Step 1: Taking smart notes

• Rielle: 'Students who develop superior study skills can do more in less time'
• Rote reviewing


  Reading and rereading all of your notes for an absurd amount of time in the hopes of pulling all of that information out of your head during the actual quiz or exam
• Rote reviewing is a terrible way to study
• Rote reviewing is mentally draining and not worth the insane amount of time you put in studying using this technique
• There are many effective and time efficient ways to study and rote reviewing is not one of them
• Quizzes


  Less than 15 percent of your final grade
• Exams


  15 percent or more of your final grade
• Tiny quizzes


  Less than 5 percent of your final grade
• Quizzes are check ups, not comprehensive evaluations
• Take smart notes


  1. Gather the right materials

  2. Take smart notes in non-technical courses

  3. Take smart notes in technical courses
• Gathering the right materials

  • Pen and notebook for each class
  • Laptop if handwriting can't keep up with lecture pace
  • Folders to store every piece of paper received from classes
• Non-technical courses


  Courses not focused on quantitative reasoning
• Take smart notes in non-technical courses

  1. Identify and understand the big ideas

  2. Format notes aggressively

  3. Capture big ideas using question/evidence/conclusion structure
• Take smart notes in technical courses

  1. Record problem statements and answers

  2. Question the confusing

  3. Record steps of sample problems

  4. Annotate the steps
• The more problem sets you take notes of during technical course lectures, the better
• The most efficient way to use technical course textbooks and reading materials is to read them while following the professor's examples as the topic is being taught in class, not before