Top 5 Ways to Effective Note-Taking
That elusive A might just very well be at your fingertips. Taking down notes during lectures is one of the best ways to maintain your focus in class and ultimately learn. Besides, you need to learn how to take better notes if you’re to multi-task during class. I know I’ve been guilty of taking notes and writing articles or marketing ideas at the same time. Here are the top five ways to make taking down notes easier, efficient and, somehow, enjoyable:
Number 5:
Only put in paper what needs to be put in paper. Distinguish important points from unnecessary information. Transcribing the whole lecture would be more daunting than useful, especially when the time comes for reviews.
Number 4:
Don’t sweat the small stuff. If your professor is just reading right off your reference literature, a highlight marker would save you all the trouble of rewriting the whole chapter.
Number 3:
Some professors may put more emphasis on what they say and less on what they show you on the overhead, so it’s also very important to take down notes of those things. They might just come up on your exam.
Number 2:
Be systematic in taking down notes. Make sure to keep your notes well organized in a single notebook for each subject, if possible. Write the date on the header for each lesson to make it more convenient. Write in bullet points, when applicable.
Number 1:
And most importantly – always write legibly. All the notes in the world would be worth nil if they are all in some kind of ancient hieroglyphics. That is, unless you’re learning Egyptian or Medicine.
For more detailed instructions on note-taking, here are some excellent articles:
WikiHow’s How to Take Perfect Lecture Notes
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