Five Questions to Ask Before Your Presentation

Right now, somewhere in the world, there is a poor student trembling, butterflies screaming around in their abdomens (figuratively for those of you who aren't studying medicine), palms drenched in sweat, hands shaking like their owner is withdrawing from mainlining Heroin, and their vision is strangely blurred. Nope, it's not the thought of watching another Twilight movie with their girlfriend. It's the dreaded............presentation.

When I typed that word "presentation", I was thinking of the voice of the guy that does the voice-overs for movie trailers. Anyway, moving along. I've adapted these five questions from chapter one of a book called Perfect Presentations by Andrew Ivy and you can download it free of charge from here.

1. What is the subject?

This may seem like a stupid question to ask, but it is a very necessary one. You need to know something about your subject before you can do a presentation on anything in it. The subject is going to guide the type of presentation. If your subject is Rat Endocrinology, your presentation is going to be a bit different to Eclectic Art In Contemporary North African Culture.

2. Are you flying solo?

Are you going to be doing a group presentation or a solo presentation? The downside to group presentation is that often the 80/20 rule applies : 80% of the people to 20% of the work and vice versa! On the other hand, solo presentations can be extremely daunting!

Walt Disney (left) and Billy Bletcher recording voice-overs for Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. What type of context is the presentation going to be given in?

In other words, is it a routine lecture during which students will be given a short time to do a brief presentation? Or is it a faculty meeting where you have centre-stage for half and hour in front of the professors and their underlings? Very different contexts!

4. Where and when?

You have to get the time and place right! Good luck if you get either of these wrong!

5. Are there going to be questions at the end of the presentation?

Often students spend so much time getting their Powerpoint slides that they forget to prepare for question and answer after the presentation is complete. You will need to know your topic well enough to be able to survive being grilled by your lecturers after your presentation.

Infrastructure and Arrangement Done – Now What?

Image by Aaron Parecki at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronpk/

I'm so glad you asked that question. If I didn't lose you after the last two posts, then well done! I must admit that they were fairly heavy going! Today is a bit more straight-forward in concept, fairly labor-intensive to carry out, but definitely well worth the effort. I wanted to reiterate that what we have been doing in the last two posts has not been rote learning. It has been to do with you making sense of the information in your subjects.Today we are going to draw up a Topical Index, and Compare it to your infrastructure, the textbooks' Contents pages, and the Subject Indices of the textbooks, and Cross-reference these.

Topical Index

As you are reading through your textbooks and deciding how to arrange the information, I want you to note down in a separate place the major topics that are mentioned. This word is difficult to define, so let's use as an example a brief excerpt by way of illustration taken from a Wikipedia article on the Neuron :

Image via CrunchBase
Although neurons are very diverse and there are exceptions to nearly every rule, it is convenient to begin with a schematic description of the structure and function of a "typical" neuron. A typical neuron is divided into three parts: the soma or cell body, dendrites, and axon. The soma is usually compact; the axon and dendrites are filaments that extrude from it. Dendrites typically branch profusely, getting thinner with each branching, and extending their farthest branches a few hundred micrometres from the soma. The axon leaves the soma at a swelling called the axon hillock, and can extend for great distances, giving rise to hundreds of branches. Unlike dendrites, an axon usually maintains the same diameter as it extends."

As an exercise, before continuing, try and see which are the major topics covered in this excerpt. Before you dive in though, let's set some ground-rules :

They are not an Index of every word besides "and, a, but, the".
They are not only the title of a chapter.
They are not only the title of a major section in a chapter.
They are common themes that permeate the chapter and/or book to a greater or lesser extent - in larger subject textbooks such as "Biology 101", Topics will be confined mainly to "Parts" or groupings of chapters of the textbook instead of the whole book.
Always put the textbook name and page number down next to the topic

So, what were your topics? Let me give you mine : Neuron Anatomy. Any other topics would have been too many. The point is to be able to connect major ideas with each other throughout your textbooks. In Bible Study we call that Cross-Referencing. So, in a sense, you are building a Cross-referencing system for your textbook. By the time you have finished your skim-reading, arranging and Topic listing, you should have a list of perhaps 30 topics for a small textbook and upwards of 80 for a large textbook. This leads us to ...

