I DON̢۪T USUALLY READ the required text. Paying attention to the lecture usually does it for me, assuming the professor isn̢۪t a moron.
As a plurality of my professors are by far not morons, it̢۪s been years since I̢۪ve even opened up the syllabus-mandated, officially approved, isn̢۪t-it-interesting-that-my-professor-published-something book for a class.
Now I have, and so I̢۪ve decided that I probably hate you. Yes, you.
This week, for the first time since I was a math major, I used my book between classes.
Unfortunately, my copy of “Critical Social Issues in American Educationâ€Â — jaw-dropping in such a way that I yawn — is filled with the previous owner’s writing.
This sucks.
I wasn̢۪t really all that surprised that the black and white was spotted with color throughout the book. I flipped through the copy before I bought it, and it sure seemed better than all the rest of the used books on the shelf.
It̢۪s a bad sign when the least-ruined book is almost still dripping from Sharpie and highlighter. A 5-year-old child did not co-author my textbook, but it looks like one certainly had something to say.
What kind of person tortures their books like this, anyway?
All my life, I̢۪ve been taught about the sanctity of the binding, publication and original pages.
Editors smarter than us are paid to edit and lay out the content of a book. We aren̢۪t qualified, much less privileged to change it, alter it or jack it up at all.
There̢۪s an easy way to avoid this whole charade, but buying all new books is out of the question.
I̢۪d rather spend my money on food, drink and consumer-grade electronics than on the $20 worth of security you get with a cellophane-wrapped version. Who knows how much you̢۪ll even use it?
If you write in your books, please stop. Stupidity marks are distracting to your book̢۪s future reader. It̢۪s hard for us to concentrate on ancillary information when every paragraph has a fluorescent first sentence.
However well they may work well for you, they won̢۪t work for the rest of us if we ever feel studious.
Ironically, careful reflection shows that it certainly doesn’t look like stupidity marks did much for “Critical Social’sâ€Â previous owner, either. In all that paraphrasing, underlining and nigh-illegible scrawl, there’s not one single unique insight.
Sounds like some of my professors.
Whoever you are who attacks your books with pens, crayons or some combination of red, orange, yellow and green highlighters, please stop.
If you must take notes, and if you must sell back your book, use a Post-It. They double as bookmarks.
Better yet, it takes a real prodigy to deface a book with the things.
Is that really so hard?
To be courteous?
To think of someone other than yourself?
To be a decent human being for once in your measly, pathetic life?
I have half a mind to — I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. Really. Please stop crying, I’m not mad. Look at me. Please? Good, that’s better.
I don̢۪t really hate you. I think we could have some real progress. I̢۪ll even make the first move. Ahem.
Let us set aside our differences, and usher in a grand era or peace and prosperity. Before we get to that, though, let̢۪s set aside your scented markers.
Benjamin Baxter is a post-baccalaureate student working toward his high school credential in social science.
Raking the Leaves • Sep 29, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Things could get harder now, ty. I could be wrong, but perhaps faculty may hate to think they are giving it away. Responsibility and obligation can get heavy.
Great advice, now if we can all just escape the usual, neurological conditions of what it is to read activily – I believe we have all been taught the same way (mostly by moron professors).
Raking the Leaves • Sep 29, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Things could get harder now, ty. I could be wrong, but perhaps faculty may hate to think they are giving it away. Responsibility and obligation can get heavy.
Great advice, now if we can all just escape the usual, neurological conditions of what it is to read activily – I believe we have all been taught the same way (mostly by moron professors).
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 28, 2007 at 10:58 am
For this particular book, there were three or four to choose from, and the one I picked up was the best one.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 28, 2007 at 5:58 pm
For this particular book, there were three or four to choose from, and the one I picked up was the best one.
Heather Billings • Sep 27, 2007 at 9:08 pm
“It bytes?” That’s terrible.
May I suggest taking a moment to flip through a used book before you buy it? Much to the chagrin of the bookstore staff, I will happily tear apart stacks of used books to find one that some slacker didn’t even crack.
Perhaps if the bookstore offered a reasonable rate for buying back books in good condition and the current rate for defaced books, the problem would be lessened. If I’m only getting $2.50 back for that $95 Humanities book, I’m going to get my $92.50 out of it first.
Heather Billings • Sep 28, 2007 at 4:08 am
“It bytes?” That’s terrible.
May I suggest taking a moment to flip through a used book before you buy it? Much to the chagrin of the bookstore staff, I will happily tear apart stacks of used books to find one that some slacker didn’t even crack.
Perhaps if the bookstore offered a reasonable rate for buying back books in good condition and the current rate for defaced books, the problem would be lessened. If I’m only getting $2.50 back for that $95 Humanities book, I’m going to get my $92.50 out of it first.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Heh. If Linux were user-friendly, it would be practical. If Macs had third-party support, it’d be practical. If Windows were stable, it’d be practical.
It’s giant rock-paper-scissors, but it bytes. Heh.
My point is only that “yours” is fine as long as you don’t sell your book back. If you do, keep “yours” removable.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 28, 2007 at 3:43 am
Heh. If Linux were user-friendly, it would be practical. If Macs had third-party support, it’d be practical. If Windows were stable, it’d be practical.
It’s giant rock-paper-scissors, but it bytes. Heh.
