how to take organized notes & study effectively! | christylynn
Methods for more organized notes
Finding the note-taking method that works best for you is important if your job necessitates any kind of note-taking, whether for yourself as an individual or for a group or department. Consider this list of seven methods for taking organized notes:
Outline
The most popular and straightforward way to structure notes is with an outline. You can take handwritten or computer-generated outline notes. To employ this strategy, create a heading for each discussion topic. Add details and sub-points under the pertinent heading as necessary to fully explain the concept. Taking outline notes is simple and effective for gathering lots of information. However, because they consist of lengthy text blocks, they do require more concentration when being read.
Cornell
People who frequently need to review their notes for key takeaways are huge fans of the Cornell note-taking method. You divide your paper into three sections using the Cornell method: cues, notes, and summary. The cues and notes sections are typically divided into two columns, with the notes column taking up the remaining two-thirds of the page and the cues column occupying the remaining one-third. There is room for a brief paragraph in the summary section, which appears at the very bottom of the page.
Take notes in the notes column using the outline format. Once you’ve finished taking notes, add helpful questions or descriptors to the cues section next to each heading so you can quickly review your writing. Complete the summary by emphasizing the main ideas or main takeaways from the notes.
Mind map
Mind map note-taking is useful for making connections while note-taking. You’ll begin by writing the topic in a circle in the center of the page rather than an outline or list. Connecting bubbles with related topics and ideas should be added to the main idea. When finished, you’ll have a connected diagram of the main points, supporting details, and examples to examine.
Flow
One of the most flexible note-taking techniques to try are flow notes. With flow notes, you can organize your thoughts by using a variety of colors, writing techniques, and illustrations. Use red for sub-points and blue for main ideas, for instance. Draw arrows to connect interrelated ideas on your paper. If images or graphs help you remember certain concepts or metrics, include them.
Flow notes are helpful for making connections and recording a lot of information on a single page, but they can be difficult to review later because they are frequently quite complex.
Visual
Taking notes during a meeting or presentation is frequently necessary. If possible, request a printout of the presentation’s slides in advance. Use that document to take notes during the presentation. You will already have the key points, graphics, and metrics printed for your use, so you can focus on adding your ideas and connections rather than transcribing the majority of the data.
Boxing
The boxing method of taking notes combines some aspects of mind map note-taking with outline note-taking. Use this technique to indicate the primary subject at the top of the page. Then, utilize bullet points to group subtopics and details in various locations across the page. Draw boxes around the sub-points after you’ve finished taking notes to make it simple for you to quickly review the information you recorded and identify connecting ideas.
Charting
The charting note-taking technique can help you stay organized if you frequently need to take notes that contain substantial statistics or other metrics. Make a chart on your paper before the meeting or note-taking session starts that lists the main ideas in a column on the left and the connected sub-points or statistical areas across the top row. Then, as the information is shared, you can easily fill it in. Due to the data’s already neat organization, charting notes are very simple to review.
Why is it important to take organized notes?
Because you’ll probably need to refer to the information in your notes later, it’s important to take organized notes. You’ll be able to quickly recall what the notes refer to and use the information as needed if your notes are clear, organized, and simple to parse.
Tips for taking more organized notes
Regardless of how you choose to take notes, you can use the following advice to keep them organized:
FAQ
How do you organize and effective notes?
- Consistently take notes in the same location. …
- Plan time to rewrite your notes. …
- Use quality tools. …
- Always date and title your notes. …
- Leave extra spaces. …
- Use a simple pull-out feature. …
- Store your notes properly when done.
Why is having organized notes important?
Emphasizes and organizes information. Additionally, you’ll be able to highlight the arguments for a presentation, which will facilitate study and comprehension outside of class. You can more easily connect classroom learning to textbook readings with the help of such well-organized notes.