Comparison

Now you take your topics list and compare it to :

Your own infrastructure/skeleton
The Index pages of the textbook/s
The Topical Index pages of the textbook/s if there are any

After you've done this, another bit of labor-intensive time begins. If the excerpt above had been from an Anatomy textbook, what you would then do is find any other similar paragraphs elsewhere and read it and compare the two. I would look for Neuron physiology paragraphs as well and cross-reference them and relate them to the anatomy because the two of are obviously related. This would help me in my third year medicine because when I came to my neurology Pathology, I would need to know where to find information on normal neurology anatomy and physiology before embarking on studying the pathology of that section. Now with a well-developed cross-referenced system I would have gold-mine at my finger-tips!

Screen clipping from Logos Bible Software showing the detail of the cross-referencing system of the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The screen-clipping above is from my Logos Bible Software program. In the left section is the passage from John chapter 3 verse 16 and following. In the right column is the related part from a book called the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. This book is, in essence, an extremely detailed cross-referencing system of the whole Bible, and you can see how detailed the cross-referencing system is, by all the different symbols etc.

I’m Unstuck, but I’m Now Lost in the Forest

Having looked in the last postat trying to get unstuck during the study of a subject, we saw how Goofy eventually got unstuck from the trombone. But what we didn't discuss was how he ended up after getting unstuck. He flew through the air and ended up inside a bush far from the Mickey Mouse Club House.

Art Babbit is credited with creating Goofy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What I would like to look at in this post is what you do after you have gained some degree of understanding from your reading of your textbook and notes. The whole purpose of the previous post was understanding. What I would like to do now is extend that further. In a sense, this post is going to enable you to deepen that initial level that hopefully you were able attain.

Classify and Arrange what you have Read and Understood

Remember, at this stage, you are not doing any "studying". You aren't necessarily directly applying any of the chunking principles that we have discussed before. However, this aspect of classifying and arranging the information that you have understood is absolutely crucial to help you before you actually begin the task of memorizing, and applying the information to problem-based and equation- or solution-based examinations.

Textbook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Put infrastructure and textbooks side-by-side. As I noted previously, often your lecture notes will be your infrastructure. The lecturers will give you a very good idea as to what type of skeleton they like their subject they want their subject to have; and how to apply that to each lecture. However, not every lecturer is of the same quality. Now that you have gained some degree of understanding, put your lecture "skeleton" next to your textbook/textbooks. This is the crucial question : does the lecture-note skeleton measure up to your understanding of your textbook/s reading?If not, see the next point.

Pile of textbooks, reading glasses, and a calculator. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Begin to create your own infrastructure. Yes! You are allowed to do this! One of the driving forces of Schooled for Life is that the Student is the one drives the learning, not the lecturer! You are in control of how to arrange the information to suite how you understand and remember that information! But, don't misunderstand me here. I am not saying you are allowed to change the facts themselves. I cannot suddenly barge into my lecturer's office and say "The earth is the centre of the universe." Well, I suppose I could, but I wouldn't exactly get very far within the academic community, would I? No. What I am saying is that the way the infrastructure is arranged and given to you can be changed any way you want it to be changed.

Skeletons (Photo credit: Jollyboy)

3. Create your own "textbook". We live in the digital age. Scanning sections in textbooks can take seconds. Arranging them can take seconds. What I mean by "Create your own textbook" is that you can now add the relevant information onto the infrastructure that you have now created. If you are short on time, you could simply draw a large skeleton and write page reference numbers with the relevant textbook under each branch or limb of the skeleton. If you have more time, you can literally create your own textbook by digitally using your own infrastructure as a type of Contents Page, and scan the relevant pages from the textbooks and paste them into the pages in a word processor on your computer. Then, either print it out, or use it on your computer as your own textbook. Be sure to reference all the scans. You could also make a large textbook on a wall in your room. Draw the skeleton, and Prestik the scanned sections from the textbooks under each relevant limb of the infrastructure. In the next post, I am going to begin a more detailed look at chunking, and will follow that with a cross-referencing system that will blow your mind!

