Plugging In

The new strategy I tried this week is a note taking strategy, called Plug-in Notes. This strategy has multiple positives about it. For starters, when using this strategy, you know before you take the notes in your class that your going to be using this strategy, so you are more attentive to the notes. Second, this helps you organize your notes so you have the main ideas down pat and in your head, and understanding them better by rewriting them. Then, when you are done after class, you can strategize for the upcoming test, by writing down some questions to ask yourself, just like the Jeopardy strategy! Just merely writing the questions down and writing your answers get you more comfortable with the information. It helps a lot with memorizing terms.

Initially, I was not so sure about this strategy. I was thinking that I was not going to write the best review about it. But actually using it really helped. Most of the time, people write down their notes, and do not retain any of the information. This time, you have multiple ways to beat the information into your head, any the

y are all unique and interesting. Once you have the information, you can get ahead for the exam with the questions. I think everybody should try this. There is nobody that it will affect negatively, and will prepare you for the test.

My notes and readings were a bit unorganized in many different places. I decided to use the Outlining strategy. I used a combination of the Source and Topic outline. To me, these two strategies were very similar, and basically went hand in hand. They are both extremely useful, and maybe my most useful strategy yet! Except I think they should be combined into one strategy. But that was not a problem.

The outlining strategies helped me bring all of what I have learned so far together, and combine it in an organized fashion. Considering that I take notes on what the professor speaks of in the lecture, take notes of what we learn in the recitation, and learn from the readings as well, my mind was all over for my Philosophy 192 class. My syllabus was not very useful for this class specifically, but I was able to complete it without it anyway. I started by creating a chart for my outline. Each chapter in the book that we read, has a specific topic, and conveys the beliefs between four different view points. So knowing the structure of the class and readings, I created a chart that has each topic, and the points of view. I did the basic coverage of the points of view, and can go back to the readings since each chapter followings accordingly in the chart. I felt that each topic was equal has importance, so I decided to just study each section until I knew all of the information, before my upcoming test. I would recommend these strategies to anyone that has complicated classes that could use a little organizing.

Anticipating test ANSWERS

When creating strategies for exam preparation it was extremely difficult to relate to my own major. Being an art student, I have very few tests or quizzes and in the one class I do have an exam, it is essay styled questions with a very set, structured style of studying. In Design History we are tested on about 14 of the 80 designs we learn before a test, so memorizing each fact about each object is the best way to be prepared. Although this is extremely tedious and time consuming, it is expected to have studied at least 20 hours before a test and flash cards have proven to be the most effective for myself.

Choosing to use the anticipating test questions strategy was the most relatable to my situation. Although I already know the anticipated test questions because it is always simply stated, "How is this important to the History of Modern Design?" I can anticipate the answers to this question for each design that I study. My flash cards are my life line for this test. They have a picture of the object on the front and every fact possible on the back. While "Big Ideas" are the main concern aside from the memorization of names, dates, and places, these facts on the back all seem to relate to each other. I find this information from the syllabus.

The syllabus has a list of topics that we read in the textbook each week. These topics are "Big Idea" kinds of concepts that intertwine the relativity of each of the pieces we learn about in class. By understanding the "Big ideas", I am able to categorize, learn, and recognize where each of these 80 or so objects fit into.

Realizing that the syllabus had the "Big Idea" topics listed out by class was a huge help! Not only did I know that this was the reason I did so well on my first test, but it also made studying SO much easier. I will definitely utilize my syllabus to a much greater extent after seeing my exam score on the first test.

Source Outline and Topic Outline

I wanted to try a new strategy to prepare myself for my upcoming test. I never know how to study or how to plan out my time studying. I decided to make a source outline and a topic outline. A source outline allowed me to write out all the different materials I have to study from. I have an organized outline that tells me exactly what pages to study from in my textbook, what date notes I should study, and what topics. This helps me stay organized. When I started studying I knew exactly what materials to take out. I also made a topic outline. A topic outline helps me a ton! I wrote down the same topics I did in my source outline with the page numbers so I know what I need to study. I then wrote the sub topics so I know exactly what I need to study within the big topics. This is going to help me because I can check off each sub topic as I study them and then check off the big topics after I finish the sub topics. I also wrote the amount of time I need to study each topic so that I save enough time to study for my test.

I'm All Over!!!!

I'm back this week with a new strategy. This week, I tried the COST Strategy, which stands for Change Option Schedule Test.

