books and notes
everyone has to rely on reading books and taking notes by hand. i use a combination of highlighting, using post-its and writing directly on the pages. this is how i mastered the art of writing tiny. i had a few classmates who took notes in class with their laptops, but i didn't start taking notes on the computer until grad school. even then, i have handwritten notes that i then transcribe into the computer. (i am such a dinosaur, i know.)
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| from T-Rex Trying |
now they have special pens and pads that automatically save your notes digitally, and personal scanners that let you save pages from textbooks. no more scrambling for change for the photocopier. dude, if i wanted to review my notes or transfer them to the computer, i have to decipher scribbles, drifting letters, and giant ink blots. serves me right for sleeping during lectures, right? also, laptops are more portable and tablets are prevalent. you can pretty much download a ton of education apps, like freakin' Wolfram Alpha! it does college level math for you (above all other wonderful things).
then there are e-books which you can also highlight and bookmark, but i think my favorite feature of e-books or pdf files is the fact that you can search them. F3 and boom, there's that word/definition you're looking for. saves so much more time than skimming. oh yeah, and with e-readers, you don't have to be a pro weightlifter to carry your book bag. (i still love the tactile quality of real books though, but then again i'm part pterodactyl.)
whiteboard
for an environmentally friendly way of doing drills, taking down temporary notes, making study to-do checklists. there is nothing more satisfying than erasing the things you've already nailed. very low-tech and requires no batteries.
the library
cheap? can't afford books? both? go to the library and borrow the books you need. if you don't like the stacks and the damp smell of old books, then search and place a hold on the books online. i remember in high school, i had to learn what the dewey decimal system is. now it's convenient because the catalog is digitized. all you have to do is pick them up at the circulation desk.
it's also a great place to be extra productive. i usually go during crunch time when i want all my study hours to be REAL study hours. the library as a study place doesn't work for everyone, but i find that coffee places are full of people who hog all the outlets and write "books."
flashcards
i LOVE flashcards. i will buy multi-colored index cards and spend HOURS transferring terms, dates, definitions, formulas, diagrams, etc. by hand. art/architecture history cards which rely heavily on images are a nightmare! who has time to search for photos, print or photocopy, then cut/paste into the cards? i know a few. it's a variation on note-taking, really. then come study time, i'm surrounded by piles and piles of color-coded cards. it's a well-informed rainbow! weee! the study leprechaun with its pot of test answers is here to the rescue!
now they have electronic flashcards. at the very basic level, you can search for the subject you want and in a few SECONDS, you have 124 flashcards on hand you can download on your smartphone/tablet/computer or print. you can also make your own sets to share for extra brownie points. a lot of services are free like quizlet and studyblue. there are also paid ones that you can search and custom sort, are automatically cross-referenced, and comes with online support. they also track which cards you've seen, and how many you've reviewed correctly. spoiled much? seriously, these flashcards are the personal trainers for your brain.
online forums
these have been around for a while, but i've only started using them as a study tool lately. if you find a good one for your area of study, join and stick with it. these forums are your virtual study group, but don't abuse them. real people with feelings are behind those avatars, you know. they're also there for support for when you start freaking out about your exam or for when you feel like ranting to people who are in the same boat as you. very cathartic.
online resources
google: i don't even use my dictionary and thesaurus anymore. i think about the countless minutes i wasted looking for a word that in the end isn't even included in my edition of the dictionary. so sad.
online translation service: i know swahili. well, google translate knows swahili. weeeell, basic swahili.
wikipedia: need to learn something general about a topic, like, right now? this helps big time. but don't use it as your primary source for your papers. go to the source which (some) are thankfully footnoted.
style guides/manuals: chicago? MLA? all online. even lazier? there's even bibliography builders! all those years trying to figure out how to compile a works cited page...
youtube: online tutorials and lectures are posted online. slippery slope here...just don't be tempted to start watching kittens and babies who might have just said "s**t."
MIT OpenCourseWare: need a differential calculus refresher or learn about costume design? MIT publishes most of the coursework materials (those digitally available, of course) and shares them with everyone who wants to learn about a particular topic. if you happen to find a class that coincides with your current study needs, then you've hit the jackpot. this won't give you college credit but can satisfy your interests.
now, focus and go hit the books!