Why, I’m so glad you asked without any solicitation whatsoever! I was just about to post about a few things I was told the other day during some presentations at university.

• When doing research, map out your sources and create a trail so you know where everything came from. If one thing links to another, it will help you find what you need to know when you’re looking for a quote you half-remember.
• If something seems like it will fit really well in a specific part of your project, write it down, because you won’t remember by the time you finish doing your research.
• In terms of pure memory, here’s some interesting numbers: you’ll forget 80% of what you learned in class within a week without any review whatsoever, but simply by reviewing what you learned that night you’ll retain 60% of the information. Basically, even if it seems silly at first, read over your notes when you get home. Check them again in a few days, then a week or so before your test or whatever you need to know the information for. It’ll take you less time than last-minute cramming, and you’ll get better grades as well.
• If your teacher repeats something, it will be important. No questions asked. Make a note about it so you know to study it later.
• To cut down on procrastination, make a definite schedule and do your absolute best to stick to it. If you dedicate an hour to studying and an hour to watching TV, you’ll get more out of it than you would if you spent two hours studying while watching TV.
• Use a calendar to keep track of important dates and set starting points for important projects. Don’t just start working when you feel like it or have some free time. Decide that you’ll start working on an essay a week or two before the due date, and you’ll have it done on time and end up with a lot less stress.

I’ve also learned that taking notes on a laptop is far easier than writing them by hand, but it can come down to personal preference as well. I plan on copying my notes out by hand when I start studying for tests and exams, as an initial review of what I’ve got before I start the real studying. I’ve heard from some people that they can visualize the notes they’ve written, down to the colour of pen used, so obviously taking notes on a laptop would be bad for those people.

So that’s what I’ve learned in one day of class and one day spent at various presentations! Actually going to the presentations put me in a draw to win a Kobo eReader so that’s kinda why I did them. But hey aren’t you all glad that I went?!