How to Highlight Books & Notes in College

Have you ever seen that picture of a textbook completely covered in yellow highlighter that just says, �Highlighting. You�re doing it wrong.�?

I literally laughed so hard at that the first time I saw it because I have definitely gotten those textbooks before! 

(And in all honesty, I�ve also been that highlighting offender.)

Sometimes, it�s just hard to know what to and what not to highlight. Like, what if you need to know this in the future? Clearly, that neon yellow will lead the information right into your brain and let it stay there forever!

Here is my system for highlighting (and reading) textbooks:

First of all, go into your textbook with a purpose. Just reading a chapter start to finish without a purpose is like walking into Target without a purpose (dangerous and costly).

When you know what you�re looking for (either by using a study guide, looking at class notes, or reading the guiding questions that the end of the chapter), you�re more likely to pull out the importantinformation.

Scan the pictures and headings to get an idea of what you�re SUPPOSED to learn from the chapter. Then really focus on learning that thing! You and I both know every chapter doesn�t need to be 30+ pages. Don�t waste your time reading every word.

5 Ways to Start a New Routine Today

Create a routine, just like everything else. You may want to use one color for vocabulary terms and a different color for important ideas. I always, ALWAYS write my notes right in the margins using a mechanical pencil. It just makes it so much easier to have all of the info right there together!

If you use a consistent system, you�ll automatically look for vocabulary words to be pink, or learning theories to be yellow, which would make it a little more memorable!

Checklist for Writing Goals

Also, don�t forget about the wide variety of office supplies that can make your textbook reading more interactive! Use Post-It flags/tabs to save pages where important theories/concepts/charts, etc. are. You can highlight away, but what good does it do if you can�t find the page again?

If you�re not totally comfortable with writing straight into your book, you can use medium-sized sticky notes and stick those in the margins of important pages instead! Plus, sometimes a little extra color makes textbooks a little more bearable.

8 Ways to Stay Organized This Month

Don�t forget to bring the information �out� of your textbook.By that, I mean pull out those important terms/concepts/ideas that you highlighted and put them on index cards. Hang them up on your fridge, the wall above your computer, or on your mirror. This brings the information to you instead of you having to do work to get to the information.

Also, Target and school supply stores have that giant paper that you could use to create diagrams, etc. and literally hang them on your wall (provided your husband/roommates wouldn�t mind too much).

Use a Graphic Organizer

Follow Organized Charm on Pinterest!

More about → How to Highlight Books & Notes in College

Good Habits for College Classes

Class. To go or not to go? 

That usually seems to be the question. 

I mean, we know that  it�s probably best to go� but the freedom of not having to be there is just so tempting sometimes.  

Plus, there is always so much to do. Occasionally, we're just positive that we could be more productive if we skipped class and spent that hour by ___ (insert biggest stressor of the day) instead. 

If going to class feels "unproductive" to you, here are some ways to change that and get the most out of your time spent on campus!

Here are my top �good� habits for college classes:

Bring Your Planner

Not only would I never in my life have come to class without my planner. I kept it open in front of me at all times. This just kept  dates in my mind (next class, we�ll be talking about this chapter� that assignment is due a week from today� etc.). I definitely, definitely suggest doing this!

5 Ways to Make Your Planner Pretty

Listen Proactively

For my new teaching job, we�re reading the book Teach Like a Champion. There is a technique in the book called SLANT, which provides an easy for students (or �scholars) to know how they�re expected to sit. Our brains usually take their cues from our bodies, and if your body is saying �Hey, this is interesting and I�m excited to hear it! Then your brain will pay attention, too (probably).

S: Sit up

L: Listen attentively

A: Ask and answer questions like a scholar

N: Not your head

T: Track the speaker

Study Tip: How to Let Go of Perfection

Stay Active

Unfortunately, most college courses are still lecture-style. As in, you�re sitting passively, listening (or looking like you�re listening) for nearly the entire class period. If you struggle with staying focused the whole time, I would definitely suggest writing the whole time. Just start taking notes at the beginning of class, and keep on until the end of class. This does two things: First of all, it keeps you engaged, actively doing something throughout the lecture! And secondly, you leave with some pretty awesome and thorough notes that your classmates will totally envy.

