It is hard to imagine anything as challenging as writing down your lecture notes online. Just think about your Internet connection always breaking down or Zoom swallowing half of what has been said. Some people at Nerdify reviews even compare it to some odd writings made by the nursing students. Jokes aside, however, we decided to share the tips that have helped us in 2020 and before when getting a hold of our lecture notes online. It is also helpful for various online conferences and those times when you have to get ready for some online exam and need to take helpful notes.

1. Ask questions. Do not be afraid of asking questions. The majority of students that we spoke to at Nerdify reviews have told us that they were afraid of asking this or that because college professors online would easily become irritated. Still, you are there to learn, which is why it is completely normal to ask something that you have misunderstood. Asking for some clarification is your legal right, which is only natural when someone has an unstable Internet connection or misses the point that is hard to understand when you are online.

2. Write down the key phrases. Write down the key phrases that you hear. You don’t even have to do it right away. Take your time to do it the way they always seem to implement at international conferences. Act just like a good journalist and take notes that come to your mind. This way you can use any break from the lectures or any free moment to write something down. You can easily type it into your Notepad online or save it somewhere where you can easily find it. Just write it down in your own words and reference it later by rephrasing things.

3. Share Notes With Your Friends. Do not forget about sharing your lecture notes with your online friends. Some of you may be more tech-savvy, which is a good way to share your tips and ideas. You do not even have to go outside or sit waiting at your friend’s porch because you can share audio recordings, screen captures, or anything that has been used to write down your lecture notes. Learn about the culture of sharing and assist the best way you can. It will always pay off and will help to make sense out of all the mess that you may have had in the beginning.

4. Ask For Sources. Another great lecture tip that has been proposed by our experts at the Nerdify reviews is asking your college professors for sources that would help you see where the information is coming from. You may not hear something well, yet sharing a link online by posting it as a text message is much easier and will save you a great deal of time. Think about this idea the next time you are participating in an online lecture and make sure to share this great tip along. It will also help you to keep the links at hand when you compose your Bibliography or References page.

5. Make Audio Recordings With Your Phone. Since you might be watching your online lecture via your laptop, remember that you can use your phone to record the lecture and playback things later. We often did so at the Nerdify reviews and it has helped us to notice some things that we could not capture before. Since you can playback things more than once, it helps a great deal to determine what has been said and write down an exact quote for your next assignment. It is a handy trick that you must try and see if it helps you to keep your lecture notes in control.

6. Record Yourself Talk. Alternatively, you can try a different approach by recording your thoughts with a voice speaker by using your phone as well. Remember how famous detectives always do so in the movies? It is exactly the same approach! Just record your thoughts during the lecture and playback them later when you have to start with your assignment.

7. Organize Additional Sessions. When all things fail and if you could not write down your online lecture notes for some reason, ask your friends for help. If they are in the same boat as you are, organize additional online sessions, and ask each other for some assistance. While it may not be always possible to approach your college professor, unite your efforts together, and think of a good solution to this unpleasant situation.

Most importantly, remember that you have a right to contact your college’s online help center and explain the situation in case there were any technical troubles. Just make some screenshots and share your and your friends’ evidence as you do!

Collecting recommendations for this blog post, the Nerdify reviews team came up with a dozen of fresh ideas regarding how to reduce anxiety in less than five minutes. As the true nerds, we have our secret tips and tricks, yet we had to stop with at least six of them that really work in practice. Be it anxiety when writing a dissertation or getting ready for the exam or that challenging time before going for the first date in months, there are ways to keep your mind and body safe and relaxed. The golden rule is to combine these ideas and see what fits your lifestyle and lets you remain within the comfort zone!

Apple a Day. It is a known fact that anxiety always strikes when your mind works extra hard and when the body is strained beyond belief. If you find yourself in such a situation, the best way is to eat an apple or drink a cup of your favorite juice. The secret is that at this very moment, the brain switches to another kind of activity and the muscles (swallowing or chewing) choose another physical activity that lets amino acids in your system reduce the levels of stress. Even taking a break to catch your favorite snack, considering it is not a soda drink or something unhealthy, can do wonders!

Freewriting. This interesting method of stress-reduction and getting out of the writer’s block is a great invention that has helped many students from all over the world. It is no wonder that it is often met in Nerdify reviews because there is no need to register anywhere, pay money or wait. It works right away because all it takes is writing non-stop about all the things that come to your head. If there is nonsense, so be it! The key is to let your mind flow and speak of ideas that you would not put on paper otherwise.

Take a Walk. We all have heard that it helps, yet we often neglect the fact. In many cases, the reason for anxiety is a lack of oxygen and the chemical elements that make the blood flow the way it should. Even taking 10 minutes to go outside or even sit on the balcony in the comfort of your home will help you feel refreshed and relaxed. As the psychologists confirm, an overall image that your eyes see has to change, so taking a walk in the park or running around the block will help to overcome these high levels of stress and fatigue.

