Academic Resources
Note Taking, Test Preparation & Time Management
Note Taking
• Come to Class Prepared – Students who come to class prepared usually take better notes. That means completing assigned reading before class and reviewing your notes from the last lecture.
• Compare Your Notes – Compare your notes with other students to ensure you did not forget something.
• Minimize Distractions – Sit in spots with less distractions if possible. Active listening is important.
• Visual Clues – not just handouts but facial expressions, hand & body signals that might suggest it is important.
• Organize Your Notes – Notes organized by date, class, and subject make it easier to locate specific lecture details. A good format to consider when taking your notes is the Cornell System for taking notes. See here. In this system you divide your paper into two columns. Draw a vertical line 2 ½ inches from the left side of your paper. This is the recall column of your notes. All your lecture notes will taken in the right of this margin. Later, keywords or phrases can be written in the recall (left) column. Take notes in the note taking column. Capture ideas and concepts. Skip space so you can see you are moving to another idea. Another option to consider is the outline method: main topic, sub-headings, and supporting facts.
• Use Abbreviations and Symbols – Teachers cover lots of information in lecture. This makes it hard to write everything down. Use common abbreviations and symbols.
• What Should Useful Notes Have – Key concepts & main points; examples; definitions & new vocabulary; references provided; questions on what you don’t understand; and any other thoughts you have.
• Write Clearly – It is important to use good penmanship when taking your notes so you can read them when you review later.
• Review Your Notes – You will retain information best if you review your notes shortly after class and then again before the next class. Write down questions you have. Chunk similar information into categories you can remember. Transcribe key concepts into words you can understand. Write a brief summary of your notes.
Test Preparation
• Be Prepared – Spend as many hours as needed to understand the materials. Plan your study time in blocks. Do not cram. Think like a teacher. Practice. Study every day if possible. Make your own study aids.
• Stay Healthy – Focus on your health and get regular sleep.
• Arrive Early – Relaxing will help with test taking.
• Listen – Instructions are important as sometimes the teacher might change things.
• Memory Dump – Write down what you think are important things while you remember them to avoid forgetting them during the test. That means write them down before you move into all the questions.
• Read Test Directions – Pay attention to all directions.
• Plan Your Time – Estimate how much time you will need for each section. Answer first things you know for sure.
• Look for Cues – Usually if two answers are similar, they are not correct. Look for curs from other questions. Often if the grammar in the answer does not match the question, it is wrong.
• Answer All Questions – Even if you do not completely answer your teacher might give partial credit.
• Be Positive – A positive attitude is important.
• Rely on First Impressions – Often your first impression is the right answer.
• Review – Finish your test early and then go back and review for mistakes. Focus on grammar, spelling and difficult questions.
• Analyze – Review how you feel after the test and decide what you might do different for the next test.
Time Management
• Time Management Skills That Employers Will Want to See From You – Prioritizing, Delegation, Decision-Making, Goal Setting, Multitasking, Problem Solving, Strategic Thinking, Scheduling, Managing Appointments, Record Keeping, Meeting Deadlines, SelfAwareness, Stress Management, Teamwork, Documentation, Evaluation, Etc.
• Understanding Prioritizing Your Time – Urgent, Important But Can Wait, Not Important
• Use the Priority Matrix – Do first, do next, do later, don’t do
• Delegate Tasks – Try to delegate tasks that others can do
• To Do List – Maintain a schedule of things to do and review often (but give yourself breaks); block your time
• Be Organized – Maintain a clean and organized study area
• Study Time – Know your best time to study
• Stress – Deal with stress how you know best
• SMART Goals – Specific, measurable, achievable & realistic
• Focus – Try to not multitask while studying; aligning your focus helps with results; consider focused efforts for 20-minutes at a time
• Accountable – Hold yourself accountable for results *Some of this material is thanks to Educational Corner that appears to no longer be around, Lifehack, Princeton Review, Skills You Need, Tony Robbins, and Zety.
Academic Resources
Think Tank is a resource on campus with the purpose to empower University of Arizona students by providing a positive environment where they can master the skills needed to become successful lifelong learners. Every University of Arizona student provides us with the opportunity to discover new ways of learning. By offering a wide range of programs and services, we encourage students to apply and refine transferable skills that will sustain them throughout their academic and professional lives. Strengthened by our partnerships, application of research, and use of technology, we create diverse learning environments that promote academic and personal exploration, collaboration, and critical thinking.
The SALT Center is a fee-based academic support program that inspires students with mild to moderate learning and attention challenges to succeed in higher education. Through the provision of comprehensive academic support services, the SALT Center encourages student engagement, self-awareness, and growth.
Thrive Center’s mission is to advance a community where students successfully navigate through, excel in, and graduate from the University of Arizona prepared for life after college. Thrive Center's work is focused on three distinct areas related to student persistence and degree attainment; building community for students who have been historically underrepresented on college campuses, are from low-income households, and/or are first generation college students, collaborating across campus to serve students, and centering students' wellness in and outside of the classroom.
Campus Health is committed to promoting the health, wellness, and safety of our University of Arizona community – a mission and common purpose that starts with you. To ensure our patients come first, our medical and behavioral health services meet the highest national standards, and our award-winning health promotion team works hard to improve the wellbeing of our student Wildcats. Campus Health takes pride in delivering high-quality, compassionate care, as we have done since 1918.
Part of My Brothers’ Keeper is caring for one another. Poor mental health is a real issue that many people struggle with. Never be afraid to reach out for help, it is our job as a fraternity and a brotherhood to be present for one another, support, and help one another to get the help they need. You are not alone.
