Something that I have learned about myself is that studying can be easy if you try to make it fun. There have been countless times where I would sit at my desk and just read and read, eventually take some notes, and be completely bored out of my mind. Now, I try to incorporate creative forms of studying such as timelines and mind maps. I also love the Cornell note-taking strategy. I have been using this for my other classes and it has been very beneficial. It is a very organized way of taking notes and I like how everything is divided up on the page for easy viewing, there are main points, and a summary at the end so I can keep track of everything.

My most meaningful experience in this course would definitely be the creative study strategies and techniques to avoid procrastination. As I said previously, I thoroughly enjoy the creative study tools such as mind maps and timelines. I have also been keeping up with the time tracking assignment which has been very helpful for me. I now know how much time I spend on studying versus how much time I waste doing other things. It has really helped me keep up with reading assignments that I would have previously put off without thinking much of it.

This class has had numerous effects on me in applying it to different classes. Like I mentioned previously, I have taken the study strategies that I learned in this class and applied it in my other classes and it has been a major help. I have also been looking up podcasts and videos online when I do not understand something during class. Also, every time I think about procrastinating I think back to our modules and realize it is not worth the time lost and that it only creates more stress. Thus, this class has been very beneficial to me in many different aspects but mostly through creative study cools, ways to not procrastinate, online search strategies, and efficient note-taking strategies.

This week’s assessments were very beneficial  in regards to how to reevaluate searches when you are not getting relevant information and how to take advantage of our library’s resources. I honestly have not used the library’s website too much and the information provided was beneficial by breaking it down step-by-step to make the most of what it has to offer. For example,  I did not realize that when finding an article online on the library’s website, there is a tab that already has the source cited for you in different formats such as APA or MLA. Little things like that make finding and citing sources a breeze.

Something else that is very useful and something that I will put to the test next time I need to research something are the three aspects essential to source credibility: reliability, quality and utility. In regards to reliability, it is important to look for contact information,credentials of the author, whether or not it was peer reviewed, and the reputation of the publisher. Information quality is also important in regards to if it is up to date, consistent, well written, biased, etc. And finally information utility is important because you need to have information related to your topic, target the right audience, and decide whether it is enough detail. These three aspects are very important in choosing the right sources related to your topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1QBxVjZAw

This video explains the complex nature of Supply Chain Management and how there are many underlying processes in making a simple product such as a bottle of water. The point of this video is to explain the underlying materials, boxes, people, machines, buildings, energy, fuel, and vehicles that are needed to supply these products to the consumer. Many of times consumers do not realize how much time, effort, and money is spent into providing something simple like a bottle of water. Thus, these businesses are challenged when they buy, make, sell, service, or move things because it is important that these processes run smoothly and flawlessly to obtain maximum quality and minimal cost. Thus, this is the job of a supply chain manager.

This video was a great help to me when I had to learn about supply chain management in one of my classes last semester. My professor showed it to us in class but before he did, he had a long drawn out slideshow about supply chain management and my initial thoughts were thinking that this is going to be a long semester, this class is going to be boring, and I don’t care to learn about any of this this.  However, after he showed us this video, I realized how important this is and how we really do not think about the underlying factors affecting a product. I became genuinely interested in the topic and the video really mapped out all of the important factors and resources that go into making a product and how important it is that things go smoothly. I now have a greater respect for supply chain managers after watching this video.

Something that I found super interesting was the Cornell Method, discussed in our listening strategies workshop. I honestly did not realize that there were that many methods of note-taking and as a way of bettering myself, I will use this method this week in my classes. I often find myself not even going over my notes that I take in class because they are messy and it is difficult figuring out what I was meaning to say or what my notes are referring to. I like that this method includes a record, recall, recite, reflect, and review aspect. I also find it helpful that it outlines the big picture with a summary and then bullet points main ideas and supporting ideas behind it all on the same page.  The listening strategies workshop was very helpful in introducing these methods and how they can help improve your note-taking skills.

Something else that I will experiment with this week is online lectures. If I do not understand a topic that my professor goes over in class, I will use the websites posted to see if there are any instructional videos on those topics. I feel like I am more of a visual learner so this would be a great way to expand on my knowledge of the subjects. This week’s topics were very helpful to experiment with different note-taking strategies and figuring out which one will work for me.

Overall, this week’s material was very beneficial to enhancing study techniques and creating strategies to study. The reading posted, Reading Strategies , was interesting to me because there are so many times when I will read something, even multiple times, and still not get anything out of it. It’s like my mind wanders and I’m not completely focused. Or it may be because I’m just not interested. Whatever the case may be, this article gives out some valuable guidelines to help focus on reading.

Something that I will do this week as I read is to make a time each day in which I have the most energy and spend time reading material that is more advanced and requires more comprehension. Also, I will attempt to read actively by taking notes and highlighting important material. As for studying, this material was really helpful in providing those websites for study strategies. I honestly wish I could have known about these sites before because it can be super helpful. I will definitely be using these websites this week to enhance my study technique. Making small changes to study habits can bring about bigger changes in the future. This week I will be sure to engage in a quiet study environment and put these strategies to the test.

Technology has become increasingly important in communicating and collaborating on academic projects. Blogs, discussion boards, email, and online chats have made connecting with others faster and easier. It is a simple way for others to engage in discussions and share their thoughts and opinions on different matters. It brings about new ideas and ways of thinking that we would not have thought of otherwise. Getting feedback from others is an important factor because it helps stimulate different ideas and different forms of constructive criticism, especially during academic projects.  It is very important for college students because I have had numerous classes that require blog posting, participating in online discussion boards, and many many group projects.

Something that personally stuck out to me was the feature, Doodle. I have never heard of this and because I have had many group projects in my college career, I really wish I would have known about this feature. I personally think that the hardest part about group work is finding a time that everyone can meet. In the past I have just done it by email, but it easily gets messy and hard to figure out a nice time frame. I will definitely be using this in the future. Also, using Google Docs has been a life saver for me and my group projects. When there is no possible time that we can meet before our deadline, we all just go online and make changes and comment on what we think about it. It’s an easy way to work together virtually when everything else fails.  It is also important in general to keep an open mind when working on a group project. It’s amazing how many great ideas can come out of basic brainstorming within a group of different people with different mindsets.