Be Unstoppable!
I have officially made the transition away from paper note-taking and I love it! I never thought I would actually do it, but my mom made a great point as I was about to start school - you can type so much faster than you can write!  So, I started exploring using my ipad as my primary resource for school! And, it has worked out phenomenally well!  

If you have the means to buy a tablet, I highly suggest it if you're a student, especially a science student.  This has streamlined my note-taking so much, so many resources are compiled onto one slim piece of equipment, my backpack is lighter....really the list just goes on.  

Here is a quick list of the apps that I use on my ipad!  Like I said, I've tried a lot of apps, and these are the ones I like and use the most!

Notability
I have tried SO MANY note-taking apps.  I can't tell you how much money I've spent on them.  I really like the layout of OneNote and Outline+ (the fantastic streamlined app that OneNote should have been), but I ended up disliking them because syncing was such a pain.  I tried Evernote, but didn't like the interface.  It is a great app, but I didn't prefer it.  My friend told me about Notability after school started this fall.  I had tried the app before and it hadn't won me over, but now I realize that it was simply because I didn't know how to use it!  Notability is such a fantastic note-taking app.  You have the ability to type, write with a stylus (or your finger, but please get a stylus...its easier), zoom in on your writing so that it is neater and you can write smaller, add a wrist guard to prevent unwanted marks, and BONUS, record your lecture as you're taking notes.  When you play back the lecture, it jumps to the part of your notes that you took corresponding to that part of the lecture (note that I think this only applies to typing, not written notes)! It's so seamless!  And finally, you can save your notes to various different cloud services. I use dropbox.  I can upload my notes as a pdf, as well as upload the recording of the lecture, and access it on my PC when I get home.  I love this app!  So fantastic and so worth it!


iStudiez Pro
iStudiez Pro
I really like iStudiez pro because it allows me to keep track of my assignments and also track my grade.  It can potentially serve as a planner, if you're okay with going paperless for your planner. I'm not a paperless planner type of person, so I still have a paper planner. But I still really enjoy the fact that I can just switch apps really quick and say - "aha! That's when that assignment is due."  If you've got a planner, it's entirely possible that you won't need this app, but I found it very to have accessible and streamlined all on my ipad.




Dropbox
I pretty much use the cloud to save most things nowadays.  Why? Because I switch back and forth between which interface I'm using to work - whether it's my laptop or ipad. And...since I don't have a Mac, I can't use any of those applications that only streamline through Apple products.  So, dropbox has been really handy for me! I have a file on my dropbox account which I save essentialyl everything into. That way it is accessible to me whether or not I'm on my laptop or ipad. It saves me having to carry a thumb drive with me, or transfer files between interfaces, email stuff to myself.  If you don't use dropbox, use some sort of cloud - iCloud, Box, SkyDrive, etc.


 QuickOffice
Okay so if you're new to the iPad/Apple world, then you'll be bombarded my all these things that tell you you just have to buy Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Now, I'll get to keynote and tell you why I think that one might be worth the price tage, but Pages and Numbers, I would personally pass on.  Especially for scientists.  Why, do you ask? Well, because science writing does need all the frill and fancy that Pages advertises. It's just not necesssary because it will frankly never be used. Science writing doesn't require, and frankly should not contain those kind of fancy features.  That is why I just went with the QuickOffice App.  Overall it is cheaper than getting the Keynote, Numbers, Pages bundle. They have however recently changed it so that it is no longer sync-able automatically with Dropbox. While I don't like that, it is easy for you to, from the Dropbox app, import files into QuickOffice. 

iAiFor scientists
iAnnotate - Great for annotating and highlighting pdfs! I really like it, but you can just as easily do this within Notability. So this might be an extravagance.  
PubMed on Tap - I love this because it puts PubMed right at my fingertips. I do occasionally have some issues with the interface though, and sometimes I find it's just easier to go on Safari or Google chrome and look up an article.  Especially for those articles that have limited access. Sometimes I have to just look those up through the University library. Plus, mobile pubmed has a pretty good interface on a tablet. This app might also be an extravagance if you're short on space.
Evernote-iconEvernote
I've switched to an electronic notebook and I LOVE it!  At first I wasn't comfortable with this sort of idea. I like hard copy. It's portable, and it's what I'm used to. But, having an electronic notebook is SO nice! Why? Well for one it's searchable, which is such a bonus if you're looking for a protocol or certain day or a certain experiment.  Secondly, you can copy and paste something from one section of your notebook to another.  Thirdly, it syncs between your devices, which is an example of why I really like Evernote. I don't consistently bring my laptop to work with me. It depends on how much I'll actually be in lab that day. So, Evernote is great because it syncs between my laptop and my iPad, which is what I bring along on the days when I'm in lab less and don't want to hall my laptop around to class.  I've heard of other services. LabGuru is one I've heard of. I've never used it, but it does cost money. Evernote is free.  My lab mate also using this Journal software on her Mac which I believe is sync-able (don't quote me on that though).  I don't have a Mac so that software was out of the question for me!  But, ya so far I really love evernote for that. And - BONUS! In evernote, you can have a "notebook" dedicated to your lab, and decide that notebook into sub-"notes" which can represent different projects if you're working on multiple projects.  
Mendeley or Papers
I'll tell you right now that I haven't used Papers (I don't have a Mac!) but I will stress to you that it is really important to have an organization systems for all of the papers you're going to read. One of these applications will save you SO much time!  I've used it this year to organize my papers into their respective papers. Sometimes I just save papers into an "interests" section for topics that I found interesting or techniques that could be useful.  I don't love Mendeley, but it serves its purpose well.  I've heard GREAT things about Papers, but again, I don't have a Mac so I unfortunately miss out on what sounds like a great app. Also, Mendeley is free and Papers costs money. Something else to consider.

