Jenn Jacobs
READ SO YOU'RE READY TO WRITE
Take notes that will do the heavy lifting and make starting your essay easy.
If your essay notes read like a grocery list of things an author said and interesting quotes - you're setting yourself up to waste time sitting at a desk wondering, "What should I say?"
THIS ISN'T A WRITING PROBLEM - IT'S A READING ONE.
You can't write an essay using only an author's words - so if your notes are filled with what you read, you're setting yourself up for panic and last-minute writing.
In my undergrad, I was the student who read as many texts as possible before beginning an essay and who proudly carried around a binder stuffed with papers filled with quotes and smart-sounding things authors had said. I (naively) referred to these as "research notes." Sound familiar?
Essays took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write. I was over-reading and under-writing. Stuck in the trap of believing the next book or the next article would magically spark all the ideas and a well-crafted essay would pour out of me onto the paper.
It's not about reading MORE texts...
It's about reading with an intention and using an author's words to shape and advance your own ideas - so that you make the most of your time, energy and focus.
Let's face it. Deadlines and due dates don't wait for inspo to strike and they certainly have no respect for exhaustion or perfect writing conditions.
Spending a little time now to learn how to set a reading intention and make a set of notes that you can copy / paste into your essay puts you in control - and could be the difference between a 'meh' result and an 'ah-meh-zing' one.
AND WHEN TIME IS TICKING, YOU'VE GOTTA OPTIMIZE HOW YOU SPEND IT.
WHILE EVERYONE ELSE IS STRESS-READING EVERY TEXT THEY COME ACROSS WITH NO IDEA IF IT WILL END UP ON THEIR WORKS CITED PAGE, YOU'LL BE RELAXED AND ON TRACK TO WRITE (AND EDIT!) YOUR ESSAY DAYS BEFORE THE DUE DATE ROLLS AROUND
PART
01
[ 14 mins.]
Think Like A Critic
If you're going to take time-saving notes, you've got to read like a critic. I'll walk you through a combination of visual and textual examples and teach you what critical thinking looks like and sounds like so your notes highlight your thinking and unique ways of seeing.
02
PART
[ 22 mins.]
Know Thy Purpose or Lose Thy Way
This section alone is worth your time and money - it's where I break down the exact 5 step plan I used in grad school (and now teach students in my private coaching lessons) to craft a laser-focused research question and keep you from wandering into research rabbit holes. The section wraps up with a deep-dive into how to write questions that will fast-track your reading and streamline your thinking.
03
PART
[ 17 mins.]
Cardio Reading
If you're reading passively, you're not doing yourself - or your grades - any favours. Done correctly, reading is a mentally-exhausting activity. Think of this section like an intense 20-minute workout where I teach you my top three active reading strategies, guaranteed to ramp up your critical thinking and stir your curiosity as you read. That's right - no more waiting for ideas to magically appear.
PART
04
[ 10 mins.]
Lit Notes Look Like This
Class comes to an end with a recap of what good research notes - notes that save you time and stress - do and don't include.
Your inner critic's working. You've pinned down what you actually want to talk about. You have practical strategies to dig into an author's words and extract little fragments of insights to explore in your essay. All that's left to do is to make sure your hard work ends up in your notes ready-to-use when you sit down to write your first draft.
Let me give you a little bit of context before you click play. This clip is taken from the beginning of Section 2, Know Thy Purpose or Lose Thy Way, where I explain the defining characteristics of a good research question before I walk you through a couple of examples and teach you how to write your own time-saving research question.
A few questions you probably want answered
Do I have to complete the class in one sitting?
After purchase, you have unlimited access to class. So, you can work through it at your own pace.
Nope.
I have an essay due tomorrow. Will this help me?
This class will make you a more efficient reader and writer, but it won't give you hacks to write a last-minute essay.
Nope.
Is this class good for students in all disciplines?
This class covers fundamental critical thinking and research skills that are necessary in all disciplines.
Definitely.
What do I need to access the class?
To access class, you just need access to the Internet.
Just the Internet.