Logan Leger — Technologist

In academia, particularly higher education, examinations are the standard method of ensuring that a professor’s pupils are learning. The grades of these examinations, often measured on a 10-point scale, usually fall within a standard bell curve distribution. In this bell curve, a majority of students receive marks around a low B or high C. This is the ideal distribution, and particularly hard classes offer a standard “curving” method where points are added to every score to ensure that this bell curve is met. In this ideal distribution, the standard deviation is low, ensuring that the test was fair and that the students are comprehending and absorbing the covered material.

Whenever this bell curve isn’t met, both sides of the classroom—i.e., both students and professors—should be worried. Students should be always worried because it affects their grade, which is extremely important in the short term, because it affects scholarships, major progression, graduation, etc. Moreover, a poor grade can also present one of two scenarios to the student: either that they aren’t spending enough time on the class or that the professor is failing to educate them. In either case, there are adjustments the student must make to be successful in the class.

At a certain point, however, the professor’s fears should at the very least equal, if not outweigh those of the student. This equilibrium, of course, is when the class test average drops ridiculously low. This point is probably subjective, varying from class to class, but a good measurement would be when the average ≤ 60%. It is at this point that the grade stops reflecting as much on the student and begins to reflect poorly on the professor.

An effective professor would recognize this, and instead of spending time blaming the students, would focus on connecting more with the students and trying new methods of education. Each class, after all, is different, and the same method might not work for every class every time. Conversely, an ineffective professor will spend valuable class time lecturing a class about their inability to comprehend the professor’s instruction and focus on the same failed methodologies, throwing the class into a vicious cycle.

Unfortunately, most professors in academia today don’t qualify as “effective.” Academia has become incentivized by research and grants, and so professors are hired not by their ability to teach but by their ability to bring money to the institution. This is an increasing problem, and most contemporary professors are out of touch with the real world. This negatively affects the quality of education students receive, and thus negatively affects the future.

Therefore, both sides of the classroom have responsibility when it comes to final grades. The student, of course, has the most responsibility. However, there is an equilibrium: At this point, the responsibility is shared, and anything beyond it is when the responsibility for poor performance lies on the professor. This is an obvious problem, and the mere fact that it needs to be stated speaks volumes about the current state of the American higher education system. Even more painful is how obvious the solution is and how little professors past this equilibrium tend to implement any solution at all. There is a growing cancer on higher education, and it’s become metastasized to the entire organization. There is a revolution that is coming, maybe not in the next few years, but if you thought the journalism revolution was bad, just wait.

You can view part one of the series on computer organization by clicking here.

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Introduction

Over the course of the next two weeks, I’ll be posting a series of three articles on how to get and stay organized for school. I’ll be covering how I use my computer to stay organized, how I take notes in class with paper and pencil, and how I stay productive in my dorm room. I’m not productivity maven—see Merlin Mann of 43folders or any of David Allen’s work, including the GTD system—, but I am organized and I do get a lot of work done. I hope these tips help you as they’ve helped me.

Today is the second post in the series and I’m going to be covering how I take notes in classes in which it is infeasible to do so on the computer—e.g. math and science. I’ll show you examples and attempt to explain my methodology. To be thorough, I’ve used examples from my current and previous semesters. This includes an example of annotating handouts and an example of annotating books.

I had this librarian at my elementary school that I adored and respected. She was a fascinating and very intelligent woman, so I took whatever she said with such weight. She told me that being organized leads to increased productivity. This later proved itself to my young brain when I saw disorganized classmates. The sight of papers haphazardly shoved into a notebook or thrown into a book sack really disgusted me. I might not have the best handwriting—my dad always told me I was to be a doctor because my handwriting was abysmal—, but I take painstaking measures to have organized notes. As I progressed in age, I subscribed to the minimalist aesthetic, so my layout very much adheres to this now.

