Supplementing Your Learning: How to Make Notes Effectively

Making notes may seem like a simple task, yet it is a skill that requires practice over time.

As the holidays roll around and revision classes across centres are in full swing, good note-taking is essential to compile the information and content being disseminated during lessons. There are various note-taking techniques to choose from, and you may wish to choose a technique that best suits your style of revision. Good note-taking habits extend beyond tuition classes as well – they are effective during lectures, tutorials, or even for your personal revision.

Effective note-taking can vary across situations. During lectures and/or tutorials, focus on what is being said rather than your writing. Practice attentive listening and understand what is being said to capture the main points succinctly. If the presentation/slides are available to download, make notes to supplement the main points outlined and leave space for supplementary content (from independent reading). If there are any parts you do not understand in the content, highlight them and clarify them after the lecture before reviewing and consolidating the material on your own.

However, this may differ when taking notes in your own time based on your independent research and readings. During note-taking, people often seek to condense information across different documents and sources. Make a list of the key points and use prose or linear notes to add any of your own commentary. You could then record how these points link up using a ‘mind map’ or a diagram. For theories or methodologies, use a table to record information. For procedures and processes such as cell division in Biology, use a flow chart to record the different stages so as to visualise better.

Amongst the various methods for note-taking, one of the most popular methods is the Cornell method, where it makes it easy to identify the most essential points of the lecture. It takes you through the 5 Rs of note-taking and memory retention:

• Record the information you see as important in a way that you can understand later.

• Reduce the information by highlighting relationships/connections and making it concise.

• Recite the information in your own words to understand it differently, then verify your summary with the original notes.

• Reflect on the notes and draw on them to help you remember.

• Review your notes often to refresh your memory of the main topics, original notes, and how you put them together.

  
  

Alternatively, flow-based note-taking is a more organic, convenient way of organising your thoughts and highlighting relationships between different pieces of information. It involves writing down points of information in your own words and connecting them visually with arrows, allowing for a non-linear note system. This is effective especially during lectures where you may not fully understand the content in the moment, but allows you the flexibility to organise information quickly and leave space for additional commentary. By condensing the information in your own words and visualising the relationships between pieces of information, memory retention is improved due to the thought required to rephrase and understand the information through active recalling.

Another method that can be done both physically and digitally is the mapping method. It begins with the central idea in the middle of the page which eventually branches out into smaller, more specific connections and information moves from the main idea to the details. While learning how to relate pieces of information with one another can take practice, it is effective as it provides a visual representation of how the material relates and makes the content easier to study later. It also urges you to work through the relationships in real time and paraphrase the information, actively engaging with the material and thereby improving memory retention.

There are many other methods for note-taking, but it is important to find one that best matches your needs and your learning style. We hope that this article is helpful for you and your revision – happy learning!