Author: aenby

Study tips

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Perhaps you are overwhelmed with all the finals you have to take, or maybe you find yourself stuck when it comes to knowing what material to study for your exams. I’ve been in the same boat. Here are some methods that help me get out of a studying rut.

Focus

1. The Pomodoro technique

The basic premise of the Pomodoro technique is intense focus for 20-25 minutes followed by a 5-10 minute break. After you repeat that four times, you can take a longer break of 10-15 minutes. The Pomodoro technique breaks your study session into manageable pieces, minimizing procrastination and preventing mental burnout. There are a few Pomodoro timer apps out there but you can read about my favorite here.

2. Minimizing distractions

Many researchers have studied attention psychology and found various methods for increasing focus/performance, and I haven’t taken the time to read them all, but I this chart has been a good guideline for me.

Note taking

1. Cornell notes

I learned this method in 9th grade as a way to take notes in classes that mostly focus on important terms/concepts. Cornell notes lend themselves well to studying for exams, so you don’t have to make extra flashcards at the end of the semester, you can just use your notes.

2. Highlighting

An alternative (or perhaps addition) to Cornell notes is using highlighters to color-code certain details in your notes/textbooks, etc. I like to use this method when I’m reading scientific papers. I put a key at the top of the paper with what each color stands for. For example, I might have blue represent things I’m confused about, yellow for things I think are important, and pink for references that I want to read. These quick color annotations help me efficiently extract information from the paper that I will use later.

3. Memorizing dates

This is especially helpful in American Heritage.

Knowing what to study

1. Study guides

If your professor was kind enough to give you a study guide, use it. One great way to use a study guide is to upload it as a Google Doc that you and your friends in the class can fill in as the professor’s giving the test review. With more people working on the study guide, it will be less likely that you’ll miss something important.

2. TAs

If you don’t have a study guide, the class TA is a great resource for test review. Often, the TAs have seen the test or at least taken the exam in a previous semester, so they know what you should focus on to pass. Usually, the TA will tell you what you should study if you ask, but if they’re hesitant, you can try narrowing down your question: “Should I worry about this detail for the test?”

3. Learning objectives

If all else fails, the learning objectives (usually given at the start of the lecture or on the course syllabus) are pretty much a built-in study guide for every class. Most learning objectives will be written as an expectation, e.g., “Students will be able to…”. You can make your own flashcards/study guide based on these by using the expectation as the question and the completion of the expectation as the answer.

Reviewing

1. Quiz yourself

According to the authors of the famous book Make it Stick, the most effective way to learn and remember information is not to re-read your notes, but to quiz yourself on the information. Having to recall the information without the answer right in front of you solidifies the concept in your mind. Quizlet flashcards or study groups are great resources to help you quiz yourself on the information.

2. Explain it

Sometimes processes/pathways don’t fit into a flashcard very well. A good way to remember these is to explain the process/pathway to another person. The person doesn’t necessarily have to be in the class; in fact, people who are not familiar with the material are great sounding boards because you’ll have to explain the material in a way that they can understand.

3. TAs

As mentioned previously in the article, TAs have usually seen the test or taken the class, so they know the material you will need to memorize for the exam. You can try explaining concepts/processes/pathways to a TA and they can correct where you have misunderstood something.

What are your favorite study tips? Leave a comment and let us know.

Places to Study

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Studying on campus can free you from distractions like noisy roommates or an enticing nap. But how much focus you get can depend on where you choose to study. Here are some places that I’ve been able to get the most done.

In the library

Probably the most popular place to study. You’ll be surrounded by students suffering through exams, just like you, in a variety of subjects.

  • 2nd floor, science section
    • Features: double monitors, quiet, relevant books nearby
    • Drawbacks: often busy before 7 pm, no food allowed
  • 1st floor, map room
    • Features: often empty, abundant outlets, allows talking
    • Drawbacks: no food allowed, sometimes groups can be too loud
  • 5th floor, study corrals along the edge
    • Features: quiet, personal whiteboard, comfortable chairs, abundant outlets
    • Drawbacks: unlikely to get a spot after 8am or before 9pm, no food allowed

STEM buildings

Science/technology/engineering/math students will feel most at home here. If you’re sick of a building that all of your classes happen to be in, you might consider studying in a different, but similar, one. I promise CS and engineering students don’t bite.

