understand and have done myself for certain topics.

Making Use of Proximity and Spacing

I very much dislike notes without good use of spacing and grouping things together. Keeping related ideas in visual proximity helps your brain (or at least mine) organize this information. It’s also a lot easier to find things and visualize your notes when they’re not just a huge chunk of text.

One thing I should probably mention is that I don’t use colored pens anymore because it just takes a lot of time to switch pens and think of a color palette. I also don’t have much use for it. In the past, I used color to help me memorize and group things in different categories, but now, I’ve found that there aren’t a whole lot of categories I need to keep track of, and when I do, I can do so with just one pen but changing the style of the text.

And that’s what my note-taking system currently looks like. It’s working well so far, but I still think there are other things I could try out that might be a better fit.

So yeah, hope this was helpful, and as always, feel free to drop an ask if you have any questions, or even if you have any suggestions or would like to share your note-taking system. Have an awesome week!

[notes-to-sandra]

16.03.2019 // i have some big life updates!! i’ve gotten into the university of sydney foundation programme’s arts course!!! i dropped out of jc yesterday so i’ll have more time to study and prepare to move to australia and i’m so excited to start this new phase of my life :^)

[notes-to-sandra]

Got myself a wireless keyboard!! Loving it so far. Currently working on my CIS notes! After my first lecture I realized this class isn’t a place to slack off. Especially with a professor that has a thick accent and needs my full attention to be properly heard. Great professor though, knows all her stuff and is very organized. Guess I’ll be having coffee every time before this class. ☕️

[notes-to-sandra]

2019.01.23 || the last unit in the mastery level, wrapping up my english course ✨

[notes-to-sandra]

the older i get the more it’s clear that being smart doesn’t get you very far if you’re not disciplined. there are tons of people who are brilliant but not disciplined. they have amazing ideas but cannot finish a project. they are creative and innovative but cannot execute a plan. i see how important it is to set deadlines and boundaries for myself an to be disciplined.

[notes-to-sandra]

‘am i Having A Brain Problem or Being a Shithead’: a short procrastination checklist

aka why tf am i procrastinating on The Thing (more like a flowchart, actually)

lots of people who have executive function difficulties worry about whether they’re procrastinating on a task out of laziness/simply wanting to be a jerk or mental struggles. this checklist might help you figure out which it is at any given time! (hint: it’s almost never laziness or being a jerk.) (obligatory disclaimer: this is just what works for me! something different might work better for you.)

1) do I honestly intend to start the task despite my lack of success?

yes: it’s a Brain Problem. next question

no: it’s shitty to say one thing & do another. better be honest with myself & anyone expecting me to do the task.

2) am I fed, watered, well-rested, medicated properly, etc?

yes: next question

no: guess what? this is the real next task

3) does the idea of starting the task make me feel scared or anxious?

yes: Anxiety Brain. identify what’s scaring me first.

no: next question

4) do I know how to start the task?

yes: next question

no: ADHD Brain. time to make an order of operations list.

5) do I have everything I need to start the task?

yes: next question

no: ADHD Brain lying to me about the steps again, dangit. first task is ‘gather the materials’.

6) why am i having a hard time switching from my current task to this new task?

i’m having fun doing what i’m doing: it’s okay to have fun doing a thing! if task is time-sensitive, go to next question.

i have to finish doing what i’m doing: might be ADHD brain. can I actually finish the current task or will I get trapped in a cycle? does this task really need to be finished?

the next task will be boring/boring-er than the current task: ADHD brain. re-think the next task. what would make it exciting? what am I looking forward to?

I might not have enough time to complete the task: ADHD brain wants to finish everything it starts. (if task is time-sensitive, go to next question)

i just want to make the person who asked me to do it angry: sounds like anxiety brain trying to punish itself, because I know I’ll be miserable if someone is angry at me. why do i think I deserve punishment?

no, I seriously want to piss them off: okay, i’m being a shithead

7) have I already procrastinated so badly that I now cannot finish the task in time?

yes: ADHD brain is probably caught in a guilt-perfection cycle. since I can’t have the task done on time, i don’t even want to start.

reality check: having part of a thing done is almost always better than none of a thing done. if I can get an extension, having part of it done will help me keep from stalling out until the extension deadline. i’ll feel better if I at least try to finish it.

no, there’s still a chance to finish on time: ADHD brain thinks that I have all the time in the world, but the truth is I don’t. 

reality check: if i’m having fun doing what I’m doing, I can keep doing it, but I should probably set a timer & ask someone to check on me to make sure I start doing the task later today.

