Part of effective study involves engaging on a topic in a deep way. Going over a lecture or reading in a shallow manner can result in hours upon hours of fruitless, ineffective study that might even lead to failing a class. Even if the student is able to pass a class by studying superficially, it is very likely to soon forget what has been read.

One way to retain information is through adequate note taking strategies. This can be done in a lecture or while reading a chapter from a textbook. For subjects in the humanities, note taking can be done effectively with the Cornell Method, with which facts can be listed chronologically, with bullet points and indented subcategories. Other note taking strategies for subjects in the humanities include drawing diagrams and charts. Color coding notes helps focusing on the central ideas of a lecture or chapter.

Taking notes for subjects from lectures and textbooks in the sciences and math is not quite the same, in my opinion. For example, a lecture on thermodynamics and mass and energy analysis of control volumes requires jotting down the most important equations and understanding important concepts, such as mass flow rate and the conservation of mass principle. Additionally, it would be important to learn how certain steady-flow devices work, including nozzles and diffusers, turbines and compressors, throttling valves, mixing chambers, and heat exchangers. These kinds of notes are not chronological, and may require extensive use of diagrams to understand the association between terms, as well as charts, to compare quantities and properties among them.

Making a habit of note taking is important since doing so frequently is better than on rare occasion, especially right before an exam. Finally, it’s necessary to realize that note taking is not just done to interiorize concepts by maintaining focus during a lecture, but also to go back and review what has been written down. For the latter to happen, one must take notes with plenty of time in advance.

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Lesson: module 5, slides 7, 10, & 13.

I recall not having a study method many years ago. Someone I knew back when I began my college life once showed me ways to study more committedly. However, it took me years to understand these steps and I often fell into the habit of unstructured reading and studying – “lazy reading”, so to speak. Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two, and would like to share that with students who are beginning their studies in college and are facing new academic challenges.

Reading articles, novels and textbooks efficiently requires concentration. Multitasking impairs effective reading, especially when studying from a textbook for an exam. There are several techniques to improve concentration when studying from a textbook, including breaking down studying into equal portions, separated by brief moments of relaxing “rewards” (the so-called “Pomodoro Technique”), as well as studying in the right environment, whether at a library or a cafe, or at a place where both concentration and pleasure can be found. Meditation before engaging in reading is also important, as well as asking yourself why it is important to go through the process of reading and studying something, especially if it is hard or if you are not particularly motivated by a particular subject.

During the study process, active reading involves engagement. Passive reading is doing so without a plan of action, waiting for whatever comes in the next paragraph, without a real desire to discover what is on the page. Active reading helps create associations which improve long-term memorization. Structuring this process with the SQ3R (S – skim, Q – questions, 3R – read/recite/review) reading method can be very helpful to study as efficiently as possible. It consists on first, going over, or skimming, the reading from a bird’s eye view, paying attention to any titles, subtitles or words in bold present on a particular chapter. While skimming, it is important to ask questions about the reading, taking as many notes as possible throughout the chapter at stake. These questions will later help guide you through the reading, making it easier to understand. Then, of course, comes the reading portion of studying the text, but while doing so (after each section, for example), remember to recite in your mind (or out loud) important parts of the reading as you go over it. Finally, it is necessary to review what has been read. Recapitulating a section of a chapter at a time, and then doing so for the entire chapter, is crucial to interiorize the material.

Last but not least, it is crucial to study with time in advance. Always pay attention to lectures and try to read a certain section that you know will be covered during lecture beforehand. I advise you to start dedicated study for an exam two weeks in advance. Doing so earlier might lead to forgetting the contents if not reviewing adequately, and doing so in less than two weeks might cause you not to cover all the material in a way that will be effective for the exam. Starting dedicated study the weekend before the exam is usually a terrible idea.

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Lesson: Module 4, slide 5

It is well known that Buddhism embraces the idea that living in the present moment while not dwelling on the past or anguishing about the future is necessary to live in harmony with oneself and follow the path to enlightenment. Does instant gratification help us live in the present moment? It briefly appeaces our anxiety, for certain, but doesn’t help us seize the present in a righteous way, as living in the here-and-now must be accomplished with a perspective of the consequences of our current actions.

Wild animals fulfill their basic needs in generally simple ways. They do so by feeding themselves when hungry, finding shelter when cold, or sleeping when tired. They don’t worry about the past or stress about the future in unnecessary ways (e.g. a bird builds a nest as it plans to brood its eggs on it, which is necessary for the continuation of its species). Thus, one could say that wild animals succeed at living mainly in the present moment and at times in the future because their survival depends on it. Unlike them, many people tend to avoid facing foreseeable uncomfortable challenges in the future by irresponsibly engaging in distracting activities. This illogical and contradictory reasoning process is the phenomenon known as procrastination. In my opinion, it ensues from a lack of evolutionary neurological development of the human brain.

I believe the human brain is not a final product, so to say. It is still evolving, which explains, for instance, why there are so many psychiatric disorders that wild animals don’t present, and why we often fail to succeed in our interpersonal relationships, whether in romance, our relationships with coworkers, or the interaction among groups of individuals (e.g. differences among ethnic groups, which often leads to armed conflict). Our emotions and analytical thinking grapple with one another. In the case of procrastination, anxiety brought up by several reasons (e.g. perfectionism and fear of failure, fear of success and rebellion against authority) blinds objectivity and practicality.

Additionally, with the advent of the internet, smartphones and social media, the world in which we live today is increasingly full of distractions that encourage the procrastinator to triumph in his misdeeds. Likewise, there is a tendency to engage in multiple life projects simultaneously, especially in highly developed countries (which coincidentally suffer from higher levels of stress). To illustrate the latter statement, students in the US often have the opportunity to double major in college, and they have the opportunity to join integrated programs (e.g. BS/MS, MS/PhD, Medical Residency/MS), thus doubling their amount of academic workload and fueling on stress and anxiety.

In order to avoid procrastination effectively, I advise students and working professionals to address the anxiety that causes it. Simplifying one’s life when possible, and engaging in meditation or mindfulness can certainly help. Pursuing cognitive behavioral therapy might also be a smart strategy to challenge the natural tendency for procrastination that afflicts many.

I have written an article that deals with the subject of anxiety and depression, also from an evolutionary neurological standpoint, back in April 23, 2019, titled The Neurological Source of Depression, which I believe can bring interesting additional insights: https://u.osu.edu/juarez.41/2019/04/23/the-neurological-source-of-depression/

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Lesson: Module 3, slide 6