Graduating!

College Tips

Wow! It's been months since I've updated this blog. Dear readers: please ignore any and all advice I give, because apparently I'm terrible at taking it myself. A lot has happened since I last updated this blog. I've been interning at a District Attorney's office for the last 4 months, I'm now engaged and getting married in about 2 months, and I'm graduating in about 1 month. So my life has become pretty hectic in a matter of months.

I'm sure a lot of you readers out there who might be graduating as well are starting to feel the pressure. Don't act like you're not, you know what I'm talking about. That little three letter word that makes college graduates sweat.

Yep, you guessed it: J-O-B.

As tough as it may seem to get a job nowadays, job prospects are not as bleak as they were a few years ago. However, let's be real: the struggle to find a job is pretty daunting, and there are some majors that have high recent graduate unemployment rates. But don't let that discourage you. Let's look at some statistics that might clarify some things about this whole thing.

Ouch. Yeah, okay, so maybe this whole post is a terrible idea. Statistics suck at making people feel better about job prospects. Let's try looking at another one. Maybe this one will have happier data.

Nope, still terrible. So the data might not be in favor of college graduates, but what does all this mean? Let's take a step back an analyze what these graphs tell us.

1. Some majors have higher unemployment rates. The graph directly above tells us that some majors have better chances at getting a job. As bleak as that is, it's true, and while the people who are graduating with those degrees will be dismayed soon after graduation, this rate doesn't hold true over time, as you'll see from my next point.
2. Having a graduate degree makes a difference. For both men and women, having a graduate degree lowers the unemployment rate significantly. So while you may be unemployed and deep in debt now, the answer is to go even further into debt and get a grad degree.
3. The overall rate is going down. Notice the spike in the first graph that happened around 2009. Now notice 2010 and 2011. The rate went down. And it's still going down. The recession of 2008 hit hard in 2009, but we're almost 5 years out from that now, which is an average amount of time that recessions of that magnitude take to recover from. The economy may not be where it was, but it's getting better. 

So what now? Go get a job, that's what. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Statistics about job prospects may really suck at the moment, but one piece of advice I can impart to those who still have time before they graduate: GET EXPERIENCE. Do an unpaid internship somewhere in your field, and work hard at it. Learn everything you can. Do it as long as you can. 

For instance, if you start an internship at say, a small business in your Sophomore year, and stay in that business until you graduate (hopefully) in two years, that's TWO YEARS of experience in that field. 

You know how almost every entry-level job asks for two years experience, in addition to the degree? That's no sweat for you now. So get chopping on those internships people. It'll set you apart.

I'll leave you with this: good luck, and may you find the job you're looking for.

-M

It's That Time Again- Back to School!

College Tips

Hello all,

Well it's just about that time, eh? All of us students are returning back to our respective alma maters to begin another year of study. For myself, this is the beginning of my last year in undergraduate school, so this year is my final chance to finish another year strong. Speaking of doing strong in school, I've got a quick little 3-point list for those of us who are returning to keep our focus this year and remind you what we've probably forgotten over the summer. So without further adieu, here is my best 3 tips for getting back into the swing of everything with school, studying, etc:

• Treat school like a job. Many of us who may not have held a job over the summer may have forgotten that our true job is school, so let's just go ahead and stick that back into our heads. Yes, school is just like your job. So, a few things: don't drink on the job, don't not pull your weight at the job, and don't expect other people to do your work for you or for things to be easy. Fall semester is always the hardest for me, so it's especially essential that we remember "school is our job" early.
• Do new things. If you're a returning student, it's very easy to simply fall back into how things were the previous year. Don't do this. College is about growing as a person, and a huge part of that is doing new things. Set a goal for yourself to do at least 1 major new things per semester, whether that be doing a new sport, joining a new club, taking a unique class, etc.
• Have fun. Yep, I know I just told you to treat school like your job, but you also have to remember to have fun. College without having fun is probably one of the worst experiences that anyone who has ever been to college can attest to. So remember to have fun, but be responsible with your fun. Don't do stupid things that might harm yourself or others and don't do things that might get you kicked out of school. If you did that, then all of this good advice that I'm sending your way is totally useless, and that would not be cool man.

So there you have it! School is back in session, and it's time to get down to business. Let's have a great school year everyone. College is one of the best times of our lives, so make the most of it.

Regards,

-M

More Ways to Make Money Online in College!