Medium

Before I begin, let me say one thing about medium. I currently take notes in a spiral-bound, multi-subject notebook. Previously, I had taken notes in binders. I switched this semester to experiment with something different. Plus, they’re a lot smaller and easier to carry around. A couple of weeks ago, I asked the Twittersphere what they used. Most people used notebooks. (You can still vote by clicking here.) I inquired as to what “others” could be and these responded with “legal pads” mostly. I use these as well, which is discussed below. For pens, I recommend the Pilot G-2 .05; for pencils, I recommend the Pentel Quicker-Clicker 0.5.

Math

Calculus II

I took Calculus II last semester. It was a very good and enjoyable class. For anyone at LSU, I highly recommend Professor George Cochran. He is an excellent, articulate teacher who is very enthusiastic about his teaching. This was an Honors College class, so it was small. Plus, he’s the world champion 9-wicket croquetter!

For my note taking, I would begin each day with a subject (underlined) in the header of the paper. I also put the date (in mm/dd notation) in the upper-right-hand corner. Subheadings are written on a line by themselves and underlined. Whenever I number, I do so in outline form with Roman numerals—i.e., I. A., etc. One unique thing about my notes is that I break underlines whenever the letter falls below the baseline—e.g. a P, G or Q. I also tend to use a lot of curly brackets to group inset contiguous blocks.

I have a unique system of minor subheadings. I place these in the margins and underline them. For Calculus II, I developed a specific set of three-letter acronyms I used in the class: Thm is theorem; Pff is proof; Ex is examples. For example, Thm (underlined) would be on the same line as the theorem; on the next line, I would write Pff (again, underlined) and then continue with the proof.

The image of my notes can provide further detail.

Differential Equations and Linear Algebra

I’m currently enrolled in this class. Aside from a change in medium, my strategies in Calculus II apply here as well. I use the same system of headings and subheadings and underlinings. The only difference is in my organization. Things changed a bit because I switched to a notebook and my new, less awesome professor teaches differently. Each day is begun on a new page in the same way I did in Calculus II, usually a section number accompanies the heading. I also put the homework in the same format as my computer notes.

Pages of notes per day vary, but usually is about one page front-and-back. When he goes over homework questions the next day, I usually place this at the end of the page from the previous day. This makes sense because the placement corresponds with the material it covers. I denote the new day by placing the day in the margin in the same notation as above. If there is no room, I simply continue onto the next page and start the new day after that—accompanied by some liberal whitespace.

The picture has more detail.

I do my homework in another subject of my aforementioned multi-subject notebook. I do it in order and label it with the same section as it comes from.

Science

Chemistry

I took this class last semester. It was the best chemistry class I’ve had to date. I highly recommend Professor John Hopkins. Not only is he a great teacher, but he also gives great life lessons. Pay attention to him and you’ll learn a lot. This was also an Honors College class, so it was small, relative to other freshman Chemistry classes. It really surprised me, because there were about 75+ people in the class and each day attendance was about 90-95%. That’s pretty incredible, all things considered.

One of the great things about this class was that he didn’t required a textbook. Instead, he copied the notes, which he typed, and taught directly from those. For obvious reasons, I organized this class into a binder. This is an example of annotating handouts.

Physics

I am currently enrolled in this class. It is also an amazing class. I highly recommend Dr. Phil Adams for the same reasons. He is very clear and thorough in his explanations. Although this isn’t an Honors College class, it is very good.

This class is in another subject of my multi-subject notebook. I use the same methodologies as above. In this class, it’s important to write down things he says as well, so I take extreme measures to filter the information and transcribe what is important. I also pay careful attention to the diagrams he draws for each problem. Again, notice the Roman numerals and curly brackets. We use a couple of tables in our problem solving. Those are well organized as well.

The homework for this class is online, so I do all of that homework on a legal pad that I carry around for handing in class work and other miscellaneous scribbling. I apply the same methodologies as above, but I pay less attention to it since I won’t be revisiting it.

The picture provides more detail.