  • LSB, second floor
    • Features: tables, comfortable chairs, close to vending machines, usually quiet, close to resources (TA labs, professors’ offices, etc.)
    • Drawbacks: busy between 10am and 5pm, sometimes groups can be loud
  • EB, third floor
    • Features: tables, abundant outlets, comfortable couches, rarely busy, usually quiet
    • Drawbacks: far from other resources on campus
  • Talmage, first floor computer labs
    • Features: large, high-quality monitors, usually quiet, close CS TAs, close to other students working on CS projects
    • Drawbacks: rooms sometimes used for TA reviews (must pay attention to screens indicating room availability), groups can sometimes be loud, stigma associated with CS majors
  • ESC, pendulum court
    • Features: tables, usually quiet, open space, natural lighting
    • Drawbacks: unavailable during lunchtime, high traffic during class breaks

Branching out

While out of the way, these buildings provide a change of scenery.

  • JFSB, main floor
    • Features: tables, usually quiet, natural lighting, food allowed
    • Drawbacks: might not get a table to yourself in the middle of the day
  • Law building
    • Features: quiet, comfortable chairs
    • Drawbacks: intimidating building

Where is your favorite place to study? Leave a comment and let us know.

Making Any Spot a Study Spot

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I don’t know about you, but when I’m studying, I tend to get distracted pretty easily. I find that staying on campus to do my homework helps. But when I’m home during breaks or when it’s too cold outside for me to want to leave my apartment, here are some things that I’ve found that help me avoid distractions anywhere I am.

Seclusion

This can take the form of going to a different room or going to a corner that is relatively quiet and where you won’t be disturbed. Separating yourself from the commotion of other conversations and activities can signal to your roommates or family members that you are trying to focus. It can also be a great way to get out of the “what’s your advice about getting back together with my ex” or “why aren’t you married yet” conversations from friends and family.

Also, I like to turn my phone on silent and put it on the floor or in my backpack. I heard of a study once that even having your phone face-down on the table distracts you from the task at hand.

Music

Sometimes you can’t seclude yourself from others, like when you’re at family dinner or when your roommates decided that the night before your big exam was the perfect night for a party. Putting on some jams is a perfect way to block out auditory distractions. When picking some study music, balance is key: music with catchy lyrics creates more distractions, while music (or white noise) that blends into the background makes me fall asleep. Here are some of my favorite types of music that I think strike the right balance:

I like to put on “Live” YouTube stations that will last me my eternal study session, but another thing you can do is right click on the play button on a YouTube video and click “Loop”, which will play the video over and over until you close the window.

Taking breaks

I’ve found that I rarely have the discipline to sit quietly and study while conversations are happening around me. My favorite study method is the Pomodoro technique, where you completely focus for 20-25 minutes, then take a 5-10 minute break, then repeat the cycle. Completely blocking out distractions for 20 minutes seems more manageable and prevents my mind from concentrating so long that it starts wandering off. And the 5-10 minute breaks can be good times to walk around or finally add your two-cents to the conversations happening around you.

Task planning

I know not everyone likes writing “To-Do” lists, but for me, this is vital to getting things done. Writing down a list of what I have to accomplish frees my memory to store more important things, like the material for the test I’m studying for or people’s names. Task planning helps me quickly switch from one task to another (esp. when I’m using the Pomodoro technique, where I switch from taking a break to focusing) because I don’t have to do the mental exercise of remembering what I was doing all over again. I also like to divide my tasks into two groups: those that will take me 10 minutes, and those that will take me an hour or more. That way, I can fit the small tasks in during random free times during the day, like when I’m waiting in the forever-long Wendy’s line or taking the bus from campus to my apartment.

What are some ways that you have made any spot a study spot? What do you struggle with when it comes to studying away from campus? Leave a comment and let us know.

Apps for Productivity

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Scheduling

To-Do Lists

Staying on top of homework from numerous classes can quickly become overwhelming. I like using a task-planning app to list the homework from all my classes using the syllabi I get at the beginning of the semester. Color-coding (or keeping a separate list) for each class makes task planning even easier.