Help! I'm stuck! (schooledforlife.com)
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Lectures 102 : What not to do (schooledforlife.com)
Just Do It (theresurgence.com)

Help! I’m stuck!

Art Babbit is credited with creating Goofy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My little boys are going through a phase of loving to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on DSTV. We've got the whole all the songs memorized by now! One of the episodes that we have recorded on our PVR decoder has a segment where Goofy gets stuck inside Donald Duck's huge Trombone, and they have try and remove him from it. Eventually they do, obviously.

trombone 025 (Photo credit: Angela Hawkins)

But, I know that students can get to a point in their studies where they feel like their bums are stuck inside a trombone and they can't get any further! I received an email from a student just the other day asking me about this very topic. I want to issue a disclaimer before I continue this post - every subject is different. Biochenistry (the subject this student emailed me about) is a very tricky area to deal with and has it's own set of problems. And each subject has its own set of issues. I cannot go into details for each subject so this post is going to be full of generalizations. But I will obviously be helping that student individually. If any of you have specific problems, please feel free to post below or to email me at dave@schooledforlife.com or dave1314@gmail.com.

1. Start with your lecture notes. If you have followed my suggestions about taking good lecture notes, then you will probably have a good

071 J_01a Page Two from H. P. Lovecraft 18-Nov-1932 Letter to E. Hoffmann Price 9 X 7.6 From the 10-May-1981 Envelope to William Hart (Photo credit: California Cthulhu (Will Hart))

infrastructure with which to begin working with your subject.

2. Read your textbook for understanding. Take the textbook that is prescribed reading for your course and read the relevant section for understanding, not necessarily for memorizing. Read the section with highlighters, pencils and a notebook at hand for you to jot down any questions you have. Remember, you are reading to understand, so memorizing you are going to leave for a later stage. This particular step is fit for a whole series of topics all on its own, and perhaps we can delve into that in the near future.

3. Read other textbooks. Here, find books that simplify the information. A medical example would be Human Anatomy For Dummies. These books will often break down the information into understandable chunks and explain it in such a way that you can immediately grasp and begin to apply.

4. Seek out knowledgeable students.Take note of those in your class who seem to be pretty clued up on what is going on in the course you are struggling with. If you have a good relationship with them, approach them and ask them if they wouldn't mind explaining some of the key concepts to you, and perhaps showing you how they approach studying the subject. You don't need to even find a student on your own class, you could find one who is a year or two ahead of you who you know did well in that particular subject. Again, offer to buy them a cup of coffee, spend time with them and absorb information like a sponge.

Students of Saint Mary's Hall (Photo credit: Robert of Fairfax)

5. Speak to your lecturer. Some lecturers are simply on another planet and cannot be reached by any conventional means. In this case, see point number 3! However, fairly frequently, lecturers are quite willing to spend time helping you if they can see you are struggling with their subject. Make an initial appointment, prepare what you are going to ask them, bring all your books and notes along, and then grill them!

Lectures 102 : What not to do(schooledforlife.com)
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The Importance of a Dictionary

Dictionary (Photo credit: noricum)

And I don't just mean the Oxford English Dictionary - unless you are studying English Literature! Each course has it's very own "language". When I began my Medical School career in second year at Wits University, it was like I stepped onto a modernized Greco-Roman campus! Anterior, posterior, lateral, medial, flexion, extension, dorsal, ventral, mid-axillary line, and on the list went. One of the first books I bought was a medical dictionary. I wore that dictionary out rapidly! It does not matter what field you are studying, you will have your very own language, and you will need to learn to speak the language very quickly! Here are some suggestions on how to best use the relevant dictionary during your normal college/varsity day.

