How I Make Notes

Last week I posted an article about making better notes. This week, a friend asked me how I make notes to begin with. The following is an explanation of how I like to make notes. This is just a template for how you could make your notes; this is not the only way. What suits me may be different from what suits you. You just have to use trial and error to figure out what actually works for you.

Coincidentally, my homework for tonight is to make notes based on a 12 page reading from my Sociology textbook. I have pasted a couple of pictures of the text and a couple of pictures of my notes for you to see how I abbreviate, use symbols etc.

Here we go.

1. Read the text, write and then read again:

This was the first point in my previous post, too, because this method has helped me make what I deem my best notes. I never miss an important point and it's a 3-time review of the information in front of me. Once I have read a paragraph, I get an idea of what I have to write and in what way. Sometimes, I change a paragraph of text to a table or to a mindmap, depending on the information.

2. Choosing the right information:

Not everything in a paragraph is always important. I look for keywords and definitions first. Then I look for a little supporting information. Lastly, if I feel like my future self will want more explanation, I look for or make up an example. If a paragraph has 6 sentences, I usually note only 2, sometimes including the example. If a paragraph is longer, I look for the 4-5 strongest points and mould them to my understanding.

3. Make examples:

If I have a lot of time, I love to relate the information in front of me to real life. For example, I relate the Kreb's cycle to a parent raising children. The oxaloacetate is the parent and the acetyl group is a representative of the children. The children are raised and supported until they leave the parent and the parent has to go through some steps to go back to who they used to be. This helps me remember that the cycle doesn't end once the second Carbon atom of the acetyl group leaves the citrate. I know this example doesn't make sense to someone who hasn't studied Biology enough, but this is to show you how quirky my examples can get. And you do you. If your way of learning is by making a song, go for it. I made a song in the 7th grade to remember what the names of a cow's stomachs were: "rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, da da." I still sing it when I'm bored.

4. Abbreviate:

When I am taking notes in class, if I'm writing on paper, I almost never have full sentences. It's entirely abbreviations and point form notes. The same applies to when I make notes. Abbreviating speeds up my note-making process so much because I can substitute repeating words with shortened words or symbols. The last time I wrote 'with' as 'with' in a note may have been in Grade 6 before I realized I could write 'w/'.

I find making a legend also useful if I am starting a new chapter, unit or subject. This way, my future self has the security of knowing what I meant.

5. Use arrows and symbols:

As you will see in the pictures below, arrows make up half my notes. It helps me utilize the entire page and, oddly, not break the flow of my sentence. Sometimes, I just want all my points to start from the same point on the left side and my arrow from the last word of the last point to the first word of the next point can be as long as the page is wide.

Other times I use * to write my info at the bottom or at the top of the page. It helps me make neat notes.

6. Use highlighters and different coloured pens:

Not featured in this example but, I like to use highlighters if there are a lot of keywords/ definitions to remember. I make a legend for what each colour means if I'm using more than one. I like to use blue and red pens so my eyes don't glaze over from the monotony while I'm trying to study for a test. I do feel like using a lot of pens and a lot of highlighters can be wasteful, but if that is what helps you, go ahead.

Here are pictures of the text I followed and my notes:

I really hope this gives you an idea of how to make notes efficiently. If you have any more tips for everyone, please comment them below or email me at rueshi25@gmail.com.