This week read the chapter on taking notes, writing and speaking and then make two comments on any of these topics:
Psychologist and philosopher William James said, “The essence of genius is knowing what to overlook.” How can you take steps toward being a genius by being selective at school, at work or in your personal life?
Many students have difficulties with writing assignments because of writer’s block. Read the section on writer’s block in the text and comment on some ideas that you can use to overcome it.
Write some intention statements about what you will do to become a better writer or note taker.
Ask a question or discuss any aspect of college success that is relevant to your college experience at this point.
Make a comment on another student's post.
what I can do to become a better writer or note taker is to not write down everything that you read or hear but at the same time be alert to the main points. Anything that the instructor writes down on the board or wall you would want to write down, but make it to where you can go back and add more information if necessary. When taking notes you should use your own words that way you can go back and remember what all you wrote and it’s your meaning so you would know. For example, when I take notes I make sure my notes are short and in one place not on all these different sheets of paper.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about trying not to write down everything that is said. I have struggled with that as well. I try and only write down key points and page numbers that they reference so that I can go back and add anything that may be important. I keep all of my notes for each class by chapter in a spiral pad of paper. Hang in there.
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Ask a question or discuss any aspect of college success that is relevant to your college experience at this point
ReplyDeleteMy question would be being that I'm now enrolled in a college class as a freshman; I would like to know what the requirements to becoming a Registered Nurse are. I would like to become a RN for the military, being that my dad was in the military he has inspired me to work for the military. Although I have a few fears it's alright because I know I can overcome those fears. Another question I have is once I become a RN what would be the steps that I would need to take to even be recognized as a RN or even considered a Nurse. I have a backup plan in becoming a Special Education Teacher, in case my plan for being a RN doesn't work out then I’ll have a backup plan. College, for me is a good experience and it allows me to have a lot of questions for the whole experience.
Hi Chantel I encourage you to go talk to a counselor because counselors help a lot with deciding on your major and reaching it. They actually can give you a full plan of what you have to do and what courses you need to take. Amalia is one of the good counselors in Cuyamaca College I encourage you to talk to her she is responsible of transferring so she has good and updated information about the requirements. You can get an appointment with her from the counseling office she would definitely help you.
DeleteHey Chantel,
DeleteI agree with tamara that going to to a counselor is the best solution because they know all about what classes are required for the major that you are planning to have. Good luck.
Hi Chantel, I agree with both people above me. i think it's best that you contact a counselor or an academic advisor. They will know what you need to do to become a registered nurse. I think it's great that your a freshman and you already know what career path you want to do. Very few people who walk into college know exactly what they want. I think that you also need to remember to keep your eye on the prize. It's very easy to get distracted and things may come up. You need to remember to always focus and remember the best prize is in the long run.
DeleteI think in college note taking is one of the hardest things to master for students. Note taking does not only require you to take notes but actually absorb the information that you are writing down as well as continuing to listen. It also requires you to keep your notes together and organized. You can highlight important pieces of information so you can go back and study them during test time.
ReplyDeleteHi Lanae,
DeleteNote taking can be a hard thing for a college student to master. I feel that this is mostly due to lack of focus and/or motivation. I feel that if you try and find something in the text or lecture that you can relate to your own life or future success in some way this will help to better your focus, thus helping you to take better notes and absorb the needed information. There is so much going on in all of our lives that losing focus or organization can become a difficult thing to overcome and correct. But when you set yourself up for success by being prepared, keeping a positive attitude and making studying something of importance and interest to you, you may find its easier than you once thought. Organization is key and can be hard to keep with all the different things we juggle but finding the organizational skills that fit for your individual way of learning is very effective. Good points! Good luck in your studies!
I also agree with you. Note taking is one of the hardest things to master for a college student. But the ones who can find that college is a lot easier for them then it is for the students that do not take good notes. I believe that notes are unique to the individual and because of this I believe there is no universal way to be taught to take notes. Each students has to figure out there learning style and which way of taking notes best fits them.
