Returning: Upcoming changes July 19th, 2011
So I realize it’s been a while since this blog was active. However, I’m not dead and I don’t want this blog to be either. In the upcoming couple of weeks (or months?), I’ll be working on revamping this blog before returning to writing.
Some things to look forward to:
- A new domain name: One that is much easier to pronounce and actually suggests what this blog is about.
- A new layout: While this layout has been fine, I’m currently trying to design a new layout that will be a bit more modern and elegant.
- Updated content: Some of the old posts need to be revised with more current information (or even just improved based on my own experiences).
And, once all this is done, I’ll resume writing new content.
I can’t give much of a timeframe for all of this, but look for it to be done around the end of summer/early fall.
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How to take notes on a laptop for class May 23rd, 2009
One of the best benefits about going to college nowadays is the option to take notes using a laptop or netbook rather than handwriting it. Typing out your notes can offer many distinct and huge advantages:
- Speed. If you know how to type, you can usually type much faster than you can write. The less time you spend writing, the more time you spend listening.
- Convenience. If all of your files are saved on your laptop, you don’t need to worry about losing your notebook for that class, or checking to make sure if you have the right one.
- Organization. You have a lot of control over how you take notes — you can make lists, you can bold/italicize/underline words, you can highlight important topics, you can make headings, and so forth.
- Ctrl+F. If you’re trying to find a specific topic, you can use the nifty shortcut ctrl + f to find the topic quickly rather than hunting through many handwritten pages.
- Easy to share. If a friend needs to look at your notes, it’s easy to just copy the file/text, rather than lending out your notebook or photocopying a couple of pages. Plus, it’ll always be neat and legible!
If you want to take notes with your laptops, there are some things to definitely think about beforehand:
Does the professor allow notes with a laptop?
Nowadays, you can (usually) assume the professor will allow notes from a laptop. From my experience, most professors who don’t allow laptops feel very strongly about it and will make it immediately clear on the first day of class, verbally and/or in the syllabus. For larger lectures, laptops are virtually always allowed, but for small classes of about 20 or less, laptops may be a bit more iffy.
You should always respect a professor who doesn’t allow laptops.
Find a good program to take notes with.
For most uses, a typical word processor (like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer) will do just fine. These programs provide enough features — such as bolded words, headings, and so forth — for you to get by just fine.
You can use a simple text editor like noetpad if you want to, but these lack the organizational options you’ll probably want. You should definitely stick with a word processor.
If you have Microsoft Office, OneNote works incredibly well and is definitely worth trying.
How you organize your files is up to you. I like to keep all of my notes for a class in a single file, but if you want to create a new one each day, that’s fine.
Concentrate on the class.
If you know how to type without looking, this is ideal. Pay attention to what the professor says and occasionally check to see if what you’re typing is still understandable. You can correct simple misspellings later.
Avoid distractions!
This is a big one. If you have your laptop with you, you have all the distractions that come with it, like instant messaging and Facebook. Keep any programs closed that will distract you and don’t you dare open them.
Similarly, don’t distract other students either. Make sure your sound is muted. Try not to type too loud. Also, what you have on screen can be distracting too — if you’re playing Tetris or something, other people can see that and it’s easy for them to be distracted as well.
Make sure you have enough battery life.
You should charge your laptop before class to prevent it from dying on you. If you’re having trouble getting enough battery life, you should check out these tips to avoid running out.
Some classrooms have power outlets, so bringing your adapter is a great idea just in case.
Keep an eye on your laptop.
You may have a laptop lock back at your dorm, but in class your laptop is fair game. Never leave it unattended — keep it with you wherever you go, or at least make sure a trustworthy friend is watching it. Laptop theft is extremely common at college, and losing your laptop is the last thing you want.
Of course, you also want to take care of your laptop. Put it in a protective case and set it down gently. Treat it well.
Not all classes are well-suited to take notes on a computer.
For some classes, you’ll find that taking notes on a computer can be a problem. Most math classes are horrible for taking notes on a computer because they rely heavily on drawn diagrams and complex symbols. Even though some programs will allow you to make these diagrams or symbols, you’ll find it will go much faster if you draw them, making handwritten notes the preferred way.
Although some simple drawings are easy to make on your laptop, for any class with many difficult drawings or symbols, you should avoid the laptop.
Largely, you should use your laptop to take notes if it helps you out. If you do better by hand, then by all means use your hand! The point is to make learning easy for you, not to inconvenience yourself.
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5 Reasons you Fail to Make the Grades you Desire May 15th, 2009
Jay Willingham writes a college advice blog at CampusByte. His site’s main aim is to help people develop Study Skills by incorporating new technology.
