Taking notes is an
essential part of the study process. Check out Studydrive's tips for mastering
the art of note-taking.
Being a student is a whole new
adventure, but hey, it’s a great one! If you just want to upgrade your
note-taking skills or if you’re realizing you’ve never properly learned how to
take notes - Your small guide to taking amazing, effective notes is finally
here. You can now look back at what you scribbled down in class and wave
goodbye.
And what if you’re already a
master note-taker and your study notes are top-notch? Then become a course
expert at Studydrive now and earn up to £500 by sharing your materials!
1. Take notes with a pen - even on an
electronic device
A paperless world? We live in
times where tablets, smartphones and screen pencils are not science-fiction
anymore. So why not mix the best of both worlds and write down your longhand
notes digitally, saving a lot of time and paper mess. Tablets are not only
great for note-taking, they're also really useful for reading. So all your
textbooks are on it too - wherever you go. By the way... Students, scientists,
teachers and even moms have been wondering and debating if using a laptop is
better than taking notes the traditional way. The long answer is: quite
complicated. The short answer is: according to studies from 2010 and 2014,
students who take notes on a laptop are more likely to simply copy what their
teacher says during class. Since your brain is kind of just dumping the words
onto the keyboard, information is processed much slower, therefore blocking
your learning. Students who took notes longhand performed much better on
conceptual tests compared to the laptop dumpers.
2. Grid paper is your biggest friend
Grid paper is fantastic when
it comes to making your notes look neat and organised. It also helps to save
spacing between the lines which is useful for those of you with small
handwriting.
3. Use erasable pens
When it comes to stationery,
it’s suggested to use erasable pens. This way you don’t have to cross over any
mistakes, and you can change your notes and wordings as often as you like. Bye,
bye scrabble papers!
4. Use symbols, headlines and icons
Visually appealing notes save
time as you don’t have to try to figure out what you’ve been writing. Always
start on a fresh page when a new class or topic begins. Line each page with a
pen and ruler, giving yourself a wide margin on the left-hand-side - nobody
likes cramped notes. Symbols like arrows, dots and boxes are often a fantastic
way to associate and remember key concepts - especially for visual
learners.
5. Focus on the essentials
The very best tip to take your
note-taking skills to the next level is to focus only on important keywords and
the main concepts. First, identify relevant information: Write down words or
key phrases that you believe are extremely relevant to the topic and eliminate
all the filler words. Then think about what you want to retain from this class,
course or book.
Never forget that you are
taking notes in order to learn something from them. And finally, prioritise any
new things you hear and focus on writing down all of what you've never learned
before. Don't waste time writing down information that you already know. Only
the new information is of value.
6. Use the "question, answer,
evidence" method
This
technique of paraphrasing information helps you to engage with the study topic
while writing and allows you to describe the subject in your own words. Instead
of copying down line after line, listen carefully to what the lecturer says.
Then formulate your notes as a series of questions raised by the material and
fill in your answers with your own words.
7. Add a splash of colour to your notes
Colour
stimulates the creative side of our brains - the right hemisphere - making
notes much more appealing and easier to commit to memory. Colour-coding helps
you to link a colour with a memory and stimulates your brain in different ways.
Green helps with concentration. Orange is great for motivation. Red helps with
creativity and memory. And the colour blue pushes also creativity but
especially productivity.
8. Write a short summary
Writing
a brief summary at the bottom of the page where you focus on the main ideas and
the ones you have found to be the most difficult ones. This helps for your own
understanding and for remembering quicker when learning with your notes later.
9. Review your notes later in the day
Just
spend 10 to 15 minutes going over your notes to fill in any blanks or add some
additional information. This will help you memorise the new information better
and longterm. It also saves time as it makes you rewrite some unclear ideas
directly instead of sometime later when you would need to find the correct
resources again. We hope these tips help you to improve your note-taking
process. Never forget that everyone’s brain works a little differently - which
means what might work for your friend won’t necessarily work for you. Start new
ways of note-taking, experiment with techniques and find out what works best
for you. You’ve got this!
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