DeleteI love to read and write, but sometimes I do have some difficulties with keeping my focus, therefore getting writers block. I have to keep in mind that in order for me to focus completely at the task in hand I need to place myself in a calm and fairly quiet environment, where I can be comfortable and relaxed. This allows my mind to entirely focus on my studies. When I am reading I tend to review the text first keeping in mind the bold prints and definitions. This will be an overview of what is expected for me to gather information on as I am reading. I take notes as I go and also write down any questions that I would like to research the answers to, to better understand the subjects I am studying. Note taking is a major part of college education and should always be part of your reading. By taking notes I am able to absorb the information better, remember and infuse the important parts of the text into my assignments. This is called "learning". Expanding my vocabulary and using a variety of writing styles is always an important aspect of my education, also allowing me to express myself in a unique and individualized way. I know that in order to keep my focus on my learning I need to exude interest in what I am studying, so when I am reading I will find things in the text that I can relate to my own life and reflect on how these things can affect myself and my life.
ReplyDeleteBrittney,I also share a love for reading and writting and often experience the same problems with writers block. I think it is a great system to review the text before reading, it helps promote a slight understanding of the material before you even start reading. It is one of my intentions to take better notes, and I like the way you said, "By taking notes I am able to absorb the information better, remember and infuse the important parts of the text into my assignments." Thank you for the helpful insight!
DeleteHello Brittney, I think you're doing a great job at keeping your focus during reading and writing. Reviewing the textbook is such a good way to help you understand the material more and will help with writers block. Going in a quiet place where there aren't any distractions will definitely help you keep your focus and do your very best! Finding interest in what you are studying is a great idea for you to stay interested on the topic and it will motivate you to finish the work. Good luck in the future and keep up the good work!
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ReplyDeleteRevan, I thought your analogy was clever. It is funny how easy it is for us to remember the human experience versus the information provided by the said human. The term lecture fat, is more than suitable for the note taking system. Some fat is good, but for a healthy set of notes that are not clogged up, avoid the unnecessary parts of the lecture. Great job and kudos on such unique input!
DeleteBecause English is not my first language I had some difficulties before when I was writing essays. The difference between my first language and English is huge, so I used some tactics to go over these difficulties. When I had a topic to write about I asked people around my about ideas. I always took my time in writing my projects. I also used the exercise technique till now. When I am stack with an idea I go biking or walking to refresh my body so my mind is refreshed too.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that research can help you out with your ideas. It can also help to expand them by showing you new things you didn't know or think of from the start. I couldn't imagine trying to learn a new language on top of speaking and writing it all the time. I respect that a lot and goodluck with it and your future.
DeleteHi Tamara, I am like you that I had lot difficulties because English is my fourth language after Chaldean which is my first language, then Arabic, Turkish, and last English. I read a lot to famous authors to improve my writing, but I still have a lot problem with English. My opinion if person keep reading and writing and more practicing is better to improve his / her writing and good luck.
DeleteWhat I do to be a better writer is practice. I read a lot of stories and try to learn the way that writers use to get to the point. This way I am getting new and different ways to write the ideas. I also intend to take notes on the lectures that the teacher doesn't write on the board. I write my own notes that they will help me when I review the material.
ReplyDeleteI could probably practice my writing as well. I like the way you read different things to get different ideas, very smart.
DeleteKnowing what to overlook can be a very helpful tool in life overall. By overlooking little details this will help me focus on the big picture or main idea. Paying attention to the more important topics is a great way to keep from getting distracted or focusing on the points that are not as important as the main idea. Overlooking the little things will also help in taking notes and public speaking by allowing me to stay focus on key points. If I wrote down everything I heard, it wouldn't help my note taking strategy. If I tried to talk about every little thing there was in a speech, I could lose an audiences interest, get off topic or even go over my time limit on my speech.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your strategy Kellen. A lot of people tend to want to divulge every single piece of information that they get on a topic which makes it boring very quickly. I also agree with you on paying attention to keep you focused.