College Tips & Life Hacks


Hello everyone! I've been searching the Internet again, and I've found two great ways to make money online as a college student. If you're in college and you find yourself strapped for some pocket money, these two websites should meet your need in that area. All you need is some spare time, and a bit of work.

Jebbit

The first website you can earn money on is www.jebbit.com, a website that is tailored specifically for college students. The way this website works is that you sign up using your .edu email address, and once your are registered you do 'campaigns'. How campaigns work is that you click on the campaign, and you usually answer a few simple questions, the answers to which can be found right on the web page the campaign takes you to. The reward for answering the questions right is CASH! Each correct answer usually rewards about .10-.25 cents, but Jebbit is always putting up new campaigns, and these questions are super easy, so earning .50 cents can happen in a just a minute or two.

I highly recommend Jebbit because the money is easy and fun to make, and I've never had any problems withdrawing it. They have recently redesigned their website, so now making money look even better!

Postloop

The second website you can earn money on is www.postloop.com, a website that rewards users for making posts online. The way the site works is that you sign up, then you have to make 10 example posts in their 'test' forum, which are reviewed by the website. If they approve your grammar and post length, you can then begin subscribing to forums and blogs from the lists they provide. All you have to do is post on forums and blogs that you are interested in, and you get 'points' for each post, which translate into cash! I tend to make about 1.7 points per post, and 100 points = $5 cash that is paid out almost instantly to PayPal. These posts are not very difficult to do, and if you have skills in good English grammar and can make some good posts on forums, blogs, etc, then you can make a lot of money from this website. 

There you have it folks! I make all the pocket money I need in a week or two from using these websites, and I highly recommend that you give them a try. They are both 100% legitimate, and are actually fun to use. If you have any success stories you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them in the comments!

-M

5 Things to Take Advantage of at Your College

College Tips

So you're in college. Congratulations, you are now in the top 20% of Americans in terms of education. College is a wonderful time to find yourself, learn what you want to do in terms of your career, meet lifelong friends, learn to enjoy learning (it had to happen sometime people), and many other things. The many college and universities across America are some of the leading institutes of higher learning in the entire world; yet many of the people I know that are currently in college are probably only utilizing about 60% of what their school has to offer. College can be a great thing, but you have to make it a great thing. There are 5 main things that I have identified that the people in college I know either do not know exists at their school, or they just plain don't take advantage of it. Without further adieu, I present you with my list of those 5 things:

1.Fitness/athletic/gym facilities. The number one thing that is offered at most colleges that students consistently do not take advantage of are the gyms. Top excuses for not using the gym include: "I don't know how to", "I don't have enough time", "I'm not a gym person", etc. As you may have noticed, these all seemed to start with "I don't", and that is something that when I hear people say, I tend to think otherwise. As with most other things, the hardest part about going the gym is actually getting up out of your dorm room and going there. Once you've done that and you've seen what you can accomplish with a few hours a week at the gym, you'll want to go regularly. Most college students are in terrible health from the massive amounts of : either junk food or lack of food, poor hygiene, massive amounts of consistent sedentary activities, etc. What a gym will give you is a way to improve yourself physically, which in turn will do wonders for you mentally and emotionally.

2. Dining facilities. This one is one that I notice is either under utilized almost all the time, or not at all. Now, I know school cafeteria food can sometimes be atrocious, but that does not mean you can't do some simple things to make it better or try to hit it up on the days with good food. I won't go into detail here, but if your dining hall offers basic things like condiments, salt, pepper, lemons or limes, dressings, etc., then there is an entire world of things you can do to improve your meal. If you have most any kind of baked or grilled chicken served, take a bit of Caesar dressing, squeeze lemon into it, and then put a good amount of black pepper onto the chicken. This is an easy fix for plain chicken that needs some work. Do a few Google searches on ways that you can improve meals with basic condiments and other ingredients. Combine this with using the dining hall on days where they typically prepare good, fresh food and your college dining experience will take quantum leaps.

3. Academic help centers. This is the one that makes me cringe when I hear that people don't take advantage of on their campus. For those of you who have any kind of difficulty with academics at school, I guarantee that there is a resource for you somewhere on campus to help you out. Don't let your pride or stupidity get in the way of getting the grade you want. While we are on the subject, the phrase 'get the grade you deserve' is misleading to many of us. The grade we deserve is usually correlated to the amount of work we put into getting the grade that is assigned to us. If you put in C-level work, you will probably get a C. Now, this is not true in every instance. Hard work and studying forever don't always pay off. That's a hard truth, but its a truth nonetheless. However, the academic resources you have access to on campus are filled with people who want to help you get the grade you want. The thing that is stopping many of you from getting that grade is taking the first step. I don't mean that figuratively, I mean the first step as in walking to the help center.

