| By Tara Shekouri |
Note-taking in class is a common practice encouraged by many teachers. Most of us have learned to write down important concepts and highlight key terms while taking notes, which is a helpful habit to adopt rather than copying down the lesson word-for-word. Although important, there are further steps you can follow as well to master the note-taking process, in order to both understand and retain the information you are introduced to. In this blog post, we will cover a few strategies to maximize your note-taking skills.
Taking a step back to important concepts—what even are they?
One of the most critical parts of note-taking is knowing what should be written down. These are often the “big ideas.” Big ideas vary significantly from subject to subject, but some ways to recognize one is if it is a recurring theme, a cause or effect, an argument, a theory, etc. Nonetheless, it is always helpful to be attentive in class, as your teacher will most likely inform you when something is noteworthy and will potentially reappear in an assessment.
Sometimes, visuals such as small diagrams can be helpful in illustrating more elaborate concepts. In addition, as you take your notes, you’ll notice certain terms and phrases stick out, which you can highlight/underline as another visual aid. Using symbols is another option. Colour coding can also be beneficial to make connections between pertinent elements.
Method/Format
Use Abbreviations
Sometimes, lessons are more fast-paced, and it is a bit of a challenge to keep up with while note-taking. One strategy to help you keep up is using abbreviations for certain terms to save time and be more efficient.
Non-abbreviated sentence: Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms.
Abbreviated sentence: Enzymes are bio catalysts that accelerate chem reactions in living organisms.
Be present
As aforementioned, being present during a lesson is extremely helpful—not only to determine key points, but to thoroughly learn and understand the material. One part of doing so is ensuring that you're well-rested and avoiding distractions such as your phone. Some tips may include turning off your phone’s Wi-Fi or putting it on Do Not Disturb. The reason for which this is so crucial is that when fully engaged, you’re comprehending the information as it is delivered to you, rather than simply copying it down. By doing so, not only are you able to ask questions for clarification and engage more in potential class discussions, but the process of reviewing the material will feel much smoother as you will be more comfortable with it.
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