DeleteI intend to be careful when writing down everything I hear, and pay attention to facts and main points. I intend to re-write definitions in a way that I can understand them and be able to study with. Also when writing papers I intend to write an outline first so that I can include the correct main points and include the right material. And avoid putting in useless information and avoid repeating myself.
ReplyDeleteHey Zoe, I like how you’re carful when writing down everything you hear. Every word out of the professor’s mouth is important. I was taught if the teacher repeats this more than once, it’s important and might be on the test. I also re-write things so I can understand them. I’ll draw a picture, write symbols, and abbreviate everything. When writing and taking notes it’s important to make sure you’re the only one that will understand it because it belongs to you. So when studying for a test and referring back to the notes you took, you’ll understand why you wrote what you wrote. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll do just fine!
DeleteThis is a great quote from William James. It has so much meaning behind it. It pretty much means in order to become a genius, you must know what to overlook. Overlooking means to find the meaning for something and applying to your work. I don’t always look for the exact thing when doing my work. I always drift off into other things while trying to find the answer. I know by applying this quote into my life it will make a tremendous difference. I believe James is saying to know what to look for because the answer will be there. Don’t just read and assume you’ll get it. Instead, know what to overlook because it’s obviously the answer to what you’re looking for.
ReplyDeleteHi Marlo,
DeleteI agree with what you think this quote means. I also think it is important for you to be able to be courageous and be able over look the small things and go for the bigger and better things in life. Do not let small obstacles over come you and take over you. Instead be open minded and look forward to your bright future and remind your self why you are here and where you want to be in a couple of years so you can over come these small obstacles and still be in the game. Remember that when you are overlooking to stay focused and try your best.
What I can do to become a better note taker is write down questions as well as what I see and hear and read. I love taking notes, I will take them and write everything I read down just to be writing and to remember things because just reading it doesn't sink in. I know writing everything down isn't the best thing to do because you absorb too much information that is unneeded. To better take notes i'd try not to write down as much as I usually would so that I only absorb and remember the important things that will be on tests and quizzes.
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha,
DeleteI fell the same when it comes to writing notes. I think that it is important that i write down everything i hear and everything i see. When a teacher puts up a power point in class and i am writing everything down and next thing i know she is flipping the slide and i am still half way not done in writing my notes. I think for us that we love writing everything down it is important that we abbreviate and use symbols because we do not have much time to write everything down. I think also that reading before class is very helpful because we know what to expect and might know some big key points in the lecture that day. Make sure you take the time to re read your notes after class to for a couple of minutes so you can go over what you learned in lecture that day.
Anyone can write, but today how many good writers were in the world? I ask myself what is going to happen if I write badly. Of course nothing, so why I am care. The only way to learn write is to write, and avoid overcoming anxiety and writer’s block. Second lesson was I read lots famous authors. Third lesson to me was to share work shop because show me what mistake I did, and then teach me how to fix it. The last lesson come from chapter eight and show me how I can prove my writing or power writing, prepare, organize, write, edit, and revise.
ReplyDeleteThe essence of genius is knowing what to over look. Ive heard this quote before. Ive noticed theres a lot of BS and busy work and stupid assignments in school. For me Im selective on my time and how much effort I focus on what tasks. I try to focus on the overall information and what im gonna need to pass finals and tests. In life I try not to stress over the little things that come up and keep sights set on my goals not getting caught up in drama and releasing what will set you back or hold you down.
ReplyDeleteEvan,I agree with your point as well. I also realized that in school we get a lot of "BS" work or busy work , but of course it has to be done because they are worth points in our grades and they add up to make our grade. It becomes frustrating because I am selective as well and focus on whats really important to get me to where I need to be, and sometimes I just want to not do the busywork. It is good to know that you do not stress over little problems because they can become bigger and they will get in the way of doing what needs to be done. I use to stress a lot over little things that was not really necessary, and those little things seemed like they were taking over my life. So its good that you stay away from all stress and drama in life.
