Top Nine Tips on Note-taking

Note-taking is a skill that we employ in many aspects of our lives, including school, university, and the workplace. Many people, however, may recognize that they have not polished the skills required to get the most out of their note-taking, so here are 10 pointers on how to be a more efficient and effective note-taker. These can be used to take notes from a written text or from someone else's verbal presentation.

1. Don't jot down every single phrase.

The purpose of taking notes is to be able to summarize knowledge in a different, shorter format for later use. As a result, if you try to jot down every word of a lecture or book, you will quickly fall behind and lose track of what is being said.

2. Determine what is most important.

Listen for crucial phrases like 'the most essential factor is...,' which acts as a giant signpost alerting you to the fact that important information is about to be presented and instructing you to get your pen ready to take notes. The author or instructor you're working with will have their own distinct style and words that you should be aware of, so get to know them.

3. Be a good listener and reader.

It's easy to get distracted and lose track of a lecture or written argument, so use some of these strategies to help you stay focused.

4. Make use of symbols and abbreviations

When taking notes, you won't have time to compose complete phrases, and the content may be so dense and fast-paced that you won't be able to type full words. Make your own set of symbols and abbreviations. Two obvious examples are + or & for 'and' and = for equals. w/ for 'with' and wch for 'which' are two less common examples. You'll also be able to employ short hands that are relevant to the subject.

5. Make use of color

When taking notes, utilize different colored inks for further clarification and to strengthen your active listening/reading techniques. By switching to a different color, for example, you can demonstrate alternative topics and methods. This is especially important if you plan on using your notes to write reports or revise for tests later.

6. As quickly as possible, go over your notes again.

Take your notes, but don't just file them away and forget about them. The easiest way to make the most of your notes is to go back over them after a short period of time and possibly rewrite them, more cleanly or in a different order, depending on how or why you want to utilize them. This will allow you to actively employ the information, and it will stay in your memory for a longer period of time.

7. Maintain a level of consistency

If you're listening to an hour-long lecture, resist the urge to take copious notes for the first 10 minutes and then nothing for the remainder of the hour. Make sure you keep a regular pace and acquire information during the lesson. Don't lose concentration because a good speaker will deliver valuable material throughout their lecture slot.

8. Make your penmanship better

Do not become so engrossed in taking notes that you lose sight of the fact that your handwriting has become unreadable! Regardless of how weary your hand becomes, remember to write or type correctly and legibly throughout.

9. Forget about spelling and grammar (as long as you understand what you're saying)!

This is the one time in your academic or professional life when a few spelling and grammar errors will not be held against you. It is not vital to achieve excellence in these areas; instead, concentrate on acquiring and recording data. And if that means slacking on your spelling and punctuation, then be it!