My problem is that I have multiple assignments due at ALL times. Whenever I want to get started on an assignment, I do, but than procrastinate to start a DIFFERENT assignment!!! I can never finish one, and I lose track of the thoughts I previously had with the other assignment. For example, I had an essay to for Writing 105, and in the midst of writing the essay when I got a bit stuck, I found myself starting my Philosophy 192 homework. I tried to go back to t

he essay, and it took me tw

ice as long to do the second half of it as it did for the first half!!! I am tired of this problem, so I decided to try the COST strategy. I wrote it out on a piece of a paper, but I do not have the neatest handwriting, so I typed it up for all the people reading this.

Change:

Whenever I have an assignment to do, I start doing it, but than move onto a different assignment before I completed the other one. This stresses me out, and I want to organize myself to finish one assignment before I start the second one.

Option:

I thought of two different options I could try. My first option was to try the time audit strategy. I would write out each day what I should accomplish, and see if that helps me not to procrastinate. The second option I thought of was the target planner. This way I could break up an assignment, and instead of writing different dates that I would do of each one, I could write the time of the day. I ended up using the the target pl

anner, because I know myself and realistically, I would not follow a schedule of a day that had a task every hour of the day.

Schedule:

I made the schedule for the next day. I was able to see the results after one day.

Test:

The problem definitely did improve. I was able to complete each assignment before I started the other, so I accomplished my goal. The target planner was the right option to go with.

This strategy was a big difference maker for me. A had a problem, so I used a problem solving strategy. I tried the COST strategy, and it worked. If someone out there has the same problem as me, read this post, take my advice, and try the COST strategy.

Is vs. Wants and my weekend planner

This week I chose to use Is vs. Wants and through this problem solving strategy created my own as well. A big issue for me is lack of time and often I find myself in that frantic mode on Sundays because of the work that has piled up. Because I am in VPA with long studio classes there is little time on the weekdays to complete big projects due for the following week. To address this issue, I used this problem solving strategy in order to create a more desirable weekend.

With Is. vs. Wants I was able to write out this situation and develop a more desirable one instead. In order to create a stress-less weekend for myself, I mapped out what work I need to complete on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so that I can evenly distribute the assignments throughout these three days. In this weekends homework plan I decided to do only one assignment on Saturday while there are three assignments I will complete on Sunday. Although this disrupts the balance I knew that Saturday was a busier day and realistically would not be able to complete more than one assignment.

This technique worked very well for me and was a great way to organize my assignments. I was determined and focused because I knew that if i fell behind schedule, my strategy and plan to create a more desirable situation would be ruined for that weekend. Is vs. Wants is a great way to motivate yourself and for other procrastinators like me I definitely suggest using this strategy.

Courtney Barich's Ranking Priorities

Ranking Priorities is an extremely helpful problem solving strategy. I tried ranking priorities because I was very overwhelmed with assignments. I have so many classes and a few assignments in each of them. I tried writing in my planner when I should do everything, but it was too hard not seeing everything I had to do at the same time. I was having a difficult time deciding which of my assignments I should do first and keeping track of what I needed to do for these assignments.

I decided to try ranking priorities. I first made a list and ranked my assignments in order of which are absolutely essential, important and optional. This way I won't have to think about which assignment I should do first and put the most effort in, right before I to do them. I then made an order of importance and what I needed to do first within these assignments. This helps me stay organized and helps me know what to do when.

I chose my learning strategies class first. I knew I had a few things due this week and needed to decide what I was going to work on first and what I was going to spend most of my time doing. I decided that my faculty interview project was my top priority out of my assignments in learning strategies. I put this under A. I then made a list of what I needed to do for the project, the first I needed to do as A-1 and on. I chose my next assignment that was important to do and put it under B. I put my optional assignment or least important as C. I found this strategy helpful because I got all my work done without feeling under pressure.

Key:

Classes

Assignments

Different parts of the assignments

Learning Strategies

A. Faculty Interview Assignment

A-1Annotate Syllabi

A-2 Syllabus Checklist

A-3 Interview Teachers- signed papers

A-4 Reflection

B.Tech #2

B-1 Ranking Priorities

B-2 Reflection

B-3 Blog

C. Homework- strategy

C-1 Chose Strategy

C-2 Try Strategy out

Writing

A. Essay

A-1 Bumper Sticker

A-2 Outline Essay

A-3 Write Essay

B. Homework Assignments

B-1 Read

B-2 Write notes and annotate

B-3 Answer questions