Dictionary (Photo credit: enter)

A. Carry it around with you. This is stating the obvious and I'm dodging the odd tomato being thrown at me for such a stupidly obvious suggestion, but you would be surprised how many people would forget to do this. My wife is currently pregnant, and I promise you, there is such a thing as "porridge-brain" in pregnancy! So, I have to state the obvious - take your relevant dictionary with you to varsity. B.Look up every word you don't understand. Don't wait until later on. Unless it is going to affect you directly, such as a lecture that you cannot stop taking notes for. In which case jot down the term for checking later. But do check it later! Don't forget about it! This is especially fundamental in first year, or in the early years of professional degrees such as medicine. C. Read some of your dictionary every night. It may put you to sleep, but try read and learn at least five new terms every evening just before you go to sleep. Your brain will process what you have just learned and generally you will remember the information quite well the next day. Early the next morning, glance through those five terms briefly to confirm you remember them.

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Take your reading to the next level

You are sitting at your desk. You have read the same paragraph seven times, and the words are starting to blur into one another. But you need to understand what you are reading! It's essential for your assignment. What do you do? Get up, grab a cup of filter coffee and a double chocolate muffin, and then do these four simple actions.

coffee filter Deutsch: Kaffeefilter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Arouse yourself. Do something to wake yourself up. Drink that coffee. Do twenty pull-ups or push-ups. Run up a flight of stairs. Do something to arouse yourself and re-charge the neurotransmitters in your Amyglada.

Line art drawing of push up. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Make an effort of the will. You have to decide in yourself that you want to read properly. Once you have made that inner decision, you can begin to read properly. One of the things I emphasize in my posts is that you have to decide for yourself that you are going study and learn. That decision and that mental effort can only come from you. No-one else can give it to you. 3. Concentrate your attention upon your reading. It is impossible to concentrate on your reading if you have your laptop open, your ipad on, your Blackberry next to you; with you checking your emails, and your Facebook every few minutes. You need to focus your attention deliberately. You don't need Ritalin. You need discipline! 4. Insist upon understanding it. As you read it, you must insist upon understanding each and every sentence you read. Make sure you understand how the author makes his main statement and build his or her arguments and defends his position. If there is something you don't understand, ask a friend, mark it to ask a lecturer, Google it, or check it in another textbook.

Understanding the concept (Photo credit: dkuropatwa)

I hope these simple ideas from George Swain's book help you in your reading.

Developing friendships

FRIENDSHIP (Photo credit: Woody शक्ति Shakti)

During the most difficult times of your studies, it seems like it could be easier to lick the inside of a rusted tin of German hand-grenades dating back to the First World War whilst walking the path of the Paris-Dakar Rally blindfolded,

Jutta Kleinschmidt, BMW X3, Dakar Rally 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

than it would be to open yet another page of yet another textbook as you prepare for yet another exam. Indeed, many of you would opt for the former rather than the latter - and quite readily at that! So, this is where friends come in. Right from the outset you need to develop deep and lasting friendships. friendships that ... fill in all the cliche's that are true about friendships. Friendships cannot be forced, and cannot be defined. But I do want to give you a few guidelines when you consider developing friendships. a. Consider which gender. It is a lie that you cannot have true friendships with the opposite sex. I had a number of "girl friends" when I was at university. I would never have wanted to date them, precisely because they were very good friends and I had no romantic feelings for them. By the same token, don't only have the same gender friends. Guys, don't have only guy friends - you are going to need platonic female friends in your life to help restore some normality to your already crazy male brain! Girls, don't only have girl friends. Too much oestrogen = BAD. b. Consider which religion. As you know, I am a Christian, but I had some very good Muslim friends at Varsity. However, my best friends, the ones that understood me the best, were fellow Christians. This is not being discriminatory, it's being realistic. They understood my feelings on certain issues. We could discuss issues easily and we could prayer together.