Keep Breathing. Among all the great ideas about how to reduce anxiety right away, all team members at the Nerdify reviews have agreed that a person has to stop and keep breathing. Exactly – take a deep breath first before doing anything else because your blood pressure and the heartbeat rate have to stabilize. The talk goes about deep diaphragmatic breathing, which means taking a deep breath to calm down. It might be a little difficult for those who are not familiar with the technique but think about how you are breathing after doing sports or when you are running away from someone at the college party. What do you do then? You keep breathing deep! This is exactly the same technique!

Meditation. It is getting rather popular, so we just could not miss this great idea. Meditation is not really sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed and exotic aromas floating through the air. While that could be awesome, it is not always possible, especially if you are in the middle of doing homework. In our case, meditation means thinking about something pleasant or brainstorming future plans, reuniting with the family or friends during the weekend. Just let your mind explore something different or think about what makes you smile. Even if it takes five or more minutes, it is really worth to try it out!

The Power of Now. Reviewing countless books and medical articles, Nerdify reviews came to the conclusion that anxiety always comes when a person tries to focus on too many things at once. Take one step at a time, make a clear plan of things that should be done immediately and those that can be done later. If there is something that irritates you, even if not so urgent, do it first to get rid of this disturbing aspect. Focus on the power of a moment!

Remember, we all get our times of anxiety, so the trick is to use these quick tricks and always keep positive. Take a short break, think of what inspires you, smile, cry if you want to, let emotions flow, but the most important – believe in who you are and never ever give up!

xoxo,

Nerdify Reviews Team

It is a festive season, yay! Our friendly Nerds at the Nerdify reviews team had their say in the selection of original Christmas ideas. Some of them recommended dressing up as Santa, while the others found it to be way too old school. Still, we came up with seven original recommendations that will not only make the next Christmas season memorable for you but will also inspire others to make this world a little bit better, brighter, and safer. After all, Christmas is about love and taking care of each other, bringing hope and light to everyone!

Visit Sick People at The Hospital. Christmas should be fun for everyone regardless of age or gender, yet there are many people who are sick and cannot get out or dance around the Xmas tree. Visiting sick people at the hospital or paying a visit to the children’s hospital will be a great reward for anyone as soon as one sees the happy eyes and even the tears of those who wait for a miracle to happen. As children, we all believe that Christmas is a magical time, so why not take that magic stick in our hands and spend the next Christmas by turning to one of Santa’s helpers?

Organize Charity Meals for The Poor. A lot of nerds that constitute the Nerdify reviews team have discussed the way how not so rich people organize charity meals for the poor people in New York, California, and many other cities and villages nationwide. It does not take much to share your joy and participate in a great charity event with both small and old. It is also a great way to show the younger siblings and friends that kindness starts in the family and that anyone can make a difference. Unlike the gift that is often unwrapped and forgotten soon after, this kind of Christmas will be remembered for a lifetime.

Create a Handmade Gift. This is probably the best part of all because it inspires people for being creative and is a lot of fun during the holidays. Instead of trying to catch all the possible discounts at the local malls, creating something with your own hands will be much more precious to the person you give it for. Do you remember how we would paint a picture or write a little note in that awesome child’s writing just to see the happy tears in the eyes of parents or grandparents? Now it really shows that something is done from the heart, yet most importantly, it will be a truly unique present!

Volunteer for the Local Community. It was surprising even for us at the Nerdify reviews, yet there are many things a person can do as a volunteer for the local community. Christmas is a busy season, so everyone tries to take a break and have some rest. Still, there are many professionals that still work on a daily basis and do their best to keep the city and the people safe and well. Even if it is something very little that you can offer, do not hesitate to give your local community a call and ask if there is anything you can do as a volunteer!

Organize a Family Reunion. It is really bad that most of us meet only during the holidays. Our advice is to start early and organize a great family reunion with a lot of surprises, special games, and the stories that people of all ages can share. If you know that someone struggles financially, organize their transfer to the place of gathering, but do it in a very kind way without offending anyone. At the same time, focus on the people, not on the conditions because it is the happy faces of the family members that really matter.

Start Writing a Story or Paint a Picture. Another fun idea is to start writing a story where you try to finish at least one page a day. It can be a detective story, something for the children, a secret diary or even a new Star Trek episode. If you do not feel like writing, you can try to paint a picture or even decorate the house!

Start Learning About a New Culture. No Nerdify reviews post is considered complete if we do not offer at least one geeky suggestion. The best way to spend Christmas in an original way is to start learning a foreign language (even if it is only several phrases from the tourist book) or exploring a new culture. We often think that we know everything about the world, but try to read up about Japan or even Great Britain’s customs to discover much more than you can ever imagine!

No matter how you plan to spend the next Christmas, keep positive, have fun, and remember that it is about pure love that we share with each other!

Wishing you happy holidays,

Nerdify Reviews Team