How To Lock In Academically - Mike's Guide
My friend Cassie gave everyone in our friend group a painting for Christmas. I thought it was a really cool gift and wanted to share it with you all. If you read this post, you should recognize the reference.
Today was the first day of the new semester so keeping with the theme I wanted to write this post. According to urban dictionary to lock in means "to ready and prepare yourself." In this blog I will be talking about the tools and strategies that I personally use to make myself a stronger student.
Typing
Over winter break I made it my goal to correct my improper typing form. For as long as I can remember I had been using a hunt and peck method of typing on the keyboard. Hunt and peck is a common form of typing and consists of pressing each key individually. This form worked pretty well for a long time but I soon realized that it prevented me from being able to see what I was typing, resulting in many errors.
The correct form of typing is called touch typing. It refers to leaving your fingers on the home row (with your pointers on those little bumps) and designating zones of keys for each finger to type. I can remember as a kid having to practice typing during our library class, and being told never to look at the keys. I spent some time getting this form down and it revolutionized the way I use my computer. If you are someone who takes notes on your laptop during class, has writing assignments, or is in a technical major like myself, this will greatly improve your overall quality of life while in school.
One of the webistes that I like to use to practice is called monkeytype.com. It is a simple website that allows you to practice typing in a variety of ways. Below is a screenshot of one of my tests.
Note Taking
Note taking is a very subjective topic as everyone has their own ways of doing it. You may be the good old pen and paper enjoyer, or opt for a more modernized approach like a tablet. Regardless, I will be discussing the method I use for taking notes in my classes and why I think it is one of the best methods especially if you use the computer as your chosen note taking tool.
Obsidian Markdown
In one of the first blog posts I ever wrote, Obsidian was the first piece of software I brought up. It is still one of my most used applications, in fact, I am even writing this blog post on Obsidian. Obsidian is a great tool for taking notes because it uses markdown, a markup language meant for creating appealing text files.
I referenced this tutorial when I set up my Obsidian vault.
I will detail some of the reasons why I think this is the superior method of note taking:
- Bi-directional links: Obsidian utilizes what they call Backlinks, meaning you can reference another note from the current one. This is useful for all sorts of things and lets you navigate to topics that may have been mentioned earlier in your studies, but are brought back up later.
- **Cross Platform: **Obsidian can be installed on all major operating systems, including iOS.
- **Customization: **Obsidian allows for the installation of plugins ranging from spell checkers to inline mathematics graph visualizations. You can also change the colors and fonts of everything that you see on screen.
- **Distraction Free: **Since it is a standalone application, it prevents you from the urge to open a new tab in your browser. It also comes clutter free by default and is a lot simpler than something like say Notion.
- **Markdown: **Writing notes in markdown is where the true strength of Obsidian lies. As opposed to say something like google docs, markdown allows for the embedding of images, videos, and the creation of headers and code blocks. Additionally the syntax is very simple and can be learned in around fifteen minutes.
- **Git: **Obsidian can be used in conjunction with git version control meaning you can back up all of your notes to a remote repository. This means that you can no longer use the excuse of your dog eating your homework.
Below is an image of what my obsidian workspace looks like.
Studying
In order to lock in you must study. This is a reality that many students fail to fully accept. Over the years I have tweaked my study methods greatly. Everyone is different and the method I am about to describe may not be whats best for you. Keep this in mind when you read the following.
Studykit
Back in 2022, Quizlet, a flashcard study website which you may know, began to move towards a paid subscription service. I for one became fed up with the fact that every company has begun to move to this more subscription based profit model.
So I did what anyone should do and I began looking for free alternatives. That is when I learned about StudyKit, a web application built by students for students. When I started using StudyKit, it was extremely bare-bones, but since then there have been impressive changes.
This tends to be my go to for every subject, as it seems to be a surefire method to memorize and understand concepts. Give it a peek.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique comes down to the following steps:
(From Wikipedia)
- Decide on the task to be done.
- Set the Pomodoro timer (typically for 25 minutes).
- Work on the task.
- End work when the timer rings and take a short break (typically 5–10 minutes).
- Go back to Step 2 and repeat until you complete four pomodori.
- After four pomodori are done, take a long break (typically 20 to 30 minutes) instead of a short break. Once the long break is finished, return to step 2.
Using this technique when I have to study for prolonged amounts of times really tends to help break it up, saving my attention span from obliteration. I have found that the website pomofocus.io does a pretty good job at displaying the timer. It even comes with a task list which helps breaking down study sections.
iCalendar
One of the most essential parts of becoming an academic weapon is making sure to not miss class. Setting up a calendar is one of the best ways to avoid this catastrophe. Using an iCalandar is a great resource. The best part about The Internet Calendaring and Scheduling Core Object Specification (quite the name) is that it allows for cross platform synchronization. This means that you could create a calendar on your phone, say for your classes, and then subscribe to it on your laptop, even if you are not using the same calendar application.
I personally use Google Calendar for its simplicity, but Apple Calendar or Proton Calendar, are just a few of many great options.
Closing Remarks
I am looking forward to my classes this semester and hope you are too. Go ahead and put those brains to work.
In the great words of Kintaro Oe: "Study! Study! Study! Study!"
