On our various social media accounts, we have discussed the importance of note taking to remain engaged during class. Note taking has a multitude of other benefits, and probably the biggest one is that it increases retention. That significance of greater retention cannot be understated, and in this blog we will outline some effective strategies for taking notes!
1. First, it is important not to write down the entire lesson. Attempting to jot down every piece of information would be extremely difficult and overwhelming. Write down the important information discussed in class. Usually the professor will preface important content with statements such as “The main idea is…” or "In summary......" Many professors provide a lot of background information that leads up to the main point, and, while listening throughout the entire lecture is necessary, jotting down the main points will lead to greater clarity and organization.
2. If possible, write your notes rather than typing them. This tip does have exceptions, for example if you write extremely slow or have very messy handwriting. However, it is scientifically proven that writing notes on paper increases retention more than typing them does. Even though typing can be faster, writing your notes by hand will help you recall important information. It's science.
3. ORGANIZATION. It is very easy to become extremely unorganized while trying to write down all of the important information during class. However, adequate organization is equally as important as the quality of notes that you take. Now, we are not saying that everyone has to have the most beautiful, color coded, and neat set of notes. However, some sort of organizational system is critical to ensure that, when you go back to study your notes, you have no difficulty sorting through the content and finding the information that you want. The very first thing that you should do is title the lesson and note the date at the top of the page. Beyond that, finding the best organizational system that works for you takes time, and the only way to determine what that is by taking notes!
4. Find Shortcuts. You will put yourself in a better position if you are able to find shortcuts that work for you. Examples of shortcuts are abbreviations, for example using “w/o” for without or “e.g.” for examples. Additionally, symbols can be very useful, for example arrows, stars to indicate important content, etc. The benefit of shortcuts is purely related to speed. It will allow you to make more notes in a shorter period of time, which may prove useful during certain classes.
Hope you find these tips useful, and always remember to #CUSEyourbrain!
Go Orange!
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