Full disclosure: I have probably never effectively managed my free time to be productive. Despite that, I have done relatively well in school because of the way I take notes and study.
I believe the five-letter American grade scale to more accurately be a grade of how well you have prepared for a class or subject:
A: Religiously attended class, took good notes, studied well for tests.
B: Attended a majority of classes, took good notes, mildly studied for tests.
C: Attended class semi-regularly, took satisfactory notes, mildly studied for tests.
D: Attended class semi-regularly, took poor notes, did not study for tests.
F: Rarely attended class, took poor (or no) notes, did not study for tests.
I have yet to meet a student who got mostly As by coasting through all of their classes and I do not think it is possible to get an F while also taking attention in class. I strongly believe that the biggest factor in earning one grade to another is in note-taking ability.
If you are a pen-and-paper note-taker, I recommend utilizing the Cornell method of note-taking (Click link for a video explaining). Cornell Notes are an excellent tool for classes that require you to synthesize your ideas into a cohesive argument. This applies to English literature classes, the humanities, and even natural science classes.
If you are a pen-and-paper note-taker, I recommend utilizing the Cornell method of note-taking (Click link for a video explaining). Cornell Notes are an excellent tool for classes that require you to synthesize your ideas into a cohesive argument. This applies to English literature classes, the humanities, and even natural science classes.
With the advent of both the slim laptop and the tablet, there is a noticeable rise in students who exclusively take notes with an electronic device (myself included). I find that digital notes are far easier to edit and they are easy to share with classmates. Because I am not limited by the amount of paper in my notebook and can take notes as quickly as I can type, I have the freedom to type as much as I want. The key to taking good digital notes is to include internet links to clarify things that may not have been properly explained.
However you take notes, make sure that you simply do! You can take picture notes if you are a more visual learner. What is important is that your notes make sense to you.
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