Where have all my records gone? They’ve all gone into large, yellow envelopes. For each course I take I have a separate envelope, and into that envelope goes things like the introductory letters you receive when you start a course, notification of extensions, letters from tutors, course grade papers, returned assignments, etc. I also keep… Read more »
Sometimes we forget that notetaking and outlining don’t just have to be a matter of making lists or writing out paragraphs, they can also include something called “mapping”. Mapping is more like it sounds than you might think; reject the ideas of outlines and paragraphs, and think in terms of representative key words and symbols…. Read more »
What’s the most popular word around exam time? No, not caffeine, cram! Although you might think cramming is effective, you’ve probably noticed that it actually stresses you out more, and when you’re stressed your powers of recall and concentration aren’t as stellar as they might be if you were more relaxed. There is a solution… Read more »
You’ve been given an assigned reading, and sure you’ve got the list of learning objectives, but still you ask yourself: How do I know what to look for? Chapters of texts are organised to show you what’s important, but there are ways to use the obvious organisers in a text. Think about the chapter titles…. Read more »
One of the most valuable things I’ve learned so far at AU, is the “double-entry notebook” method of taking notes. If you can get a stenographer’s notebook, great, if not, do the following: 1) get some lined binder/note paper and draw a line down the middle of the page; 2) at the top of the… Read more »
AskOxford’s “Ask the Expert” section can tell you things like what comes after “tertiary”, what a group of swordfish are called, definitions of grammatical terms and questions on punctuation. “Better Writing” has tips and guidelines on report writing, writing for the Internet, vocabulary, grammar, information on common writing mistakes, and much more. “World of Words”… Read more »
While writing an essay it’s important to remember that until you hand it in, nothing is carved in stone – not even the thesis. If, in the midst of researching or writing your drafts, you hit on a thesis that’s more appropriate, or simply one you prefer, use it – just make certain it still… Read more »
One of the keys to taking an exam, especially the essay or short-answer types, are understanding what it is the questions on the exam are asking you to do. Below are some key terms to keep in mind. “¢ Compare: Emphasise similarities between two or more sources, or show how they relate to one another…. Read more »
In 2002 I realised that it was more than past time for my life to change. I hadn’t finished my university degree the first time around, and this fact was dogging me for many reasons; a lack of self-satisfaction not being the least of them. I realised that in order to move forward personally and… Read more »
We tend to think of note taking as simply the action of writing things down, but there are techniques that can make your notes much more effective, both while you’re taking them and later when you’re using them for review. If, for example, you’re attending an in-class lecture, actually dating your notes is a good… Read more »