Are you struggling to retain information while studying? Or can you even recall the content of your notes three days later?
11% of employed Americans were laid-off in 2020. As the coronavirus continues to devastate the workforce, more people working from home need to find creative ways to keep up with their classes. Taking good notes is one of them.
Taking notes is essential for online students.
Whether you’re looking for tips or simply curious, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’re going to talk about types of private note-taking and how to take notes effectively.
Table of Contents
Taking Notes on Traditional Way
There are many note-taking methods, and what works best for one person might not work for another. Some people prefer to take notes the traditional way with handwriting paper.
If you take notes in the traditional way, you will also be able to organize your notes in a way that makes sense to you. You can put them in chronological order or in order of importance.
Handwritten notes can be very helpful when you are studying for a test or for an exam.
The Grand Staff Note-Taking System
The grand staff notation system is an excellent tool for those who wish to take comprehensive and accurate notes. This system employs both a standard musical notation system, as well as a series of numbers and symbols which represent specific information about the music being discussed.
This system is also highly effective for those who wish to review their notes at a later date, as it provides a clear and concise way to organize and interpret the information.
The Evernote Note-Taking System
A cross-platform application that allows users to create notes, which can include text, images, audio, and web clippings. These notes can be synced across devices and are searchable, making them very easy to access and organize.
There are a few different ways to take notes with Evernote.
- Is to simply create a new note and type or paste in the desired text
- For longer notes, it is often easier to create an audio note
- If you are clipping something from the web, you can also create a new note from the web clipper tool
The Cornell Note-Taking System
The Cornell Note-Taking System is one of the most effective note-taking methods developed by Walter Pauk at Cornell University. It is designed to promote retention and comprehension of lecture material. The system involves taking notes in three columns:
- The main/note-taking column is where you write down the main points of the lecture
- The cue column is where you write down key words or phrases that will help you remember the main points
- The summary column is where you summarize the main points from the lecture
To use it, you should:
- Listen actively and take notes in the main column
- Write down key words and phrases in the cue column
- Summarize the main points in the summary column
- Review your notes soon after the lecture
- Use the cue column to test yourself on the main points
Retain Information Better
There is no one definitive way to taking notes that will work for everyone. However, try out different methods and see what works best for you. Some popular methods include the Cornell Note-Taking System and the Outline Method.
Experiment with different techniques and find the one that helps you learn and retain information better.
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