  • Microsoft To Do
  • iOS Remind

I use Microsoft To Do to list the assignments from every class at the beginning of the semester. I like that it lets you organize each class into a separate tasklist and organize tasklists into folders like “School” or “Work”. It has a main tasklist called “My Day” to which I can add tasks from my different lists. The reminders are also helpful for larger assignments like midterms or projects.

A screenshot from Microsoft To Do

Learn more about Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is available for Microsoft, Android, and Mac, but for people who prefer Apple to Microsoft, I’d recommend the Remind app pre-installed on your device. It’s comparable to Microsoft To Do.

Learn more about task lists for Apple

Calendars

Between classes, work, and extracurriculars, my brain is so frazzled that if I don’t write an appointment down, I will forget about it. If that also describes you, calendar apps give you a platform to track that information.

  • Outlook Calendar
  • Google Calendar

I use Outlook’s calendar app to map out my semester, scheduling time for lectures, work, homework, and other activities like ward functions or club meetings. I like that I can mark activites as “busy”, “tentative”, etc. to differentiate between required or optional activities. You can also color code different classes or activities to make things a little clearer. I created a separate calendar for all my TAs’ hours, which I can toggle on and off; this helps me avoid checking LearningSuite over and over to see when I can get help.

A screenshot from Outlook Calendar

Learn more about Outlook Calendar

For those who don’t use Microsoft/Outlook, Google has a comparable calendar app that lets you do about the same thing. I can’t in good conscience recommend Apple’s calendar app since I am not impressed with its limited capabilities, but if you’re a diehard Apple fan, I’m sure you could find alternatives.

A screenshot from Google Calendar

Learn more about Google Calendar

Studying

For those long study sessions

Have you ever hit a point when you’re studying for a difficult midterm and you feel like you’ve hit a wall? Have you thought about the studying you’ll have to do and don’t know where to begin? Maybe I’m the only one that’s felt like this, but in any case, here are some apps that have kept me studying for hours on end.

  • TomatoTimer
  • ChilledCow

The Pomodoro technique is an attention technique that has proven effective for people completing a lengthy task. The basic premise is that you focus really hard for 20 minutes with absolutely no distractions, then take a break for 10 minutes. You can repeat this about 4 times before you need a 15-minute break. The TomatoTimer does the 20/10/15 timing automatically for you, and you can customize it for different lengths of pomodoros and breaks if you’d like. Chunking my study time like this helps turn a daunting midterm into something manageable.

A screenshot from the TomatoTimer

Access the TomatoTimer

Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique

ChilledCow is a live streamed YouTube channel that plays what some people call “bedroom pop”–i.e., nonintrusive, electronic/jazz-type music. I feel like it keeps me awake while not being distracting. Sometimes when I feel like procrastinating I watch the live comments for entertainment. For those who hate synthesized music, a quick search on YouTube might yield a different live stream more to your taste.

A screenshot from ChilledCow’s channel

Access ChilledCow

For defeating procrastination

Freshman year, it was hard to go from high-school teachers and parents monitoring my progress to having to monitor myself on my own. There were a few apps that I found helpful to increasing my self control when I started out with none.

  • StayFocusd
  • iOS Screen Time

First, I downloaded a Chrome extension called StayFocusd that you can set up to block certain distracting websites (like YouTube or Twitter) during certain hours of the day or after a certain amount of time you’ve spent on the site. This saved me from wasting hours of my day going down the rabbit hole of Buzzfeed quizzes when I should’ve been studying.

A screenshot from StayFocusd

Learn more about StayFocusd

Another app I liked for self control is the iPhone’s feature for monitoring screen time (in Settings). It gives me a visual every week of where I’ve spent my time, and then I can make changes the next week to meet my goals. I’ve often been surprised how much time I spent on social media.

Learn more about Screen Time

Mental Health

Transitioning to a new environment and enduring the stress of school, work, and thinking about the future can put a strain on your mental well-being, which is not only harmful to your productivity but can cause a lot of pain. BYU’s Counseling and Psychological Services has a great website with a lot of resources (including ones for self help in the Self Help tab) for managing your mental health.

