You’re going to be hit with a lot of information this semester, in the form of readings, references, and talks in class. I have two tips to help you absorb it: be thorough and be efficient.
Be thorough
Whatever we’re reading or talking about – understand it well.
If you aren’t totally clear on something, ask me to clarify. If you think you can get it by taking a minute to concentrate, make that time. If you don’t understand how a site pulls off a CSS technique, view source.
If you don’t understand a word, look it up. If it’s not in the dictionary, try Wikipedia (always helps me with web technology abbreviations).
Be efficient
Information overload is the enemy; low meat to fluff ratio is the other enemy. We’re not going to waste energy on verbose streams of consciousness.
Only the finest available resources are worth our time. Your job is to digest and/or personally index everything that comes along.
How to digest?
Be thorough. Sometimes that means quiet time for reading. Sometimes it means trying examples out for yourself. Sometimes it means taking a break and trying again later, which brings us to….
How to index?
Bookmark and take notes. These actions help you organize your thoughts, so you can look things up later and remember what you had been thinking.
While web surfing and experimenting with markup/CSS, you’ll often need to save your place. You could use your browser’s “add bookmark” (or “add favorite”) feature, but online services afford you access from any computer with an internet connection. Bookmark in class, reference at home.
Popular bookmarking services include Delicious and Magnolia.
I use and recommend Magnolia for its group, discussion, roots, and thanks features, and because I trust the forward-thinking individuals who manage the service.
For note taking, pen and paper will do. For a web-based alternative, try 37signals’ Backpack – I’ve used it for a couple of years. It’s where I keep to-do lists and notes organized by topic.