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Staying Organized

There are multiple ways that I stay organized that are essential to keeping track of assignments for each respective class.

First, I create a notebook or folder for each class where I can collect notes and printed materials. This ensures that all the materials for each specific class are in one place.

Second, I keep a weekly planner with all my due dates and test dates written down in it. Here, I take organization a step further and use a different color pen for each class. This helps me keep track of which assignments correspond with each class.

Third, I create a desktop folder for the semester with individual folders inside of it for each class. I collect my digital notes, assignments, and online resources in each folder and keep everything nice and organized.

Organization is key to success in a stressful academic situation. It makes things much less stressful when everything has a place.

Evaluating the Credibility of Online Sources

These are just a few key things to consider when evaluating the credibility of online sources.

First, check the author and the publisher. The author should have expertise in their field. The publisher can tell you a lot about the context and help you evaluate the motives behind the piece. Whether it comes from a non-profit organization, the government, or an established journal, the origin of the article is important.

Second, be aware of biases when evaluating accuracy. Make sure the claims that are made can be backed up by evidence, and always check multiple sources. Is the piece based in fact or opinion? Is the author or publisher affiliated with any organizations that might benefit?

Lastly, always evaluate the purpose of the article. It is important to know who the piece is intended for. Is the intended audience scholarly? Or is the article intended for the general public? It’s also worth inspecting what the intended outcome is. It may exist for information or to teach something, but it may also exist to persuade or sell a product. These are all relevant when evaluating the overall credibility of the source.

Overall, there are many things to look for, but with practice it becomes easy to spot when an article is not genuine. Misinformation is all around us, so we must be wary of the information that we readily accept.

 

Digital Note Taking

I use OneNote for my digital note taking. I create a section for each class, and start a new page for every new topic introduced in class. This usually goes by chapter, but sometimes I do it by class period.

There are many options for types of notes. Sometimes I simply type out my notes, using lots of bullet points to keep things organized. Most of the time, I take notes with my stylus on my two-in-one laptop directly onto a blank page. This method is my favorite, as I retain things better with traditional pen and paper notes, but there’s the added bonus of the technology that organizes everything into folders. Another strategy is to download a PDF of the lecture notes and write directly over the top of them. This is useful for powerpoint presentations because you can write down what the professor says and still get all the information on the slide.

Overall, digital note taking saves paper and is much more sleek and organized.