<p>Any advice on how to tackle this guy? He says don't take notes during class, so I just jot down some <em>key</em> points. The readings aren't supposed to be remember in regards to names, dates, and other numerical and categorical information, but as you do the readings you should ask yourself "why?" Those were his words of course.</p>
<p>While I understand what his course entails from discussions with previous students, I still find myself asking "how the hell am I supposed to prepare for an exam?"</p>
<p>Unlike what your HR or OB professors may believe, college isn't about memorizing facts or key dates. It is about asking why, and developing questions to explore the way in which the world works.</p>
<p>Make sure to take note of the key themes in both readings and lecture. Take Daniels's advice to heart. You may actually learn something.</p>
<p>Smug...i didnt have daniels, but a good way to go about classes is noting any repetition of issues or arguments by the professor or what he spends the most time reviewing. </p>
<p>for essays i was once told that you have to mix a little of what the professor said or taught with what your own point of view...basically creating your own argument/thesis or looking at the professors argument on the subject in a different light. you could just regurgitate what the professor says, but they love a little personal opinion too.</p>
<p>for readings i would create a sort of outline...dont just highlight as you read, but go back and look at what you highlight and try to create a summary/outline. </p>
<p>since you have an outline of what the reading was, you can just take that outline and add notes on the margin (during lecture) if the professor goes over what you read. and even if the professor doesnt go over the reading, whatever he lectures on could be applicable to what you read.</p>
<p>Compare and contrast trade unionism from industrial unionism in the Gilded Age, with specific examples. In which ways did the labor tensions of the late 19th century contribute to the Populist and Progressive political movements of the time?</p>
<p>I even asked him. He said as you read, just ask yourself "why?"</p>
<p>That's about it in a nutshell. He said if I am still confused weeks in, I should start to worry. It's not weeks in, but I am worried, regardless. The fact that he stated that he believes we should be able to read and learn from his lectures aside from handouts, reviews, and power points neglects so many various learning paths that its pitiful. </p>
<p>The idea of history is to encapsulate it, not be stuck in it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That's about it in a nutshell. He said if I am still confused weeks in, I should start to worry. It's not weeks in, but I am worried, regardless. The fact that he stated that he believes we should be able to read and learn from his lectures aside from handouts, reviews, and power points neglects so many various learning paths that its pitiful.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Question: When you are in your first job out of college (and perhaps you still hold dreams of being a lawyer or an investment banker) and somebody asks you to learn something about a topic, are you going to tell them that the style doesn't fit your learning path?</p>
<p>You can never go wrong with reading and writing. I know this is hard for people who have always had cable TV and the Internet at their fingertips. But deal.</p>