Noting a Few Important Points Note Taking Techniques

Class is over. Michael sighs, leans back, and stretches his fingers, which are cramped from nonstop writing. He briefly surveys (with virtuous pride) what he’s done in his spiral notebook over the last fifty minutes. Mission accomplished, he thinks. No one can accuse him of sleeping through class! He slams the notebook shut, shoves it in his backpack, and heads off to lunch, soccer practice, and the rest of his day. Fast forward to the night before the big test. Michael settles into his study chair and opens his notebook marked â€Å"American Government.† He stares blankly at what seems to be an alien language. â€Å"Am cvc pblc—nt wrg, but overrtd.† Then, in capitals, â€Å"EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, JUDICIAL.† Then randomly, a triangle. Wait—did he label the triangle? No, next to it is a note about something completely irrelevant—â€Å"buy gym socks. 2 pr.† Maybe on the next page? That’s a list of people who might be Supreme Court Justices—or they could be Speakers of the House. Who knows? The rest of the pages are much the same. Most are not completely filled. There is little coherence to bind what snippets of information Michael can decipher. His virtuous pride dissipates into thin air. Jan, who sits two rows behind Mike in class, always takes notes on her laptop. Her keyboarding skills are good; she’s fast and rarely makes mistakes. When Jan opens the document titled â€Å"American Government,† lack of information is not a problem. There are pages and pages of content. Clarity is not an issue for Jan either. Terms are spelled and defined correctly. Sentences are complete. So why is Jan frowning? Perhaps it’s because she realizes she’s essentially looking at almost full reproductions of every lecture. Nothing is summarized. Nothing is categorized or organized. There is simply a glut of information. Note taking techniques are as individual as the person taking the notes, but notes are only valuable when they help you to remember the lecturer’s message correctly. What are the problems facing the two students above? Well, Michael’s handwritten notes are largely undecipherable. Lacking clarity, they cannot transmit even basic information. Jan’s pages offer a wealth of facts. However, they give no indication of the relative importance of individual concepts. Like a textbook with every line highlighted, the notes cannot help her determine on what to focus. Who is in the better situation? Interestingly enough, according to Katrina Schwartz, it is probably Michael! In an article called â€Å"Taking Notes: Is The Pen Still Mightier Than the Keyboard?,† Schwartz examines whether using a laptop to take notes in class gives a student any advantage over using the old-fashioned notebook and pen. Presenting information from experiments conducted by researchers Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, Schwartz emphasizes the most important step of all note-taking techniques: processing. Michael is â€Å"selecting† material as he writes, not just blindly copying. He could benefit from writing more clearly, but he is actually interacting with the information—and ironically, is likely to retain more than Jan with her pages and pages. So what to do? Should we haul our computers to the recycling center and head to the mall to pick up jumbo packs of pens? Not necessarily. Below are a few note taking techniques: Speed is not your friend. Schwartz outlines a few ideas for making computer notes more effective. The simplest of these is slow down. Just because you can keyboard at a speed that leaves your laptop smoking doesn’t mean you should. The research points to this: Slowing down helps you to interact with the material more. Take a cyber-break. If you always go to class with your laptop, then follow Schwartz’s advice and trade it for a pen for one day. Not being able to record as quickly will probably be irksome at first. See above. â€Å"Chunk† (group) related information. You can organize information by separating it into major points, minor points, and examples. If you have trouble distributing the lecture’s content into these categories, ask your teacher to clarify the material. Notes are not fine wine. Don’t leave them untouched in your laptop or notebook to â€Å"age.† Review them right away. Add anything you remember. Rewrite them! (Note: Rewriting notes is a surprisingly effective way to impress information on the brain. However it is time consuming and best reserved for a class where the material is particularly challenging.) Think of yourself as leaving a set of instructions for your future self. Your goal is to be as clear as possible for that future you. Experiment! The perfect note-taker has not yet been born! Try something new. If you are studying subjects (such as math or science) that lend themselves to diagramming, create graphics next to your written notes. Ask friends what works for them. Consult with your teachers. Even if you are satisfied with your note-takinghabits, do something different occasionally. There is always a way to make your process better. A+ Test Prep and Tutoring provides tutoring in all academic subjects, executive function coaching, and test preparation for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP exams, and private-school entrance exams. We can help you learn important study skills that ensure success. We invite you to call A+ Test Prep and Tutoring at 215-886-9188, or email us. Consult with one of our Client Service Directors. Nathan Rudolph, Anne Stanley, and Susan Ware are available to answer questions, provide solutions, and assist you in achieving your educational goals. *Photo credit: Gosheshe