Annotating Books

I have to annotate all the books I am reading in my Ethics class. This picture is of Plato’s The Republic. Notice the organization and curly brackets. I also use three different colored pens (the G-2s I mentioned earlier): blue for before class reading; red for in-class teacher’s notes; black for after class reading.

Conclusion

This is how I stay organized with my note taking. There is one more post to come, and it’s on how I stay productive in my dorm. Stay tuned for it.

How about you? How do you take notes in class? Do you have any suggestions or do you use similar methods?

Introduction

In only one and a half semesters, I can already tell that most college professors are ridiculous. But, up until now, I haven’t had any that were so ridiculous that I felt the need to write about them. Enter my C++ professor this semester. I wrote this simple program very quickly, because I’ve had C++ before, but it took my easily twice as long to comment every freaking line. That’s absurd. As if the graders don’t know what’s going on and as if I don’t know—I wrote it, after all. I mean, just look at that code—it’s ridiculous.

QED

/************************************************/
/*      Widget Inc. Weekly Production Report  	*/
/*      Logan Leger                     		*/
/*      CSC 125331 Section 1            		*/
/*      Assignment 2                    		*/
/*      Instructor: Douglas             		*/
/*      Program due date: Feb 3, 2009  			*/
/************************************************/

/************************************************/
/*		Problem specification:	Create a method	*/
/*			for making a weekly production		*/
/*			report for widgets					*/
/*												*/
/*		Problem analysis: Get user input for 	*/
/*			produced widgets and computer		*/
/*			report and show data				*/
/*												*/
/*		Inputs: Number of widgets made each week*/
/*			from site 1, site 2 and site 3		*/
/*												*/
/*		Outputs: Number of widgets from each	*/
/*			site; production cost and total		*/
/*			earnings of each site;				*/
/*			overall number of widgets produced;	*/
/*			overall average units of each site;	*/
/*			overall total production cost;		*/
/*			overall expected earnings			*/
/************************************************/

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main ()
{
	int counter = 1;				//counter for counter-control repetition structure
	int widgets = 0;				//number of widgets for use in aforementioned counter-countrol repetition structure
	double prod_cost = 0;				//total production cost per site for use in said structure
	double earnings = 0;				//total earnings per site for use in said structure
	int total_widgets = 0;			//total widgets produced; sum of site1, site2 and site3
	int average_widgets = 0;		//average widgets produced; sum divided by three
	double total_prod_cost	= 0;		//total production cost; sum of each prod_site
	double total_earnings = 0;			//total earnings; sum of each earnings_site
	const double PROD_COST = 2.59; 	//the cost to build each widget
	const double SELL_PRICE = 5.99;	//the selling price of each widget
	const int i = 3;				//number of iterations = 3

	cout.setf(ios::fixed);
	cout.setf(ios::showpoint);
	cout.precision(2);
	//above action statements format all number output to two digits--for showing it in price format

	cout < < "\nWelcome to Widgets Inc Weekly Production Report System.\nPlease input the number of widgets produced per site.";
	//welcome message
	while (counter <= i) {
		cout << "\nNumber of widgets for Site " << counter << ": ";
		//print heading for each site
		cin >> widgets;
		//input number of widgets
		prod_cost = widgets * PROD_COST;
		//compute production cost of site
		earnings = widgets * SELL_PRICE;
		//compute earnings of site
		cout << "\n" << "Site " << counter << ":"  << endl << "Production Cost: $" << prod_cost << endl << "Expected Earnings: $" << earnings << endl;
		//output the information of the site
		total_widgets += widgets;
		//add up total widgets
		total_prod_cost += prod_cost;
		//add up production cost
		total_earnings += earnings;
		//add up earnings
		counter++;
		//increase counter for loop
		cout << "\n";
		//make the monkey go up the tree and bring down coconut
	}

	average_widgets = total_widgets/3;
	//compute average widgets

	cout << "Widgets Inc Weekly Executive Report\n" << endl;
	cout << "Overall total widgets produced: " << total_widgets << endl;
	cout << "Overall average widgets produced: " << average_widgets << endl;
	cout << "Overall total production cost: $" << total_prod_cost << endl;
	cout << "Overal total expected earnings: $" << total_earnings << endl;
	cout << "\n";
	//above block of code prints the executive report

	cout << "End of the weekly report." << endl;
	//sign-off message -- operation take over the world complete

	return 0;
}

You can view part two of the series on taking notes in class with paper and pencil by clicking here.