Are you the type of person who starts every semester with that little promise to yourself – “I’m going to make this my best semester ever!” Do you start the semester strong, get lazy during the middle then cram when it comes time for finals? Maybe you’re the type of person who feels like they do everything right but just can’t seem to make the grades they desire.
If you can relate to any of the above questions then this article is for you. Most students start the semester strong because they have a fresh slate to work with. Then, as the semester drags on, apathy kicks in and students loose sight of their goals.
In this article I want to address the 5 main reasons students fail to make the grades they desire. I hope these points help you see where you might be going wrong.
1. Not Believing in Yourself
The first step to achieving your goals is having confidence. I cannot stress how important this is. If a bad test grade discourages you or you accidentally sleep in and miss an important class, you can’t give up.
Some of my worst grades in college came from not believing in myself. I remember I took a class my freshmen year called “History of Print Media”. Sounds interesting right? Well it turned out to be one of the worst grades I’ve ever received, not because the class was hard but because I didn’t believe I could write a 12-page research paper. I doubted myself, and I ended up with a bad grade because of it. Since then I’ve written several papers of that length and many of them were longer.
If you start doubting yourself, take a step back and think about how important your goals are. Remind yourself that the only thing preventing you from achieving your goals is yourself. If you can’t prepare yourself mentally then you will never have the confidence to make the grades you want when the going gets tough.
2. Bad Time Management/Organization
If you don’t own a planner, get one. I personally use iCal on my Mac, which also syncs with my iPhone. If you are techno savvy, this is an excellent way to organize your life. Make sure your planner includes everything:
- Test dates from your syllabus
- Project deadlines
- Last day to drop a class
- School holidays
- Professor office hours
- Club and Organization Meetings and Events
- Doctor’s Appointments
- Football/Basketball Home Games (not required but it helps me)
- Final Exam/Midterm dates and times
- Any other event or task that you need to be aware of
Doing this will drastically reduce your stress level. It allows you to know when your “busy” weeks will be, and to plan accordingly.
3. Lacking Prioritization
As a senior in college, I am extremely busy. I’m taking 15 hours of classes, I work 30 hours a week at an internship, I write for my own blog and guest posts like this one, I have job-interviews every other week and I still manage to make it to the gym 5 days a week. So how do I manage to do all of these things while getting my homework done? The simple answer is prioritizing.
I keep a ‘To-Do List’ along with my planner with things that need to be completed but do not have a deadline. For example, getting a haircut and updating my resume are both on my list.
Once you’ve created a ‘To-Do List’ choose the most important task from your planner and your “To-Do List” with the closest due date, and complete it.
4. Inconsistency
If you’re the student who starts strong and gets lazy in the middle of the semester, this section is for you. In order to make good grades you must be consistent with your studies. This means treating each exam, paper, quiz, project and assignment the same. The first test of the semester is just as important as the final exam.
If you struggle with consistency, try studying in groups. If you can surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you, your chances of staying motivated increase greatly.
5. Not Asking for Help
During the first few weeks of school, make an effort to meet your professor or TA in their office hours. Introducing yourself and talking about your goals with them will give you a head start when it comes to the first exam.
Once you have built a relationship with your professor or TA, you will have someone there who will be willing to help you when you run into trouble during the semester.
What else have you found to get in the way of making the grades you desire? I would love to hear your additions in the comments!
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How do I improve my GPA in college? April 24th, 2009
Your grade-point-average (GPA) in college is still a very important statistic. Many employers will look at your GPA before deciding whether or not to hire you, and graduate schools will definitely look at your GPA before deciding whether or not to admit you. It’s important to have as high of a GPA as you can get by the time you graduate college.
If you calculated your GPA and you don’t think you have a good GPA, you should definitely consider trying to raise it, no matter what year you are in your studies. If you’re a freshman, keep in mind that it feels a lot easier to maintain a decent GPA than it does to bring a low one up. If you’re near graduating, every bit can help out, and raising your GPA a tenth of a point could still make a pretty big difference.
Raising your overall GPA
Because your GPA is based only on the grades that you earn in college, there’s only one way to raise it: get better grades. If your GPA is around a 2.2, then any grade that counts for more than 2.2 points (a C+ or higher), will help increase your GPA. Vice versa, any grade that counts for less than your GPA will lower your GPA (if you have a 2.2, a C or lower will hurt you).
Any grades that are way above (or below) your GPA will make a much bigger change — an A will raise your GPA much more than a B. And any grades that are pretty much the same as your GPA will keep your GPA where it is. To improve your GPA, you need as many of the best grades that you can get.
This is pretty straight-forward and obvious, but how you go about getting better grades can definitely vary. The key to raising your grades isn’t just “get better grades”, but to identify why your grades are low in the first place. Take a minute to think and ask yourself, “what is the major reason my grades are low?”