The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 1533 Words

The Boy Who Cried Terrorist â€Å"I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!† (Miller 45). In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, residents of Salem habitually ‘cry witch’, driven by fear, paranoia, and vengeance. Under a strict theocracy, where the court’s ruling and religious beliefs are exclusively bound to one another, death is practically inevitable for those branded as witches, their names perpetually tarnished. From atop his high horse, one may look upon The Crucible and harshly judge the irrational actions of Salem’s community; however, human emotion drove these injudicious acts, the very raw emotion that often overpowers logic in today’s society. Though theocracy has dissolved in America, one can never rid the world of blind emotions or the mishaps that may follow them. Currently, fear, paranoia, and vengeance drive racial profiling in society, inciting scores of people to ‘cry terroristâ€℠¢. Unjustified displays of racism, witnessed in the persecution of Muslims as result of the 9/11 and the Paris attacks, verify that society today is a reflection of The Crucible’s in unfortunate ways. One of the factors contributing to Salem’s downfall is fear; worried friends are witches and fearful of being falsely accused, neighbors turn on each other. In Act Two, men are seen storming Proctor’s house, accusing his wife of witchcraft. Abigail Williams has charged Elizabeth Proctor for using her spirit to stab her with a needle,Show MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1269 Words   |  6 PagesAt first glance, the playwright Arthur Miller in The Crucible highlights the historical significance of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, but in fact it is an allegorical expression of his perception of McCarthyism. If the reader has some background information on Arthur Miller’s victimization as a communist, it is evident that the play is a didactic vessel illustrating the flaws of the court system in the 1950’s. The communist allegations were launched at government employees, entertainers and writersRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1681 Words   |  7 Pagesof their way to the last dying breath to make sure they leave with a good or bad reputation. In one of the recent literature study in class â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, Miller uses characterization to illustrate reputation throughout the play. â€Å"The Crucible† takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. It is based upon the Salem witch trails. In â€Å"The Crucible†, we journey through the life of three characters who reputations plays a major role in the play. The three characters are John Proctor, AbigailRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1333 Words   |  6 PagesAs the various characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller interact, the dominant theme of the consequences of women’s nonconformity begins to slide out from behind the curtains of the play. Such a theme reveals the gripping fear that inundated the Puritans during the seventeenth century. This fear led to the famous witch-hunts that primarily terrorized women who deviated from the Puritan vision of absolute obedience and orthodoxy. Arthur Miller presents his interpretation of the suffering by subtlyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller998 Words   |  4 Pagesmotivated by jealousy and spite. The Crucible is a four-act dramatic play production that was first performed on January 22, 1953. Arthur Miller used dialogue within the characters to cover the multiple themes; conflicts and resolutions, plus the few directions for the different actions of the play. The Salem Witch Trials were intended to be performed as the play however, when read, it can be more carefully examined and broken down to analyze the techniques. Miller, the playwright, uses literaryRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1145 Words   |  5 PagesUnbalance Through The Centuries In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the author reflects the persecution of communists in America in the 1950’s through a recount of the Salem witch trials. It is often presumed that Miller based his drama directly off of events that were particularly prevalent in the years surrounding the publication of The Crucible- which was released in the year 1953, towards the conclusion of the Korean War. Although there was not a literal witch hunt occurring during this timeRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1063 Words   |  5 PagesIn the English dictionary, there are three definitions of the word crucible. One is a metal container in which metals are mixed and melted. Another is a severe test. But the third definition, and the one that I think fits the best for this book, is a place or situation in which different elements interact to create something new. In my mind, this fits because all of the characters had their little grudges and dirty secrets. But when all th ose seemingly little things interact, they formed somethingRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1285 Words   |  6 Pages Rationale, Morality, Stereotypes, Pressure, Self-Censorship, Unanimity, and Mindguards. Groupthink has also taken place in our history a a country. The play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about a the real-life Salem Witch Trials that happened in 1692 - 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts. Some symptoms of Groupthink found in the Crucible are Rationale, Pressure, and Self-Censorship. The Groupthink symptom, Rationale, is described as when victims of Groupthink ignore warnings: they also collectivelyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller811 Words   |  4 Pages While The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is only a four act play, it still resembles the format of a five act play. The five-act structure evolved from a three-act structure, which was made famous by Roman Aelius Donatus. Donatus came up with three types of plays: Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe. The five-act structure helped to expand the three act structure, mainly made famous by Shakespeare through his many tragedies. Even though The Crucible contains only four acts, it still has the commonRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1052 Words   |  5 PagesBuddy Al-Aydi Ms.Healy English 9 CP 14th October 2014 The Crucible Essay The Crucible was a novel written by Arthur Miller in the 1950’s. It was written in a format of the play, portraying an allegory of the Salem Witch-Hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. The book is known to have a inexplicable plot. This plot is advanced by multiple characters in the book in order to ensure that the reader maintains interest with the material that is being read. The farmer, John Proctor, would be theRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller841 Words   |  4 PagesThe Crucible is a chaotic play, throughout this American classic Arthur Miller takes the reader through multiple events of terror and insanity. While creating a great on-stage play, Arthur Miller portrays his life through the events, the characters, and plot of The Crucible. Using vivid imagery and comprehensible symbolism, Miller manipulates the real personalities of the characters and events in 1600 Salem, Massachusetts to create a symbolic autobiography. Throughout this play, the reader experie nces