4. Campus events. This is one that is not as important as some of the others, but it has it's own merits in and of itself. On your campus right now, there are probably fun, free, and fulfilling events that are going on at this moment. Take some time to scan the huge bulletin boards across you campus or talk to your friends about what is going on around campus. The events that many schools offer include: seminars, concerts, dramas, presentations, expos, job fairs, etc. These kinds of events will expose you to all kinds of cultures, people, lifestyles, occupations, and many other things that will help you be well-rounded as a person.

5. Recreation centers. This last one is just for fun. Somewhere on your campus, there is a place that probably has some if not all of the following: ping pong tables, Foosball tables, pools, televisions, gaming centers, couches, air hockey tables, etc. The library at your school also probably has a pretty good selection of DVDs, so there is a lot of relaxing activities that your campus has to offer. All of us college students are pretty much broke for the duration of our four year stay (unless you followed my tips in a previous post, of course), so taking advantage of the FREE entertainment around campus on the weekends or afternoons is a preferable alternative to going out and blowing all the cash we have...which is to say, none. So go ahead, head over to your campus rec center and enjoy some fun times with friends. You've earned it.

There you have it guys. I have found that these are 5 areas in college that most people don't know exist, or don't take advantage of properly. Doing these things will enrich your college experience so you don't look back on it with regret/disgust/disdain, and many that have passed/not passed usually do.

-M

Suits: Sharp, Slick, & Savvy

Media Reviews

This week I will be reviewing one of my personal favorite shows, Suits. Suits is a wonderful example of a show that makes you actually want to pay attention and invest yourself in the show. I myself am thinking about becoming a lawyer, and while I know that this show is probably not the most realistic indicator of how actual lawyers work, it is very accurate in it's use of legal terms and procedures.

The real meat & potatoes of the show is Mike and Harvey. From the genius way the unlikely duo met in the first episode (Mike is running from the cops and stumbles into a job interview , all the way down to the mid-season finale last summer, these two have played the buddy archetype to the letter and then some. The friendly and the sometimes not-so friendly banter that goes on between these two is some of the sharpest dialogue in television right now. Most shows that have the buddy archetype going on tend to get their good dialogue from the buddies interacting with others; with Suits, the best dialogue is between the two themselves. That is not to say that there isn't any good dialogue outside these two, but the best lines from the show are most definitely from Harvey and Mike.

Season One finds Mike Ross, a college dropout, taking the bar exam in exchange for cash. His drug dealer room-mate needs him to deliver some drugs, and will be in a bad situation if he does not help. This is where we first see how much of a people person Mike is. He agrees to deliver the drugs, and while en route to deliver them he notices that this delivery is a sting operation. He manages to get away by slipping into a room, which to his surprise is filled with job interviewees. He is called in, and immediately impresses Harvey with his intellect and memory skills. Harvey hires him on the spot, and thus the heart of the show is created.

The first season is mostly about Mike adjusting to life in a high-speed and high-powered law firm; the first few episodes manage to portray his nervousness well, seeing as he is someone masquerading as a lawyer, without a law degree. Though it does somewhat glaze over that process in a short amount of time, when we finally get to see Mike using his skills in a legal environment to get the win for the first time, it's a great moment. The ending to Season One was fairly stellar, with Mike and Harvey having to come together and fight for their metaphorical employment lives. The relationships developed in Season One made for a great foundation for the beginning of Season Two, my personal favorite of the two so far.

Season Two took the relationships, problems, and issues from Season One are built upon, and new problems in the form of Daniel Hardman and others, arise to add to the queue of things that Mike, Harvey, and their compatriots have to work together to overcome. The acting and emotion in the second season is something to be lauded, as the scenes between Mike, Harvey, Lewis, Jessica, and Hardman throughout the different points in the season is some of the best done for the show yet. The ending of the season was weak in the relationship area, a part of the show that doesn't usually make much sense with it's outcomes.

The new half of the second season began last Thursday, and I am looking forward to seeing more of the dynamic relationships, and some of the sharpest and wittiest dialogue on television. 