DeleteAn aspect of of college that is relevant to my success at this point is doing good in my classes and staying focused. Its really hard for me to care about GE classes. IN EMT you could see the importance right away that it could be someones life you save. At cuyamaca its more like " okay high school is over and im waaaay over english and history and GE" Id much rather move on the medical classes to get my RN instead having to take more GE.
ReplyDeleteBeing selective in several aspects of life is the best way to being a genius. One way to be organized in your personal life could be organizing your household. Another way could be to organize and schedule your time. A way to be selective in school or more specifically, writing and reading, would be to identify the main points of articles you read, and papers you right. If you can stay on topic you will be better off. When selecting classes for your next semester, think about what the classes cover. When you take a psychology, class you may want to avoid taking sociology, because they have similar terms but with different definitions. Knowing what to focus on and what to “overlook” is key.
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DeleteThere are a few things that I intend to do in order to improve in writing. First I intend to organize my thoughts, and by organizing my thoughts I mean Doing mind maps or diagrams and organizing my topics, commentary and more. I also intend to always get a second opinion or an editor on my writing to give me a glimpse of what to change or how to make better. One thing I always try to do is to remove biased language and also getting a thesaurus to choose stronger vocabulary to improve my writing. Planning my time is also one key thing for writing. I love to write essays, and one thing I do not like is when being rushed while writing and being timed. I sometimes plan out a schedule to give myself enough time to plan and write, but it is one thing I have to keep up in doing. Lastly, I intend to always save my work after each paragraph. I know it can become really devastating when your finished with your essay and somehow you lose it and have to retype it because it hasn't been saved. Its happened to me before, and that is why I plan on improving on this task. Writing is something I enjoy doing very much. It helps me get my mind off things and relax. Even when I have nothing to write about, I write about anything and everything and once I have started its almost impossible to stop because the more I write the more thoughts come into my mind. As E. L. Doctorow said, “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”
ReplyDeleteBeing a selective person at school means to follow a certain system of organization and that includes the time that should be spent at studying, taking rest and such. So according to this time schedule and how the student spends his or her time the results will show either high or low. When it comes to work being selective means to choose the right hours at work and how to keep a balance between work and personal life to be accurate at the time to go to work. As when it comes to the personal life a selective person must keep a certain time for family and friends
ReplyDeleteWriters block can be a real problem for most people. When you are faced with writers block, there is a number of techniques that you can use to get past it. First know that you are writing a rough draft. Write freely without concerning yourself with the details. After free writing, go back and work on the details. It is important to avoid procrastination, because if you are stressed on time you will be more anxious. When you have more anxiety, the assignment will become more difficulty. Another way to avoid writers block is to break up an assignment into smaller parts. Personally, my favorite tip is to make sure you are in a comfortable place to write. It may seam more difficult to write when you are in a uncomfortable environment.
ReplyDeleteThere are many ways to apply in order to become a better write. Personally I tend to read a lot, and sometimes I try to read at loud to improve my accent, also listening to people who speak fluent English with the correct grammar while watching TV is also a useful thing for me which helps improving my writing. Dictation is another useful tactic that helped me as a beginner to write better and improve my spelling. In addition, to be good at something one must keep practicing to become better, and that applies to writing, I like to write because writing is the way that I can express myself and with that being said, the habit of writing the whole time is what helps me to improve my writing skills.
ReplyDeleteWrite some intention statements about what you will do to become a better writer or note taker.
ReplyDeleteI intend to…actively involve myself in lectures by taking notes and pointing out the important details in a lecture. I think that doing this will definitely help me do better in my classes because I will be paying more attention as well as making a study guide for myself to study for exams. Pointing out the details from a lecture is important because it is better to spend your time studying the facts that you know will be on an exam rather than wasting time studying irrelevant information. Taking good notes will allow me to have all the necessary information for me to study and be successful.
