HOW TO MAKE NOTES

NOTE MAKING... DEMYSTIFIED

INTRODUCTION

Note making is not just about writing down everything you hear or read. It is a process of reviewing, connecting and synthesising ideas from your lectures or reading. Making notes helps you to: stay active and engaged during your lectures, reading and revision. ... organise your ideas and make connections.

WHY SHOULD WE MAKE NOTES?

· Understanding a topic is the easy part, remembering is difficult.

· Hence it is important to make notes of important topics so that you can glance through whenever you want to revise.

· Well-made notes save you the trouble of revisiting the voluminous study material.

· Writing down points helps you to remember it better.

· Note that while you’re writing, you’re also thinking about it, which helps your mind engage more actively with the information and thus store it better.

STEPS/STRATEGIES TO MAKE NOTES :

Three stages of note making

Note making doesn’t only happen when you are reading or attending lectures. There are three stages to making effective notes: before, during, and after.

1. Before: Prepare by finding out what you need to know and what the purpose of the reading or lecture is.

2. During: Note down main ideas and keywords. Find techniques that work for you.

3. After: Reflect and review and then organise your notes.

HOW TO MAKE NOTES?

Though there are many methods to take notes, the most commonly used ones aew

1. Linear Notes

Linear notes method is in which you condense the material you have read using headings and subheadings. Avoid getting carried away and copying a lot of material.

One can use colors, block letters, boxes, and highlighters to immediately draw your attention to the critical points and would aid in a quick recall.

2. Pattern Notes

In this method, one writes the main idea at the center of the page and each line radiating from it represents a branch of that idea. Each point is written as briefly as possible. (Think of flowcharts.)

An advantage of this type of note making is that one can see the entire information without turning page. Since these notes are in a diagrammatic format as against the textual one, it is much easier to remember the content of the notes. The disadvantage is missing out on information. Using keywords can remind of basic ideas but when it comes to remembering details it is sometimes inefficient.

Thus, a good set of notes is a combination of these two techniques chosen with respect to the kind of material that is being converted into notes.

RULES OF NOTE MAKING

Do’s

· Make short notes of the examples give

· Use colour

· Use illustrations and drawing

· Use headings and sub-headings

· Use bullet points and numbered lists.

· Keep your notes organized

· Use Shorthand or a system of symbols and abbreviations to help you speed up your note taking. Common abbreviations in notes include “poss.” for possibly, “esp.” for “especially”, and “govt.” for government, but you can create a list that works for you.

Don’t’s

· Don’t write everything down – write down the important points

· Copy word for word

· Writw notes when distracted

WHAT YOUR NOTES SHOULD CONTAIN

All good notes must contain:

• Headings to help you identify the key topics
• Key points, examples, names
• Triggers to make your notes more memorable – such as mnemonics, colour or drawings

MAKING NOTES HELPS YOU TO:

• Understand what you are learning and clarify your thinking
• Be selective and identify key ideas
• Remember the material
• Review and revise before exams.
• Keeps the information handy whenever required .
• Note making helps in recollecting and recalling the study material.

CONCLUSION

Effective note taking is an important academic activity that helps you concentrate, stimulates your ability to recall, and helps you the be organized.

Whether your notes are vast or thin, make sure that you are capturing both the main ideas and the important details. Well-made notes can be a student’s best friend in revising the subjects before exams.