How To Take Your Class Notes Like An A+ Student
Why are effective note taking skills important?
How you take notes matters! It will directly impact your retention and comprehension of material. Not to mention:
Effective note-taking is a learning strategy that helps students become better, more independent learners.
Effective note-taking makes for successful transitions from school to work, training, and/or postsecondary education.
So, let’s master note-taking!
Is it better to type or write your notes?
The first decision to make when deciding how you are going to take your notes is to choose your medium. Is it paper, like a notebook? Or is it going to be digital, like a word document?
Before you decide, I want you to keep in mind that students who write by hand remember more and have a deeper understanding of the material. But why?
Well, studies have found that people who are handwriting notes (a.k.a. longhand notes):
Take fewer notes
Summarize the information (creating more concise notes)
And that they have to process the information and understand it in order to take handwritten notes
Meanwhile, people who take digital notes:
Take more notes
Take faster notes
But they tend to take verbatim notes (word-for-word)
Taking notes verbatim means you can easily go on autopilot, and you don’t need to actually understand the information in order to type it up.
In the studies that have been done, they have found that among the people taking handwritten notes there is a greater retention and understanding of the material. So, that's what I recommend.
BUT... if you still want to take digital notes, that's OK. I'm not saying we need to abandon laptops! They're incredible tools.
Sometimes it can be helpful to type notes! In fact, some people with ADHD and learning disabilities benefit from it.
If you prefer to take digital notes, that's cool. I'll teach you ways to take them more effectively and I won't let you fall into the verbatim trap. I promise!
What are popular methods of note taking?
The Cornell Method
All right, it’s time to talk about different methods, and we're going to start with one of the most popular forms of note-taking. It's recognized as being highly effective. It’s basically the gold standard.
The Cornell Method was, as the name suggests, developed at Cornell University. And the most important part about this method, is that it divides the page into three or four sections. Now those sections are:
Right Column: Lecture or text notes
Record your main notes and key thoughts during lectures as you normally would, and review them after class to add any missed information.
Left Column: “Cues”
Record questions, keywords, and page numbers from source material based on the main notes.
Bottom Row: A brief summary of the page
Top Row: (Optional) Title
Indicate the title, chapter, or other identifier.
This is also a great place to add a date! Always adding dates to your notes is a fantastic habit.
The Outlining Method
It's time for the Outline method! I like to call it: The Bullet Point Method.
Outline Notes are a very common note-taking method. You're probably doing it without even realizing.
In this format, you create lists where each supporting fact or note is placed below the subtopic. So, you can clearly see the relationships between topics and subtopics.
You can also use arrows to draw connections between topics or major ideas.
The Mapping Method
The Mind Map technique is…
One page
Used mainly as a review or summary
Helps you organize your thoughts
Shows you the relative importance of each item and how they relate to each other
Use single words and simple phrases
This method is great for brainstorming and creative problem solving! It helps you visualize the information which is effective for retaining, summarizing, and consolidating information. Cool, right?
That said, it's not an effective tool for lecture notes.
How can I improve my note taking skills?
How To Take Faster Notes So You Don't Fall Behind In Lectures
When you take notes in class, do you feel like you miss too much of what's being said? Are you struggling to keep up? You need a shorthand!
A shorthand is a way of writing quickly using abbreviations and symbols.
With a shorthand:
You’ll write faster
You’ll be able to keep up with your teacher
You’ll have more time and energy to listen
You’re less likely to miss important information
A great shorthand:
Uses both abbreviations and symbols
Abbreviates names
Abbreviates source materials
Avoids shortening words by eliminating a few letters
Replaces whole words with symbols
Need some help getting started? I have the solution!
The Shorthand Legend Template is is an awesome resource that will help you develop your own personalized shorthand.
Use this template over and over again for all your classes. It's a renewable resource!
Remember The Three Cs!
The three Cs are the key to taking effective notes. Remember, your notes should be Clear, Concise, and Consistent.
Be clear.
So, if you're using a shorthand, there is a legend to decode it.
Be concise.
You're not writing verbatim. (You’re don’t even have to write in full sentences!)
Your notes are succinct.
Be consistent.
You're using the same shorthand, same symbols, and similar methods across all of your notes. Soon, it’ll become a habit and you’ll to start taking your notes super quickly and effectively.
How To Identify Key Ideas, Concepts, and Passages
It's important to listen and look out for clues from your lecturer while taking notes during class!
Here are some tips and tricks to help you pick out important information:
If information is repeated, highlight it!
It's so important, they said it twice!
If you notice your teacher is repeating information you've already taken note of, go back and highlight, underline, or mark it in some way.
If your teacher/instructor/professor writes it down, you write it down!
If they take the time to write something down, you should too! They are singling out the information as being important.
Keep track of any passages your teacher/instructor/professor uses in examples!
If they are using a passage as an example it means one of two things:
they feel the passage is important (and they're the experts!)
or, it's one of their favourites
Either way, it's likely to be one of their choices for tests or exams!
Don't forget to write down any insights they give! Those details will be super valuable come exam time!
What is the best note taking method?
Your note-taking should be as personalized as your Starbucks order.
Because you don't want a latte. You want a Grande Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte with Soy Milk! It just hits different.
So... there isn’t a “best” method!
Try them all
Find what works for YOU
Pick methods that best fit the topics, subjects, or class material
Combine methods to maximize efficiency
Get inspired and create your own style!
Still have unanswered questions?
Reach out on Instagram! I'd love to hear from you!
