Growing up, I hated school. I hated it so much that even my all my nightmares took place in schools. Without going into too much detail, school was a place that for some reason or another, I didn't feel good about being there. I had great friends, but it was more the faculty.
Teaching staff tend to focus on and uplift students who are already excelling, rather than those who really want to excel but just don't know how. Whether it's their job to or not is up for debate, but in my entire academic experience I find that students generally fall into one of three camps:
- Learned how to study through parents or other family members who took an active role in the student's education.
- Fell into a couple of methods that work. Usually just a lot of grinding (reading over and over and taking notes that aren't so great). This is probably the majority.
- No idea whatsoever how to study, no family in an active role.
Try to study the way they think it's to be done but without much success at all so they end up just being a "bad student".
Can you guess which one I was?
Yeah, the third one.
In school growing up, we learned a lot but lessons on HOW to study, HOW to take effective notes, HOW to get the most you can out of your textbooks and HOW to be a successful student were strangely absent.
Was that by design? Maybe.
However, none of that will be your problem, because I'm going to show you how to take notes in a way that the information in your textbook will go into your head. From there you'll be able to better apply what you've learned, so you can rip the ass off of any exam.
But first, let's look at HOW to read your textbook.
I already know how to read a book, what's the matter with you?
Not any book, a textbook. We have to come at them a little bit differently since we're reading to learn stuff and take notes.
With the first chapter as an example:
- First you just want to have a flick through the pages. No reading! Just flick through, get a feel for the chapter, how big the chapter is, what stands out etc.
- Next, go to the END of the chapter. Remember when I said it's different from a book/novel? At the end of the chapter, there are likely going to be questions on what was covered.
Read those questions. - Now you can start at the beginning, but this time only read the words in BOLD. I know, but just do it. Just the words in BOLD. If there aren't any just skip to the next step.
- Now this time, from the beginning, we're going read the FIRST and LAST sentence of each paragraph ONLY.
- Finally, do a proper chapter reading in order and write your notes.
Don't be a lazy-ass, this method is way better and faster than running your eyes over the same paragraphs and pages over and over again and still not learning anything.
Hey you said you'd show us how to take notes!
Oh yeah, the notes I'm going to show you are called Cornell Notes. The reason why they're called Cornell Notes is that this note-taking system was developed by Professor Walter Pauk of Cornell University in the 1940s. A study in 2010 concluded that the Cornell note-taking method is especially effective for the synthesis and application of learned knowledge. Like in exams for example.
I know that some of you will insist on typing your notes on your laptop. I see you at lectures hammering away all productive-like.Well don't do it anymore. Writing your notes by hand is way more effective, you'll remember more and have a deeper understanding of the material.
It's true.
Fine, can you show us now?
Okay but dont laugh my writing looks like wrote with my feet, but you'll get the idea:
- Divide the page as shown.
- At the top, put your name (what if your lovely notes get lost?), subject, date, and page number.
- The narrow column on the left is for, main ideas, vocabulary, key points and key concepts and for things like important people and dates. Relevant questions go there as well.
- The wider column to the right is where your notes go.
You can stick any charts or diagrams there, and answers to any questions asked in the left column. - Don't write long sentences. Keep it tight and concise.
Use bullet points and abbreviations whenever possible. - The section at the bottom is for the page summary.
A good way to practice these would be to ask yourself,
"How would I explain what's on this page to a child?".
Then summarize.
Below is another version but with a few items on economics, not much, but it gives you an idea what kind of information goes where. Of course yours will have more to it. but make sure you don't cram too much into one page! Let your notes breathe, it'll be easier to digest and recall when the time comes.
If you want increase recall even further, chew your favorite flavor of gum every time you study and take notes. Then right before you sit for the test, pop a piece and chew during the exam (don't get caught).
You'll thank me later!
Kira