My point is only that “yours” is fine as long as you don’t sell your book back. If you do, keep “yours” removable.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 4:44 pm
P.S.S. this is as bad as a Windows vs. Mac. vs. Linux arguement
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 11:44 pm
P.S.S. this is as bad as a Windows vs. Mac. vs. Linux arguement
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 4:43 pm
recognizing one learning style over the other is exactly the opposite of what that previously mentioned website was about right? And economically the better solution? one highlighter personally will last me the entire semester if not the next as well. post-its? maybe a book? and if we want to explore other “side-effects” of note-taking options, post-its consume paper. that adds to environmental issues. not to mention the glue that is stuck to that little piece of paper, compounded over millions if not billions of times in the production line. And yes, you could argue that highlighters may produce noxious chemicals from both the factory and the usage standpoint. I’m not trying to prove “mine” is better than “yours”, I’m trying to say that “mine” is not worse than “yours”.
p.s. i happen to use both!
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 11:43 pm
recognizing one learning style over the other is exactly the opposite of what that previously mentioned website was about right? And economically the better solution? one highlighter personally will last me the entire semester if not the next as well. post-its? maybe a book? and if we want to explore other “side-effects” of note-taking options, post-its consume paper. that adds to environmental issues. not to mention the glue that is stuck to that little piece of paper, compounded over millions if not billions of times in the production line. And yes, you could argue that highlighters may produce noxious chemicals from both the factory and the usage standpoint. I’m not trying to prove “mine” is better than “yours”, I’m trying to say that “mine” is not worse than “yours”.
p.s. i happen to use both!
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 3:34 pm
When the topic sentence is blindly highlighted, what could be gained? Also, why would you sell your book back when it’s defaced in such a way you gain from it?
In any case, memorization, especially rote memorization, has been discredited for some time as a largely ineffective way to learn information, and what’s retained is just as often incorrectly retained.
Post-it notes are much less permanent, and overall a more economical solution than highlighter. It forces students to paraphrase — the second step in Bloom’s taxonomy — and so is higher than simple knowledge on the cognitive ladder.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 10:34 pm
When the topic sentence is blindly highlighted, what could be gained? Also, why would you sell your book back when it’s defaced in such a way you gain from it?
In any case, memorization, especially rote memorization, has been discredited for some time as a largely ineffective way to learn information, and what’s retained is just as often incorrectly retained.
Post-it notes are much less permanent, and overall a more economical solution than highlighter. It forces students to paraphrase — the second step in Bloom’s taxonomy — and so is higher than simple knowledge on the cognitive ladder.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I truly understand the objective of that web-page, and it is very true that there are multiple learning methods available to students/teachers right now, and most likely even more that we can discover in the future. I also noticed the section in which the author states “You don’t have to teach or learn something in all eight ways”, However, when you realize that theory that the more ways you practice studying, the more likely it will stick. maybe listening to the professor and skimming the books will work for you, but for some, if not most people, multiple sources of learning and memorization will lead to a higher understanding of the subject at hand, given its underwater basket weaving or nuclear physics, it doesn’t matter. If you’re having a problem with highlighting, consider it signs of thorough learning, unless you have a problem with that too.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I truly understand the objective of that web-page, and it is very true that there are multiple learning methods available to students/teachers right now, and most likely even more that we can discover in the future. I also noticed the section in which the author states “You don’t have to teach or learn something in all eight ways”, However, when you realize that theory that the more ways you practice studying, the more likely it will stick. maybe listening to the professor and skimming the books will work for you, but for some, if not most people, multiple sources of learning and memorization will lead to a higher understanding of the subject at hand, given its underwater basket weaving or nuclear physics, it doesn’t matter. If you’re having a problem with highlighting, consider it signs of thorough learning, unless you have a problem with that too.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Ownership is through discussion.
There are also a number of educational theories on the matter of how one best learns, perhaps most popularly the “Multiple Intelligences.” Check it out.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Ownership is through discussion.
There are also a number of educational theories on the matter of how one best learns, perhaps most popularly the “Multiple Intelligences.” Check it out.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I take the university’s approach to the issue: learning is not achieved thoroughly enough through observation alone. leaning requires interaction as well. looking at the book is good. making the information in the book yours is better.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 9:24 pm
I take the university’s approach to the issue: learning is not achieved thoroughly enough through observation alone. leaning requires interaction as well. looking at the book is good. making the information in the book yours is better.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 10:36 am
Eh. I’m over it. Defacing books should be a capital crime.
Benjamin Baxter • Sep 27, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Eh. I’m over it. Defacing books should be a capital crime.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 9:08 am
Welcome to college my friend! Dont complain about something you buy when you have enough time to look through it yourself and realize what it is your buying exactly! Some people expect a certain guarantee when buying a used product, and that is good, especially for situations where the product cannot be examined before-hand. However, in this situation, you need to sleep in the bed that you prepared and realize that highlighting has been around for a very long time, and remains to be one of the best ways to take notes. To completely make clear what this rant and rave is about, it is not about highlighting in books, rather taking the responsibility to LOOK at a product before you buy it.
Scooty • Sep 27, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Welcome to college my friend! Dont complain about something you buy when you have enough time to look through it yourself and realize what it is your buying exactly! Some people expect a certain guarantee when buying a used product, and that is good, especially for situations where the product cannot be examined before-hand. However, in this situation, you need to sleep in the bed that you prepared and realize that highlighting has been around for a very long time, and remains to be one of the best ways to take notes. To completely make clear what this rant and rave is about, it is not about highlighting in books, rather taking the responsibility to LOOK at a product before you buy it.