So often note taking by students involves highlighting or underlining huge
chunks of their text, or transcribing definitions, text and diagrams to
such an extent that they practically rewrite the book they are studying!
Are you guilty of this? Don’t worry, you are not alone, especially if no
one has ever showed you a better way.
This common, but mistaken way of
taking notes, usually stems from an anxiety about leaving something out,
or a need to be writing to feel like you are working and learning.
Unfortunately, this is not the way to learn, and can even be a subtle form
of procrastination.
If you haven’t already then, try this simple method for note taking
from a text book
- Draw a wide margin down the side of your page
- Read your chosen amount of material (see below for more on effective
reading)
- Brainstorm to try and recall the main points from what you have
read. Write keywords and phrases on the right hand side of the page. No
sentences or diagrams. Leave plenty of space between each line.
- You will be aware of sections you can’t remember at all. Don’t
worry, this will make you more receptive to absorb this information when
you reread.
- Check through the text again, noting points you missed.
- Brainstorm again. See if you can fill in the gaps.
- Tidy up the notes then. Number the main points – it’s easier to
remember numbered lists. Add in any points that are still absent. Don’t
get carried away with polishing up your notes though – beware of
procrastination. You need to learn fast and move on to the next task.
- Write any page references for definitions or diagrams alongside the
keywords in the margin. Don’t copy diagrams for example – you can
practice them later and refer to them using the page reference any time
you need to.
- Quickly review your keywords, and see if each one sparks off the
points you wanted to remember. If it doesn’t, maybe add another keyword
for clarification.
Now you have a page of good notes to work from. Test yourself to see
how many keywords you can remember on a separate page and circle any you
couldn’t recall so that you will pay more attention to them during future
revision sessions. You will need to revise these within a day, or you will
forget what you learned, and then again within a week, a fortnight, and
then a month. But when you revise, it should only take five minutes, so it
should be easy to incorporate this revision into your study sessions.
There are of course, different ways of approaching note making, and
there is more to be said about the above steps once you get to grips with
the basics. But start there if you have never tried consciously to develop
your note making skills. Do it now, tonight. Whatever work you have to
cover today, try it this way. Try it until your next test, and see the
difference it makes.
