Hello everyone!

In this module, the most useful thing I learned is how to stay focused while studying at home. I have always struggled to study at home because I have access to my phone, TV, and other distractions. The video in lesson slide 14, “How to Avoid Distractions and Stay Focused While Studying – 5 Practical Tips!”, provides some great tips on how to deal with these distractions. The first tip is to use time management and productivity apps. The second tip is to use two accounts on your computer, one for personal use and one for academic use. This will allow you to avoid getting distracted. The third tip is to clear your workspace. By clearing your workspace, you can avoid any distractions and only have what is essential in your workspace. The fourth tip is to put your thoughts on paper. This is one that I have just begun to do using post-it notes or Notability. By writing down thoughts, I can keep track of them and keep them for future use. It also helps me organize my thoughts. The final tip is to play background music. This will help block out any noise going on around you and block out distractions or interruptions. A playlist that helps keep you focused and calm should be selected. Overall, this video provides excellent ideas as to how you can improve your focus and block out distractions. I hope everyone found this as useful as I did!

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to “How to Avoid Distractions and Stay Focused While Studying – 5 Practical Tips!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAv0ko2pelE&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=WaysToGrow

Hello everyone!

The most useful thing I learned in this week’s module is understanding how to check for source credibility. This is an extremely important topic due to research papers requiring credible sources to back up any statistics, facts, arguments, etc. presented. The information I found is in Module 6 Lesson Slides 14 through 16. There are three aspects that are important in finding a credible source: reliability, quality, and utility. Reliability checks if the author or organization that published the source is credible/reputable. This allows us to see if we can trust the author. Quality checks if the paper is up to date, includes specifics, is consistent, is well written, is unbiased, and includes citations to other works. Utility checks if the article is related to the topic being researched and provides sufficient information for the topic. Utility also checks if the information is appropriate to the audience you are writing to. By looking over these aspects of credible sources, your research can be completed. The questions on the lesson slides will also help you determine if the source is credible. Many sources may appear to be credible which is why it is important to understand how to differentiate between a credible and non-credible source. I hope everyone found this as useful as I did!

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to Lesson Slides: https://osu.instructure.com/courses/82221/pages/lesson-module-6?module_item_id=4997182

Hello everyone!

The most useful thing I learned in this week’s module is taking notes. I have noticed that once I become confused about a concept, I begin to stop listening to the rest of the lecture because I am trying to figure out or understand the concept. The video located on slide 7 of the lecture slides, “Taking Notes in Class”, does an excellent job of explaining how to handle this situation and much more. The video emphasizes the importance of taking notes and how to take notes. Many of the errors students are making when taking notes connect to me. I have a hard time paying attention throughout the lecture and don’t actively listen. I try to absorb information by simply hearing the lecture. This is why I thought the mock lecture and note-taking activity were great to practice actively listening to lectures and comparing to Sarah and Kate’s notes. This allowed me to see two different approaches and take a close look at my method of taking notes to see if there are any strategies I could implement into my note-taking approach. I found that I use an outline method and my notes were not as detailed as Sarah’s or Kate’s notes. I think that I could work on this because normally I like to go back to lectures if I am confused about a topic rather than looking over my notes. Part of this is because I like to listen to the material instead of reading the material. Overall, this video did a great job of explaining two different note-taking methods and providing insightful note-taking tips.

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to “Taking Notes in Class”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc5qyMTjO3k&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=IUB_SAC

Hello everyone!

The most useful thing I learned in this module is active reading. I have always struggled with textbook readings because I become uninterested and my mind wanders. This results in me spending much more time reading than I should, so it was great to learn about strategies to help me retain the information I am reading.

In lesson slide 5, there is a video, “SQ3R Reading Method”, that introduces a strategy students can utilize to retain information while reading. The first step is to skim over the reading to get an idea of what the article or chapter will be about. The next step is to ask questions. This will make you more attentive to the reading since you will now have a purpose for reading the article or chapter. The third step is to read, you will now answer the questions you created in the second step. The fourth step is to recite, it is encouraged to answer each question out loud and in your own words. When you put something into your own words, it becomes easier to remember it later on. The final step is to review. Go over your notes and questions and maybe take additional notes on your notes. Adding details when the information is fresh in your head will make it much easier when looking over your notes in the future. I believe that this is a great approach to active reading and will definitely be using it. Hopefully, everyone can find this approach useful too!

