The content on this page is adapted from the book, Keys to Academic Success: Strategies for unlocking your educational potential so you can spend less time studying and more time learning. To purchase a digital copy of the complete book, click here.
Note taking allows you to save a record of what you learn in class in order to review it when you are studying. But effective note taking is a skill that must be developed. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started learning how to take better notes.
Listen More than You Write
Don’t let your note taking prevent you from actually listening to what the instructor is teaching. The role of note taking is not to write down every single word that was spoken, but rather to jot down just enough information that you can recall what was discussed. Besides, if you write too much you will never have the time to read it all when it comes time to study.
Use Handouts
If your teachers or professors provide handouts for note taking, be sure to use them. The handouts will often capture the bulk of the material covered in outline form and allow you to make notes of the specifics that you consider to be important. They will also create a record of your classes and can be easily organized in file folders for review of entire classes when you are studying for comprehensive exams or licensure exams.
Take Notes by Hand
Although it seems to be becoming less and less popular all the time, there really is a benefit to taking notes by hand. Not only is it often far less distracting than taking notes on a computer, but the physical act of taking notes by hand can actually help you to better learn and retain the information. So give old-fashioned handwritten note taking a chance and see if it works for you!
References:
Take Notes by Hand for Better Long-Term Comprehension. (2014, April 24). Retrieved November 30, 2020, from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/take-notes-by-hand-for-better-long-term-comprehension.html.