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Note writing and effective study techniques... (1 Viewer)

s-tressed

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Nov 22, 2013
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Hey guys,

I've been recently tossing up between writing and typing notes and I'm not really sure which is more effective? I feel like I remember more if I write notes, however it's a long process and they are difficult to edit if that situation arises. The time saved by typing I feel I could use practicing on questions. Anyway, what do you use and do you think it's effective? Also apart from note writing, what other methods do you use for study?

eg. do you do past papers open or closed book?

I'm aware it comes down to 'what works for you' but I just need opinions and suggestions. haha.


Thankyou!! :)
 

enoilgam

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As I always say, study is about finding what works for you. Personally, I preferred to type notes because it was quicker and I could organise them better (which helps a lot when revising). For most subjects, the basic principle behind study is learning the content before hitting the past papers. Most people learn the content through writing notes - some also read other peoples notes or use textbook questions.

Your approach to past papers varies depending on the subject - for most of my subjects, I mainly did individual questions, not an entire paper all at once (I did mostly essay writing subjects). For Maths, I did a variety of past paper questions throughout the year. Before trials, I started doing half a past paper a day before moving onto untimed full past papers. From there, I moved up to timed past papers and that is what I did right up until the HSC.
 

strawberrye

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Perhaps you should do a combination, you should do your first set of notes writing them down, and summarise the notes by typing them up. One very important piece of advice is not to do practice exams open book-because in your final exams you won't get open book-there is no point in doing an exam with open book-because it shows you have inadequate knowledge and you won't really be able to test what you do know and what you don't know.
 

liamlolz

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I do a combination of both. In class I hand write them and then when I get home I type them. Typing them after allows me to revise what I had written, remove any unimportant notes and add any information I think may be important. I also add graphics sometimes such as charts, diagrams, and other pictures to aid me with understanding the notes. Usually once I have typed them, I put them in a binder and chuck out the written copy and study from my neat set of typed notes.
 

superesse

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Personally, I compiled notes by organising them according to the points in the syllabus and in doing that I ensured I was covering everything. As for studying, I do past papers both open and closed book, usually targeting questions I believe I am weaker in.
 

rumbleroar

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Hey guys,

I've been recently tossing up between writing and typing notes and I'm not really sure which is more effective? I feel like I remember more if I write notes, however it's a long process and they are difficult to edit if that situation arises. The time saved by typing I feel I could use practicing on questions. Anyway, what do you use and do you think it's effective? Also apart from note writing, what other methods do you use for study?

eg. do you do past papers open or closed book?

I'm aware it comes down to 'what works for you' but I just need opinions and suggestions. haha.


Thankyou!! :)
I type up my notes, because it's so much easier to edit and format. Also I'm one of those people who has a compulsive need to rewrite everything if 1 thing goes wrong (yep hahaha I waste too much paper) but I write my math notes out and do all my practice responses on paper

I recite things to myself and make pretty diagrams, because sometimes rote isn't enough. I sound like a massive loon, but those techniques work for me.

Also lots of past papers is a good study habit to get into :) it depends what you're comfortable with as well.
 

hecticated

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I do different things for maths but for my other subjects it's all the same.
I type my notes because it's prettier. I agree with the people above, it is easy to edit etc.
But, I handwrite my maths notes into a separate book because it'll be harder to type my maths notes into a computer.
I also format them based on the dot points.

As for past papers, I do the questions without my book and then answer the one's im unsure about open book.
My teachers also gives us random questions for homework.
And for maths I go through the HSC and do questions based on what I'm learning because I find doing textbook questions is not as helpful because it's too repetitive and doing the HSC questions actually gives you different situations.
 

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