Being a university student is not a walk in the park. It takes hard work and dedication to be able to obtain the desired outcomes and progress to become successful later in life.
Note taking is a huge part of being a student; if you never properly learned how to take notes or find yourself lost during note taking, here is a guide that will surely help you become a better note taker. However, if you feel that you already take excellent notes, there is no harm in scrolling through these tips, you never know, you might learn a new method or tactic!
Go Classical
To put this is simple terms: use a pen
There is no denying that electronic devises have taken over our lives, and they are step by step replacing the classical pen and paper. However, when taking notes in class, do not use electronic devices. According to studies from 2010-2014 students who take notes on their laptops tend to simply copy what the teacher writes without thinking it through as it is faster, but faster does not always mean better. When you take a bit more time to write what you hear by hand, you will think it through and write what you need which will make studying easier and more targeted.
Become Organized
Taking notes needs you to be quick and proper at the same time. You need to be able to jot down all the important information spoken by the instructor, but at the same time write them down in a way that will be readable afterwards. In order to force yourself, in a way, to remain organized, use grid papers and erasable pens; the format of the paper will give you a sense of structure when taking notes far better than a blank paper, and the erasable pen will give you a chance to remove any mistakes which would keep things proper and neat for later readings.
Use Codes
Symbols, icons, headings, colors – these are your best friends in note taking. Visually appealing notes save time since you do not have to figure out what you have written. Symbols like arrows, dots and boxes are fantastic ways to associate and remember key concepts; try and use the same visuals and colors across all your notes as they would make the notes easier to write and understand.
Write Questions
This is a simple but very effective tip. When taking notes, make sure you write down the general and specific questions the instructor is answering in class. Having a title as a question to your notes is very practical to remember what was talked about during the lecture.
Finally, to sum up all of the above, always make sure when you get back home to review the notes and rewrite them on a different notebook or on the laptop in a proper and organized way that would enable you to study later on relaxed. Because if you postpone the editing of the notes, it will become harder to understand what you have written before.