How to Get Better Grades in College

Build Class Time into Your Schedule

Remember at the beginning of this post where I talked about to go or not to go to class? The answer is always the same: GO TO CLASS! Even if you have the study guide, Even if your professor puts the Power Points online, Even if you have a friend who promised to take notes for you. Build class time into your schedule and stick to it!

Top Lessons I Learned About Procrastination in College

Keep Your Class Stuff Organized

If you�re going to math class (bless your heart), keep your pencils, calculator, book, graph paper, altogether in the same place every time! The worst thing is showing up unprepared! Try getting some of those $10 canvas bins from Target and making them your �class bins�. This will make it easy for you to grab your stuff and go (and hopefully keep you on time)!

5 Ways to Organize Your Life

College classes can be annoying, boring, and feel like time wasters BUT they�re also the reason you�re there!

Just show up, take notes, and try to learn something (of course)! :D 

Follow Organized Charm on Twitter!

More about → Good Habits for College Classes

15 Things I Learned After Grad School

Oh, hi. 

SO sorry for the awkward silence lately. I started a new job in a new school that TOOK OVER MY LIIIIFE last semester. 

But I am so excited to announce that OC is back on track with new posts every Monday! Aside from acclimating to my new schedule, 2015 was a big growing year, too (responsible-sounding way of saying that I did a lot of whining). 

My first year after grad school reminded me a lot of my first year after undergrad. I guess no matter how old you are, finishing a big project can leave you feeling a little like, "okay, what's next?". 

Change can be tough, but it usually always makes us better/smarter/stronger, too! 




Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned in 2015:

1 | Never give up on what you're searching for- you'll get there. 

2 | Hard work gets noticed and it pays off. Remember that when you're "in the trenches" and wondering if it will ever get better. 

3 | Sometimes you're already where you need to be.

4 | If you know you can do better, keep working. 

5 | Do what you love. Life is too short to even complete that. 

6 | Not everyone will love or approve of everything you do or how you do it. Forget them. This is your thing, not theirs. 

7 | Jump in and figure out the details later. Not everything you do will turn into a huge success, nor will you want it to but at least you can say you took the opportunity. 

8 | There is something really refreshing about how our personalities evolve over time. 

9 | Promote the heck out of yourself and your work. If you know you're good, don't ever question yourself. 

10 | In this day and age, there is no excuse to "not know how to" do something. Google it and learn to be great.

11 | Adult life is not that scary once you start.

12 | Your family will be there even when you and your old friends start to grow apart.

13 | Excess is disgusting. If you can do without it, do without it. 

(Important exceptions: Meiomi and anything from Target's dollar-ish section)

14 | Invest everything in those you truly care about.

15 | Do what makes you happy and there are no regrets.  



Cheers, y'all! And happy 2016! :D



What lessons did you learn over the past year?! Share them below! 

More about → 15 Things I Learned After Grad School

How to Stay Organized in Online College Courses (tips from an expert)

Yesterday was Labor Day, which means that it's officially BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON everywhere! 

And you know what that means! ...school supplies, new class schedules, and for many of us, online classes! 

Online classes can be tricky because they're sooo convenient. However, they're also sooo easy to fall behind in! Enter: Our secret weapon, Professor Myers! 

That's right, today's guest post is actually from an ONLINE PROFESSOR! Who better to give advice on how to keep it together this semester, right? She has some amazing tips (and a book with even more amazing tips) to share with us! Ready?! :D

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Even college students who live on campus take online courses because they are convenient. You know, like you don�t have to get up at 6 am to get to a 7:30 class. But what many students don�t understand is that online college courses are not an easy way to get through a class that they aren�t necessarily looking forward to. 

Yes, they are convenient because you can �attend class� anywhere, anytime, but that doesn�t mean they are easy. The professors who teach online courses must teach the same amount of material in the same amount of time, so even if you don�t have to physically show up (dressed) for class, you do have to show up and do the work. 

Students new to online college courses often buy into the common myths that:

1| They will save time
2| They are self-paced
3| They are a breeze

Every college student needs ways of staying organized and keeping their stuff together, but for the online student, this is paramount to success (or just passing by the skin of your teeth.) 

