The Biggest Learner Episode 3

This week our Biggest Learner contestants are busier than ever. Hours are being spent
in the classroom each week and the teams are tackling the difficult process of taking in,
organizing, retaining and understanding new information from their classes.
Our advising team knows the importance of effective study and note taking skills -- and
they gathered our big learners together for a session that all Columbus State students
can take on techniques to improve their grades.
Advisor Todd Taylor tells Team Swag that organization is one key for academic success.
Todd: you have to have a dedicated notebook for every single class that you have that
way when you go into class when you open up this book this is the only place you need
to go to for that material ever. You don’t need to go anywhere else it’s all inside
that notebook
Todd also emphasizes some great note taking techniques – like the Cornell method.
Organize your notes so they make sense to you. If you’re like me , don’t be like
me when I write notes I write notes all over the paper I have big circles pointing at stuff.
if I gave those notes to you you would be like seriously? This is not at all helpful!
Ok? Organize it so that is going to be helpful to you. If that makes sense to you if you
have some short hand that makes sense to you , use it. I don’t need to know what it means,
you need to know what it means I’m not going to be taking the test, you are going to.
Brandon says these methods are helpful.
Brandon: Cornell note taking cause in classroom setting I usually just write things down and
don’t really listen to them I thought it was good cause it will help you organizing
your notes
Advisor Sharmaine buckled down with the A Team this week. She says using funny little
acronyms - or even songs or raps - is a great way to improve your memory.
Sharmaine: so while it may not be your favorite subject if you can associate it with some
thing that you like more it can help you recall it when you need to
Ashley says she’s already using some of these techniques.
I am horrible at humanities I am not going to remember any of the information if I don’t
write it down. She gave us some info to make our memory stronger and she went over note
taking strategies the sq3r and the cornell method and I kind of already used it but I
had no idea what it was until she talked about it.
Sharmaine says that while you may be a great note taker you still may need extra help from
the instructor, and that’s what they are there for.
Sharmaine: a lot of students don’t take advantage of office hours so you can use that
time to actually go back and visit with your instructor and say hey, based on your lecture
from last Thursday, this is what I believe to be the key points. Will you let me know
if I was on target , is this what I need to know for upcoming tests, quizzes and other
assignments
Some other tips to strengthen your note taking and listening skills… read over your chapters
before you go to class, then actually GO to class and finally... to help yourself focus
and avoid distractions, sit at the front of the room, not the back.
Team Swag’s coaching session with Reuel this week focused on accomplishments and struggles.
What happened that was a victory and went well this week?
Lorena: I did all my math homework. I put in a lot of extra time. I was explaining to
Brandon that it was only 33 problems on the assignment but it took me 4 hours. But I sat
there for that 4 hours and sat there until it was completed
Jack realized that his schedule was overloaded - and he had to drop a class.
Jack: I dropped my philosophy class two days because 4 5 hour classes are kind of a pain
to study for. My biology chemistry… I’ll sit down for 2 hours to study one thing
Reuel agrees that it was probably a wise decision.
Those classes that you were taking most people would not take those four classes together.
You had a very aggressive plan of study going in and I think that backing off of one of
them and putting it in another quarter will probably help you a lot.
Carolyn’s session with The A Team was all about holding yourself accountable.
I thought about us all putting the hard core deadlines on to the same calendar so that
we can all check each week. Check each other? So coming up this week you have a paper due
how are you doing on that. I don’t know it might make me nervous. I’d feel like
my mom. Yeah am I going to be big sister. This isn’t the big sister reality show it’s
the biggest learner. But at the same time I am thinking that trying things that might
be a little uncomfortable might not be such a bad idea. If it doesn’t work we don’t
have to do it through the whole quarter. (Ashley) No I think it’s a good. Because with web
courses. You are not held accountable and that might be part of the reason why we put
school so far behind because no one’s going to notice if you don’t.
Balancing work and school is a challenge for many – including the A Team’s Thomas Mitchell
- who’s a part-time flight attendant.
I like to travel and meeting new people just something different I look at every day looking
out the window every day that’s my office, 30,000 feet in the air
It’s a job he ‘s held for ten years and now hopes to use his business management degree
to further his airline career.
Hopefully graduate in the spring quarter and soon after that and jet out of Columbus and
moving to Chicago I have been exploring jobs there I would like to get on with one of the
major airlines in Chicago
A self-proclaimed people person and reality junkie - Thomas was drawn to the biggest learner
for several reasons!
Learning experience and meeting new people with the different teams and the different
coaches that we have and the organizations that we are going to meet. And people will
see me on the videos and say hey that’s that guy.
Join us next week as Thomas - and the rest of the Biggest Learners – find out If they
really are on the right career path. And if not…how to get there.