-M

3 Steps to Prepare for Spring Semester

College Tips

I hope all of you fellow college people are enjoying your Christmas break! Want to know the best way to really enjoy it? Start thinking about your spring semester, duh! I know, since it's cold most everywhere, the warm embrace of spring semester seems too far away to even think about, but time keeps going during Christmas break, whether it seems like it or not.

But really, it's coming faster than you think and its going to come whether you like it or not, so better to just suck it up, buckle down, and get ready for it. So here is my fool-proof 3-step plan to get ready for the semester that always seems to go by the quickest:

1. Plan a spring break trip. That's right. Number one thing is to plan a spring break. Now is the perfect time to start planning a fun trip so you don't get down to the wire and have nothing going on for spring break. Now, I'm not a fan of those crazy spring break parties that go on down in Panama City, so I'm recommending avoiding those so you don't catch something. I'm more advocating for something like a trip with friends to the beach, a favorite city, things like that. We've all started spring semester and told ourselves, "I'll get around to planning something later", or my favorite, "Let's just get in the car and go". Stop right there. That never works. Spring break comes faster than you think, and spring break trips cost money. Usually when everything is just thrown together someone ends up paying for everything and getting paid back in "I'll get you next time bro." Don't fall into that. Talk to your friends, sit down and pick a spot, call ahead and get rooms, and actually plan something. You'll have a lot more fun because you can just jump in the car and focus on having fun instead of figuring out food, rooms, money, or even where to go.
2. Do some class scouting. I know, I know, why on earth would anyone want to think about classes over a break? Well, breaks don't last forever, so get over it and do some class research. Pull up the list of class you're taking next semester, and start doing some research. Head over to www.ratemyprofessors.com, and take a look at who exactly you'll be listening to for the next few months. It'll pay dividends to know what they like, what they don't like, if they are easy, if they are tough. Next, look up the class you are taking, and see exactly what is going to be included in it. Knowing a little bit of the subject material beforehand can never hurt, so do a few google searches and look up what exactly applied trigo-metro-astro-cosmo-pysch-account-ology is. Finally, look at what textbooks you'll need. Make sure to print out a list of the books you need and do some scouting on Chegg, Amazon, and the rest of the internet because we all know, if you buy your books from the school bookstore, you are being duped and of substandard intelligence.
3. Do some schoolwork. Last but most certainly the worst, yes, doing some kind of studying or school-related activity over the break will be good for your spring semester. What is worse, taking 15 minutes a day to stay fresh with info from your major, or forgetting everything you learned this past semester? If you said the latter, well then there isn't much hope for you. One thing I've found helps keep me sharp and prevent the memory loss we all know happens over Christmas is to study. I know it sounds crazy and no one will believe me, but I know that just leisurely doing about 15 minutes worth of studying once in a while over the break is a cure-all for that inevitable loss of knowledge brought on by friends, family, ham, presents, and all the other miscellaneous items that accompany Christmas.  Maybe pull out some notes from last semester, do some Google searches on the things that your next classes are going to cover. Get familiar with the information that is going to be presented in detail, so that way you won't come into the spring semester feeling like you've had a lobotomy. 

That about wraps it up folks! Don't be like the rest of your classmates and waste your Christmas break away. Follow these 3 steps and your spring semester will be much less burdensome. 

Cheers,

-M

How To Write Any Length Paper in 8 Hours or Less

College Tips

Papers. Both the bane, and sometimes the bread & butter of us college students, writing papers is one of those things that no one likes. Yet it's something that we have to do whether we like it or not. One thing that I find many college students, including myself, tend to do is to procrastinate. And why shouldn't we? College is some of the best times that we will ever have in our lives, so why not enjoy it? Now, with that said, please don't be one of those idiots that forsakes all work for all fun, all the time. Why? Because they suck at life, and will never amount to anything.

This will be you the morning after. Learn to accept it.

With that said, I'm here to give you my tips on how to write any length paper in 8 hours or less. Why eight hours you say? Because when most of realize we have a paper due tomorrow, it's around 12 midnight and we start freaking out. I picked eight hours because that's enough time to do most anything provided you follow these tips, and also because 8 hours after 12 midnight is 8 am, the time when college classes begin. Even if you don't have an 8 am class/deadline for the paper, follow these tips should you ever find yourself staring at your computer until it spits out a 10 pager that you need for tomorrow.

