Hello, everyone!
This week I’ve been thinking about a lot of different aspects of life as it relates to our learning, the difficulty of getting started, sustained attention and sticking to routine.
I think I talk about this a lot, but I don’t get sick of others’ talking about it, and it’s often a relief to know that those I deem “successful” also have difficulty with executive functioning. The most common advice I get or read is: keep it simple (sweetie), start small and allow for flexibility in your routine. As I mentioned in my last blog post, life happens. Given it’s the New Year you may have big plans for how this semester is going to go for you (and by the way, i AM ALL FOR BIG PLANS). If you don’t meet your goal one day, it is more than okay. You get to do it the next day! It does not mean that you have failed. It might mean that you need to put some additional structures in place to help you be successful.
Maybe you need a buddy to study with or listen to music or a routine that will help you to start getting on the track where you want to be. Maybe you need to write a list of types of breaks that you like to take that will help you settle into that task that you really don’t want to do.
I will tell you I was not looking forward to writing this post. I love to write! But it’s still work. And work isn’t always fun, and can be straight up hard and boring. Sound familiar? And so,I wrote for about an hour (got something on the page) and then I went for a very long walk. I recognized the signs of frustration and procrastination, and instead of sitting here looking at my phone I chose an activity that I knew would activate my brain and allow me to continue to write.
What are the signs that you need a break? What kind of break can you take that will allow you to work on the things you don’t want to work on?
The other thing that was on my mind (which is on my mind a lot) is note-taking. This is a big topic because people have very different opinions about the best ways to take notes, whether they should be handwritten or typed and it is not a skill that is often taught in class. Note-taking is important though for so many reasons:
- It can help you to keep your attention when class is boring (yes, I said it).
I often take notes in lectures to prevent my mind from wandering too far off.
- It helps you to retain or remember information (especially if you weren’t paying attention because it was boring).
- It can save you time in studying for tests and writing essays.
If you google how to take notes, a lot of websites will come up. My very simple strategy (which is always the case) before you go down the rabbit hole: take out a piece of paper and just start. Take down as many notes as you can and don’t worry about what you miss.
This is contrary to what a lot of note-taking strategists suggest. Often times we hear write down the important key ideas and words. While that is eventually ideal, you first have to train yourself to write the notes. If note-taking is new to you or overwhelming for you, then I would rather have you write down whatever you can get down, then as you start taking the notes you will start to recognize patterns and you will better able to know what is the key information to write down.
- While taking notes, abbreviate and use symbols as much as you can. I
3. Handwrite or draw your notes if possible. Handwriting is an act of encoding (or learning)l and we have a tendency to remember what we handwrite more than what we type.
Now, a lot of students that I work with have diagnoses that make handwriting notes very difficult. I suggest, then, that students organize their blank page before class so that they have a structure with which to work when they are taking notes. If handwriting or drawing is still prohibitive when it comes to note-taking I recommend a tablet or an ipad with a pen that you can draw on. This simulates the handwriting process and is a much easier tool than typing (especially if drawings are necessary).
So that’s the first part! There is a second part that I recommend. This is the part that will save you time later.
Make it a habit to look at your notes again and add to them. You can ask questions in the margins, or check your notes with a friend or if your teacher has posted the notes to their virtual classroom compare your notes to theirs.
I have also found that organzing your blank page before going into class can be useful to reducing the cognitive load. That way you already have a space for where your notes are going to live. If you did not use a graphic organizer before class, take the time after class to organize your ideas in a way that make sense to you. I’ve had students use more traditional methods such as:
- tables
- outlines
- t-charts
- cornell notes
to name a few!
Some students, however, like to draw a map (for example) if they are learning about a place and put facts and questions inside the different regions of the place. Other students have used teacher notes as guidelines to then add on during a lecture and after class.
Some guidelines to keep in mind about organizing your notes after class:
- Make it visual (hence the tables, outlines, t-charts, cornell notes)
- Clump and chunk information together that makes sense for your brain.
While note-taking is a process and can be a pain in the butt, it will help you stay engaged and save you a TON of time and energy when it comes time for a test!
Here is a short video that speaks to organizing information in different ways.
I would love to see your notes! Show me on instagram and tag: stressless student.
Want more tips and tricks for note taking? Curious about coaching? Sign up for your complimentary Stress-free Breakthrough Session here.
Warmly,
Sarah Weidman
Recent Comments