I hope that's helpful!
I was at the library one night last week. Late night, per usual. Grad school style.

I just finished tackling some pain in the ass Biostats homework, that I unfortunately let pile up. And I wanted to share a study strategy with you.

I may have mentioned before that I listen to instrumental music when I study. It centers and focuses me and I enjoy listening to it. But the big bonus for me is that it doesn't have lyrics, so I can't sing along. I would if I could, otherwise. But when I'm done tackling something big, I allow myself some pick me up music time. I switch playlists and just veg out while I bop along to some uplifting tracks.

Tonight's tracks - "Happy" by: Pharell Williams and "Pompeii" by: Bastille

I love that line from "Pompeii"...but if you close your eyes, does it always feel like nothing's changed at all?

So I closed my eyes and savored my study break. I closed my eyes and re-centered myself. Do I have more to do? Yes, but in that little break, with that little musical pick me up, I feel rejuvenated and I'm ready to start again. Music does that for me.

What does that for you?
Hey all! I have completed my first round of exams in graduate school and I'm very excited to report that I have earned two As and a B in my classes! As you know, I was freaking out about a couple of them - especially Epidemiology, but it turns out that my teachers were very understanding on that exam when it came to the grading. Thank goodness! It made me feel better in how well I knew the material.  The things I got wrong, I knew that I got wrong simply because I mixed up a couple concepts.  

So, now having completed a couple exams, I want to share what study tips worked for me. These are very general tips. Really, the way in which you prepare for a class depends upon how the exams for that class are formatted. For example, I have one class, Epidemiology, which is completely about memorization. While my other two classes - Biostatistics and Immunology - you're allowed aids during the exam.  Biostatistics allows you a study sheet, and Immunology is completely open note.  But, anyways, these are the general things that I've found to work for my classes!

Disable your internet.  I often have to work on the computer for research, doing stats, or just for typing something up. But, simply because I’m me, I will often have ADD moments and have a dire need to look something random and unrelated up on the internet. Ultimately this turns into me internet surfing or browsing facebook or pinterest for VASTLY too long. So, I have found a great remedy to this problem – TURN OFF YOUR INTERNET! I don’t mean go unplug your modem out of the wall. I mean on any device your using that receives wi-fi (ipad, laptop, even your phone, if necessary), go in and disable your wi-fi while you study.  You might be thinking – “Why does this work? I can just go in and turn it back on?”  Trust me when I say that when you double click on the internet to go do some well-planned time wasting, simply seeing that you can’t connect will serve as a reminder that you need to buckle down and get shit done.  

 Find study buddies that are enablers. When I was an undergrad, I had a friend who loved to study with me, but I hated studying with her. I felt that she didn't spend as much time making sure I understood, or that she didn't care. Her study method didn't work for me.  I didn't like studying with her. I actively avoided it.  It ended up causing issues in our friendship because I was passive aggressive about it. That was my fault, but anyways.  I had another friend, that we just ended up chit-chatting instead of studying. Also a problem.  When I moved out here, I met a girl who we will call E. E and I bonded over our shared roots, and over the fact that we seemed to be the only two summer-starters in the graduate program who were remotely interested in hanging out with other people during the summer!  She's by far my best friend since I've moved out here. And, she's also my study buddy! We study very similarly - we're marathon studiers, we buckle down and don't chit-chat, etc. Also - she's my motivator! We joke that I'm the flakey, crazy one that makes sure we have fun, and she's the serious, studious one that keeps us focused!  To be fair, she is a lot of fun. I just like to tease her like this! She is my study buddy and we're a good team! I also have a friend from Biostats who is a great study buddy - she's a sweetheart, and we totally understand different portions of the material so we're able to help eachother.  So, find good study buddies!

