So, uh...what's your 'setup'? (1 Viewer)

[Guage]

By ‘setup’ I mean how do you manage your bookwork/note-taking for each of your subjects?

Where do you write your notes, put your sheets, answer questions? My handwriting’s terrible -- note-taking is slow, books are messy. Studying from my books is pointless: notes are strewn with random crap, random answers to questions which haven’t been written, ugly cross-outs, sheets hanging here and there...

Bottom-line: there’s NO way to possible look back on work for study/reference. I study by re-reading the textbook, and making a few (messy) flash cards.

At the moment I’m about to ditch my Chemistry book for a spiral-spine because it’s a mess. My other books went to the dogs ages ago and I’m taking it one lesson at a time, storing the info in my brain and ripping out the pages with my answers every night so I have a nice blank book the next day.

I need a few examples/tips from people who are good at this stuff...I've been finding study hard this year and my marks have slipped a little...sorry for being a bit mopey...cheers for any help

 

[youngminii]

Get a book for classwork/homework and a separate book for your own study.
Always write the date at the top of the page and possibly the Term/Week of school (it's so helpful).
When you write notes, make them clear and succinct, draw diagrams/flow charts/other picture type notes (if you're a visual type learner anyway).
Write ANYTHING that you think you might forget. If it's something that you'll recall easily, write a short dot point on it.
Use different coloured pens, I alternate between black and blue for the main information, I use red to write to myself (since your notes are only going to be read by you), and I use green for anything else.
Use a folder to put all the sheets you get from class. I have two folders for every subject.

In general, people retain:
10 percent of what they read or re-write.
20 percent of what they hear (audiotapes).
30 percent of what they see (flip-charts).
50 percent of what they hear and see.
70 percent of what they say and discuss.
80 percent of what they say and do (i.e. teaching).

A Foolproof Approach to Committing Knowledge to Memory

Step 1: Read the entire section (no more than 2 pages at a time) that needs to be committed to memory out loud. This will ensure that you have a global overview of the topic, as well as an understanding of how principles relate to one another.
Why is this important?
Learning a subject is like putting pieces of a puzzle together. Each piece by itself may not make a lot of sense and is difficult to remember, but when all the different pieces are put together - they make a big picture that is easily remembered and understood.
In addition, information is easier to retrieve if it is organised and learned in some structured manner.

Step 2: Read the first paragraph out loud, and then see how much you can recall. Paraphrase what you have read in your own words and out loud. If this is not possible, break each paragraph into smaller sections. Read the first sentence out loud, then rephrase what you have read in your own words. Read the second sentence out loud and then rephrase what you have read in your own words. Continue in this manner until you reach the end of the paragraph. Then read whole paragraph and rephrase what you have read in your own words - out loud.
At this stage, you can be sure that you fully understand what you are learning and that you are well on your way to committing this knowledge to memory.

Step 3: To keep knowledge in long term memory, read your materials out loud and rephrase in your own words at least once across the next 3 days. This will keep the knowledge you have learned in your long term memory for at least 1 week.

Step 4: To further engrain information into long term memory, read through each set of notes once per week or fortnight – out loud. Remember – the more times you review information – the more thoroughly it will become engrained into long term memory and the higher your HSC scores.

Remember: if it works for you, stick to it. If it doesn't, try something new.

 

[Aquawhite]

I agree with the little quote about retaining information when doing certain things... I retain a lot more when I watch a tutorial video, discuss or correctly teach another how to do it... but for me I'd say I retain more of what I re-write and summarise rather than just watching and hearing....

This might only be me, but I do enjoy watching things that are educational (they do work).

 

[Guage]

Thanks mate some excellent points there...I will 'commit them to memory'

Get a book for classwork/homework and a separate book for your own study.
Use a folder to put all the sheets you get from class. I have two folders for every subject.

So do you bring both to class, and when there's notes to be written you ake out the study book? And you also bring the folder, or do you just put the sheets in when you get home?

I only bring one book for each sub and I think my bag's too heavy...

 

[youngminii]

I'm fine with carrying a heavy bag, so I usually carry everything. I don't take notes in my study book at school though because I mostly self study (I go to the library after school and use my study books there). My school books are extremely messy, but I usually put any relevant information in a coherent way in my study books.
For English, I don't have a study book 'cause I really can't self study English properly, but that's just me.

Oh and I always lose my sheets so I kinda NEED to take my folders to school. That's why I got folders in the first place :rofl:

 

[BlueCatBulletCD]

My setup: A pen in my right hand, a biscuit in the left.

I write down summary notes, take a bite, more summary notes, another bite.

Walk downstairs to the kitchen to retreive another biscuit and so on.

Then I read a paragraph, take a bite, read another paragraph... and so on and so forth.

Then I do some past papers and finish off with a nice glass of carrot juice before bed.

Half my subjects have notes in books, other half typed on computer (so where i said "I write" you could replace that with "I type")