“I’m taking really hard classes”
If you’re in a tough major, you have been (and will be) taking challenging classes all throughout college. Even when you do your best, these classes might still be so hard that you can’t earn the grades you want. Over time, your GPA will show this, and you might find yourself struggling to improve it.
The solution is simple — take easier classes. This can be tough, depending on how you have your classes planned out over the years, but if you can at all make room or time to take some easier classes, you should do it. Simple general education classes in subjects you’re strong in (or interested in) can make a big difference. It’s easy to get at least a B (if not an A) in many of these classes, since you’re already used to working hard in your current classes. The more classes like this you can find room for, the more your GPA will show it.
“I don’t have enough time to do well in every class!”
Some of us are just busy. If you have a full course load and are struggling to have enough time to keep up with it for whatever reason, you have a couple options.
For one, you could try just taking some less-demanding classes — ones that don’t require you to put so much time into them. That way, you can prioritize your schedule and give more time to the harder ones.
If that doesn’t work, considering taking fewer classes — drop a class that you don’t need and don’t replace it. This will free up time for you because you’ll have one less class to worry about. The catch here, though, is that since you’re taking fewer classes, your GPA won’t change as much as if you were taking a full load. However, 4 A’s are a lot better than 5 C’s, so it’s definitely still an option. Keep in mind that you may need a certain number of units to be a full-time student.
“I’m just not trying hard enough to do well.”
If you’re not applying yourself, then don’t be surprised that your grades aren’t what you want them to be. You need to buckle down and start trying, otherwise your grades will never improve. That’s going to take will power, and you’re going to need to muster it up.
In the meantime, a lot of the same advice works here as well — try to take easier classes and try to gradually learn to apply yourself.
Recovering from a low GPA can take a lot of time, but if you keep at it and find the best way to improve it, it can be done.
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Should I buy my high school yearbook? April 17th, 2009
I noticed in high school that, for many students, yearbooks are either something to get every single year, or not at all. Some students buy a yearbook no matter what, but others completely refuse every year. Students always are told, “you’ll want a yearbook to look back on!”, but being young it’s hard to actually decide if that’s true or worthwhile.
Why buy a yearbook?
Having a yearbook is a cool way to be able to look back on the year. Looking back at pictures of yourself and your friends at different points in your lives can be pretty fun, and a great way to reminisce.
Plus, having friends sign your yearbooks is always fun. It’s cool to see what people have to say about you.
Why not buy a yearbook?
The main reason that I can see is the cost. For many high schools, yearbooks can cost over , and some cost 0. Granted, you’re (usually) buying a quality album, but this is still a hefty price tag for many high school students.
Usually, there are ways to help cut the cost. Many schools will fluctuate the price of yearbooks — you may be able to buy it for less if you reserve it far in advance, or perhaps at the beginning of the next year, when there are leftover yearbooks the school is trying to get rid of.
For other students, yearbooks just generally aren’t appealing at the time, for whatever reason. I asked friends who didn’t buy yearbooks why they decided not to, and they said, “I hate high school and don’t want to remember it”, “It doesn’t seem worth it to me”, or even “I just don’t care”.
How about buying the yearbook my senior year?
Buying a yearbook for all four years of high school may be a bit unnecessary, but I would strongly recommend buying your yearbook in your senior year.
After your senior year, you’ll never most of your classmates again. Their autographs and pictures in your yearbook are as good of a way as any to remember the people you used to see every day. Plus, yearbooks usually focus primarily on the seniors, with large sections devoted to sports, clubs, senior sendoffs, and just general pictures of the leaving class. It’s the one year that the yearbook is most about you.
Whether or not you buy one is up to you (and if you can afford it), but I strongly recommend buying at least one yearbook while you’re in high school — and of course I recommend it being during your senior year. I would say the other three yearbooks are much more optional.
How much am I going to use my yearbook?
A yearbook isn’t something you’re going to casually look through several times a week, but rather something you stumble upon once every several years and take a glance through. You might open it to reminisce about high school, to try to remember that one kid’s name, or even to show your children what you were like when you were a pesky teenager.
I’ve been out of high school several years and I’ve glanced at my old yearbooks a few times — sometimes to see if I recognize a name, to see how old friends used to look, or to read some old autographs. I’ve seen roommates who brought their yearbooks to college, where the yearbooks were a great way to break the ice and to get to know each other better from the beginning. For me, my old yearbooks are a good way to occasionally revisit the better times of high school.
How do you feel about yearbooks?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
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Statistics for January 2010 January 8th, 2009
- Search engines provided a whopping 82% of traffic this month.
- A solid 20% of these searches were for funny Google searches. For how many people search for it, I’m surprised that post hasn’t been Stumbled or something. The other big keywords were the usual, “college dorm checklist” and “fantastic contraption solutions”. I can see that we’re getting close to prom season because more people are searching for how to ask a girl to prom.
