how am i meant to make notes for second year
Hello fellow TSR users! I'm currently a second year biochemistry student and struggling with time management even though we're only in our second week of uni! My main concern is how are people able to attend lectures, do the further reading, make notes on lecture content + further reading, go to workshops and do the work beforehand and coursework on top of all that?!? I also have a weekend job + 2 hour commute to and from campus and extracurriculars and quite frankly NO SOCIAL LIFE : ' D So my question here is: HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE MAKING NOTES AND STUDYING?!?! I have asked a few third years but their methods don't really align well with how I work (I genuinely cannot focus during lectures and can only watch them on 1.5x speed). I feel like I need a step by step process as to how I should approach this year I guess :') Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by pipthesqueak
Hello fellow TSR users! I'm currently a second year biochemistry student and struggling with time management even though we're only in our second week of uni! My main concern is how are people able to attend lectures, do the further reading, make notes on lecture content + further reading, go to workshops and do the work beforehand and coursework on top of all that?!? I also have a weekend job + 2 hour commute to and from campus and extracurriculars and quite frankly NO SOCIAL LIFE : ' D So my question here is: HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE MAKING NOTES AND STUDYING?!?! I have asked a few third years but their methods don't really align well with how I work (I genuinely cannot focus during lectures and can only watch them on 1.5x speed). I feel like I need a step by step process as to how I should approach this year I guess :') Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
Hello,
May I ask what university you're currently enrolled in? If you go to Coventry University, we've got student success coaches who could help you organise a study schedule so that you'd be able to achieve your academic goals while balancing your social life. You can find out more here: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/study-at-coventry/student-support/success-coaches/. I hope this helps you!
Kind regards,
Roshan
Coventry University Student Ambassadors
Original post by Coventry University Student Ambassadors
Hello,
May I ask what university you're currently enrolled in? If you go to Coventry University, we've got student success coaches who could help you organise a study schedule so that you'd be able to achieve your academic goals while balancing your social life. You can find out more here: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/study-at-coventry/student-support/success-coaches/. I hope this helps you!
Kind regards,
Roshan
Coventry University Student Ambassadors
May I ask what university you're currently enrolled in? If you go to Coventry University, we've got student success coaches who could help you organise a study schedule so that you'd be able to achieve your academic goals while balancing your social life. You can find out more here: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/study-at-coventry/student-support/success-coaches/. I hope this helps you!
Kind regards,
Roshan
Coventry University Student Ambassadors
Hiya! This sounds amazing but unfortunately I’m not a student at Coventry 😅 thank you!
Original post by pipthesqueak
Hello fellow TSR users! I'm currently a second year biochemistry student and struggling with time management even though we're only in our second week of uni! My main concern is how are people able to attend lectures, do the further reading, make notes on lecture content + further reading, go to workshops and do the work beforehand and coursework on top of all that?!? I also have a weekend job + 2 hour commute to and from campus and extracurriculars and quite frankly NO SOCIAL LIFE : ' D So my question here is: HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE MAKING NOTES AND STUDYING?!?! I have asked a few third years but their methods don't really align well with how I work (I genuinely cannot focus during lectures and can only watch them on 1.5x speed). I feel like I need a step by step process as to how I should approach this year I guess :') Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
Hi @pipthesqueak
I'm also a biochemistry student! You do seem to have a very busy schedule, so try not to compare yourself to other people who may not have part time jobs or long commutes. I understand you find focussing in lectures difficult, but using that hour slot to make a head start on a topic is really useful. Maybe try and make a few brief notes in the lecture? Highlight the most important facts, things that you don't understand, and potential areas to do further reading on. Any little bits will help in the long run with speeding up note-taking outside of lectures. Could you use your commute to make and practise flashcards, or maybe record yourself reading out some notes to play while you travel?
I hope you manage to find a technique that works for you - good luck with second year!
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Original post by pipthesqueak
Hello fellow TSR users! I'm currently a second year biochemistry student and struggling with time management even though we're only in our second week of uni! My main concern is how are people able to attend lectures, do the further reading, make notes on lecture content + further reading, go to workshops and do the work beforehand and coursework on top of all that?!? I also have a weekend job + 2 hour commute to and from campus and extracurriculars and quite frankly NO SOCIAL LIFE : ' D So my question here is: HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE MAKING NOTES AND STUDYING?!?! I have asked a few third years but their methods don't really align well with how I work (I genuinely cannot focus during lectures and can only watch them on 1.5x speed). I feel like I need a step by step process as to how I should approach this year I guess :') Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
side note: I really want to aim for a 1st and don't know how much further reading I should do in order to achieve that? Ofc, I will when it's content I am genuinely interested in but not so much for the boring stuff :')
@pipthesqueak
You have just completed your second week of uni, so it's okay to feel like you are still trying to make sense of your new timetable and how to balance your time.
