I’m sure that you, as a student have been told, probably since elementary school, that you should take notes. “Take notes,” your teacher would have admonished the class, “It will help you later in classes (or tests, or life, depending on your age).” But why? Why is it so important to take notes? And if it is important, how can a person take good notes?
Actually, taking notes is important for several reasons.
And as much as the writer in my head may disagree, notes are just that – notes. They are short snippets of information, ideas, theories, or drawings that allows you to embed information in your head for later retrieval when you have time for thought and consideration about the topic. But now we are back to the next question about notes: how can a person take good notes?
When in class, taking notes is the one time you do not want to write in complete sentences. It is up to you to consider what is being said and whether that is important enough for you to remember later. I can remember one professor I had who often gave us small pieces of information interspersed in between long and sometimes exciting stories. During the time he was talking about his trip to Iceland and the best restaurants he ate at, I felt free to enjoy listening to the story. When, however, during that story, he dropped a piece of information on the flora or fauna in the scenery, I made sure to write it down. So my notes might be a list of the plants he saw in Iceland, and nothing else. Or, perhaps I would add a word or two about the story to remind me about the theme of his talk. Either way, when it came time to review my notes, I had the pieces of what I was studying without the “fluff” that sometimes filters in from a professor.
When writing notes in the classroom try working at it from the angle of the reading for the week, or even the overall theme of the class. It helps to narrow your focus and allows you to concentrate on the important items. But what happens after you leave the class? Rewrite the notes and add in other tidbits you remember from class. Then what?
Store those notes. Some students prefer to put them behind a tab in their class notebook for reference later. Others use apps such as Evernote, DevonThink, or Tinderbox to store retrieve and digitalize their notes. Find what works for you and use it – consistently. Looking for a way to store all the research you’ve done and now want to store those articles and notes, as well?
Look into other apps available for that. One that I use regularly for offline viewing after the research is done is Instapaper but there are others, such as Pocket. Take a look, play with one or two and decide which you like best.
What can you do with all the notes, articles and information you’ve gathered? Now is the time to synthesize them. Some people like to use a mind mapping tool (InspirationPro is a favorite of mine) and there are several free ones online you can look into. Pulling all the information into one spot, drawing lines that link ideas and thoughts together and putting the finished product into a picture or an outline sets you up for that test, midterm exam or essay you have to deal with next. As you practice, you’ll find that it takes less time to do this than searching your handwritten notes, finding the perfect articles and trying to put it all together without the apps. Try some of the suggestions. They may work for you.
Actually, taking notes is important for several reasons.
- First of all, when you take notes, you have a piece of paper (or, if you are a digital person, a notation on an app) that records what you were thinking when you wrote it down. Or what you observed when you wrote something down that will help you recall a conversation, an event, or even what you were reading at the time that seemed important to you.
- Secondly, and especially if you take good notes, those bits of information or data can be later grouped into sets of information that you can use for an essay, or a program, or a test (or even a written piece of music or prose) and the notes will help you to expand on your theme or topic.
- Lastly, notes are also something that can be shared with others, including others in your class or people at work. Often those notes can stand as a reminder of a conversation, a physical proof of your thoughts and ideas at the time you wrote them down.
And as much as the writer in my head may disagree, notes are just that – notes. They are short snippets of information, ideas, theories, or drawings that allows you to embed information in your head for later retrieval when you have time for thought and consideration about the topic. But now we are back to the next question about notes: how can a person take good notes?
When in class, taking notes is the one time you do not want to write in complete sentences. It is up to you to consider what is being said and whether that is important enough for you to remember later. I can remember one professor I had who often gave us small pieces of information interspersed in between long and sometimes exciting stories. During the time he was talking about his trip to Iceland and the best restaurants he ate at, I felt free to enjoy listening to the story. When, however, during that story, he dropped a piece of information on the flora or fauna in the scenery, I made sure to write it down. So my notes might be a list of the plants he saw in Iceland, and nothing else. Or, perhaps I would add a word or two about the story to remind me about the theme of his talk. Either way, when it came time to review my notes, I had the pieces of what I was studying without the “fluff” that sometimes filters in from a professor.
When writing notes in the classroom try working at it from the angle of the reading for the week, or even the overall theme of the class. It helps to narrow your focus and allows you to concentrate on the important items. But what happens after you leave the class? Rewrite the notes and add in other tidbits you remember from class. Then what?
Store those notes. Some students prefer to put them behind a tab in their class notebook for reference later. Others use apps such as Evernote, DevonThink, or Tinderbox to store retrieve and digitalize their notes. Find what works for you and use it – consistently. Looking for a way to store all the research you’ve done and now want to store those articles and notes, as well?
Look into other apps available for that. One that I use regularly for offline viewing after the research is done is Instapaper but there are others, such as Pocket. Take a look, play with one or two and decide which you like best.
What can you do with all the notes, articles and information you’ve gathered? Now is the time to synthesize them. Some people like to use a mind mapping tool (InspirationPro is a favorite of mine) and there are several free ones online you can look into. Pulling all the information into one spot, drawing lines that link ideas and thoughts together and putting the finished product into a picture or an outline sets you up for that test, midterm exam or essay you have to deal with next. As you practice, you’ll find that it takes less time to do this than searching your handwritten notes, finding the perfect articles and trying to put it all together without the apps. Try some of the suggestions. They may work for you.