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Besides showing up and participating, taking notes will be one of the most important things you do in the classroom.  Taking notes will help you pay attention, retain information, and serve as a helpful study tool.

Here are a few keys to successful note taking.

  1. Find the medium that works best for you. Do you prefer to handwrite notes, type on a tablet or laptop, or a combination of either while recording the lecture?  You will need to confirm if your professors have any restrictions on how notes can be taken.
  2. Considering the evolving technological landscape, many students nowadays rely on laptops, versatile devices that cater to various academic needs. As they offer the convenience of typing, which can be faster and more organized than handwriting for many students.
  3. However, some people find that a hybrid approach, where they type on their student laptops for most of the content and jot down key points or sketches by hand, offers the best of both worlds. Ultimately, the choice of medium should align with your personal preferences and the specific requirements of your coursework. Experiment with different methods to discover which one suits you best and helps you retain information effectively.
  4. Do not write word for word. Find ways to shorten longer words, use abbreviations, and summarize bigger ideas.
  5. Ensure your notes are organized and are easy to understand.  Remember, you will refer to your notes in a few weeks (for a quiz or midterm) and possibly a few months (for a final).
  6. Compare notes with classmates. See if your classmate’s notes offer something different than your own notes.
  7. Review your notes often.  After class, before your next class, at the end of a chapter or section, and before tests. Reviewing your notes will allow the information to stay fresh and offer greater understanding of the information and build on new information being presented.

Learning to take notes early in your college career will not only be beneficial throughout your time in undergraduate school, it will also be helpful in graduate school, post graduate school, and later in your professional career.  Taking notes will help you take direction, review directives, and execute assignments. Although it will be time consuming, it will prove to be beneficial tool throughout your life.

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Have you ever heard the saying “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know?” Well that motto directly relates to networking. If you are not familiar with networking, this is something that you should start now as a student and take with you into the work force.  Networking is the exchange of information between people that could develop as your community of colleagues and may become your friends.

 

Networking is a very valuable tool as it allows you to connect and build relationships with others who may or may not be in your industry. Networking will allow you the opportunity to reach out to others and utilize them brainstorm ideas, determine benchmarks, develop mentor relationships, and of course for possible career opportunities.

 

You should see every interaction with people as an opportunity to network. Your very first exposure of networking may be in the form of family.  Career choices can be influenced by a family member or friend of the family.  These people will know you best and speak of your character.  They will be able to provide insight and advice on their career journey and it may have a positive impact on your journey.  When you need an internship, job shadowing experience, and professional interviews these will be your go to people.  Your relationship and performance may land you a career opportunity.

 

Your classmates will serve as the second source of networking opportunities. You will spend an immense amount of time with your classmates throughout your college career.  Be mindful of how you interact with others, how you make others feel, your work ethic, and overall relationship with them.  There may come a day when you may work with, work for, or rely on their opinion as it could impact your career.

 

The next group of people that serve as valuable networking tools, are your professors. Believe it or not, your professors are incredibly connected in the field.  They were in the field for years (and may still be in the field), they have friends in the field, and they may have access to a variety of professional opportunities.  Your professors will also be able to speak of your professional and academic skills.  You want to make sure you have a positive review from your professors by attending class and submitting assignments on time, working well with others, positively participating in the classroom, getting involved in your major’s professional organization, writing articles, attending conferences, participating in research opportunities, and volunteering whenever you can.  These things will shine a positive light on you and your professors will not hesitate to present professional opportunities to you.

 

The last source of networking that is available to you is the career development office on campus. If you have no idea where to start, not sure what events to attend, or how to approach potential networking opportunities the career center is the place to start.  This will allow you the opportunity to practice, get feedback, and obtain information about upcoming opportunities to network.  Stop by and see what services are available to you.  The services are free and you should utilize the career center every chance you get.

 

The most important part of networking is to connect with others, so you will want to have business cards or have your resume handy. If you don’t have either, add the person to your contacts in your phone and be sure to follow-up, so they also know how to contact you.

 

When it comes to networking, put your best foot forward, be yourself, and showcase your knowledge and skills.

Safety on Campus is a reoccurring topic.  In the days of school shootings, sexual assaults, and viral fighting videos school safety has never been more of a concern.  When things go wrong and incidents occur, fingers are pointed and everyone wants to know who is responsible.  The truth is campus safety begins with each student.  Each student should be aware of their own safety and well as the safety of others.  One of the first things you should take note of is safety practices on campus.  Campuses across the country have emergency alert systems.  The system allows you to be contacted via text message and email in the event of an emergency.  You should also add campus security/police as a contact in your phone. Having this information readily available allows quick access in the time of emergency.  Another helpful resource campus’ are implementing is the anonymous texting system.  The system allows you to anonymously send message to campus safety officials about possible incidents.  This allows you to report issues, possible threats, or bring things to their attention to further investigate.

As you are navigating around campus, you should always travel with caution.  While on campus you become comfortable and assume everyone is your friend. Campuses are targeted every day, lurkers standing by observing, someone trying to find their next target.  That is why it is extremely important to pay close attention to your surroundings, only share personal information with those you trust, and report suspicious activity. After hours, when travelling on campus, be sure to travel in groups and never walk alone. Campuses offer escort services; providing an officer to assist you in getting from one place to another.

While out you should be very careful when mingling and partying with others.  You should never accept a drink from someone that you do not know. You should also not leave your drink unattended. Any time away from your drink or accepting a drink from someone you do not know could place you in danger. The same rule applies to taking any other food, candy, or medicine from someone you do not know. You may not be aware but drugs come in all shapes, sizes and flavors.  Drugs can be placed in food, look like candy, or appear to be medicine.  Consuming such items can cause you harm and ultimately death.  Additionally, if physical safety becomes a concern be sure to find the closest exit to safety.  Grabbing your phone to take video should not be your first concern.  You should grab your phone to contact campus safety or to report the incident.  Your actions could help determine how the situation ends.  Be sure to create a buddy system and always know where your buddy is located and what they are doing at all times.  When it is time to leave be sure you leave together and that you both arrive home safely.  Leaving a friend could result in tragedy; arriving together, staying together, and departing together should be your primary goals throughout the evening.

Campuses are relatively safe places to be.  However, there are people the target college students for their lack of caution, maturity, and street knowledge.  Be sure you are aware of your surroundings and know which resources are available to you. Having the knowledge before a situation occurs will help you when a situation actually unfolds. Throughout your college experience you want to be open, have fun, and have new experiences, but you also want to be safe and you are ultimately responsible for your safety.

College is not all about the books and learning in the classroom.  College is really about learning from various life experiences and taking in all that college has to offer.  Last month we challenged you in our January 11th blog, to make short and long term goals to explore what your campus has to offer.  This month we echo those sentiments to get out and explore what your classmates are doing.  You have talented colleagues that will go on to do some amazing things.  Now is the time you can see them display their truly raw talent, before the limelight, the professional contracts, and the record deals.

Take pride in the awesome skills and talented abilities offered by your classmates.  Go to the Big Game and cheer on the full back from your psychology class.  Give a standing ovation to your chemistry lab partner.  Buy tickets to support your Resident Assistant at the music recital.  Showing your support to your classmates helps to boost school spirit, helps develop relationships, and connects you to the university.

A major focus is placed on academics and doing well in classes, but success outside the classroom is just as important. Participating in activities outside the classroom, allows you to develop your interpersonal skills, provide networking opportunities, and allows you to reduce the stress from the class room.  Accepting our challenge to be more engaged on campus, coupling your classroom room experiences with your out of classroom experiences, and supporting your fellow colleagues will increase your chances of having a well-rounded college experience.