Here are some ways I recommend you do that:

There�s an app for that�Students love apps, and they are a great way to keep organized and keep on top of things. I�ve gathered a bunch of the best ones for online students, including scheduling and grade trackers, as well as distraction-free writing tools and motivational apps that help you keep on-task and get stuff done. You can find these must-have apps here.

Schedule time�To avoid forgetting about reading and assignments, schedule time into your week to �attend class.� Online courses require you to read/watch/listen to lectures, post in discussion boards, read the textbook and complete assignments. Set up several hours at the same times each week�a couple of times each week�just like you would if you had to get dressed and show up in a particular classroom. This will help you keep on top of assignments and ensure you don�t forget about the class.

Print the syllabus and calendar�I know you may be thinking that since this is an online course you shouldn�t have to print anything. But, if there is one thing you will learn in an online course, it is that technology isn�t foolproof. Servers go down and students can�t access their class. Does your professor have a policy for how to deal with that? What should you be reading in the textbook to make sure you don�t fall behind while the class is unavailable? See what I mean? Semester classes move at the speed of lightening, and just a day or two of lost time can mean a great deal of stress trying to get caught back up! Printing a few pages is worth it!

Log in often�Check your class, even when there isn�t something due. This is important because things change. For example, there have been times when I have pushed back an assignment due date or eliminated some required reading because of unforeseen events. Logging in several times a week, even when you don�t need to, will make life much easier in the long run.

Want to learn more strategies for being successful in your online college courses? Check out my new book, Your Online College Course Survival Guide. 

You can learn more about it at http://onlinecollegecoursesurvivalguide.com.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  Jacqueline Myers has been improving writing skills since the 1990�s and is still hard at work, struggling to put an end to comma splices and stamp out accidental plagiarism. 

She is an online college English professor and a freelance writer & editor, as well as the owner & writing expert at Nitty-Gritty English, a site dedicated to providing academic writing tips to the reluctant college writer. 

Have questions about college writing or online courses? She�s all about answering them. Send them to her at jsm@nittygrittyenglish or post them on the Nitty-Gritty English Facebook Page

More about → How to Stay Organized in Online College Courses (tips from an expert)

Pop & Store Document Boxes

I have really been working on streamlining our home lately. My goal at the beginning of July was to get rid of anything in our house that we did not use or specifically cite as one of our favorite things. So far it's been working pretty well! 

Since we don't have a designated office space like we used to, all of our office items are out in the living room... books, chargers, notebooks, papers, writing utensils... and ever since we moved in, it has been driving me absolutely crazy! 

I have searched and searched for a system, and I believe that I finally found one! Pop & Store Document boxes! They really streamlined the look of our living room. I love to keep all my old planners but I didn't love seeing them on the living room bookshelf every day. 

Some of the coolest features of these boxes are that they have scratch resistant surfaces on the bottom, that they are so durable, that the foldable aspect of them makes them reusable and super easy to store, and that the metal-enforced corners keep them from getting frayed!

Having a sleek way to hide those items has really created a more cohesive and zen little look in our living room. I also love these boxes because they are so sturdy and durable. They are perfect for stacking and storing heavy items like books or hiding stacks of paper. 

I went with document boxes because I have ridiculous amounts of paper to deal with. However, the Pop & Store system comes in several different sizes in order to help you store whatever it is that you need to store! Think: crafting supplies, magazines, electronics, etc! 

I recently made the transition from teaching in private schools to a public school and the thing that has just blown my mind is the amount of paper public schools use! Daily attendance, rosters, flyers, questionnaires, memos, reminders, schedules...

The list is literally endless (probably). I have  a nice little stack of paper that I'm so excited to get organized into these boxes. If I were using them in a dorm, I would probably create little "class kits" and keep unsightly textbooks, rough drafts, syllabi, folders, etc. in them! 

Additionally, these boxes come in a variety of (very collegiate) colors. I chose white since that goes along with the very bright and neutral theme of our living room. However, there is a blue that would have been perfect for my college! 

If you're interested in grabbing some for your dorm room or office this fall, you can find them here: www.popnstore.com 

More about → Pop & Store Document Boxes