A screenshot from the CAPS website Self Help page

Access CAPS website

What apps have you found that help you stay on track? What apps do you wish could simplify a part of your life? Leave a comment and let us know.

Getting into a lab at BYU

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If you’re thinking about joining a research lab at BYU, a good place to start is the Life Sciences Advisement website.

After you’ve read through the material there, here are some more tips on how to land a position in a research lab.

Do your background research

Find research labs that interest you:

The Life Sciences Advisement directory is a good place to start when looking for labs to join. As you look for a lab, remember:

  1. It is more important to find research that interests you than research that looks easy. Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about the research to begin with. You can learn.
  2. Most professors who do mentored research have a website for their lab. That is a good place to find information about the projects their students are working on and any pre-reqs for working in the lab.
  3. If you don’t meet the pre-reqs but you’re really interested in the research, you could mention that to the professor. If you prove that you can learn quickly or that you will enroll in pre-req courses soon, that professor may consider making an exception.

After you find a lab with interesting research:

You’ll want to be familiar with the professor’s research before you talk to them about joining their lab. The professor’s entry in the faculty directory will likely have a list of papers they’ve published. You can also find the professor’s papers on Google Scholar or sometimes through the BYU library. Make sure to read at least four or five of these papers to get a feel for that professor’s research. Reread the papers to get a solid understanding and look up any general topics that you don’t understand. After a thourough reading of the papers, come up with two or three detailed questions about the research.

Expand your search

If you’re having a hard time finding research that interests you in your department, consider expanding your search to other departments in the Life Sciences College. Many professors accept students with a variety of different majors who have the required skills to do their research. This is especially applicable to my bioinformatics comrades–you may even consider expanding outside the Life Sciences College since pretty much everyone needs coding expertise.

One downside: if you find research outside your own department, you run the risk of not getting research credit that can count towards your major (“Mentored Research”, i.e. BIO494R, counts towards the elective credit for some Life Science majors). If research credit is important to you, the safest bet is to find a lab within your department/college.

Make a good first impression

E-mail is a good way to initiate contact, but professors’ inboxes are often overflowing during the semester, so in-person contact is the most reliable approach. The professors’ office will likely be listed in the Life Sciences faculty directory and their office hours are usually posted on their door.

I’ve heard it said that professors like it when you seem to know a lot about their research when you meet them. From talking to some professors and overhearing others, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how much you think you know about the professor’s research, you are an undergraduate and they are a PhD and if you go in thinking you know as much as they do, at best, they’ll think you’re funny, and at worst, they’ll think you’re annoying.

I’ve found that the best approach is to go in having done your research, wanting to learn more. Asking intelligent questions is a great way to show the professor you’re interested. And if you’re familiar with their research, the professor will always appreciate a good question and will be happy to help you learn more, even if they’re not looking to add anyone to their lab.

Another helpful thing to keep in mind as you’re meeting professors is what skills you can add to their lab. It’s good if you have a hard-to-learn skill or two (like coding in Python or operating a sequencer, for example) that applies specifically to the research you’re interested in. If you don’t have any skills, there’s no time like the present to learn. YTrain has a lot of great resources to learn new skills, as does my all-time favorite teaching device: YouTube. Once you’ve identified your unique skills, make sure to mention them to the professor at some point.

Follow up

Professors are busy people, so if they don’t get back to you right away, don’t be discouraged. You might consider sending a follow-up email reminding them of your interest in their research or dropping by their office hours if you haven’t heard back in a week or two.

Try, try again

It’s easy to feel discouraged if a professor rejects you or says that their lab is full. Remember not to take it personally. At BYU, the professors are there to help you succeed, not to tell you you’re a failure. More often than not, professors will be willing to help you as best they can if you ask for it.

If a professor says that their lab is full:

  • You could ask them if there is anyone in their department who has openings in their lab, and if they might introduce you to that person.
  • You could also ask them if they would remember you and let you know if any spaces in their lab open up in the coming semesters.

If a professor rejects you because you don’t meet the qualifications:

  • Ask them for resources to learn the skills you need.
  • Keep applying to a diversity of labs. Not all research labs at BYU will have the same pre-reqs.
  • Don’t put off finding a research lab until later. It is better to get into a lab your freshman/sophomore year so that you can work there longer and have the opportunity to advance and possibly publish.