8) I’ve completed the checklist and still don’t know what’s wrong!

probably wasn’t honest enough with myself. take one more look.

if I’m still mystified, ask a friend to help me talk it out.

hope this helps some of you! YOU’RE DOING GREAT SWEETIE DON’T GIVE UP ON YOU

[notes-to-sandra]

Desperately trying to remember a bunch of paragrafs. Here’s to next semester being a productive one

[notes-to-sandra]

Study Tips from Kaz Brekker

(i am a nerd and currently on a grishaverse kick. im infatuated with Kaz’s character’s intelligence. so here we are.)

- break it apart to find out how it works (math, science) look at the root of the problem. if you don’t know how it starts or why the //substance, equation, reaction ect// changes, then you don’t understand it & it’s too dangerous. same goes for memorization.

- study and learn so that you don’t get it wrong. one slip up in a plot or heist can mean bad things. don’t let this happen when you take tests. 

- (argumentative/analytical papers) make sure you see your issue from all sides. for concession/refutation acknowledge that the other argument exists, then debunk it using even more sides of your own argument. make it complex, but make your thesis, or bottom line, solid as brick. expand outwards from your thesis. make sure your thesis connects with the prompt, because if you don’t actually know what you’re going after this is all for nothing. 

- add some drama. add figurative language to your papers to further reasoning and tone. color coordinate your notes so that they stick in your brain easier. make rhymes to remember it, because even if you think you have the formulas on the test, there will be a day when you don’t.

- if you can’t beat the odds, change the game. don’t understand something? use your book, the internet, your classmates. your teacher’s lectures are bullshit? sift through that information until you find something to go off of. change the game by using all of your resources instead of going with what you’re given. this includes forming study groups, asking questions and requesting extensions.

feel free to add on!

[notes-to-sandra]

[notes-to-sandra]

What about a Bullet Journal dedicated to language learning?

New post today! YAAAAY, I missed blogging sooooo much but I came back home to visit my parents.  You guys know, if you follow me on Instagram too, that I looooove the Bullet Journal method, I use it every day for my studies and right now for work too. So why not creating a new bullet journal only dedicated to language learning? Here’s what are the possible useful spreads I will create in the near future:

Yearly log: probably a vertical spread and for each month I will list the goals I want to reach in each language

Monthly log: a classic monthly log but with the days in the middle, on the left side I will list what are my daily goals and on the other one I will write what I actually did

Monthly tracker: for each day I’ll track how many hours or minutes I’ll spend for each language (color coding needed)

Level 10 fluency: for each language, I will list how much I feel fluent in each category (reading, writing, speaking, listening) from 1 to 10

Resources log: for each language, I will dedicate one page in order to list all the resources I use or I have in store and I’ll also track for which field it’s useful

Textbooks collection: for each language, I will list the textbooks, both physical and digital, I have 

Lag-podcasts collection: a list dedicated to languages podcasts I listen to and I will discover

Favorite Tumblr masterposts: you know that here on Tumblr there are tons and tons of very useful masterposts, so why not creating a collection for them in order to always remember them? 

What I learned this month: as the last page for one month, it would be nice to keep track of what you studied and understood

Website/Blog collection: I follow too many interesting blogs and sometimes I can’t even remember their names, this collection would be teeeeerribly useful for me

 Fluency tracker: let this Pinterest pic speak for me 

So guys what do you think about this idea? Would you like to see the #langbujo in a new article as soon as I will complete some pages and some spreads?  Stay tuned!! 

[notes-to-sandra]

Here’s some weapons for your essay writing arsenal!

Hemingway Editor Calmly Writer  The Most Dangerous Writing App Purdue O.W.L. One Look Thesaurus JSTOR Google Scholar

Reply with your favourite or other great websites I didn’t include!

[notes-to-sandra]

happy lunar new year, friendly reminder that jimmy kimmel and ellen degeneres inviting marie kondo on to their show to “tidy up” their writer’s rooms only to dismiss her advice, belittle her methods, make fun of her use of a translator, and act like ungrateful children in the face of her genuine attempts to help is literally the most basic form of Othering from white people. It’s another form of commodification by white people of non-white cultures that is being willingly shared, and it doesn’t get any less racist when it comes from “progressives”, be they a liberal white woman or a “Woke” news pundit