Answers

How do you take notes from a textbook?

Read one section first, then close the book and write the main points in your own words. Copying sentences does almost nothing. Turn each heading into a question you have to answer, and mark anything you did not understand so you can come back to it. Cornell-style notes work well: a wide column for notes, a thin column for questions, a summary line at the bottom.

Do not write while you read the first time. Read a whole section, then stop and write what stuck, using your own words. If you cannot say it without looking, you have not learned it yet, and that is the useful signal. Short notes you understand beat pages of copied text.

Turn the headings into questions. A heading like "Causes of inflation" becomes "What causes inflation?" Now your notes have something to answer, and later you can cover the answer and test yourself. This is the whole point of Cornell notes: the question column on the left is built for self-testing.

Mark the gaps honestly. Put a star or a question mark next to anything you did not get. Do not pretend it is fine. Those marks are your to-do list for the next study session or the next class question.

Step by step

1Read one full section before you write anything.
2Close the book and write the key points in your own words.
3Turn each heading into a question and put it in the left margin.
4Mark anything you did not understand with a star.
5Write a one-line summary of the section at the bottom.
6Later, cover your notes and answer your own questions out loud.

Should I write notes by hand or type them?

By hand is usually better for understanding, because writing is slower and forces you to shorten and reword instead of copying word for word. Type if your handwriting slows you down too much or you need to search your notes later. Either way, the rule is the same: put it in your own words.

How much should I write down?

Less than you think. If your notes are almost as long as the chapter, you are copying, not learning. Aim for the main ideas, key terms, and anything you could be tested on. You should be able to glance at one line and recall a whole paragraph.

How do you take notes from a textbook?

Step by step

1Read one full section before you write anything.
2Close the book and write the key points in your own words.
3Turn each heading into a question and put it in the left margin.
4Mark anything you did not understand with a star.
5Write a one-line summary of the section at the bottom.
6Later, cover your notes and answer your own questions out loud.