This week in class we focused a lot on note taking methods and the importance of good note taking skills. I never realized that there were so many different methods to taking notes. There is the Cornell method, outlining, maps, sentences/bullet points, and many more. The most important thing to remember about noting taking though is that you are taking the notes in the first place in order to be able to study and learn from them. So, it is very important that you are able to follow your notes and make use out of them!
When it comes to the different methods there are simple and complex notes. This video does an awesome job at explaining the different methods as well as how not everyone will use the same ones. The most complex in my opinion would be the Cornell notes. These notes take advantage of all the paper space and lead the thought process by dividing the notes into categories or subtopics and asking questions to steer your learning forward. The simplest would most likely be an outline which uses main points and supporting details to each. The most scattered to follow would be a map. A map is good when you are linking all your information to one main point but can get scattered without the explanation of any of the links. Writing sentences/bullet points would be just repeating everything the instructor has stated. This can cause issues when it comes to the amount of time it uses up as well as not differentiating between important information and filler information.
Though there are distinct differences in all of these methods, not everyone is going to use just one. The best notes come from a mixture of several different methods and making them work for you! In this video I learned that I mostly use just one method which is the outline method. One fault in this method is that I do not include a lot of details in my notes. Sometimes the smaller details that I exclude can involve something as simple as what ties the section together. In the future I plan to try and incorporate more of the Cornell method in my notes to help with my studying. I like the idea of asking a question on the margin to encourage thought on the main points.
Hopefully this week’s post wasn’t too confusing! I know that note taking can be a boring subject but can be crucial in the success of a student. I have always been one to not put much thought into my notes and just re-read them when it comes to studying for texts or exams. Hopefully by incorporating other methods it will make the studying process a lot smoother and I will retain more information before actually having to study! Good luck with your notes everyone and let me know if you have any questions or advice as well!