Comments on: Monday Master Class: How David Scored a 4.0 With 0.0 Notes

By: Study Hacks Article « David Robertson

Study Hacks Article « David Robertson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:19:38 +0000

[…] How david scored a 4.0 with 0.0 notes Leave a Comment […]

By: Ilham Hafizovic

Ilham Hafizovic — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:19:51 +0000

I agree with Jeremy on this one. This technique is actually a much better method for science/math classes. I do agree though it is not for everyone, and only those science students who are auditory learners, but the fact that you should understand formulas and not memorize them is something even Professors keep reminding us students. The fact is, a formula can be explained with words and not just symbols, simply because those symbols have names too.

By: Study Hacks » Blog Archive » How Allison Used Her iPod to Ace Biology

Study Hacks » Blog Archive » How Allison Used Her iPod to Ace Biology — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:20:15 +0000

[…] knew she was more an audio than a visual learning, but recognized early in the semester that David’s technique of recording entire lectures to review later would be too inefficient. (The lectures were loooonnng […]

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:26:42 +0000

I would argue that this method works best in science/math classes. If you are able to pay enough attention to figure out what the professor is actually doing it requires very little memorization of the formulas and processes because you understand exactly what is happening and can recreate it on the test the same way as the original scientist/mathematician did. the key is to really engage your brain and make the effort in class to understand what is behind the process.

By: Troy

Troy — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:50:57 +0000

I usually don’t pay any attention in class, don’t take notes, and study very little.

Of course, I don’t get super grades and all my material is in the book / online, so this is pretty easy, but…

By: Pademelon

Pademelon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:21:27 +0000

I have to weigh in on this. For the record, I am double-majoring (yeah I know) in Zoology and Marine Biology so all of my classes are heavy science with labs. Also, I have never been an auditory learner. I have always learned best by writing and re-writing notes. Though I’m generally a good student, I have specific issues with recall, regardless of how long/hard I study. I recently bought a voice recorder and started recording all my lectures and it has CHANGED every aspect of how I study. I don’t stress about getting everything written down because I can go back and get it! If I miss something, I put an R circled at that point on my printed lecture slides. I have single hour gaps in my lecture schedule which are perfect for sneaking in a little extra time. If I need visual (which I frequently do), then I sit down at my computer and pull up those PowerPoint slides and listen to the lecture. For most of my lectures, I can put my recorder near the keyboard of my professor and I get a click of the keyboard when the slides are changed. It’s also a good motivator to actually attend all my classes because if I don’t then I don’t have the audio. As far as the science stuff goes, both my recorder and digital camera go with me to every lab. I record the pre-lab talk and anything else relevant and take photos of the available lab material. The thing that impresses me is that my recall is starting to improve. I’ve always had this problem and this is my third year at university and now, at the age of 25, I’ve found a way to improve my recall through a method I never thought would work. It sounds daunting to find the time to listen to lectures again but it’s not that hard. You find time and the beauty of it is, you don’t have to listen to a whole lecture at once! I listen the 15 minutes before lecture starts or a half-hour before bed or … It’s a good trick, even in a science/math heavy major. It’s certainly not for everyone but I never thought it’d work for me and it did. So, it’s worth a shot if you can figure out where it’s useful and where it isn’t.

By: Tesla

Tesla — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:17:01 +0000

This is a great technique for auditory learners. People who learn though seeing still might be better served by notes, or re-reading the text.

By: Four great studying links | AppleQuack.com

Four great studying links | AppleQuack.com — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:47:39 +0000

[…] shares a technique for studying without using written notes. I attend more informal lectures, and never take notes. I found the advice a nice springboard for […]

By: David

David — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:22:13 +0000

Several comments allude to the “fact” that this won’t work in science or engineering classes. Like Jen said, it depends on the type of learner that you happen to be. I am an auditory learner and find that taking notes, even in science classes, causes me to miss out on important material. I have a BS, MS, and PhD in physics and found (for me) that the most effective way to take classes was to read the material before the lecture and truly pay attention to what was being said by the instructor. I gave myself bonus points if I could find mistakes in the lecture (okay, I was probably really annoying to have as a student). On those rare occasions that I took notes, I found that I never looked at them again. So it does work in science, if you are the right type of learner.

By: Study Hacks

Study Hacks — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:34:40 +0000

ehm. I am wondering if this was a liberal arts major. Try taking a class on circuits or electrical systems without taking notes, esp drawing circuit diagrams

He was a liberal arts major. Notice the following quote from the article:

This technique will never work for my science/econ/anatomy/math class! You’re right. It won’t. Save it for liberal arts classes that center on papers, essay exams, and big, interesting ideas.