Stage 1: Note-taking
This stage focuses on recording information, whether it’s spoken by your teacher or read in your textbook. Below are some tips.
- Use the Cornell note-taking method.
- At the top of the page, write a concept question that your notes will help you answer.
- Write points and details on the right side of the page.
- Use words you can understand when you look back at your notes.
- Use shorthand, so you can write faster.
- Write in phrases rather than complete sentences.
- Leave space between the main points, so you can add more information and revise later.
- Indicate key ideas, concept changes, and links between information (you can do this by drawing asterisks by the key idea, underlining, or highlighting).
Stage 2: Note-making:
In this stage, you will begin to think about why you’ve written your notes down, what questions do they answer? You will also make connections, test your knowledge, and begin the review process.
- Write the questions that your notes answer on the left side of the page.
- Link key chunks of information.
- Exchange notes and ideas with your peers and quiz each other.
- Review!
Stage 3 Note-interacting:
In stage 3, you will continue to test your understanding and review, and you will condense your notes into a summary.
- Write a summary of your notes that answers all of the questions you’ve written.
- Quiz yourself by covering the right side of your paper and answering the questions on the left.
- Review!
Stage 4 Note-reflecting:
Focus on problem areas and continue to review before your exam!
- Use feedback from a professor and from being quizzed by a peer or yourself to figure out what you don’t fully know or understand yet.
- Spend more time learning and reviewing those concepts.
- Regularly review your notes for a unit before your exam. Spending even five minutes to review is helpful.
References
https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-most-effective-way-to-take-notes-41961