• Map your essay out. Take 5 minutes, some scrap paper, and write down your intro, thesis, 3-5 main points, and conclusion in that order. Keep it short and to the point, this isn't the essay. Just a sentence or two will work for every part. Make sure your thesis sounds good by saying it out loud. Many a thesis has fallen short because it sounds stupid when you actually read it.
• Don't take energy pills, shots, drinks, or whatever. Trust me when I say those things are poison for you, because they are. Make some coffee or tea, or perhaps have some chocolate. It's been scientifically proven that your brain consumes a large amount of energy when writing or studying, and the sugars that give your brain that energy come from chocolate or candy. So have a cup of tea and a chocolate energy bar instead of a 44oz. Power Super Monster X-Fuel N-R-G, or whatever those stupid things are called.
• Don't write your paper in double space just yet. Leave it in single space. For some reason, perhaps it's a psychological thing, I write faster and better in single space. I once wrote 7 pages in 1 & 1/2 hours because I only used single space. Once you've written a few pages worth of single space, then double space it. The feeling you get is awesome, and you'll see that you've written a lot more than you might have thought. 

• Devote 2 hours of this time to research. Sure, you can write 7 pages of anything, but unless you've got some general knowledge about what you're writing about, your paper will be 7 pages of crap. Start with the Wikipedia page on your subject. This will give you an overview of what you need to know should you know absolutely nothing about your subject. Need sources? Check the References section at the bottom of the page. Then, move on to detailed research. Use Google Scholar and your school's online databases to find some article that are hopefully remotely about your subject. If you're not a freshman and you can't use or can't find either of these, just drop out of college. Just quit while you're ahead and you'll save yourself the headache of sucking at school.
• Don't do citations yourself, or use Easybib. Easybib is a rip. It's good if you need a quick MLA citation, but you'll have to pay if you need anything else. Use Citation Machine instead. This site is free, and all you have to do is enter the info into the blanks, and poof! Instant citation in the format you need, for free! It even gives you the in-text citation. Citations you say? More like yawning I say.
• Listen to calm music, and just write. Throw on some headphones, pop in the Beethoven, and get typing. Look at it this way, as soon as you start writing, that's chipping away at your page length no matter what. Follow your essay map, and try to write with your subject or essay question in mind. Try not to just write whatever comes to mind, instead, take a second and think "How does this relate to what my problem or question is?" Trust me, it'll make your paper better so you don't have to revise as much later, which is quite the blessing to someone writing an 8 pager at 4 a.m.
• Revise it, dang it! Congratulations, you've just written your essay! Are you finished? No. Go back through your paper and check for any spelling or grammar mistakes, stupid sentences, or crappy supporting arguments. Take 20 minutes people. It's not that much work, I mean you've already written the thing, so what's 20 more minutes to make it an A- paper instead of a B+? 

And that's all she, or he, wrote folks! Paper writing isn't so hard once you actually just start typing. Once you've finished revising and turn that sucker in, take a nap as soon as possible. You've earned it, champ.

-M

3 Easy Steps to Write Great Class Notes

College Tips

Taking notes is something that every college student needs to know how to do, because when you're sitting in class and the professor is speaking at 10,000 words per minute, blazing through PowerPoint slides, and at the end of the class you are paralyzed when the professor says "Make sure you took notes today, this stuff will be on the exam" because you didn't know how to take good notes. So pay attention, and be prepared to have your mind blown with these simple and amazing note-taking techniques!

1. Write in red ink. Writing in red ink will imprint the knowledge of what you are writing down in your brain far more easily than writing in black, blue, or any other kind of ink. This a proven psychological fact, because red is the color that our eyes most see and remember naturally. One of the first colors that newborns can see is the color red. Don't believe me? Go grab something red and visit your little niece or nephew, and wave that thing in front of their eyes. Watch as they track the red object intensely. Trust me, writing in red ink will save your brain a lot of effort in remembering these things you write down. Why do you think teachers mark papers and tests in red ink? So you'll see what they wrote and remember it of course!

2. Know what to take notes on, and what not to take notes on. One of the hardest thing to do in note taking is to differentiate between what is important, and what is not important. What is important are things like formulas, dates, names, theories, new information, questions, definitions, and anything that is bolded or underlined on the PowerPoint or board that your teacher is using. Don't write down things you already know, and don't try to copy what is on the PowerPoint or what your teacher is saying verbatim, because you will just fall behind and have no idea if you missed anything important. Just focus on the list of important things above, and remember to only write down when necessary.

