Note Taking Strategies of Highly Successful Students | The Art of Manliness

Although this article comes from, “The Art of Manliness” — a website geared towards the male gender –, it is, nonetheless, a very good article on note taking for both genders.

I do not permit laptops in class.

Note Taking Strategies of Highly Successful Students | The Art of Manliness.

The Secret of Studying

The secret of studying is this:  There is no secret.

The process is neither secret nor mystifying: learn the language of the field, make a lot of time to learn the language of the field, SQ3R, prove your competency in the language of the field.  Read on.

A.  The basics of studying is to learn a language field: anatomy, biology, history, law, literature, mathematics, medicine, music and zoology, among many others.  The language field of words (vocabulary, glossary) must be sufficiently assimilated to use coherently.

B.  Knowledgeable use or competent use of the field must be proved.  It prevents charlatans, posers, mountebanks, incompetents, hacks, liars, fabricators, actors and frauds from playing as if they know the field and applying the skills of the field to an unsuspecting public in order to gain money, power and prestige.  Having competency or knowledge must be verified by those that are competent.

Paragraph A defines what you are really doing when you study.

Paragraph B explains why knowledge of the field must be verified by exam.

If you do not accept Paragraph A or B, then you need to stop going to college and posing as a student.  If you accept Paragraph A and B, read on.

There is no secret to studying.  Writ short, you must spend time with the terminology so that you can write or speak the language without reference to notes or text.  There is no short cut to learning.  It is a hard process and not usually fun.  It is grim and injurious to the tasks of loafing, working, watching television, gaming, drinking and socializing.  Frankly, there is no education without tears.  Literally.  The pleasure principle lies on one side of the road, reality on the other.  You must sit yourself down in the chair at the desk or on the couch or someplace and concentrate on the language field.  That’s reality.

The non-secrets of studying:

1.  Make time to learn the language.  Set aside children, spouses, friends, work, socializing.

Set aside a lot of time to study without distractions of children, spouses, friends, work, socializing.

2.  Have texts and notes to study the language of the field.

3.  Survey the lesson.  Question the lesson.  Read the lesson.  Review the lesson.  Recite the lesson.  This is SQ3R (look it up to read more about the process).  I have applied the Baland-Rea variation to SQ3R, named after two of my students.  The Baland-Rea variation is to quickly rewrite your lecture notes after class.

4.  Go prove yourself to whomever: teacher, jury, committee.

Remember: learn the language of the field, make a lot of time to learn the language of the field, SQ3R, prove your competency in the language of the field.  The secret of studying is this:  There is no secret.