15 replies to this topic

[The Rainbow Connection]

Hello everybody!!

After you read a chapter in your textbook, do you highlight the most important parts or do you take notes separately? How do you record the data you learnt? On the computer or by writing it down? I'm curious as to how other people take their notes. Perhaps you use sticky notes in the textbook.

Personally, I usually take notes on my laptop, but I don't feel this is the most effective way to recite information.

What do you recommend?

[Trololol Marf]

Personally, I can't learn in school (yeah, that's me) I review everything in the textbook and write down everything I think is important when I do study. There are too many distractions to for me to be taking notes on the computer. (Believe it or not, I wrote my first draft in EE on paper, which was 5000 words )

I find that writing it down at your own pace (as opposed to scrambling to copy notes on the board or ppt while teacher explains) helps you think about it because my writing is slower than my reading, allowing me to absorb the information considerably better. I have never used sticky notes, so I have no insight for you there.

It does not matter what we think is efficient for us, but our habits may give ideas for you to pick yourself up. What matters is that you find what is comfortable and most efficient for you, in order for you to be the most efficient student possible, and stick to it.

[KenzieD18]

I have always taken my notes by hand. Computers are too much of a distraction for me... I have a separate spiral for each of my classes dedicated solely to notes for that class. The way in which I take notes kind of depends on the class though.

For IB Biology my teacher really likes us to do a well structured outline format. I also like to use lots of pretty pens to do my titles and diagrams because I am a more artistic person.

For IB History I usually just write down the topic header for the textbook chapter with one of my colorful pens and bullet point key ideas I feel will be significant for me to remember later on.

In IB English I take notes during class discussions about our readings as there are many different ideas that I know I would not be able to retain for very long otherwise. While reading though I usually do go by a sticky note method if it is a library book or highlight and write in the margins if it is my own. I highlight or sticky significant quotes I feel will be good to come back to later on during a discussion or when it comes time to write a possible essay on that chapter. The margin writings are just random thoughts of mine at the time predicting what will happen or pointing out things such as key metaphors and motifs.

As far as taking notes in class in general goes we usually do power-points so again I just copy the header in a colorful pen and copy the bullets beneath. Then I write anything extra my teacher says that I feel would be important to remember in the margins.

Now most of my friends refer to me as a bit of an organized freak though so I don't know if you would want to totally go to my extreme end of the note taking spectrum. I hope it can maybe give you a few more ideas though. I remember good note taking seemed like a foreign language to me at one point in time and it's taken years of refining and stealing methods from others to reach the level of organization I am at today... and still most days it feels a bit like organized chaos. LoL

[Sandwich]

Notes by hand! Only way to make them transition from the page to your brain. I find that I really don't concentrate or think about stuff if I'm typing it as opposed to writing it out - regardless of hand writing speed! It's something about the action. Go through the section of your textbook (with the syllabus) and make notes that way.

Class notes tend to be a waste of space.

As for marking your textbook, I couldn't bring myself to deface a book!

[albuhay]

In class, I highlight the important points in the book and summarise/add extra information beside it in the margin. Then I go back later at home/before an essay/before a test and hand write out comprehensive notes on everything. I have made notes on my PC before but have found that hand written works best for me in terms of actually remembering the information.

[Lindsay]

I guess it depends in each subject.

For math, I definitely hand write the problems and solve them by hand. It requires active thinking and action. However, for subjects such as history or science, I use my laptop to take notes as using 'onenote' helps me keep the details and facts organised, helping me memorise them better. In english I annotate the book we are studying and add in stickynotes where required. I don't highlight them as it confuses me but annotating definitely helps!

[opus92fan]

I usually write notes by hand. I use sticky tabs to mark important pages. Generally, my written notes are messy and I type them for studying purposes.

For math and calculations in science class, I simply use written notes. I find it rather cumbersome to use math symbols in word documents. My IB math teacher is actually really nice, she puts pdf files of all the notes for the course online. All we do is print them off and bring them to class to "fill in the blanks". My notes stay really organized this way and it's much less writing.

[flinquinnster]

I like to use my laptop for pretty much all my notes but maths and physics. For maths and physics, I like hand-writing because i get a feel for the "mechanics" that are really important in the subjects. Also, our teachers are less technologically-inclined in those classes. For other subjects, I find it much easier to organise, record and manage the large quantity of notes when on my laptop - and we use our laptop in classes, which definitely helps. When revising, I can print my typed notes out - and then make my own hand-written bullet-points and annotations. It's hard to digitise handwritten notes without one of those funky pens that transcribes handwriting onto your laptop.

[spereira14]

Most of the books in my school are already written on or have been drawn on, so yeah, I occasionally write on them. For the most part I try to photocopy what I need, or just type it up again.

[Philovitist]

Type then organize it ftw.

Even then, I feel like I get little out of it. I mostly just read, think, listen, think...do my homework and make up some, myself.

Notes are overrated. I only write what I know I'll forget.

[sarahlouise]

I take notes separately. For Biology I type them up on the computer, but for all my other subjects I handwrite them on plain paper (using lined paper underneath for a guide) and then put them in clear-fill display folders so it reads like a book. What I put in notes differs for each subject though.

[Akayuki + Lucifel]

Everything by hand for me. Using the laptop usually is too slow for me and not very readable as well. Especially during Chemistry, Maths and Arts where I always have little sketches or references to something else on that page.
I make notes in my books as well, however, only with a pencil.

[marauder7]

I prefer to take notes by hand, that way I think I can remember better the information. Sometimes I underline with pencil important ideas of books. For example, I underline the quotes that seem important in the novels we've read.
My notes are kind of messy. So, if I have time, probably I will type them and print them to study for the IB exams

[DC_JackBlind]

I have seen very few students actually using their laptop effectively when taking notes and not getting distracted to often. I recommend using handwritten notes. Personally I prefer using notes either written in a book or on handout sheets (for certain subjects) or alternatively, such as in Mathematics HL, writing the theory in little booklets, which provide condensed an relevant material for chapters.
Note: I've found these EXTREMELY useful and can only recommend them, however they require a lot of thought, extra work and need to be done continuously (so relevant notes, calculator tips, etc. can all be noted where you can find it when you freshen up your memory on the theory of a chapter during revision)

I think everyone must find their own system, which may differ for different subjects, as it is for me. Trying things out initially or changing them if you realise it's not working is no crime and is respected by teachers here.

[Stein]

I guess it really depends on the class, but in most cases I write in pencil in my book just so I can erase it later if I need to!

Math: I don't really take notes.... so I don't really take notes in my book
Environmental: I write down whatever my teacher writes down so if she writes/highlights in the book then I write/highlight in my book...usually in the exact color she's using! However, for the most part I don't take much notes in this class because our teacher is super nice and sticks the power points on the website for us to print out
Spanish: I'm constantly writing definitions and phrases in my book/packet/handout in this class
Chinese: Once again, I'm constantly writing definitions and phrases in my book/packet/handout in this class
Economics: We don't really use our book, plus I really don't like it, so no writing in my book in this class. There is a lot of note taking in this class though like A LOT. But i've been meaning to ask her for her power points, especially since she's leaving this year....
English: We HAVE to write in our books, she takes it for a grade. We have to write any comments/analysis on the margins of our book on EACH page. So yeah a lot of writing here. However, I keep meaning to get sticky notes for this class so I can write down more on the note than on the margins, but I've been lazy...

Edited by Mrs.Stein, Mar 12, 2012 - 20:35.

[melmo0727]

highlight the most important parts AND take notes separately.