3. Take notes in a structured method. Don't just scribble everything important down haphazardly across your notebook or iPad or whatever. Divide your paper into thirds, use bullet points or Roman numerals, use subpoints, etc. Writing without structure is like driving without lane dividers or road signs: you'll crash and burn within minutes. If you have to, take a bit of time before class and just divide/bullet point/structure your notebook pages so that you won't have to do that in class. Trust me, this will keep your notebook looking clean and it will make it easier for you to go back and underline or highlight whatever you write down. Don't be that note taking guy who's notebook pages look like a blind chicken wrote them.

And there you have it folks! 3 easy steps to make your note taking life much simpler, and much easier. Don't sweat note-taking, it's just writing down information people. Take a breath, pay attention, and take notes!

-M

5 Tips on How To Study- And Not Forget Everything You Just Studied

College Tips

College is hard. That's a fact. 

Maybe not as hard as some jobs, and maybe not as easy as high school, but it has it's challenges. And one of those things is studying. Oh studying. The bane of many a college exam and student, studying is that elusive creature that everyone seems to chase, but can never 'catch'. But, that is all about to change. I am here to help all of you out there who are struggling to catch studying. By following these 5 simple tips, I promise that when you study, you'll do better than you ever thought you could do. And don't worry, I'm not going to just tell you what not to do and offer no solutions, because that would be pointless. I'll tell you everything you need to know to make studying as easy as pie. That's actually a terrible analogy, because making a pie is hard. Anyway, here they are:

1. Don't cram. Now I know this is probably the hardest one you will have to do. Cramming is the signature college student move, but it is so bad for your memory. Cramming sounds great, but in reality you're just wasting your time and energy trying to stuff a semester's worth of knowledge into about a night's worth of time. Studying all that information without focusing on a few items or subjects and just trying to absorb everything will take the information, place it in your brain for about a total of about 15 seconds, and then out it goes. Don't cram people. What you should do instead is just mark on your calendar, sticky note, scrap of paper, whatever, and set aside just a few hours at least a day or two before the exam. Then use the next tip as your studying method for those few hours. 
2. Study Smarter. Anyone can stare at a textbook like a zombie for hours and say they 'studied'. But not so for you! I have a proven psychological method that will help you retain the maximum amount of information while at the same time letting you take a break during your session. What you need to do is study in 15 minute increments, and take a 2-3 minute break in between each increment. In that 2-3 minute break, do anything but study or read. Run around your library, do jumping jacks, count to 100, whatever, but just do anything but studying. Implement this cycle for about 3 times per hour of studying. Also, never study for more than 3-4 hours. You will just burn out and give up or forget everything you just learned. 2-3 hours of good, clear-headed studying is what you need.
3. Don't study while tired. This. Whatever you do, try your darnedest to not study when you are tired. You will be burnt out already, and whatever you do will be in a haze of sleep deprivation or just absolute exhaustion. Study in the daytime, preferably the sunlight or at least a well lit area. Try not to study at night and if you do, here's a protip: turn down the brightness on your screen. It will reduce the strain on your eyes, which will in turn make it easier for you to read which means you'll actually pay attention to what your eyes are looking at.
4. Use your study guides (If you have one). Cannot emphasize this enough. Why read something and commit it to memory if you don't even need it for the exam?! If your teacher provides study guides, utilize them. Don't ignore them and say that they are useless, because the professor made them and I'm betting they didn't make them just to mess with your and make your life suck. Print out all the study guides at the beginning of the semester, and bring them to class. Fill them in, write notes on them, whatever you have to do to make sure all the essential information is there. By essential information, I usually mean formulas, definitions, solutions to problems, theories, those shorts of things. If you are not provided a study guide, then take good notes in class and during your reading. Use the list of important things above to give you an idea of what to focus your notes on.
5. Relax! Chill out! One thing people always seem to get stressed over is studying. It's frigging' reading and thinking people. It's not skydiving, or fighting a war, it's simply committing information to memory. Don't get overwhelmed by the info you need to know. Focus on what's important, use the tips given above, and breath. Always remember to breath. Take a break after a major study session, and reward yourself with some free time or a hobby. Don't immediately take your mind off what your were just looking at, but keep it in the back-burner for later use. Life isn't all work, so just keep that in mind as you work your way through your academic journey.

I hope this helps those of you who struggle with this. This is my personal experience combined with a little bit of common sense and knowledge about the human mind, so it shouldn't be too tough to follow.

-M