How to take notes faster? (1 Viewer)

[swagmeister]

I know some people are for/against notes but I still like making them as they help me understang things and mean I don't have to refer back to the textbook.

Sometimes though, I find myself spending a ridiculous 10 minutes just to make notes for 1 page of the textbook...

Are there any strategies I can use to take my notes faster and more efficiently as well as more in my own words?

The one thing I have been trying for bus and eco is reading the whole page before I take my notes so I get an idea of what's important and where I am going.

 

[BLIT2014]

Maybe try summarising each page in a couple of words/pictures which are used a trigger points to remember larger amounts of information.

 

[iStudent]

If you want to write notes in your own words, you sacrifice speed and vice versa. Personally, I found just typing out important parts of the textbook in chunks sufficient for me to understand it (note: TYPING not copy-pasting) so what I did was create titles with bullet points and bullet points under bullet points etc organising all the information in the textbook as I typed it (as well as underlining/bolding really important parts). I felt this was way quicker and I still understood everything because I was organising the textbook's information (and hence actively reading).

 

[swagmeister]

Bump

 

[klee98]

Do you do them by hand or do you type?
If you do write them down, may i suggest you to annotate and highlight the important bits (on the sides). Then at the end of the chapter you summarise your findings...

 

[obviouslyme]

That's what happened to me too. I spent so long on one page of the Chem textbook making notes. In the end, when I was cramming for trials I didn't even look at my notes but at someone else's notes. If you are spending 10 mins on a page, you are probably making really COMPREHENSIVE notes which aren't useful in the end. What you need is BRIEF and CONCISE. Only write what is important and make sure they answer the syllabus. And you'll be glad that they are short and concise because when it comes to revision, it is much faster and easier. Please keep in mind that you don't need every bit of information from the textbook. Just answer the syllabus dot points.

I am now against making notes after from my experience. To be honest, i totally regret making notes. What i recommend you to do is to ask for someone's notes (there's a lot of reliable notes out there ) and understand them. Then do past papers. And constantly revise.

 

[seremify007]

Use the syllabus to guide you into what the key point is.

I wouldn't recommend using someone else's notes in isolation because part of the benefit is from you having to read something in someone else's words is to think about it, process it, and articulate it in your own way.

 

[astroman]

it shouldn't take that long, write a few dot points that summarise the main aspects.

 

[WrittenLoveLetters]

Make them brief, but sends the message of the concept or information through.

AND.

Work on your notes every afternoon (to update your notes on what you learnt recently) OR set a day (mine is Friday afternoon/night) to work purely on notes for each subject (with the weekend left for any homework and revision).

BUT.

Remember to prioritise assignments.

 

[CambridgeHistorian]

I agree with WrittenLoveLetters, I used the same strategy, the key is keeping on top of them! What I used to do was add my notes from class to a massive document each day, and then set aside some time each week to sort through what I had written and pick out the best information for a 'reduced exam copy' of my study notes (although sometimes it became quite difficult/time consuming...I still believe that the more often you can do this the better).

I terms of writing faster, don't feel obliged to write whole sentences or even whole words I used all sorts of abbreviations haha notes don't have to be pretty, just vaguely legible

 

[WrittenLoveLetters]

People should be refining their notes three weeks before an assessment/exam.

 

[BrookeElise]

1. Summarise. Dot points!
2. Don't feel pressured to make your book perfect. Just make sure it is legible enough to study and revise from.
3. Try and re-write in your own words.
4. Try to copy the most important things first, and then elaborate later.

 

[dan964]

1. Summarise. Dot points!
2. Don't feel pressured to make your book perfect. Just make sure it is legible enough to study and revise from.
3. Try and re-write in your own words.
4. Try to copy the most important things first, and then elaborate later.

From experience
1 - yes, essential.
2 - yes, as long as it works for you
3. - where possible. sometimes it is better not to rewrite in your words, unless it helps you understand. be careful, not to get something wrong by rewriting it. For sciences it is unnecessary, for English compulsory.
4 - I prefer to put the important things in coloured boxes or in bold.


methods of taking notes:
(1) typing - if you can do it quickly do it. This method is by far the best for English and is good for some HSIE subjects and Chemistry. Note: unless you are great at drawing diagrams in paint, do these by hand or copy the ones out of the textbook (that is for Physics, Biology)
(2) mindmapping - works well for subjects I am guessing ancient/modern history, English etc.
(3) audio recording - this works well if your teacher talks a lot, not so much if he/she doesn't. Make sure to use them. It means you can go back and summarise when you have more time.
(4) photos of notes - extremely lazy method to take photos of board, wouldn't recommend it. Good for diagrams if typing though.