How to Take Better Notes
Gather your note-taking materials., Come prepared., Be an active listener., Take notes by hand., Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your note-taking materials.
It may sound pretty basic, but it's important to have all of your note-taking materials organized and ready to go before the start of any class, meeting or lecture.
If you're writing with paper and pens, make sure you have an A4 sized notebook with plenty of blank pages and two of each color pen.
If you're using a laptop, make sure it's fully charged or that you can sit near a power outlet.
If you wear glasses, make sure you have them with you in case the teacher/lecturer writes down any important information on a black or whiteboard.
If you bring your glasses, make sure to bring a small microfiber cloth so that you are able to clean them should the need arise.
Also, remember to position yourself in an area of the room where you can effectively see and hear the speaker. -
Step 2: Come prepared.
Before you come to a class, lecture, or meeting, make sure to review your notes from the last time round.
This will bring you fully up to speed and ready to pick up where you left off.
If you were advised to do any background reading to prepare for the class, make sure that you get it done.
This will help you to understand any themes, concepts or ideas that the teacher/lecturer is likely to present in class.
A good idea would be to outline the section, article, or chapter before hand.
Write your outline on one side of the paper so that you can add your class notes to the other side.Remember the old adage "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". , When note-taking, many people make the mistake of mindlessly taking down every word, without really comprehending what is being said.
This is a mistake.
If you don't make an effort to understand the topic while you're in class, you miss out on a valuable learning opportunity.
Therefore, you should try to absorb the information you're hearing the first time around, as you won't have as much work to do or risk feeling confused during review time. , Although taking notes on your laptop is convenient, a study conducted at Princeton University has shown that note takers actually retain information better when they take notes by hand.
It's suspected that this is due to the fact that laptop users tend to transcribe what they hear word-for-word, without really processing what's being said.
Longhand note-takers, on the other hand, can't write fast enough to copy each word verbatim, so they are forced to engage with the material a little more in order to pick out the most important and relevant information.As a result, you should try to take notes by hand whenever possible. , When you come across something you don't understand, don't just jot it down and tell yourself that you'll worry about it later
-- ask the teacher/lecturer for clarification.
Think about it
-- if you find something confusing now, you'll find it twice as confusing during your note-review later.
Don't be afraid to ask the teacher/lecturer to repeat themselves either
-- particularly if you feel that they've said something important. -
Step 3: Be an active listener.
-
Step 4: Take notes by hand.
-
Step 5: Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Detailed Guide
It may sound pretty basic, but it's important to have all of your note-taking materials organized and ready to go before the start of any class, meeting or lecture.
If you're writing with paper and pens, make sure you have an A4 sized notebook with plenty of blank pages and two of each color pen.
If you're using a laptop, make sure it's fully charged or that you can sit near a power outlet.
If you wear glasses, make sure you have them with you in case the teacher/lecturer writes down any important information on a black or whiteboard.
If you bring your glasses, make sure to bring a small microfiber cloth so that you are able to clean them should the need arise.
Also, remember to position yourself in an area of the room where you can effectively see and hear the speaker.
Before you come to a class, lecture, or meeting, make sure to review your notes from the last time round.
This will bring you fully up to speed and ready to pick up where you left off.
If you were advised to do any background reading to prepare for the class, make sure that you get it done.
This will help you to understand any themes, concepts or ideas that the teacher/lecturer is likely to present in class.
A good idea would be to outline the section, article, or chapter before hand.
Write your outline on one side of the paper so that you can add your class notes to the other side.Remember the old adage "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". , When note-taking, many people make the mistake of mindlessly taking down every word, without really comprehending what is being said.
This is a mistake.
If you don't make an effort to understand the topic while you're in class, you miss out on a valuable learning opportunity.
Therefore, you should try to absorb the information you're hearing the first time around, as you won't have as much work to do or risk feeling confused during review time. , Although taking notes on your laptop is convenient, a study conducted at Princeton University has shown that note takers actually retain information better when they take notes by hand.
It's suspected that this is due to the fact that laptop users tend to transcribe what they hear word-for-word, without really processing what's being said.
Longhand note-takers, on the other hand, can't write fast enough to copy each word verbatim, so they are forced to engage with the material a little more in order to pick out the most important and relevant information.As a result, you should try to take notes by hand whenever possible. , When you come across something you don't understand, don't just jot it down and tell yourself that you'll worry about it later
-- ask the teacher/lecturer for clarification.
Think about it
-- if you find something confusing now, you'll find it twice as confusing during your note-review later.
Don't be afraid to ask the teacher/lecturer to repeat themselves either
-- particularly if you feel that they've said something important.
About the Author
Anna Johnson
Anna Johnson is an experienced writer with over 5 years of expertise in museums libraries. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Anna creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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