So, they say you learn a lot in college. They are right. I already learned that I am not as smart as I thought I was. Oh wait,,,,,maybe it was that I need more than three to four hours of sleep a night. Nope, I remember, it was that I have an old brain and it is not cooperating!
All kidding aside, I hit a wall. I spent so much time reading and studying etc this whole last week. There were online assignments due by midnight( I had minutes to spare when I turned them in, thank you), and couple hundred pages to read and remember all the info. Oh, and what was for each class. Heaven forbid I get involved in a class discussion and start discussing the wrong class. Anyway, I have been super busy with working full time, taking a full load of classes etc,,,,,etc,,,, but i thought I was in control of it. I KNEW this material. Heck, I could write you a three page paper on any of the readings I have read. So it was with great confidence that I took my first quiz in one of my classes, looking forward to getting it done so I could continue reading, learning, etc. yeah............you guessed it. FAIL! I only got 6 out of ten! I was and am devastated. I cannot have this. That big whooshing sound you just heard was my confidence leaving me.
I know it is just one quiz, and blah blah blah.....but I knew this material. It was the way the questions were asked and I just didn't see the connections. WHAT NOW!
Well, I am not quiting, just needed to vent. I am so disappointed with myself.
Any really great ways you guys have in taking notes on your readings? I am wondering if maybe the problem was that I read the required reading so far in advance and felt comfortable with it. Maybe I should disregard my rule of not defacing literature and mark up my books with easy to spot ideas, events, etc. Just thinking aloud here people. It may be only 6 points but it is a precedent I do not want to repeat.
All pride is gone so any suggestions for this old (with way old brain) college student, just shout it right out!
Have a better day than me you awesome blog stalkers!
9 comments:
I can see how that would shake your confidence. But whenever I've failed at something I just shake the dust off, pull myself up by the bootstraps, and move on. No sense in beating yourself over the head, because you can't go back and redo it. What's past is past. Hang in there, my dear! As to note-taking, I had to take voluminous notes while serving on Grand Jury. I tried word-for-word to begin with...then abbreviated it down to my own style of shorthand...not EVERY word is important, just the facts. I dunno how else to explain it. But time and experience you gain will help you...YOU CAN DO IT!
It's been a hundred years since I attended college so I have no advice. I don't think my poor brain could handle it these days. :)
Don't worry about the first quiz. Those are almost always the worst just because you have NO IDEA what to expect.
As for note taking, use different colors to keep the classes straight. and Highlighting things is always fun!
I know you can do it, you're brain isn't to old, just out of practice. You'll pick it back up in no time.
It has been years since I was in school.
No one likes to fail. As for note taking, well I am digging in the vault of my brain for this one. I will say that for my high school children they say using a different color for each class helps. After reading some thing just making a few notes on what I read that seem to stick out in my mind always helped.
Wish I could help you out more.
Hope your having a better day today!
Read and re-read and mark up that book. And RELAX. You sound just like my beloved grandson. :)
You know- half of getting good grades is knowing how to test. I used to get A's on stuff I didn't really know, just because I was a good test-taker. Get some practice quizzes. Pay attention to how your teacher is phrasing things, and the answer they expect from it. Learn the art of deductuve reasoning- it's way more effective than cramming your already crammed head with more random facts.
I think the idea of using a different color for each class is a good one.
And I know it feels really bad but it is just one quiz. At least it was only that and you can be a little more prepared for the next one. Usualy the quizzes matter very little in your final grade but those exams'll getcha so just refocus and do better on the next one!
I am such a procrastinator, so I don't read my lessons in advance. As a result, the material is still somewhat fresh. I usually highlight material read, make a review sheet, and I always make flashcards...always. I hope that helps. I took this semester off because I was such a slacker last semester. Good luck. The good thing, now you know how the test or quizzes are formatted and you can adjust.
ok -- so wanna know a little bitty secret??? though I managed to get good grades last semester -- i got a 6 out of 10 on one of my quizzes too. just once - but you're right. it is enough to shake your confidence. the first few weeks of my first semester back i took copious notes and read EVERYTHING. It was very overwhelming. So for ME, this is what works - I skim the required reading and if there is terminology that is bolded or in the margins, I HIGHLIGHT them. Yes -- I do use highlighters on ALL my school books. I have to, or I'd fail. I figure if it works to help me remember scriptures, It can't hurt here. I have used flash cards for my bio class. Term on one side, definition on the other. For my criminal justice class i had to really read in order to answer the essay questions. but my comm 1010 class was all open book quizzes and then a weekly discussion, which we had to post online, and then respond to 2 classmates' posts. For that class I highlighted key words and phrases, and answered the "thinking" sections at the end of each chapter. I guess, what I am saying is each instructor might be different. so find what works for you now, and do whatever it takes. and you really are smarter than most of those other kids in there, i just know it! ;)
good luck!
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