c. Consider romantic involvements. Sometimes you have to move on from a previous romantic involvement, and that means moving on from a group of friends. This can be extremely difficult. But hey! you're an adult now! Act like one! Move on! If you've broken up with someone, and you can't be friends with you ex, and you can't comfortably be friends with your mutual friends, then act the grown-up and move on. Let it be known that you are the adult, and carry on with your life. Get professional help if you need, but move on! d. Consider timetables and course. Sometimes timetables and courses will be a major problem. If you are on a huge campus like Wits University in Joburg, and most of your friends are at Medical School, you are going to have to re-evaluate. Your time together may then be limited to weekends. And may not involve any of your studies at all. d. Consider diligence. Some people are simply not good friends to have in regards to studying. They might be fun to have as friends, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of studying, Elvis has left the building, baby. So, you need consider how diligent your friends are in their studies. Are they good at their studies? Are they willing to help? Are they willing to share their knowledge? If they are brighter than you, are they willing to tolerate you (to put it bluntly)? You need to be able to answer all these questions.

"Friendship" (Photo credit: BroGuggs)

e. Consider your own willingness to give. This is of paramount importance. How much are you willing to give to you friends? Are you willing to give of your time and energy to them? Are you will to be there for them when their girlfriend breaks up with them? Are you willing to help them prepare for their Viva the weekend before it happens? Are you willing to help them do some research for a paper they are writing? For as much as you are willing to do for them, they are going to be willing to do for you.

French troops using a catapult to throw hand grenades and other explosives during World War I (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

f. Consider the group dynamic. Amongst my fondest memories were the times when me and my friends went to the Vaal Dam for a few long weekends and did some water-skiing and braaiing and having a lazy time. It was special time. But we were also able to spend time together studying and helping other out before exams. I hope this has helped you understand the importance of friendships during your studies. Do you have any other ideas about why friends are important during studies? Or fond memories of times spent recently or in the past with groups of friends whilst at college/varsity? Please share....

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Revision Rehabilitation

$neuron fractal 1$: neuron fractal 1 (Photo credit: Anthony Mattox)

Today we continue from the previous post on revision. Last post we looked at the factors that can influence how you implement your revision program. Today we are going to look at how to put together a revision program.

Neuronal dendrite formation (Photo credit: TheJCB)

We have already established that our minds can only handle between 5 and 9 connected facts at any one time, and that it is a good idea to study those number of facts in one sitting, with a break between each study session. Now that we have confirmed these points, let's now look at some of the theory behind revision.

When we learn a chunk of facts, our neurons immediately build new dendrites in a region of the brain where it can connect the new information with old information. The research that showed us that information also showed us that if we leave that information as is and don't revise it soon, those dendrites will disintegrate. But, frequents bouts of brief rest during your study sessions are important to replenish the stores of neurotransmitters in the gaps between your neurons. Even more important though, is that the most amount of build-up of these chemicals takes place during sleep - and especially during your deep sleep, rather than during "dream sleep" (or Rapid Eye Movement or REM Sleep). So, that is why it is absolutely essential that you get at least seven hours sleep a night, and that there is no such thing as "catching up on your sleep" from a studying point of view. So, let's look at some guiding principles that you can follow when drawing up your own revision timetable. 1. Your first revision must be immediately after the rest period that follows the study session itself. So, if you have just learned a chunk of information related to Acute Myocardial Infarction and have just had a three minute rest, revise that same information, but... 2. The first revision must be done in a totally different way to the way you studied the material to begin with. This is where creativity comes in handy! If your study session has employed mainly drawing and talking, when you revise, use singing and acting. This first revision session may end up being longer than your original study session, but don't stress! All your subsequent revision sessions will be much shorter! 3. Try and do a second revision the same day before you go to sleep. As mentioned above, your dream sleep is the critical time during which the brain transforms that newly imbibed information into long-term memories by building and extending the dendritic branches.

Photo by Bob Jacobs, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology Department of Psychology Colorado College http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu/IDProg/Neuroscience/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Revise the next day. 5. Revise the next week. 6. Revise a month later. 7. Revise a week before a test or exam. 8. Revise the day before the test or exam. Easy? Good. Now start getting creative with a calender!