Embarrassment Of The Family Name - 902 Words

embarrassment to the family name. Akhmatova seems to have a struggle though. She complains that her and her husband, Nikolay, cannot have a normal life due to their careers, and she longs for a normal family life. This is something that is commonly seen today, where working mothers must struggle between making money and having a career and devoting time to their families. Nikolay blames Akhmatova’s career on their abnormal family life, and she complains that he does not give her enough affection. He openly admits that he cheats on her and claims that his affairs are part of her muse. Later, it is also revealed that she has written a poem praising Stalin in order to save her career. She has conflict in both her personal life and her art. She appears to be somewhat unreliable and unsure of what she wants. She cannot decide if she wants a family or a writing career, and she gives up her independence as a writer to please Stalin. Stalin eve apparently refers to her as his â€Å"w horish nun,† clearly showing no respect for her as a person or an artist. Akhmatova is placed in many unfair circumstances, but it is hard to admire her when she changes positions and complains about choices she has made. Ludo is Alexei’s current wife in the 1930’s play, and she appears to be a superficial character who submits to her husband in most situations. She praises her husbands works greatly, and mainly cares about his works to ensure that they will maintain their wealth. Ludo claims to have noShow MoreRelatedShame, By Dick Gregory847 Words   |  4 Pageszoom lens on a camera. When we are feeling shame, the camera is zoomed in tight and all we see is our flawed selves, alone and struggling. (Goodread)† The author of Shame, Dick Gregory, experienced some aspects of shame through family, school, and society. Dick Gregory’s family experienced financial struggle, especially with no father figure in his life. The only income he received was from shining shoes and selling papers. He lacked attention at home because of the competition from six siblings. WhenRead MoreHow I Am A New World1489 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, I am struggling with the moral values I have. As Martin Luther King, Jr puts it, â€Å"Any law that degrades human personality is unjust† (228). With this in mind, I am having a war in myself in my own bedroom. If I don’t go, I would dishonor my family and wouldn’t be able to face them nor my friends and even let down the country that I’m born and raised in. The people in school might mock me, the next-door neighbor would look me in the eyes disdainfully, and even the teachers in high school thatRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde884 Words   |  4 Pagesfact, is able to accurately describe Mr. Hyde’s appearance, Mr. Enfield noted, he must be deformed somewhere. He gives a strong feeling of deformity, though I couldn t specify the point. He s an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir...I can t describe him (Stevenson 34). In the novel of The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson mentioned several different characters that are well respected from others. For example, Mr. Utterson isRead MoreA Person s Social Status Essay888 Words   |  4 Pageszoom lens on a camera. When we are feeling shame, the camera is zoomed in tight and all we see is our flawed selves, alone and struggling. (Goodread)† The author of Shame, Dick Gregory, experienced some aspects of shame through family, school, and society. Dick Gregory’s family experienced financial struggle, especially with no father figure in his life. The only income he received was from shining shoes and selling papers. He lacked attention at home because of the competition from six siblings. WhenRead MoreThe Old Man Isnt There Any More by Kellie Schmitt664 Words   |  3 PagesEveryone has had an embarrassing moment in their life at one point or another; slipping on ice in public or forgetting a coworkers name at the company picnic. Making a fool of yourself is bound to happen, especially in a setting outside of what you are accustomed to. Some people do not like reliving these moments while others have a gift for turning their embarrassment into a great story. Kellie Schmitt’s essay â€Å"The Old Man Isn’t There Anymore† is a perfect example of laughing at oneself. ThroughoutRead Moreâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†700 Words   |  3 Pagestouching realist drama, is the home of the Youngers, an ove rcrowded run-down apartment. Hansberry used this private scenery to enhance the many feelings the Youngers, and other African-Americans, fought to conquer and to embrace in the name of happiness. As with families of any ethnic group, the Youngers ultimate goal was to be happy. Unfortunately, being African-American meant there were certain disadvantages they must face due to prejudices. Hansberry used the aging cracks of the apartment wallsRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian By Sherman Alexie977 Words   |  4 Pagessame dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world† (31). At this point in the fiction, Junior is at a loss. He feels as though his â€Å"hopes and dreams floated up into a mushroom cloud† (31). Albeit Junior’s family was extremely disappointed in him, Mr. P arrived at his house a week later. Junior didn’t know it yet, but Mr. P had advice that could change the Spokane Indian’s life forever. Mr. P, trying to redeem himself of past guilt, claimed, â€Å"You can’t giveRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1077 Words   |  5 PagesSamsa, but also to his fami ly, and interpret Kafka’s social criticism in this novel. The narrator’s voice is omniscient - all knowing third person. Omniscient narrator uses adjectives that let us know about the main character’s feelings. Gregor s feelings are shame, embarrassment, guilt, concern, and amusement. Shame and embarrassment shows when he can t support his family. He feels guilty for his appearance. Concern occurs when he always thinks about his family. And amusement when heRead MoreThe Destruction Of A Culture1277 Words   |  6 Pagesregion of the world. However, any culture with the value of the traditions and beliefs can be greatly weakened when introduced to a new and overpowering culture. It happens quite frequently to families that move to a new city or country with different lifestyles. As a result, the children of these families grow up to not care as much about their original culture s traditions as the older generations do. As we know, Native Americans, who are indigenous peoples of the United States, account for less Read MoreEveryday Use Story by Alice Walker Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pagescontinues the tone moves from worrisome to mystery and embarrassment. The mystery was shown by the want to know why the change in Dee and who this man was with her. The embarrassment, in my opinion was a underlining tone, because it was solely shown through actions like Maggie’s want to dash away when she noticed her sister arriving in the vehicle, and the ashamed statement Dee wrote once before her arrival. This statement was that â€Å"no matter where we family â€Å"choose† to live, she will manage to come see us