- Google Searches were similarly the most popular post, bringing in about 25% of traffic.
- With about 21,000 visits in all, January brought the most traffic I’ve seen since October, which is pretty good considering I haven’t written much.
- There’s still that interesting pattern of traffic dropping every Saturday. I guess there is a lot of truth to the idea: “sell something on eBay Sunday night.”
And, how about a new poll?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
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Statistics for February 2010 January 8th, 2009
- Once again, funny Google searches leads the way with about 25% of visits and about 21% of search traffic. This is pretty cool, and I just realized that that post is the top search result for those words. Awesome!
- A good 8% of traffic has gone to college dorm necessities. I’m a bit surprised that people are looking for dorm supplies in February — maybe students are transferring?
- Search engines gave me 83% of my traffic. StumbleUpon provided about one thousand hits, but really this isn’t that much and referring sites haven’t been a big part of Xatal for a while.
- Xatal had its second guest post this month. Guest posts are awesome, and if you would like to write one, go ahead and contact me!
All in all February was another pretty average month here.
Now for a poll!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
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Taking a break. January 8th, 2009
Due to a multitude of events in my life, I’m going to be taking a break from writing new posts for a while.
I’ll still be replying to comments, and if anyone asks me a question I may write a post to answer them, but aside from that, I’m going to take a break from Xatal for a bit. It could be a week or a few months.
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March 4th: Strike for Education January 8th, 2009
Earlier in the year, I wrote about protests at the UC campuses due to the huge increase in student costs. Since then, these protests have died down a lot, but they are still ongoing in small ways at various campuses.
However, coming up next Thursday is an event planned at all campuses: a nationwide strike for public education. I know mass protests will be ongoing at the UC and CSU campuses, but these protests are open to all levels of education across the country.
I’m not entirely sure what to expect on March 4th for California campuses, but I am hoping it will be big and will resonate. I expect students to occupy buildings, as they did earlier in the year, and that will inevitably create a lot of tension. I’m expecting some faculty to join in the protests, and many UC/CSU workers. I expect the chancellors to try hard to scale it down and make them look like victims, as usual. All in all, I expect normal university life to be completely disrupted that day.
I’ll do my best to give an overview of what happened the following day (and continues to happen, since if buildings are occupied it will surely last into the next day).
More information about March 4th can be found here.
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How to make your laptop battery power last longer in class January 8th, 2009
More and more, students are relying on their laptops and netbooks to take notes in class. Most students type far faster than they write, so taking notes through typing definitely seems preferable.
Although some classrooms will have wall outlets nearby for you to plug your laptop into, many will not, and if you have several classes in a row, you might find yourself in trouble if your laptop battery starts to run low. Running out of battery juice mid lecture could be a nightmare, so preventing that from happening is definitely important.
Here are some tips to getting the most juice out of your laptop’s battery:
1. Turn Down the Backlight
The backlight is what keeps the screen visible — by turning down the backlight, the screen will become dimmer, but the laptop will use less battery to keep it bright.
Many laptops have a key that does this, and others will have it immediately accessible from the taskbar or Finder. Find a good balance — you want the screen dim enough to get good battery life, but you shouldn’t have to struggle to read the screen.
2. Close programs you’re not using
If you don’t need iTunes, Firefox, AIM, etc. all running at the same time, then close them! You should only keep open what you need (and, if you’re taking notes in class, that means you’ll need very few programs!)
3. Disable wireless Internet
Sometimes it’s necessary for the class for you to be connected to the Internet, but if not, disable your wireless. This will not only save battery juice, but it will eliminate the huge potential distraction that is called the Internet.
Look around on your laptop to see if there’s a switch or button that can disable wireless altogether. This will save the most battery.
4. Avoid anything that is very demanding from your computer.
Playing games, editing photos/movies, and so forth will need a lot of power from your computer and will quickly drain the battery. You’re in class! You should be paying attention!
5. Don’t use your CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drive.
Spinning a disc will steal your laptop battery life like you wouldn’t believe. Take any disc out if it’s not necessary.
6. Close your laptop when you don’t need it.
Once you’re done, close your laptop. Ideally, you should set your laptop to hibernate (which stores everything on the hard drive) rather than sleep or standby (which uses battery to allow you to quickly restore your laptop), especially if you won’t be using your laptop for a while.
7. Buy another battery
If you’ve tried absolutely everything and your battery still isn’t cutting it, it might be time for a new battery. Laptop batteries can begin to hold less as they age, or perhaps your battery never was quite good enough.
Take some time to research good laptop batteries to find one that will work for your laptop and provide you with enough time to justify why you have a laptop in the first place — because it’s portable!