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Introduction

Over the course of the next two weeks, I’ll be posting a series of three articles on how to get and stay organized for school. I’ll be covering how I use my computer to stay organized, how I take notes in class with paper and pencil, and how I stay productive in my dorm room. I’m not productivity maven—see Merlin Mann of 43folders or any of David Allen’s work, including the GTD system—, but I am organized and I do get a lot of work done. I hope these tips help you as they’ve helped me.

Today is the first of the series and so I’ll be covering how I use my computer to stay organized for school. There are two areas I’d like to cover: in class and out of class.

In Class

For some classes, taking notes on the computer is preferable—and even encouraged; for others, it’s nearly impossible—e.g. science and math. I use my computer in about half of my classes to take notes. My note taking strategies are the same in all of my classes, but I’ll use my Ethics notes as an example since the professor encourages taking notes on the computer. (Question: Just how ethical can a 7:30am class be?)

Pre-class

I usually arrive to class a couple of minutes early. Before lecture begins, I prepare to focus by minimizing external distractions. I do this by getting my social media fix before class starts. I’ll check my email, Facebook and Twitter accounts just before class starts. I’ll also usually head over to the LSU Ultimate forums, my blog and weed through my RSS feed. Since I’m constantly connected (aka addicted), checking these things off before I get into class helps me get my mind off of them and focus.

Immediately before the professor begins lecturing, I prepare myself to begin class by completely removing myself from the electronic world. I disable my WiFi and Bluetooth. This keeps me from switching to Facebook in between slides. I also fire up Pages, which I’ve just recently begun using over Word to take notes in. If my teacher has disseminated their slides (via Moodle), I’ll bring that up in the background as well. I then hide the dock and pull up Think, which is a neat little application that helps focus on one application. It basically overlays a black background, allowing only selected applications to be focused. This keeps me locked into note taking.

During Class

I’ve tried nearly ever note taking application on the Mac. I’ve tried Circus Pony’s award-winning NoteBook; I’ve tried Yojimbo, xPad, and Word; I’ve even tried using my beloved TextMate. I’ve only come across two solutions that have worked for me.

I used Word 2008 for my last year in high school. It served me decently, although it’s a very sluggish program and way too complex for my needs. I did really like the notebook layout feature with tabs. To organize my notes in Word, I would create a notebook for each class, breaking them up into tests and using the tabs for days. This actually worked out very well.

This year, I decided to switch to Apple Pages. I use Pages to write everything else, so there were no transitioning issues. It’s very snappy and I love the minimal, easy, functioning interface. It doesn’t have the neat notebook layout feature, but I still organize everything well. In lieu of tabs, I open up the page thumbnails drawer, which allows me to quickly thumb through the notes. Below is a picture of how I set up my notes.

