Note-Taking
Why Taking Great Notes Matters
Effective notes are a crucial part of your academic success. Many of the benefits of great notes come from the actual process of writing them. Borrowed notes are no substitute for being there and taking them yourself. You can learn to take notes in a way that will help you learn more, remember more, and improve your grades.
Finding the Right Note-Taking Style
One of the most important skills for taking great notes is to find the right note-taking style to suit both you and the material being covered. You can even use a mixture of styles as the lectures changes.
Outline Style Notes
- Outline style notes are best for material that is given in a very organized manner.
- For more information, see this example of Outline style notes.
Cornell Style Notes
- Cornell notes give you a great reference for quizzing yourself before a test.
- They also give you a short summary of each page’s notes for quick review.
- For more information, see this example of Cornell style notes and check out how to take Cornell style notes.
Mind Map / Concept Map Notes
- Concept map or minding mapping notes could be used to visually illustrate the relationship of concepts within a chapter
- This method can also be useful to create a brief overview of a video shown in class.
- For more information, see this example of Map style notes and check out how to take Mind Map notes and how to take Concept Map notes.
Tips for Taking Great Notes