What's in your student toolbox?

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Information Storage 📀​

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First, establish a place to store and organize information! In the era of information overload, having an analog note-taking system (a Word document or notebook for recording daily events and class objectives) is one system, but what rises to the top as the most important data to keep on record? I suggest using the Google Docs Class Notes template, OneNote, or a website (like this one!) to track daily learning. In a poetry class, the discussion content serves to feed cavernous creative hunger. In an academic research course, a demonstrative session covering the hunt for academic sources may lead to a hands-on & source-rich treasure hunt of your own (a win for everyone involved!) (Record the results!).

 

Categories for note-taking could include:

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• Definitions 

• Key Concepts

• Dates/Chronologies

• Discussion Highlights

• Confusions/Questions (this category is often the most valuable; "confusion" has a bad reputation, but 80-100% of the time (if you use confusion to your advantage) it leads to good conversation, knowledge gathering, and finally... understanding! 

• IFFIP (Inspirations For Further Intellectual Pursuit) 

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Raised Hand and/or Voice 🙋🏽‍♀️​

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Keep your dictionary open, and raise your hand/voice/chat. Learning about language is a huge undertaking for most students. If your professor uses the word "parataxis" and you don't understand what the word means, don't stay lost (for long). Keep your dictionary ready and ask your professor to break new concepts down to simple terms. Professors move between professional audiences and non-expert audiences several times a day. They may forget to switch back to classroom-speak after a faculty meeting 🥴 (for example).

 

Keep a record of:

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• New concepts

• New allusions

• New vocabulary

 

And add to your Information Storage system👆🏼. 

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Establish Peer Contact 

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You and your peers are in this together! You may be inspired by content that escaped your peer/s, or they may have grasped a concept that left you feeling lost. Peer workshops are valuable, as is peer communication. 

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Establish Professor Contact

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Office hours tend to be underused in the era of digital communication. Professors are here to help you! If you prefer email/electronic communication, catching us during office hours may mean we have more time to consider your questions and respond with deeper consideration. ⏰ 📆​

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