Making notes is important for better learning and long-term retention of information. Here are some proven methods to help you master the art of note-making.
Knowing the Purpose of Your Notes
At first, you have to determine why you are making notes. Are you summarising a lecture, preparing for an exam, or just capturing important points? understanding your purpose will guide how detailed your notes need to be.
Choose the Right Note-Taking Method
Several methods can boost your note-making efficiency but here we will discuss highly productive methods for maximum impact
1. Cornell Method
In Cornell Method method you will have to divide your page into three main sections namely: the note-taking area, the cue column, and the summary section.
i. Note-Taking Area: This is the wide section on the right side of the page. Write down the main points of the lecture.
- Suppose you are attending the Physics class then you might write: "Gravitational Force is the force by which every every object in space, is attractive towards the massive object. It is directed proportional to the product of masses and inverse to the square of distance between objects".
- ii. Cue Column: in this narrow column on the left side of the page. Write down important questions, keywords, or main ideas after the lecture.
- Example: "What is gravitational force?", "main keywords: mass, distance between objects."
iii. Summary Section: This section lies at the bottom of your page in which you have to write the summery of main points covered in the lecture.
- Example: "Gravitational is essential for existence of universe, helping in rotation of planets."
2. Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a visual method of note-taking that involves writing down a central idea and then drawing branches out to related topics and subtopics.
i. Central Idea: In the centre of your page, write down the main topic.
Example: "Gravitational Force."
ii. Branches: Draw branches out from the central idea to main subtopics.
- Example: Branches could include "A Force", "Two Objects", "Distance between objects", and "Sunlight".
iii. Sub-branches: Add sub-branches to include more details under each main subtopic.
- Example: Under "A Force", you would have sub-branches like "This force is attractive", "Causes rotation in celestial bodies".
3. Sentence Method
The Sentence Method involves writing down each new piece of information as a separate sentence. This method is useful for capturing more detailed information but can be time-consuming.
i. Detail-Based Notes: Write down everything you hear or read in complete sentences.
- Example: "Gravitational force is an attractive force between two celestial bodies in space. Due to this force, rotation of planets occur. This force is directly proportional to product of masses. Denoted by Fg. It is vector physical quantity etc.."
By using these methods, you can manage your notes in a order that fits your learning way and helps you keep information more efficiently
Use Visuals and Highlighters
Adding diagrams, mind maps, and coloured highlights can help make your notes more productive and easier to revise.
Try to use different colours for definitions, examples, and key concepts. This will ultimately boost your learning speed and accuracy.
Summarise and recheck Regularly
After taking notes, recheck and summarize all notes regularly. This will help you to store material in your memory for a long duration.
It will also help you in long-term retention.
Experiment and Adapt
Everyone has a different learning approach. Use different methods and tools to find what works best for you. Adapt your best method to improve your note-taking art.
Views of Some Highly influential Personalities on Note Making.
1. Albert Einstein:
"Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need experience to gain wisdom."
- Einstein emphasized that genuine knowledge comes from engaging with and observing, not just manually recording it.
2. Leonardo da Vinci
"Learning never exhausts the mind."
- Da Vinci’s approach to learning involved sketching and visualising concepts, which is similar to modern mind mapping techniques.
3. Richard Feynman
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
- Feynman’s technique for learning is to note down explanations in simple terms, which is an important principle of note-making.
By using these methods, you can boost your study methods and store information more accurately.
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