 Organize study groups. I mentioned the gal I study with from Biostats. Well, we met because we sit next to each other in class, along with another guy. As the first exam approached, we all decided to study together! We booked a study room in the Public health building, met up, and just helped each other through everything. It was so useful! The things that I didn't understand, they totally understood and explained to me. And we went back and forth helping each other out. Needless to say we all kicked some booty on that first Biostat exam. Same in Immunology! I got together with a group of other students and we went through and explained things to each other.  Nothing is better for making sure you understand something than explaining it to someone else!  

Study as you go...I don't know how else to say this other than to study as you go. I try to stay on top of my readings, read before class if necessary, and then after class, summarize the lecture completely separately than my actual notes.  This is really helpful for me because it allows me to learn what I really understand and what I have to spend more time on, which is a good thing to know ahead of actually starting studying for your exams.  

Start early, small doses, organization. I thought about breaking these up into different sections, but basically there's so much overlap about the process I use that they all got combined.  I start studying at least a week in advance of an exam. I actually aim for 2 weeks. Why? Well, because even if I'm only organizing what I need to know, I'm at least looking at the material.  This starts me off getting an idea of what seems vaguely familiar, and what I'm lost on and need a lot more time on. I usually get the majority of my studying done on Saturdays and Sundays. Sundays are especially busy house-keeping days, so this actually proves to be a good day for me to get started on my studying. I will do my laundry and while I'm waiting outline the topics. Then, while the laundry is drying, or maybe while I'm making food for the week, I will organize all my lecture notes into something convenient.  For example, I take notes on my ipad, so I have to upload all the pdfs onto Dropbox so I can easily access them from my PC.  For Immunology, we have open note exams, so I organize all the powerpoint lectures into one document.  These are just examples of what I do to stay organized.  

Take breaks.  I can't tell you how many studies have been doing showing that taking frequent breaks allows for better absorption and focus on what you're working on. I used to be able to marathon study - start at 8 am and finish at 10pm. I don't know how I did that as an undergrad. Apparently my "ADD" has gotten worse over the years because I can't do that anymore. So, work steady and smart for an hour, and then give yourself a 5 minute break to chat, get a coffee, walk around, stretch, etc. Whatever it is take five minutes to do, and then press forward. Frequent breaks maintains productivity, and let's face it, it keeps you sane!

I hope those tips helped! I can post later about the specific ways in which I study for different types of exams, but these are just general tips that I've found to help me so far.

Everyone is totally different - so these tips might not work for you! As I go, if I find something else that works better, or that maybe one of these techniques isn't as helpful as I thought, I will make an update and let you all know!

In the mean time, keep working hard!


 Other great sites:
How to Defeat Procrastination
Tips for taking notes like straight A student
Demote your Assignments
Marshall your resources
Invest in Academic Disaster Insurance
http://collegeandicedcoffee.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-i-study-in-organized-way.html
http://simplypureandbeautiful.blogspot.com/2013/02/sorry-for-being-mia.html
http://www.thecollegeprepster.com/2011/01/intense-study-tips.html


An interesting graph I found on a fellow blogger's page (Healthy Living For You Blog), which she found on this page.  I had to give credit where credit was due!  These graphs demonstrate the types of study techniques that work for both your initial learning and your maximum retention!

I've got quite a few tests coming up in the near future, the first being Immunology on the 7th. Once I've taken these first couple grad school exams, I'm going to start posting study tips and note taking strategies.  I've got to prove that they work in grad school since I've changed some of my habits since undergrad!

Until then, keeping working hard!  I've been getting a little burned out myself lately. Took a 3 hr nap when I got home today, and went for a walk instead of a hard workout, because I literally hurt everywhere after my double header soccer games last night. Even my shoulder hurts, which is a weird one for me, and I may or may not have residual effects from a possible concussion that I may have sustained last night after taking a couple blows to the head during game 1! Ahh!  Again, let's just refer back to my other post about listening to your body.

Until next time!
Firstly, I wanted to share with you all some of the organizational tools I've found.  If I've learned anything from the blogs I have read on preparing yourself for graduate school, it's this - organization is KEY!

 I'm an avid participator in Pinterest. I think it's really great to be able to gather ideas and try things out, and you'd be surprised how many organizational tips there are. It's tremendously useful. I'll describe some of my personal favorites below that I've adapted for my own use. Now, let's get to it.

