The Best Way to Take Notes
We’ve all been there. Come exam time, we can never find our notes, only to find out that we either never took any or thaat the ones we took are absolutely useless. Cue phone call to best friend to borrow or photo copy her notes.
Not to become a teacher on you, but here goes.
Keep them in the same place
My problem was perpetually forgetting to bring a notebook or writing my notes on any page that I opened it to or simply not writing at all. The best way to understand what is going on in your notebook 5 months from now is to have a system. Keep subjects together if that works for you and keep them in their specified sections or notebooks.
Try to use nice handwriting
I know, it feels like you don’t have to make an effort because you’re essentially the only one reading them but future you still won’t be able to understand what’s written on that page.
Don’t get stuck on the flourishes
Some people barely take any notes and others overdo it. If you’re writing three levels of headings in three different colours then perhaps you’re overdoing it. Stick to the important stuff. Add the colours if you like them but don’t make them the central focus of your notes.
Keep them simple
Remember that the notes you’re taking need to be read by you. Don’t get caught up in the fancy language of your professor or your textbook. Write in language that you understand.
But not too simple
Keep it simple but make sure you get all the points that were discussed. You might have a great memory and think you’ll remember what is being said but you never know.
Highlighters and sticky notes are your friends
Annotations and additional notes help you stay focused on relevant content. Mark things that look and seem important but remember not to go overboard. If you mark everything as important then nothing is.