As you can see, my organization is quite minimal. This goes back to my love for the minimal aesthete. I post the page numbers in the upper right hand corner for easy reference and I use a page break to separate days. The font I use here is Helvetica Neue. I begin each day by creating a heading with the date. Immediately preceding, I write any assigned homework. I space between the heading and the homework and the homework and the outline. I use the Harvard List Style, which is built-in. What Word has over Pages here is the easier outlining. For example, if I want to back up an order, I can just hit the delete key in Word. In Pages, it’ll just delete that level. If there’s a way around this, please let me know. What I do instead is keep the inspector open on the lists panel to click the demote button (tab still works for promotion). Update: I should’ve read the help file first. To do demote a livel, just hit Shift-Tab; it works the same way that the delete key does in Word. Also, a note on my outlining: To create a new paragraph under an element, hit Shift-Enter. I also created a character style for emphasis. I used the Baskerville typeface and set it to italics. It looks nice and adds some cool distinction for emphasis. You can create a character style by opening the paragraph drawer and then holding down the plus button at the bottom of the drawer. Now, highlight a line with your desired style and click “Create New Character Style from Selection…” Be sure it’s a character style so it’ll be inline (paragraph styles are block, just like in web design).

Sometimes staying focused during class is difficult. For those long, early morning humanities classes, it’s especially difficult. Besides bringing a cup of coffee with me to class, I have a few methods for keeping my mind alert and engaged. Mind wandering is fairly natural, so if it happens in class I don’t worry too much about it. Because I use Think to help my focus on my note taking, I don’t quit any applications. So if I start wandering, I’ll switch over to TextMate and finish some code or to Safari to read a couple lines of a preloaded CNN article. This usually alleviates my boredom and I can return back to the real world within a few minutes. I’m not too worried about missing notes, because most of my teachers post their slides and because I can still magically type without paying attention. This might be terrible advice, but it works for me so take it for what it’s worth.

Outside of Class

Outside of class, I use a few tools to keep me organized.

To-do List or GTD App

I’ve recently become infatuated with The Hit List. It’s the first application that I’ve found to fit my needs. (Aside: I’m currently using the beta and have yet to purchase a full license. I’m slightly apprehensive about paying $50.00 for the app, so I’m hoping that PotionFactory decides to create a student license for poor college kids.) I’ve also tried Things, Anxiety and iCal for to-do listing. You might also want to explore some GTD apps. It’s all about what you feel comfortable in. All of these have some level of freeness, so try them out and see what you like. Richard Felix of ShiftedFrequency, for example, told me that THL didn’t work for him but he “lives in Things.” The opposite is true for me. Experiment! Regardless what you choose, having some sort of to-do list app is imperative to staying on task and organized—especially if you’re involved with as many projects as I am. It’s important to note that I don’t only use these applications for keeping to-do lists for work and other miscellaneous actionable items, but also for keeping my homework. Everything that needs to be done is put into The Hit List. Now, I’m just waiting on the iPhone version!

iCal

Having a calendar to stay organized is also equally important. For me, I balance full-time school, part-time work, work on Noteflood and NewAperio, and play ultimate for LSU. To keep all of this balanced—including family and other personal things—and keep me sane, I put everything into iCal. This allows me to stay organized. It’s also great because it syncs to my iPhone so I always have my calendar handy. This is also very important to staying organized.

Conclusion

This is how I stay organized for school using my computer. There are two more posts coming in this series on how I take notes using pen and paper and how I stay productive in my dorm. Stay tuned for those.

How about you? What do you do to stay organized for school using the computer? Do you have any suggestions or do you use similar methods?

Introduction

I’ve had quite a bit of experience living in dorm rooms. Starting with LSMSA, I spent two years in a dorm in high school. Now, I’m into my third at LSU. I’ve seen trends in the additions I’ve made to both dorm rooms. They make the spaces much more homely and whole lot more liveable. Aside from the normal things you’d bring to a dorm room—wardrobe, sheets, trash can, fridge—these are the things I’ve added, and I believe you’ll find them useful as well.

Technology

1. Computer
   No brainer. MacBook Pro for me. You can read about my favorite software here.
2. Wireless mouse/keyboard with computer stand
   I feel this makes me more functional. Also, I can lay in bed and still work—for those really lazy days. I have the Apple wireless keyboard—pre-aluminum white one—and Mighty Mouse. I also have a Targus laptop stand. It’s simple and doubles as a platform for using your computer on your lap and preventing burns to your legs and killing your future kids.


