CRUNCH TIME - DEAD WEEK - FINALS WEEK

It’s the week before dead week and I am feeling nowhere near dead. I’m sure we are all very aware that our so-called “Dead Week” is very much ALIVE! All of the sudden we have tons of presentations, papers, and projects that seemed to just spring out of nowhere, right? Now is the time to really step up our game and push ourselves until the very last word of our 10 page paper is written. But I’m sure it doesn't seem so easy when our roommates are hanging out with friends, or playing their music too loud. As a student, we need to find our study nook that we can always turn to if need be. If you cannot study in your own home here are a few places to consider:

·         Library (Now open from 7:30am-2am)

·         Cross Cultural Leadership Center- CCLC (MLIB 172)

·         EOP Study Lounge (right outside SSC 310)

·         Under a tree on campus (there is Wi-Fi everywhere on campus)

·         Study Lounge in the BMU (right next to Common Grounds Café)

·         Student Learning Center (SSC 340-great spot if you need a tutor)

·         Computer Lounge in Whitney (first floor)

·         Local Coffee Shops Downtown (Starbucks, Peets Coffee, Naked Lounge)

Now, if you were struggling over the material in any of your classes I would HIGHLY recommend talking to your professor during office hours! These are the loneliest times of the day for our teachers and they make themselves readily available for OUR benefit. (I even heard that some teachers will secretly give you extra credit if you make the time to visit them during their office hours!)

Often times we will come across professors who give us the option to possibly take the final and maybe get the A or B (with a lot of studying) or not take the final and stick with your B or C.  In this situation it is up to YOU as the student to make that important decision. Maybe if you don’t take that final it will allow you more time to study for a class that you were really struggling in? It’s ultimately up to you and your individual situation, so make smart choices and be sure to prioritize and manage your time wisely. 

Take Note

By Erick Garcia

Effective note taking is a key factor in college. This is what I think because notes can help in a couple of ways. When writing notes, it can help you in knowing what can be on the exam. In my past and occurring tests, I've noticed that the smallest of points that a professor writes down are always on the test. I feel like the professors know that some students don’t really take notes, so for the students who do it is a privilege and an advantage because when reviewing and going over your notes you can memorize those small notes. 

At the end of the test that one point that you got can be the border line between a B or an A or a D to a C, all because you knew those little points from the notes.

I also feel like taking effective notes cannot just help you but others on your class that you know. Someone you know in class may have missed class and they need the notes from that day. You can help them if you are a good note taker. Look at as if you missed class and you needed the notes from that class session. Are you going to want the bad note taker who barely writes anything down or someone who took fair enough notes but got the important point of the notes?

Another good point about taking notes is that professors may write something in the notes more than once, that’s most likely to be on the test. If you pay attention and make sure you know that term because you paid attention and realized that he/she was repeating it constantly. I look at note taking as an important part in your classes, not for all but for some.

The Student Learning Center has an online workshop on taking notes.


By Andrea Hernandez

In my sophomore year of high school, I had the opportunity of having a teacher who taught me wonderful ways of note taking.  although some may not agree with her tactics, she made us highlight and write notes in our books to help us revisit what we had read.  For me, being a visual learner, I felt that highlighting and writing in my book helped tremendously, because I would color coordinate notes and definitions and then summarize every few sentences or paragraphs which helped me remember what each section talked about.

as soon as I entered Chico State, I noticed that every time I would read an article, I would highlight and take notes.  I ended up doing that to my textbooks and that technique has helped me a lot.  I hope this tip helps you all, but remember not to highlight everything.  Only highlight what you believe is most important.  If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask!  There is no such thing as a "dumb question."  You also have the internet at your hands as a resource, but also remember that we libraries filled with amazing books.  Have fun!