How to take notes and notes to study better

Have you ever listened intently to a school teacher or an institute professor for an hour, and 5 minutes after the end of the lecture, completely forget what was discussed? Perhaps the problem is that you didn’t take notes as he spoke, or you didn’t take notes correctly. Meanwhile, such activity helps the brain to absorb new information faster and more efficiently. And even contributes to the birth of new ideas.

Prepare in advance

If you are a schoolboy or a student, then your task is to understand the material of the lesson in order to use the knowledge gained in the future. You will need them at least in order to pass the exam. Before the lecture, at least briefly review the information on the topic of the lesson – then you will have a rough idea of ​​​​what to expect, and what the teacher will tell will fall on the prepared “soil”.

One study found that law students who read a case before going to a seminar that was supposed to deal with it had a better understanding of what was going on than those who didn’t.

As for the “technical” side of the issue, it’s worth stocking up on everything you need in advance to keep records. You will definitely need:

• colored pens and pencils
• adhesive stickers
• notebook or notebook
• markers

And, of course, it is important to tune in in advance that you will learn something new and interesting.

Keep handwritten notes

Many prefer to come to lectures, seminars and business discussions with a laptop, but experts agree that a simple pen and paper gives the best results. Through their use, we better comprehend concepts and remember facts. Yes, it’s not very progressive, but that’s how our brain works.

In one experiment, psychologists gave subjects the opportunity to review their notes for a week before starting to write an exam. Those students who took notes by hand did much better on the test than those who used a laptop.

Draw information and use different colors

It turns out that we remember information better when we fix it with the help of sketches. So, in another experiment, the subjects were asked to either write down or draw different words with a picture. All participants were given 40 seconds per word, so it was possible to write it down several times. Later, when the subjects were asked to name all the dictated words, it turned out that those who drew, on average, remembered twice as many words.

Interestingly, it is not necessary to be able to draw for this – small schematic sketches will suffice. And to make the information better stored in your head, use different colors: one for headings, others for subheadings.

Use abbreviations actively

It is simply impossible to write down everything that the lecturer says word for word – in order to save time, you will have to use symbols and abbreviations. At the same time, you need to remember what they meant initially – for example, you can make notes at the first mention.

Eliminate distractions

As a rule, school teachers and teachers at the institute forbid using gadgets during lectures or even leave them on the table. This makes sense: it removes one of the most powerful distractions and helps us focus on the topic of the lesson.

It’s even a shame that at school and college they don’t teach how to take notes correctly – this skill can make life so much easier. Thanks to these records, we better structure, remember and refresh the information received.

Of course, it is important to do this in legible handwriting and competently, because what is the point in notes that you are not able to read? Do not write on scraps of paper and in the corner of the sheet – leave space around the words so that you can later supplement the information.

And try to re-read the notes after the lesson, lecture or presentation – this will help you immediately fill in the gaps that have arisen and better absorb the information.