Crash Course Study Skills: How to Take Great Notes

Importance of Note-Taking

• Note-taking is crucial for learning and retaining information.
• Output (note-taking) is as important as input (learning).
• Notes should be stored in a way that is easily accessible and should be in your own words.

Preparing for Note-Taking

• Choose the right tools: paper, computer, or arm (jokingly).
• Paper vs. Computer:
  • Study by Princeton University (2014):
    • Laptop note-takers wrote more words (310 vs. 173 words on paper).
    • Paper note-takers recalled more information.
  • Typing can lead to verbatim note-taking, focusing more on syntax than meaning.
  • Writing by hand limits note-taking speed, which may aid understanding.

Choosing Your Tools

• If using paper: have a well-organized notebook and a good quality pen.
• If using a computer: use a good note-taking app (e.g., Evernote, OneNote).
• Close irrelevant apps/websites to minimize distractions.

What to Record in Your Notes

• Avoid recording everything; focus on a high signal-to-noise ratio.
• General guidelines:
  • Gauge each class early.
  • Pay attention to study guides and review materials.
  • Note whenever a professor highlights importance.
  • Focus on big ideas, summaries, conclusions, bullet lists, terms, definitions, and examples.
  • Especially focus on examples for courses requiring problem-solving (e.g., math, physics).

Note-Taking Methods

1. The Outline Method

• Record details in a bullet list with main points as top-level bullets.
• Indent further for more specifics.
• Use formatting to highlight important information.

2. The Cornell Method

• Divide your paper into three sections: cue column, notes column, summary column.
• Take notes in the notes column.
• Write potential review questions in the cue column.
• Summarize key ideas in the summary column post-lecture.

3. Mind Mapping

• Visual representation of relationships between concepts.
• Main concept in the center; details branch out like a tree or web.
• Can be drawn by hand or using apps like Coggle.

Conclusion

• Experiment with different note-taking methods to find what suits you best.
• Adapt methods for different subjects (history vs. math).
• Upcoming videos will cover how to review notes during study sessions.

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