The Skills You Need to Take Notes

Introduction

The Skills You Need to Take Notes will be presented in this report, including different methods of taking notes. Notes-taking is the process in which students write down key points from their lecture in a notebook or iPad, or laptop to utilize them when they want (Friedman, 2014). Stages of taking notes, such as: before class, during class and after class, help students to take notes perfectly. Students can choose their note-taking method from different note-taking methods like; the Cornell method, mind mapping method, boxing method, outline method and other methods. In this essay, the importance of note-taking will be evaluated with the importance of note-taking stages. Different methods of note-taking will also be evaluated.

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Importance of taking notes and the stages of taking notes:

Note-taking refers to the practice of recording information about different sources and platforms, and the writer records significant information to ensure the utilization of the information in the proper way (Iannone & Miller, 2019). For students, note-taking is an outstanding skill, and they should have the skill of taking notes. By taking notes, students can avoid feeling distractions that engage their minds in lectures, and they can gain proper knowledge. They concentrate more on the lectures because their focus is on noting down the key points. Note-taking helps students to keep a record of the things they have learnt, and it increases the durability of their knowledge because students can read from the notes when they want (Schmidt, 2019). Students can gather points for their presentation by taking notes of the significant points that teachers say. As a result, the students who take notes during lectures can make a better presentations.

When students take notes, they gather all the key findings of their lectures and studies, and they become able to make better preparations for their exams because they will have the notes to revise before their exams (Artz et al., 2020). Even they will be able to help their classmates with the help of notes to understand the topic that teachers discussed in classes. As a result, students’ knowledge will enhance more through sharing it with their classmates, and they will be able to create a good relationship with their classmates.

Stages of taking notes help students to increase the efficiency of note-taking. Before the class stage makes, students realize that they should have a seat in that area from where they will listen to the lecture clearly. Students also get direction from the stage that they should keep ready iPad or laptop, or notebook with a pen to note down lectures when the teacher starts to avoid wasting time in finding the things. During class, the stage shows students that they should stay attentive in their classes which will help them to listen to the lectures carefully and note down the key points with the page number of the book and the lecture date to find notes easily. From this stage, students learn that they can use codes or abbreviations to write down long words to save time. The last stage, ‘after class,’ gives the direction that students should meet with their classmates to cross-check their notes and find out the points they have missed from reviewing the notes of their classmates. Students become encouraged to review their notes within twenty-four hours by this stage, and it also makes students aware that the notes should be kept in a secure place to find out easily when it needs.

Evaluation of various methods of taking notes:

Artz et al., (2020) have revealed that the Outline method of note-taking refers to the way in which content is written down in a structured way, and the link among various subjects are clear and visible in the notes. It is one of the best and most popular methods of taking notes. The advantages of the method are students can organize notes in a structured form; therefore, students can save time which needs for reviewing and editing notes. This method uses bullet points to represent various topics and subtopics, which makes review easier for students. The outline method also has drawbacks, which is students cannot take notes through this method if the lecture is too fast because it needs more thought to organize the note properly.

Cornell system is a unique note-taking method that allows students to visually organize their notes by dividing a page into three sections such as a narrow column ‘Cue’, a wider column for actual notes and a summary at the bottom (Friedman, 2014). The advantage of the method is clearly defined topics, subtopics and supporting details which helps students to make more organized notes. Students can identify main words and key perceptions from the lecture they have and use the note as their study guide while preparing for exams.

Aitken & Hatt (2012) have stated in their research that Mind mapping is the way of organizing notes through a visual diagram within the two-dimensional structure which is created in landscape mode instead of portrait. The benefit of the method is organizing ideas, and concepts are easier; therefore, it allows students to recall information more easily than other methods. Mind mapping facilities a better understanding of associations between ideas and concepts. The disadvantage of the method is it needs great effort, and it is tough to create a mind map for a new topic or subject of which students do not have any idea. The boxing method refers to the note-taking process in which a specific subject is grouped together within a box, including the title at the top of the box (Lu, 2017). It is the most suitable note-taking process for students who use an iPad or laptop to take notes. The advantage of the boxing method is students can divide the boxes according to their choices by topics or subtopics; therefore it is a simple and easy method that needs less effort and time. The drawback of the method is the very type of lecture cannot be noted through the boxing method, and it takes too much time to make notes while listening lecture.

Conclusion

Note-taking is an essential skill, and every student should have this skill to enhance their knowledge. Students can avoid distractions by keeping notes because it helps them to focus on their lectures. It also helps them to understand their study well because they identify key points of the lecture while taking notes. By selecting a suitable method of keeping notes, students will be capable of making proper notes which will help them to easily understand the topic better. Students can make better exam preparations by revising their notes before the exam and enhancing their knowledge; therefore, they should take notes in every lecture.

References:

Aitken, A., & Hatt, G. (2012). Students taking notes and creating summaries together (or not). Curtin University.

Artz, B., Johnson, M., Robson, D., & Taengnoi, S. (2020). Taking notes in the digital age: Evidence from classroom random control trials. The Journal of Economic Education.

Friedman, M. C. (2014). Notes on note-taking: Review of research and insights for students and instructors. Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching.

Schmidt, S. J. (2019). Taking Notes: There’s a Lot More to It than Meets the Eye. Journal of Food Science Education.