From One Student to Another: How to Take Efficient Notes
Let’s be realistic. College students are, for the most part, lazy. We don’t want to wake up at 8 a.m. to attend a lecture — even if it is the most exciting subject in the world — because we are too sleep-deprived to function as anything more than zombies.
So, when considering the thought of studying for a quiz, or God forbid a final exam, we go into panic mode. Why? Because we are so lazy that at some point we decided there was no need to take notes. We are young; our minds are still fresh! Why would we need to take notes? Well, for one, I am 22 years old, and I cannot for the life of me remember the simplest things. So how in the world can I expect myself to remember a whole class lecture of information? I can’t. Instead, I have created a few note-taking tips and tricks — things I can do that are efficient, make sense, are incredibly simple and, dare I say, fun to prepare when my mind is in chaos.
Disclaimer: I am not a note-taking specialist. These are just a few tips and tricks that have helped me. Therefore, I am not saying that in doing these things, you will automatically gain an immense amount of knowledge and pass every test you take. No, I am merely sharing with you some of the hacks I have learned throughout my educational journey. With that, I introduce to you the first tip.
Tip #1:
Keep your notes in one place. I cannot tell you how many times that at the end of the semester I’ve needed to find my chapter 12.5 notes for English. Yet, I couldn’t find them because I had seven different notebooks filled with unlabeled scribbles. For whatever class you are in, keep your notes in one spot. You want to type? Type. Do you want to write? Write in a five-subject notebook. Whatever works best for you, great, but do it. Do not go back and forth between paper and digital note-taking. Choose what is best for you and stick with it.
Tip #2:
Ask your professor about PowerPoints. It is as simple as that. If your professor is more structural, it is likely they will have pre-prepared PowerPoint presentations that you can easily download and print out before class. Through doing so, you would be cutting out more than half of the time spent hastily writing down every word the professor utters. Instead, you can simply write or highlight key terms and concepts on the printed slides. Work smarter, not harder, people.
Tip #3:
This is where I may lose a few of you…but push down that lazy monster. Just a few more tips, and you are free to let your lazy flag fly. Tip #3 is read your book. Wow! Yeah, I just said that. I know some of you are probably flabbergasted by the idea of reading your book, but you don’t have to read it word-for-word. In fact, grab your favorite colored marker and flip through your book, highlighting all of the bold titles above each subsection. Next, I challenge you to skim a few paragraphs at a time. If you see something that is identifiably related to the section title, highlight it. However, there is such a thing as going highlight crazy. So, it is important to limit your highlighting to titles, bold or italicized terms and phrases, and any key concepts related to the topic. This will familiarize your mind with what is important to remember. The information will also be easier to remember, because you will have highlighted your text with a color specifically designated to whatever the subject may be. Separating which colored highlighter goes with which subject is a bonus tip to keep in mind.
Tip #4:
Choose the method of note-taking that works best for you: Outline, Cornell, Boxing, or Mind-Mapping. Don’t be afraid to create a combination of methods to suit your individual style. Once you’ve chosen a method, or have created your own, prepare to take a majority of your notes in that format. Doing this may assist in the maintenance of a routine – providing a sense of comfort and confidence on where to begin when taking notes. Below are illustrations for each note-taking method.
Tip # 5:
Finally, the last stem is to review your notes – this is the refreshing part. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your notes. As you go back through your notes, add any extra examples or details you may have forgotten. Highlight your notes with a color system. For example, red indicates you don’t understand, green normally correlates positivity (you know the material and it is important), and yellow raises caution or awareness of information that you sort of understand, but have questions about. These colors can be interchanged with other colors, but it is important to give each color a purpose. Now that your notes are complete, whether you’ve written them in a five-subject notebook, typed them out on a computer or used an iPad, make sure to print them out and place them all in the same place (i.e. an organized binder, five-subject notebook, specific files, etc.).