Tips for Effective Note-Taking

Taking notes is an essential skill for success in education, however, it is rarely (if ever) taught to students, leading many to waste endless hours copying words verbatim, or even avoiding the process entirely. There are many different techniques and strategies for taking notes, and most are quite effective; for that reason, I will not recommend a certain strategy, but instead a set of guiding principles which can be applied to any note taking method, from creating an advanced mind map to simple linear notes that you can reread and comprehend. Many people waste time on their notes because they treat it as a very passive process with inherent value- you turn your brain off and copy words from a screen or a text, and assume that you are learning it. However, as stated in the "How to Study" section, information will not be deemed as important, and thus will not stick, if you don't "transform" it actively in some way. The easiest way to be active with note taking is to simply condense the information you are given into smaller chunks written in your own words, a dialect which you can understand in a simple glance and does not require lots of additional reading and thinking when you are looking back on your notes. Although this strategy is quite simple, it will greatly enhance your learning experience, and allow you to not only avoid wasting time copying information, but also will enable better understanding and memorization of the material given to you, transforming studying into actual learning. The great thing about these principles of activity and simplicity is that they can somewhat "stack" upon each other: as you spend more time tampering and experimenting with learned information, you can further condense, simplify, and relate what you have learned to other concepts, forming a strong intuition which will allow you to excel at even the most difficult of tests. This process can still be a little tricky, though, so be patient with yourself, as it may take a little time to realize what is important about a topic and deserves to be written down rather than simply omitted or mentally noted. 

Once notes have been taken, their effectiveness can be increased even more through review. Similar to their creation, however, it is not helpful to read them passively over and over again- that may work, but is a monumental waste of time, and allows for regurgitation rather than proficient comprehension of a topic. The way to circumvent this issue is to get creative! Find an enjoyable way to actively drill what you have written down into your brain- creating practice questions, flashcards, or short essays about what you have learned are all great ways to do this. Based on what you need to know, some methods make more sense than others though, so keep that in mind: while flashcards are great for learning small details, larger interrelated concepts are much better learned through holistic approaches such as writing small essays relating information in an extremely condensed manner. Being more active with notes may be more painful and tiring, but trust me, the amount of time you save in the long run will be very worth the struggle! Often the best things in life are the hardest, and the fact that most people won't bother to do it gives you the opportunity to secure an amazing advantage over your peers if you are willing to push past the discomfort.