Psychologist and philosopher William James said, “The essence of genius is knowing what to overlook.” How can you take steps toward being a genius by being selective at school, at work or in your personal life?
ReplyDeleteThe way I interpret William James’ quote is that a genius knows what he or she wants. Being selective can help me in school because it will allow me to know which important information to learn and prioritize. In school, I often get information overload because there is so much information to intake and learn. However, only in taking the main ideas and relevant details is more manageable. The same theory can be applied to my personal life. I have a busy lifestyle and I jump from one activity to the next, which sometimes leaves no time to take breaks. However, being selective and knowing when to say “no” or “yes” to certain commitments can help manage my time better.
Many students have difficulties with writing assignments because of writer’s block. Read the section on writer’s block in the text and comment on some ideas that you can use to overcome it.
ReplyDeleteI often get writer’s block when I write papers. A technique I often use to overcome my writer’s block is writing freely. This helps me put down all the information and thoughts I have on paper so that I can clear my mind. I often get caught up in my mind with all the information and trying to organize it in my head that I get stuck. Another method I could use it going back to the drawing board and re-read my reference material and brainstorm. I have done this a few times and have away with new ideas and perspectives. A technique that I can try is breaking the essay into small parts. Doing my paper in small increments can help me gradually make progress because writing is often a large, daunting task for me.
To become a better writer:
ReplyDeleteWhen writing I intend to plan my time so I do not procrastinate and get stressed out. I will create an outline to organize my thoughts before I begin writing. It is a good idea to begin writing with the main idea or my thesis statement. I intend to reread everything I have written and correct any grammar and spelling mistakes. I will revise my work to make sure my paper is organized properly and all of my points are supported with evidence. I would like to have a few people review my work and give me feedback. I could just have a friend help or get help in the writing center.
To become a better note taker:
When taking notes I intend to take more complete notes on oral lectures. I will write down anything the teacher writes on the board or shows us in a power point. I need to work on not writing complete sentences to save time so I can have more useful notes. I will study periodically throughout the semester to keep information fresh in my mind and also study directly before tests. If there is a large amount of notes it is a good idea to make an outline of them so you have the main points right in front of you to study and you will also know exactly where everything is in your notes.
Some steps I could take toward being a genius by being selective in my life in general would be by continuing to put more important things first while less important things can take the back burner. This quote is a good one because I do believe if you stop and worry about the little things you won’t ever get what’s important done. And this goes with school, work, and personal life. I also believe that everyone needs to be more selective and focused as to which one of these three they decide to do at a time.
ReplyDeleteI can’t speak on behalf of anyone but myself but I struggle with writers block the most when it comes to timed essays. Something about having the extra stress and pressure of being constricted with time gets to me. Some ways I could overcome writers block after reading the test include taking a break and then start the brainstorm process again or to just write anything that comes to mind even if it’s not in complete sentences. I think these two ideas could help me beat writers block. Starting over with brainstorming is good because after taking a break I will hopefully have found a few new ideas that I didn’t think about before. And as for writing anything that comes to mind this can help because if I see my thoughts down on paper it will help me organize them into my essay.
ReplyDeleteIrma Tiznado April 7, 2013
DeleteI Nadlin: I have the same problem as you. I get freeze when I have to write and essay, especially when is in class and with timing running. What i have been doing before the essay, is to write down on scratch paper my ideas as you do, then I start to develop one paragraph for each idea as it were the final, reviewing if what I the idea want to express is clear, next checking grammar(the best I can)and then, I start to write down my final. This technique has been helping me a lot, even though I am improving, still need more work to reduce the time. I am sure that with more practice your will do better and I am hoping for the same.