Research credit vs. paid research

One last thing. There are two types of research undergrads can do at BYU: research for credit and research for pay. In my experience, a professor will often start you out getting credit for your research. This involves signing up for a class (for example, BIO494R) over the course of the semester. They’ll ask you how many credit hours you want to sign up for, and you can choose (up to 6 credits, I think?) one credit for every three hours a week you want to work. Then they’ll usually have you keep track of your hours and report them at the end of every week or at the end of the semester.

After working for research credit for a semester, your professor will likely offer you a paid position as a Research Assistant. I have no idea what a normal starting wage for a research assistant is but if you don’t have a lot of experience, it’s probably pretty low (I started at 10/hr; I don’t know how it is in general though). Once you’re hired on as a Research Assistant, it becomes a regular paid job through BYU.

Please note that it is not allowed for professors to ask students to research without credit or pay. If your professor wants you to work regular hours without any sort of compensation, either work out an agreement with them that gets you credit or pay or find a different professor.

What has your experience been like looking for a lab to join? What has your experience been like getting into a lab? Leave a comment and let us know.

Class Planning and Registration

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https://enrollment.byu.edu/registrar/dates-and-deadlines

Get started

Get advisement

Life Sciences Advisement phone number: 801.422.304

Life Sciences Advisement hours: M-F 9am-5pm

Feel free to contact me for extra help with class planning and registration.

Dressing for Career Fairs or Interviews

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Career Fairs

The variety of people/companies you’ll meet at a career fair makes it difficult to decide what to wear. This website has some good general tips for what to wear to a career fair. At BYU, I generally see people wearing business professional to career fairs.

Interviews

An interviewer at Lucid said recently that they use this rule of thumb: notice what the employees at the company are wearing, and then raise that +1. For example, if the employees are dressed in casual, go for business casual. One caveat: if they’re dressed in business professional, don’t show up in a tux or a formal dress. You won’t get points docked off but they’ll likely laugh at you.

If you’re confused about the difference between business casual and business professional, here is a helpful link for you. The picture below also has a link to an article that I find helpful.

The Balance Careers
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/business-casual-attire-2061335

Succeeding at the BYU STEM Fair

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Prepare beforehand

  • Prepare an “elevator pitch”, i.e., a 30-second introduction that is memorable and to-the-point
  • Practice your elevator pitch with friends, roommates, random people on the bus, etc.
  • Prepare your resume (tips here)
    • Have someone in the career center look it over (proofread)
    • Print off 10-20 of these to give to employers
    • Remember that interviewers will likely ask you about projects/experience you’ve listed, so be familiar with what’s on there
  • Polish up your LinkedIn
  • Find something you can wear that day to look professional
  • Research some companies that will be there
  • Make a plan for when you can go and who you will visit when you’re there
  • Do some positive self-talk (or if you feel weird doing that, ask a friend to say what’s great about you)

Prioritize the companies you want to meet with

  • List the companies you want to visit from most preferred to least preferred
  • Get there early and visit your favorites first
  • If your favorite has a ridiculously long line, consider visiting booths nearby (quantity over quality principle–getting your resume to more people increases your chances)

Research companies before you meet with them

  • Google their company website and/or look them up on the BYU career fair apps
  • Ask them questions about their company! This starts a conversation, shows that you are interested, and makes you stand out from the crowd

Follow up after the career fair

  • For each person you talk to, get their contact information (email or LinkedIn) or the contact information of someone who actually has the power to hire you (if the person at the booth isn’t actually in charge of hiring, they’ll usually tell you)
  • Write a thank-you email with your resume attached (tips on writing thank-you emails here)

Here are some apps that might help

  • HandShake: lets you see which companies are going to be at the career fair and filter the companies based on your interests and location preferences
  • BYU CAREER FAIR+: lets you see which companies are going to be at the career fair, where in the Wilk they’re going to be, and when the events are all happening
  • BYU Bridge: helpful for job searches in general

…and some more helpful links

More tips? Questions? Leave a comment and I’ll update the page.