For instance, you may not be allowed to have your laptop open during lectures, or you may only be permitted to access specific programs or websites. You may also only be allowed to bring your laptop on certain days. In some cases, these policies may be set by the school, rather than by an individual teacher.
You can also include questions that you might have. Then, when you’re studying, you can try to find the answer to those questions in your notes or textbook.
Even if it only takes a second to close a notification, it could cause you to miss something important that your teacher says. You can also use airplane mode to disable your internet completely while you’re in class.
For instance, you might install an extension on your web browser that blocks you from going to certain websites during school hours or while you’re studying, or that limits how many hours you can use those sites during the day.
Consider sitting toward the back of the class if laptops aren’t commonly used by the students in your course. That way, anyone who might be distracted by it is free to sit ahead of you where they can’t see the screen.
This will also help protect your laptop from being damaged in your backpack or during class.
For instance, you might use scholarly search engines like Google Scholar, LexisNexis, or JSTOR. These have already vetted their sources to ensure they’re credible and authoritative. You can typically rely on websites with the extension . gov, since these are run by government institutions. Most . edu sources are also credible since these are hosted on school websites. However, students may sometimes have access to post on these sites, so evaluate these sources critically. Sources from credible institutions like the Mayo Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reputable. However, avoid sources with an obvious bias, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), as their information may be skewed to fit their agenda.
Save your notes in separate folders for each class. For instance, you might have a folder for English, one for History, and one for Biology. You can even have subfolders for different chapters if you prefer. If there’s anything in your notes that doesn’t quite make sense, you’ll know you need to focus on this area as you study.
Typing your papers is also helpful for editing since it allows you to easily make changes without having to start all over.
You can also download your own apps to learn more about a subject. For instance, if you’re taking Spanish, you might use software like Rosetta Stone to help you learn the language.
You can also use apps like Google Hangouts or Skype to form study groups with your fellow students!