Legality of same sex marriages Essay Example For Students

Legality of same sex marriages Essay The proposed legalization of same sex marriage is one of the most significant issues in contemporary American family law. Presently, it is one of the most vigorously advocated reforms discussed in law reviews, one of the most provocative issues. It could be one of the most revolutionary policy decisions in the history of American The potential consequences, positive or negative, for children, parents, same-sex couples, families, social, structure public health, and the status of women are enormous. Given the importance of the issue, the value of comprehensive debate may be obvious. Marriage is much more than a commitment to love one another. Aside from societal and religious conventions, marriage entails legally imposed financial responsibility and legally authorized financial benefits. Marriage instantly provides a automatic legal succession of a deceased spouses property, as well as pension and law, as well as promise in the eyes of the Lord, and their as well as to enjoy its benefits, should the law prohibit their request merely because they are of the same gender? I intend to prove that because of Article IV of the United States Constitution. there is no reason why the federal government nor any state government should restrict marriage to a predefined homosexual relationship? Marriage laws have changed throughout the years. In Western law, wives are now equal rather than subordinate partners; interracial marriage is now widely accepted, both in the statue and in society; and marital failure itself, rather than the fault of one partner, may be grounds in some states for a divorce. Societal changes have been felt in marriages over the past twenty-five years as divorce rates have increased. Proposals to legalize same-sex marriages or to enact broad domestic partnership laws are currently being promoted by gay and lesbian activists, especially in Europe and North America. The trend in western European nations during the past decade has been to some same-sex couples. For example, with in the past six years, three Scandinavian countries have enacted domestic partnership laws allowing same-sex couples in which at least one partner is a citizen of the specified country. Therefore allowing that In the Netherlands, the Parliament is considered domestic partnership status for same-sex couples, all the major political parties favor recognizing same-sex relations, and more than a dozen towns have already done so. Finland provides governmental social benefits to same-sex partners. Belgium allows gay prisoners the right to have a conjugal visits from same-sex partners. An overwhelming majority of European nations have granted partial legal In the United States, efforts to legalize same-sex domestic partnership have had some, limited success. The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. reported that by mid- 1995, thirty-six municipalities, eight countries, three states, five state agencies, and two federal agencies extended some benefits to, or registered for official purposes, same-sex partnerships. In 1994, the California legislature passed a domestic partnership bill that provided official state registration of same-sex couples and provided limited marital rights and privileges relating to hospital visitation, willis and estates, and powers of attorney. While Californias Governor Wilson eventually vetoed the bill, its passage by the legislature represented a notable political achievement for advocates of the same-sex marriage have won a major judicial victory that could lead to the judicial legalization of the same-sex marriage or to legislation authorizing same-sex domestic partnership in that state. In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court, in Baehr vs. Lewin, vacated a state circuit court judgment dismissing same-sex discrimination under the state constitutions Equal Protection Clause and Equal Rights Amendment. The above case began in 1991 when three same-sex couples who had been denied marriage licenses by the Hawaii Department of Health brought suit in state court against the director of the department. Hawaii law required couples wishing to marry to obtain a marriage license. While the marriage license law did not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage at the time, it used terms of gender that the Hawaii marriage license law is unconstitutional, as it prohibits same-sex marriage and allows state officials to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples in account of the heterosexuality requirement. Baehr and her attorney sought their objectives entirely through state law, not only by filing in state rather than .