December 12, 2001

Dr. Hopper

Final Exam

The three most important things that I learned in Mrs. Hopper’s Learning Strategies class were:how to write a useful goal using all the five elements, how to take notes during a lecture using the label in the margin system, and how to recall and apply the ten memory principles in future classes.

First, I am going to show you how to write a useful goal using all five elements.The first thing you do is examine an area of your life, whether it is marriage or family, your future occupation or even politics.Next you may want to choose a certain theme In an area of your life such as: expanding or cutting back, improving, or maintaining a goal.Finally you write your goal using all five elements that include: specific (what you want to accomplish with much detail), measurable (can in be reviewed clearly), challenging (does it take discipline to accomplish), realistic (are you capable of achieving it), and a completion date (can it be done by a specific time).One example might be:I want to graduate from MTSU by the end of fall semester 2005.That is how you write a useful goal.

Second, I am going to tell you how to take notes during a lecture using the label in the margin system.First, you want to draw a line down your paper about 2.5 inches from the left side.Then you want to write down the main points from the lecture on the right side of the line.This step is called record.After the lecture is over you want to write down questions that you think will be on a quiz or test on the left side of the line.This step is called label.Next you want to play “jeopardy” by covering the notes that you took and asking yourself the questions that you wrote down out loud.This step is called recite.After you recite you want to think about the ideas and how they relate to other things you know.This step is called reflect.After you reflect you want to not just “go over” the material but studying it everyday until the test.Make flashcards or practice tests to help strengthen your memory.This step is called review.Finally, you want to write a sentence or paragraph at the bottom of the page or lecture describing what the lecture was about.This step is called summarize, and this is how you take notes during a lecture.

Finally, I am going to tell you how to recall and apply the ten memory principles in using them in your future classes.For interest, the first memory principle, you must be interested in the material that you are learning.If you take a class that is boring, you must find a way to get interested in it.For intent to remember, if your teacher pulled you over before class and said he would give you ten dollars to explain everything he said in his lectures, then you would make sure you remembered everything that he was talking about.You can learn faster and better if you think about this situation every time you come in for class.For basic background, if you already know anything about a subject or skill, the you have this.If you do not know anything about a subject you have to make an effort to achieve that particular subject.For selectivity, you must draw out the main points only in a lecture.That is selecting what is important from the least important.For meaningful organization, you must group all of your main points into categories that you can remember by.Mnemonic devices are an example.For recitation, you can use your lecture notes form the label in the margin system for this, by covering your notes and asking the questions out loud.For visualization, you can make a mental picture of what needs to be remembered.For association, you can “recall” something that you already know about subject and place new information with the old information.For consolidation, you must let you notes “soak in” for a certain period of time.Finally, for distributed practice, you must have a series of short study sessions.This will enhance those long lectures in to ideas that you can take advantage of from your study partners.

In conclusion, I learned these three important things, how to write a useful goal, how to take notes using the label in the margin system, and how to use the ten memory principles in future classes.These three things will guide you way through college especially writing goals and taking notes during a lecture.