Need some note-taking strategies for college classes? Learn how to take good notes with these effective note-taking tips for college or university students.
Are you looking for some simple note-taking tips when you’re in college? If so, you’re going to love these easy to implement ideas. Note-taking is extremely important when it comes to staying on top of your studies and if you fall behind, it’s often your notes that can keep you as current as possible.
How To Take Good Notes: 5 Effective Note-Taking Tips For College Students
But what happens when you’re lacking the basic note-taking skills that you need to focus on what is important in class? This is where you need to learn about the right way to take notes. These simple note-taking tips can help!
What are the strategies of note-taking?
People who take good notes know that it’s important to keep a few things in mind. While these aren’t set in stone, note-taking can easily happen with these simple ideas.
Make certain that you’re taking clear notes so that you can easily read them later. The last thing that you need to worry about is having wasted your time on notes that you can’t even read.
Also, keep your notes written in a way that you’re going to understand. If you’re hoping to catch every word that your teacher is saying, there’s a good chance that you’re going to have to learn to write short-handed notes instead.
How do you take notes to study?
Another big thing to keep in mind is that everyone takes notes differently and in a way that works for them. If you have a friend that takes great notes, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to work for you and the way you understand notes as well.
And truthfully, you can read all the notes in the world but if you’re not understanding them, you’re wasting your time.
How do I take faster notes?
One of the biggest keys to taking notes is to find a fast and efficient way to do so. This can be done in a number of ways but there are some tricks that you can easily do.
One way to take notes faster is to record the lecture and then write it out later. This way you can give your full attention to what is being said and then listen to it again when you’re ready to take your own notes.
Another way to take notes more quickly is to use shorthand and abbreviations as much as possible. But this again goes back to the point that you have to be able to read and understand what your notes mean for this to be efficient.
Tips for Note Taking
Now that we’ve tackled some of the common questions regarding note taking in college, let’s dive into a few more tips that are important to know.
1. Set up organization for your notes
If you’re taking multiple classes, you might consider different notebooks for each class. You can have one large notebook with different sections for each class. This will help keep your notes organized. If you’re using a laptop, you can create different folders or documents for each class. Another note-taking tip is to date and title your notes. This will make it easier to go back and review.
2. Don’t forget to decide if you like to type or write out your notes
There is a big difference. Some people prefer to type out their notes and print them out for studying while others prefer more of a handwritten method. Decide which ones works best for you and then make it happen. If you can’t decipher your own writing, you may want to consider going digital. If you get distracted easily with notifications or typing out notes doesn’t help you memorize and understand the material, then write your notes.
3. Take notes that make it easier to process for you
Do you remember things in pictures? Sometimes little drawings help. Remember to write or draw legibly so you can review them later. Writing on one side of the paper may help keep things neat. You may also want to leave some blank spaces as the college professor might add things later during the lecture. Finally, practice shorthand notes. This means developing a system of symbols or abbreviations that you can interpret. This will help you keep pace with the lecture while still maintaining good notes.
4. Don’t take notes if you’re not going to use them
What’s the point of taking the time to take notes if you’re never ever going to use them? Attending class and listening to lectures is one thing but using your notes to study really rounds out the whole package. Pay attention to buzzwords or topics that professor may write down or say repeatedly. You shouldn’t need to write down everything word for word, focus on key concepts.
5. Ask questions that are pertinent for your notes
Anyone can easily write down exactly what the teacher is saying but don’t forget to ask questions and write down your answer. There are a lot of deeper contexts and notes that can be taken if you’re ready to take the proper notes. Your questions will make your notes bigger and better and help to prepare you for your upcoming exam. Those extra questions that you ask and answer in your notes will put your note taking skills over the top.
Taking notes in college isn’t hard but there are a few things that you need to keep in mind for them to be effective. These simple tips above are easy to implement and really aren’t that hard to do. And once you start to do them, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your note-taking skills will improve just like that!
RELATED:
- How To Study Well In College: 10 Study Strategies For College Students
- 7 Tips On How To Take Better Notes During Online Class
- Guide To 6 Effective Note-Taking Systems To Take Better Notes