Your two hour commute ( if you're not driving) sounds like a great time to go over lecture content or to do further reading. Maximising your time during your commute will mean that you can get home and rest without feeling like you need to start work straight away!
A weekend job will take up time. You might have to try and do work before or after your shift. It is a good idea to try and do work that you can realistically do, which doesn't require too much brain power in the morning or when you get back from work. e.g. highlighting some slides.
How much time does your extracurriculars take up? You might have to consider dropping something if it becomes too much.
You do need time away from studying which you get from your work, extracurriculars and resting at home, but it's also nice if you have some things to look forward to in your diary, but you will have to be realistic about how much you can and can't do this year. You might have to look at your week and see where you need to study and where you can make time for other things.
Do you normally take notes during your lectures? This might help you focus better.
If you are aiming for a first, even if you are not interested in the content, you might have to do extra reading to have a good or a deeper understanding of your subject. For now though, you just have to find a way of studying that works for you. You might have to adjust it but as long as you have a basic schedule for reading lectures and doing some extra reading/ going over material, then that's a good start.
All the best,
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
Hi fellow biochemist! Thank you so much for your advice and the reassurance as well, I have got to stop comparing myself to other people :’)) Going into lectures to make brief notes really takes off the pressure to get down everything the lecturer mentions so I’ll definitely consider doing that from now on! Thing is, there’s sooo much extra reading (articles and journals and textbooks etc etc), just how do you pick and choose what is worth doing extra reading on? I also wanted to ask how do you exactly study? All I did last year was cram as much as I could right before exams and even though I did pretty good, I know I could have done much much better if I had used the right study techniques! 
I know that what works for you may not work for me but I’d love to hear your methods of studying if you don’t mind sharing 
Once again, thank you!
I know that what works for you may not work for me but I’d love to hear your methods of studying if you don’t mind sharing Once again, thank you! Original post by Lancaster Student Ambassador
Hi @pipthesqueak
I'm also a biochemistry student! You do seem to have a very busy schedule, so try not to compare yourself to other people who may not have part time jobs or long commutes. I understand you find focussing in lectures difficult, but using that hour slot to make a head start on a topic is really useful. Maybe try and make a few brief notes in the lecture? Highlight the most important facts, things that you don't understand, and potential areas to do further reading on. Any little bits will help in the long run with speeding up note-taking outside of lectures. Could you use your commute to make and practise flashcards, or maybe record yourself reading out some notes to play while you travel?
I hope you manage to find a technique that works for you - good luck with second year!
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
I'm also a biochemistry student! You do seem to have a very busy schedule, so try not to compare yourself to other people who may not have part time jobs or long commutes. I understand you find focussing in lectures difficult, but using that hour slot to make a head start on a topic is really useful. Maybe try and make a few brief notes in the lecture? Highlight the most important facts, things that you don't understand, and potential areas to do further reading on. Any little bits will help in the long run with speeding up note-taking outside of lectures. Could you use your commute to make and practise flashcards, or maybe record yourself reading out some notes to play while you travel?
I hope you manage to find a technique that works for you - good luck with second year!
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Thank you for your help and yes you’re right, I have yet to give it some time to adjust! It’s gotten a little bit better this week but I have still a lot to improve on! I guess I just never really learned how to manage my time properly and went with the flow but obviously that silliness has got to stop now :’) I’ll definitely have to start maximising my commute from now on, if only it didn’t get so packed often 
I try to take notes during lectures and that is by writing down every single thing the lecturer mentions, which bites me back because as soon as I miss something I think ‘what’s the point of trying to focus now you’ll be watching this later anyway’ I’ll definitely try making a schedule that’ll let me go over lectures and do further reading as well, thank you!
I try to take notes during lectures and that is by writing down every single thing the lecturer mentions, which bites me back because as soon as I miss something I think ‘what’s the point of trying to focus now you’ll be watching this later anyway’ I’ll definitely try making a schedule that’ll let me go over lectures and do further reading as well, thank you! Original post by University of Huddersfield
@pipthesqueak
You have just completed your second week of uni, so it's okay to feel like you are still trying to make sense of your new timetable and how to balance your time.
Your two hour commute ( if you're not driving) sounds like a great time to go over lecture content or to do further reading. Maximising your time during your commute will mean that you can get home and rest without feeling like you need to start work straight away!