Work Desk

3. Wireless router and ethernet cable
   I only have a sole ethernet jack in my room. Not only do I want my 360 plugged in, but I also want to be wireless. Also, I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve wasted doing impromptu Halo LANs. Definitely worth it. In high school, our net was cut off at midnight. A few of my conniving friends and I hid a wireless router in the system to give us access after midnight. They never caught us.
4. External hard drive
   For totally legitimate reasons. . .
5. Power strip
   There are exactly two outlets in my room; one for me, the other for my roommate. I guess this comes from living in a building built before my grandparents remember (also, it’s solid concrete), but you should probably still bring one for newer dorms. I’ve got electronics everywhere in my room so I have a few daisy chained—I’m gonna blow the city’s power grid, I swear. I recommend the PowerSquid.

Entertainment

1. Television and cable
   I’ve got a Samsung 32″ HDTV—best 32″ TV on the market—with piping hot HD content from Cox. I can’t get enough of Heroes, House, The Office, Law and Order (all flavors), et al. Jack McCoy is even more bamf in HD, promise. Also, a DVR is really helpful for my busy schedule. I also have a Kensington Security Cable to secure the TV.
2. Xbox 360
   Enough said. Keep CoD:4 or Halo 3 around for good times. You can game with me at gamertag “ustopablefury.”
3. Stereo, DVD Player and other necessities
   DVD player is unnecessary if you have a computer or 360. Still, having something that plays a DVD is convenient. Also, I have a stereo to amplify my computer, TV and 360.
4. Books/DVDs
   When I have time, I read as much as I can. But I recommend having good books around at all times, regardless if you’re reading. It’ll add to your spiritus mundi. But, if for nothing else, it’ll make you look smart to girls. Keep some Tolstoy and Plato around for major bonus points with the ladies. You can see more about what I read, and get recommendations for great books, here. Now reading: The Creative Habit by Twyla Harp. Look for a review eventually.


Book Shelf. Notice the classics on the left.

5. Rubik’s Cube
   Rubik’s, ftw. One of my friends is an über-cuber. Watch his insane cubing records here.

Living additions

1. Rug
   Tiled floors are hard, cold, and totally not homely. Getting a nice accent rug for your dorm will provide a nice floor covering for the unsightly tile. Not only is it more comfortable, but it is warming—both on the feet and on the soul. I got a nice, comfortable one for $25 at Walmart. There’s two in my room, covering the whole floor. I’d also recommend a simple mechanical vacuum and some Febreeze to help keep the rug clean and in good shape.
2. Ample lighting
   I count four additional lights I’ve added to my room. I find overhead fluorescent lights to be oppressive, so I don’t like to have them on when avoidable. Even if you don’t feel this way, a pole lamp will help increase lighting. It’s also a softer light which helps the ambiance of the room. A desk lamp is also helpful to improve visibility when working and also for when your roommate is asleep and you’re still studying. I also have a strand of LSU Christmas lights—you know, school spirit. This is one of my top recommendations.


Lights Behind the TV Create a Nice Effect

3. Coffee pot
   I have a 7:30am Ethics class—enough said. Mine is a simple two-cup machine from Starbucks. It brews right into the tumbler in less than two minutes. Plus, there’s a metal filter for easy cleanup.
4. Water Filter
   Not everyone is as blessed as we are in Baton Rouge. For those in more rural areas or with bad tasting water, consider picking up a water filter. Even though my water is good tasting, I like it to be cleaner than the faucet provides. I got a Pur pitcher for $15 from Target. It helps with the coffee, too.
5. Things from home
   Pictures and other memorabilia from home helps if you’re far away and won’t see them for a long time. I keep pictures of friends around as well. Whose house doesn’t have pictures in it? This definitely brings your room to a closer resemblance to home.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help make your dorm room more livable—they certainly have for me. Do you use the same methods, or are your living additions wildly different or in contrast? Let me know in the comments.