1) A Planner. Now personally, I've tried to go paperless with a planner app on my iPad, and if that works for you great. I'm all for not using a lot of paper, but I have found that I prefer having a hard copy planner. It doesn't matter brand to me. I've used lots of different kinds over the years. Recently, I purchased one from staples that I love because it has monthly space, weekly space, and each week it has a lined page for notes. This is particularly useful for the next thing that I suggest...Additionally, I color-coordinate things. It really helps me to, at-a-glance, get an idea of the different things that I have going on. Is it a meeting or appointment, work-related project, personal (workout, etc.), or related to classes? For classes, I try to have a different color for every class, if I can. As an undergraduate that would've been harder, because of the amount of classes you're taking , but in graduate school in the sciences it's more reasonable because the # of classes you take is so much less since you're spending more time in the lab. I'm not sure how other fields of graduate school work, but generally this is my understanding of how it is.  I use this planner diligently--writing every appointment, meeting, assignment, and test into it.

2) Weekly To-Do Lists. Now that you have a planner, at the beginning of every weekend, usually Saturday morning I make to-do lists on the notes page for the next 2 weeks in my planner. Why the next 2 weeks? This is mostly a habit I have been trying to get into before classes start, because do you really want to only look 1 week at a time to realize that you have a test on Tuesday (4 days away) that you have YET to study for? I don't think so. So, it's nice to know a couple week before hand that you have that coming up so that you can plan accordingly. Previously, when I was undergrad, I would write in my planner when it was 2 weeks before a test, and then 1 week, so a test would NEVER sneak up on me. If you would prefer, you could do things this way, instead of doing 2 to-do lists at a time.

3) Set-up a Command Center. So you've probably seen these all over Pinterest, and mostly I've seen them used for large families so that they can keep track of everyone's schedule. Well, I use one to keep me motivated, inspired, and organized.  My command center (pictured to the right) was built mostly using things I found at Target. It contains a lot of different components:

  • Calendar - I keep a dry erase calendar up in my command center. It has very similar information as to what is in my planner, but it is nice when I'm at home to just have something that I can glance at and get a feel for what is going on that week/day/month.  I use the same color-coordination system that I use in my planner, so it's very easy to keep track of what activity goes with what!
  • Cork board - A cork board is a must have, in my opinion, for tacking up little reminders, or for just keeping up motivational or inspiring things. I have my Vision Board tacked onto my cork board as my main focus (props to Celestina Chua and PE; http://personalexcellence.co/). I also have a general weekly schedule on my board, so I can try to stay on task and on-time to best manage my time.  
  • Dry Erase Boards - I have a lot of dry erase boards in my command center. You can use them for whatever you like. I've seen many different options on pinterest--to-do lists, menu planners, grocery lists, vacation countdowns, etc. The sky is really the limit with what you can do with a dry-erase board, which is why I probably have so many! Me--I mostly use my dry-erase boards to write up inspirational quotes.  From what I've seen and heard, graduate school really can take a lot out of you. Even in my first two weeks, I've definitely had my moments where I've felt the pressures of the daily grind. I find having inspirational things around me is crucial when I'm at home and working on something.  So, I have a tons of quotes up--both on the green dry-erase board above my filing system and on the silver dry-erase board above my desk organizer. Inspirational quotes really keep me going.
  • Filing System (see right) - A filing system is really important, because, let's face it, it's really stressful looking at a pile of papers that have accumulated on your desk. So, it's easiest to take those papers and put them into a file to handle them later. My filing system includes things like a receipts folder for things that I need to enter into my budget, a coupons folder, and a bills folder. As I get bills I write the due date into my calendar and place the hard copy in the folder so that it is accessible when it comes time for me to pay the bill.  
  • Desk Organizer (see below)- This is really optional. I like having something on my desk that I can put all my frequently used pens and highlighters into.  As well as somewhere to put my notebooks and planner when I'm not using them. I think it helps make the desk appear cleaner and more open as well when you go to use it, but again, this is a very optional piece. Most desks have enough drawer space to accommodate organizers in drawers, but since my desk is more of a large working surface than a place with ample storage an organizer was a good option for me.  I also have a picture of a serene place I used to visit in the town I used to live in just because it helps zen me out, but again, also optional.
I've found many other useful tools online for keeping your time and your priorities organized. I've found success with Google Calendar, as well as a new tool that I found called WeekPlan. The Week Plan system is based off of Stephen Covey's weekly planner system that is described in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (highly recommend this book, and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" By: Dale Carnegie). It's an interesting system, because it has you think of things less in terms of a list of tasks, but as breaking your life into categories and prioritizing your tasks based on those categories.  Just another thing to check out.  




If you're interested in checking out other things, I would highly suggest checking out pinterest or let me know and I can direct you to some of the other great blogs I've found.

Soon I hope to tackle tips for reading scientific papers, good apps that I've found for iPad that are useful for graduate students, and eventually study tips and tricks that I've found useful.

Until then - keep working hard and surviving! All our hard work will be worth it in the end. All us graduate students are in this together!!

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