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to “SQ3R Reading Method”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dhcSP_Myjg&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=JenJonson

Hello everyone!

The most useful and interesting concept of this module to me is procrastination. I’ve always believed, and still believe, that I do a good job of avoiding procrastination and doing my assignments and studying on time. However, I am definitely guilty of procrastinating, especially towards the end of each semester. At some point, it becomes difficult to focus since I’ve had to do so much work. I found that the video “‘Procrastination’ Tales of Mere Existence”, on lecture slide 5, is a great representation of how I procrastinate. I try to find small excuses to avoid doing any assignments or studying which continues until I decide it’s too late to do any work. Then this cycle continues until the very last minute.

I also found the segment on reasons behind procrastinating interesting. There is a video, “Why Students Procrastinate: 3 Hidden Reasons”, on lecture slide 6 that goes into detail on why student’s tend to procrasinate. I found that I didn’t relate to any of the reasons mentioned, but I found them interesting to learn about. The first reason some people tend to procrastinate is fear of failure. This was shocking because the reason I don’t procrasinate is fear of failure. The speaker goes into detail about how students prepare themselves to fail by giving themselves a reason to fail. It was interesting to learn about this because it had never crossed my mind. The second reason is fear of success, which, again, I use success as motivation to not procrastinate. There are people who are afraid or pushed away by the idea of being at the top of the class. This type of person hates the idea of being praised by teachers or professors and the idea of being criticized by others and would rather go unnoticed. The third type of procratinator resents authority. Therefore, they don’t want to be told to do an assignment or study for a test, despite the fact that it helps them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a student procrastinate due to resentment, however I can see the reason behind it.

One idea from this module I want to start using is the 10 minute rule, introduced in the video “3 Powerful Techniques to Beat Procrastination”, on lecture slide 7. The 10 minute rule involves taking a large task or project, and breaking it down into smaller tasks that will take around 5-10 minutes. This will make it easier to find the time to do the tasks and will be much faster and easier. I normally struggle with finding the motivation to complete large tasks because they’re so time consuming and difficult. As mentioned earlier, I would say the reason I tend to procrastinate towards the end of the semester is because I become tired and drained from all of the studying and assignments. Sometimes, I just need a break to better focus. Hopefully, everyone found the concept of procrastination as interesting as I did.

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to lesson slides: https://osu.instructure.com/courses/82221/pages/lesson-module-3?module_item_id=4997153

Link to “‘Procrastination’ Tales of Mere Existence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=TalesofMereExistence

Link to “Why Students Procrastinate: 3 Hidden Reasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_90AKJPLnk&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=faststudyskills

Lint to “3 Powerful Techniques to Beat Procrastination”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA8D1cGW5Qk&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=ArinaNikitina

Hello everyone!

The most useful thing I learned during this week’s lesson is how to properly format an email to your professor. The lesson slides (slides 7 to 11) do a great job of explaining common errors and the proper way to format emails. Most of my classes are currently online, so my primary method of communication with instructors and advisors has been through emails. I have had to send several emails regarding scheduling and other questions I have had. Therefore, I am slightly familiar with the proper format, but it is useful to review in order to ensure I am addressing my instructors correctly.

In order to email an instructor, a subject line is necessary to inform the instructor what the email is in regard to. You begin with a formal greeting, something along the lines of “Dear Professor ______,”. Afterward, you should include the context of your message. For example, “I am a student in your ______ class.” This allows the instructor to have a greater understanding of your email, since instructors may have several classes. Once your email is written, a closing including your full name should be included. For instance, I would finalize my email with: “Thank you, Stephen Yoon”. Once the email is complete, it is important to proofread your email, checking for spelling and grammatical errors. Do not treat an email to your teacher as you would a text message to some friends. Make sure to write in complete sentences and write formally. Also, if applicable, it is recommended that you check the syllabus and mention that you have checked the syllabus and Carmen. From my experience, the more you write emails the easier it becomes to follow these guidelines.

I hope everyone is doing well! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you have below!

Link to lesson slides: https://osu.instructure.com/courses/82221/pages/lesson-module-2?module_item_id=4997136