subject: Applying Ideas That Make A Textbook More Useful For Learning [print this page] Of all of the learning materials used in colleges and universities, the real staple of the classroom is the textbook. While most students see textbooks as just another part of college, they're really an investment with returns that are directly proportional to how efficiently they are used. The process of using a textbook effectively also teaches students a number of other valuable skills that translate directly to more money as well. Because of the dividends that students can earn on the investment that is a textbook, it's absolutely critical that students understand and apply the following ideas about maximizing those dividends.
There are a number of tricks students can use to make their textbooks more useful to the overall learning process, which in turn raises their grades. When taking notes during a lecture, students should always be writing down where in the textbook the material is located that the notes are covering. This tends to be easier in math and science classes, and slightly more difficult in literature and humanities classes, but is absolutely critical. When notes are in sync with material from a textbook, then the student is able to reference the textbooks and the notes at the same time. Each of these resources compliment each other, and if there are holes in the notes, they are filled by the textbook, and vice-versa. The cooperation between a student's notes and the textbook allows for more efficient studying, which frees up time as well.
A big part of wanting better grades is so once a student graduates, they'll have leverage over other applicants when applying for jobs. This means a better chance of getting the high-paying positions that students want, which is one way textbooks pay financial dividends. However, something that most students overlook is that grades can also be considered as a factor when applying for promotions. Since promotions also mean better pay, the financial dividends that textbooks generate are even greater than what most students realize since they will continually be paying out for the rest of a graduate's career.
Once a graduate has been hired, they'll often be in control of a certain amount of resources. By learning how to effectively use textbooks for maximum effect while still in school, these graduates will naturally translate that skill to managing resources within the company. By managing resources more effectively than their co-workers, graduates will be even more valuable to the company, which means higher pay and more chances for promotion. The experience gained with using textbooks in ways that other students aren't pays off with experience in managing resources, which directly translates to higher pay and faster promotions, which are further dividends on the initial investment.
