Category Archives: Study habits & Distractions

Who says Reedies are all study and no fun? Halloween was celebrated up and down Eliot Hall yesterday. Nearly everyone in class found their way over to the President’s Office to grab treats (mostly cookies, but also yummy hot cider, … finish reading Halloween Spirits

I heard this story on NPR’s Morning Edition (6 Sept 2019) and I knew I had to share it with my students. You can read listen to the story (2:52) or read a full transcript at The Distracting Draw of … finish reading Near Misses – How Your Phone Can Undermine You

Several students have asked me in the last few years, “What can I do this summer to get ready for Chem 201 next fall?” A perfectly reasonable question, and one that deserves an instructive response. But I hesitate to answer. … finish reading Preparing for Chem 201 – Summer Study Suggestions

A new article in Science magazine from Prof. Ayanna Thomas’ research group is one that every O Chem student should look at. The article doesn’t contain any chemistry, but it contains some potentially valuable insights into becoming a more successful O Chem … finish reading Retrieval Practice Protects Your Memory

Some of you may be suffering from FMOOWMP. You know the symptoms, but you probably didn’t know that help was close at hand. And it’s painless. Here’s a short video to bring you up-to-speed. https://youtu.be/yQq1-_ujXrM

I heard a presentation from a neuroscientist last week on how our brains work. She highlighted different brain networks that one can imagine working well in some situations (“keep an eye out for tigers and snakes”), but get corrupted into … finish reading Distractions Are Everywhere

What single thing must you do to learn organic chemistry? Sam and I have given you the answer several times: practice solving problems. But is that all you have to do? Can you just open the book to a problem, … finish reading The Right Kind of Practice

Computers – source of endless entertainment or endless drudgery? A little of both, right. Why not turn your computer into a mood enhancer by making some music with the Tonematrix audio tool. 2 minutes will put you in another world. And who knows? … finish reading Study, study, study? Take a Tonematrix break