A weekend job will take up time. You might have to try and do work before or after your shift. It is a good idea to try and do work that you can realistically do, which doesn't require too much brain power in the morning or when you get back from work. e.g. highlighting some slides.
How much time does your extracurriculars take up? You might have to consider dropping something if it becomes too much.
You do need time away from studying which you get from your work, extracurriculars and resting at home, but it's also nice if you have some things to look forward to in your diary, but you will have to be realistic about how much you can and can't do this year. You might have to look at your week and see where you need to study and where you can make time for other things.
Do you normally take notes during your lectures? This might help you focus better.
If you are aiming for a first, even if you are not interested in the content, you might have to do extra reading to have a good or a deeper understanding of your subject. For now though, you just have to find a way of studying that works for you. You might have to adjust it but as long as you have a basic schedule for reading lectures and doing some extra reading/ going over material, then that's a good start.
All the best,
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
You have just completed your second week of uni, so it's okay to feel like you are still trying to make sense of your new timetable and how to balance your time.
Your two hour commute ( if you're not driving) sounds like a great time to go over lecture content or to do further reading. Maximising your time during your commute will mean that you can get home and rest without feeling like you need to start work straight away!
A weekend job will take up time. You might have to try and do work before or after your shift. It is a good idea to try and do work that you can realistically do, which doesn't require too much brain power in the morning or when you get back from work. e.g. highlighting some slides.
How much time does your extracurriculars take up? You might have to consider dropping something if it becomes too much.
You do need time away from studying which you get from your work, extracurriculars and resting at home, but it's also nice if you have some things to look forward to in your diary, but you will have to be realistic about how much you can and can't do this year. You might have to look at your week and see where you need to study and where you can make time for other things.
Do you normally take notes during your lectures? This might help you focus better.
If you are aiming for a first, even if you are not interested in the content, you might have to do extra reading to have a good or a deeper understanding of your subject. For now though, you just have to find a way of studying that works for you. You might have to adjust it but as long as you have a basic schedule for reading lectures and doing some extra reading/ going over material, then that's a good start.
All the best,
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
Original post by pipthesqueak
Thank you for your help and yes you’re right, I have yet to give it some time to adjust! It’s gotten a little bit better this week but I have still a lot to improve on! I guess I just never really learned how to manage my time properly and went with the flow but obviously that silliness has got to stop now :’) I’ll definitely have to start maximising my commute from now on, if only it didn’t get so packed often I try to take notes during lectures and that is by writing down every single thing the lecturer mentions, which bites me back because as soon as I miss something I think ‘what’s the point of trying to focus now you’ll be watching this later anyway’ I’ll definitely try making a schedule that’ll let me go over lectures and do further reading as well, thank you!
I try to take notes during lectures and that is by writing down every single thing the lecturer mentions, which bites me back because as soon as I miss something I think ‘what’s the point of trying to focus now you’ll be watching this later anyway’ I’ll definitely try making a schedule that’ll let me go over lectures and do further reading as well, thank you!@pipthesqueak
Good to hear that things have been better this week!
It's a learning process! It's about thinking and reflecting on how you can save that bit of time here and there and trying to turn that into action.
It's difficult when you can't sit down during your commute but if you have some revision cards or your phone with you, then you can use that to go over stuff from lectures, even when standing.
You don't have to write everything down: just the things that you want to read more about later, the things that are central to the topic being discussed and anything that you are not sure about or want to ask about later on.
Remember you can print slides before class/ save them on to your computer. It's useful to read them before the lecture so that you can pay more attention around the things that confused you or you weren't sure about and so that you can come prepared with any questions you have.
It takes time to find a way of studying that works for you, so make changes as necessary.
All the best!
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
Original post by pipthesqueak
I try to take notes during lectures and that is by writing down every single thing the lecturer mentions, which bites me back because as soon as I miss something I think ‘what’s the point of trying to focus now you’ll be watching this later anyway’
Hello,
Definitely don’t stop listening if you miss something. There’s watching a lecture in person and then there’s watching it online and I think you won’t get the same experience by listening to it after surrounded by other distractions. When you’re in the lecture there aren’t as many distractions lying around and so you’re more likely to be listening. Even if you miss something keep writing the notes on future points.
It may be hard and it certainly was for me when I was doing my lectures for the first time haha. After a while it becomes easier to keep stuff organised and also to learn what bits to write and what not to.
Do you use anything like Microsoft onenote or one of the alternative notes-like apps? They’re really good at organising your lecture notes!
Hope this helps,
Dom (Postgraduate, MA Literary Studies)
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