Irma Tiznado April 7, 2013
ReplyDeleteTo become a better note taker, I will listening very careful during the class, I will write down the main ideas and complementary information and I will use the highlight on the main topic. I will use different colors to separate those ideas, and symbols or marks as a clues, to make me remind what is important. Later I will review my notes, reading and completing anything I missed and that will be important to study for next test or quiz. I am sure that i will have to go to the writing center, I feel good that I have someone there that will help me to succeed in my writing. Before I thought that the way I was taking notes were disorganized, but I am happy because in this chapter I found out that my system have a name: mapping person. So,I will keep doing that because is the way I can understand better.
The statement by William James can be applied to my life in many ways. The way I can take steps toward becoming genius by being selective at school, work, and in my personal life is being getting more organized. By becoming more organized I will be able to prioritize my life. Through being selective I will be able to get all the unimportant things outta my life. By cutting out the excess then I will be able to put that much more of my time to the key issues and that will force me to become a better person. The way that being selective at work will improve me because it will keep me on track and since I am not wasting time on something that is non productive I will be working smarter not harder and most likely Ill be recognized for all the work I am completing then I ll get a promotion. Some intentions that I will do goes as follows. I intend to brain storm and gather my thoughts prior to a writing assignment in order to improve my writing. I intend to stop thinking of writing as a negative instead I will think of it as a positive. I intend to have study groups with people who are better writers then I and improve my writing techniques.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Thinking positive is the most important technique in achieving success! Always think positive and stay away from the negative, especially during times of stress, pressure, and limited time. Positive thinking will help you get through it all! Best of luck with everything.
DeleteWrite some intention statements about what you will do to become a better writer or note taker.
ReplyDeleteI intend to pay closer attention in class and engage in lectures and class discussions. I also plan on jotting down key and important points that I know I will need to hold on to, to be successful. I also intend on looking over my notes over time of the week. It is important not to cram studying all the night before. I also want to write my noted neatly and use symbols and pictures to help me out.
I can take steps to being more selctive at school, home or work by practicing on understanding keys ideas, or what is the most important piece of what I am looking for for or listening to. In school I can read the textbook before class to gain a better understanding of the material. This tactic will allow me to pay closer attention to the professor and the lesson. In terms of my personal life, I can learn to not focus on small details, but rather identify the purpose for why I am doing a task.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of my work, I can learn to write down major ideas so that I don't forget later on. Also, I would practice on writing things down in general.
I plan to do better with my writing by actually staying up with all of my paper due dates, and doing many early drafts. i tend to not do it because i get distracted with all my other school stuff and focus on other classes and not my english essays. I plan to work with other people to do a support group and be able to work together and help eachother with working on essays.
ReplyDeleteThe first topic on knowing what to overlook is a good way on how being selective can help you achieve success in school and in life. You can block out all of the negative things in your life and only focus on the more important things which will help you do better. You can be selective in school by only signing up for the classes your interested in because you want to be able to earn the degree of your choice which ultimately will end up being good because its something you want to do. Those are things that can help.
ReplyDeleteSome things that I can do to become a better writer or note taker would be to make sure I always get enough sleep because sometimes that can really hurt if you go to class sleepy and won't be able to follow the lecture that well. I would also make sure I eat a healthy breakfast or lunch so I can focus better on whats being said and not have to worry about my hunger. I would also Make sure that my notes are organized so I can easily review all of my notes when I study or do homework.
ReplyDeleteAsk a question or discuss any aspect of college success that is relevant to your college experience at this point.
ReplyDeleteSomething that is very relevant to my college success is the amount of hard work i put into everything. Growing up i learned if you want something, you better work your butt off for it. I think that's always the right mentality to have. Its become really relevant to my college experience because its helped me grow. After graduating high school i knew i was going to grow up a lot more in the next step of my life. When i went into college i knew that the next four years weren't going to be easy and quick. I also knew after that i'd have 3 years of law school which means i have 7 years to look forward to. Immediately i remembered how hard i have to work to achieve success. I have been working extremely hard and managed to carry my home life and my school life. I have great grades and i feel that if i keep this pace going I'll have a great college experience.