The College Note-Taking Blueprint

Jennifer Mays is a learning strategist and educator with over fifteen years of experience helping college students develop effective study habits. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where her research focused on the cognitive processes underlying note-taking and long-term retention. After teaching undergraduate study skills courses for a decade, she founded *Blueprint Learning*, an online platform that provides workshops, templates, and one-on-one coaching for students navigating the transition to college-level academics.

Jennifer’s work has been featured in *The Chronicle of Higher Education*, *Inside Higher Ed*, and multiple academic journals on learning sciences. She has delivered keynote talks at the National Association of Academic Advisors and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. Her first book, *The College Note-Taking Blueprint*, grew directly out of her frustration with conventional study guides that offer vague advice like “take better notes” without explaining the *how*. She believes that every student, regardless of background or major, can dramatically improve their academic performance by learning three core skills: active listening, selective capture, and strategic review.

When she is not writing or coaching, Jennifer runs a small online community called *Note-Taking Lab*, where students share their notebooks, exchange tips, and hold each other accountable for building consistent habits. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children, and she still takes handwritten notes during her weekly book club meetings—just to keep her skills sharp.