Hello everyone!
On today’s back to school video we will be addressing the five major ways on how to
take notes.
I will provide a digital and non-digital version for all of these methods so you can use them
independently of typing your notes on a computer or handwriting them.
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back to school videos coming up this summer.
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year fully prepared.
For a full schedule just check the description box below in case you are curious about a
specific topic.
• The Cornell Method is a very popular note taking system where you divide each one of
your notebook pages in three sections.
During class, write your main topics freely in the main area of the page.
As you write your notes in the main section, you should be writing cues or topics in the
left column.
That is, in the left column you should label in short format the information you are using
in the main area.
The goal is to provide a way in which you can summarize big portions of information
as you study.
When you are reviewing, you should cover the main area with a card or a piece of paper
and just by looking at the left column, you should try to say out loud the material underneath
the card.
In the bottom of the page leave five or six lines before skipping to the other page.
You should use these lines to summarize the entire page when you get home.
This method one of the best note taking methods because it enables you to take all of your
notes and create revision material on-the-spot, without having to rewrite the material, create
flashcards, etc.
• If you are taking your notes on a computer it’s also possible to apply this method.
You can either open a comment box per title or cue you would like to write or insert a
text box in the format of a column per page.
You can edit these textboxes at your leisure.
Changing the layout of the page for two columns will not help you, since the columns can’t
be edited independently.
• Mindmapping uses comprehension skills and evolves in a note taking form which relates
concepts and ideas with each other.
It’s a graphic representation of the content of a lecture and it helps you understand the
complexity of the subject and the connections and exceptions between different topics.
For cramming, Mindmapping can be your biggest ally, since it’s probably the note taking
method that has the ability to summarize more information in less time and in less pages.
• As you go through mindmaps, since you only have to read short words, little thinking
is needing, since everything looks very obvious in a graphic format.
That means that your revision time will be much shorter and, if you are a visual learner,
your brain will retain the layout of the map and you will remember it during your test.
• The only problem with Mindmapping is that, for beginners, it can look like it isn’t
able to convey all the material that is being taught in your lecture.
That isn’t necessarily the case, though; as you adapt to this notetaking method you
can see how you can mindmap in a way that makes short topics and words more comprehensive
and breaking down bigger chunks of information into bullet form in your mindmaps can be used
to summarize the most complex lecture.
• There are a ton of programs out there used for Mindmapping.
If you have are using a device with a digital pen, programs like OneNote support drawing,
so Mindmapping is easy.
If you are using a regular laptop or desktop computer there are also other options like
MarginNote for PDF files and Xmind which are paid programs and a free software called Freemind
which is flexible enough for most users.
Outlining is a method that I was subconsciously using for many years but without knowing it
was a method on its own.
To tell you more about this technique, I used the Cal Poly websites’s explanation.
• The information which is most general begins at the left with each more specific
group of facts indented with spaces to the right.
• The relationships between the different parts is carried out through indenting.
• You can either make simple sentences or use a bullet form for a more organized format.
In your lecture, listen and then write in points in an organized pattern based on space
indention.
You should place major points farthest to the left.
Indent each more specific point to the right.
Levels of importance will be indicated by distance away from the major point.
Indention can be as simple as or as complex as labeling the indentations with Roman numerals
or decimals.
Markings are not necessary as space relationships will indicate the major/minor points.
Use this format when there is enough time in the lecture to think about and make organization
decisions when they are needed.
This format can be most effective when your note taking skills are super sharp and you
can handle the outlining regardless of the note taking situation.
Outlining can be used in any word processor.
All you have to do is use the bullet journal format and as you change bullets the program
will automatically change indentation for you.
• This method of note taking is great for subject matter that can be broken down into
categories, such as similarities/differences, date/event/impact, pros/cons, etc.
• All you need to do is create a table with different columns for different categories
and start filling in with the lectured topics so you can create a very visual comparison
instrument that enables you to differentiate concepts and ideas.
• Charting enables you to create great comparison study materials as you write your notes.
The problem is that most of the times you can’t predict when you need to make a comparison
out of your lecture material so most of the times, the chartins method can be better applied
after class.
• For software you can easily create a table in most word processors and use these to create
the charts.
For a more complex subject you can also use Microsoft Excel and then export the chart
to your predefined word processor.
• The sentence or one lining method means taking notes sentence by sentence.
Each sentence or line should add up to the last one, creating a cohesive argumentation
or logic path that you can use to understand the subject.
This enables you to structure thought in the most basic format and make minimalistic, clean
looking notes that are very easy to review.
• For digital note takers, this method can be used in any word processor, even the simpler
ones, like Pages, Google Docs and Evernote.
I suggest keeping a wider line spacing option, so each sentence can stand out on its own.
You can also use a bullet form or numbering form to separate each line.
I hope you enjoyed today’s video!
For more note taking tips don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and I will see you
next week.
Bye!