Note-taking
Note-taking is writing down the important parts of a lecture, reading, or video as you go, in a short form you can study from later. The goal is notes you'll actually reuse, in your own words, not a word-for-word copy of everything.
Good notes save you twice. Writing them makes you decide what actually matters, so you're thinking instead of just copying, and that helps it stick the first time. Then you have a short, clean version to review before the test instead of rereading the whole textbook. A popular setup is the Cornell method: notes on the right, key questions on the left, a one-line summary at the bottom.
The biggest mistake is trying to write down every word. If you transcribe the whole lecture, you're not listening, and you end up with pages you never read again. Aim for the main points, the examples, and anything the teacher repeats or says is important. Leave gaps so you can add stuff later.
During an organic chemistry lecture, Mara writes only the reaction names, the conditions, and one example of each in the wide column. On the left she jots questions like "why does this need heat?" That night she covers the notes and answers her own questions from memory.
- 1Write only the main ideas, examples, and anything repeated, not every word.
- 2Use your own words so you have to understand it, not just copy it.
- 3Leave space to add things you missed or look up later.
- 4Within a day, reread your notes and fix gaps while it's fresh.
- 5Turn key points into questions and quiz yourself from memory.