All About Taking Notes

When to Take Notes

Hey! We have a great idea. Why don’t you chronicle in painstaking detail every single moment you spend in a boring, confusing class? Why don’t you record it by hand so that you end up with cramps and calluses and blisters? And why don’t you (or your parents) spend thousands of dollars to so do? AWESOME!

Not that we’re bitter or anything, because note-taking in general is a really good idea. There’s no way you’ll remember what happened in every class session by the time you sit down to take the midterm or final. Many professors don’t lecture out of the textbook at all, but instead present new information, partially as a way of educating you as much as possible, and partially as a way to get you to attend class. Hey, they’re sneaky like that. So by taking notes, you’ll not only have a written record of this, but you’ll have to synthesize the information as you hear it and choose what the main points are.

Some people prefer to take handwritten notes, while others prefer to tote their laptops to class and use those. If you have a laptop, experiment and see what you prefer. One benefit of handwritten notes, however, is that it’s super-easy to design flow charts or graphs, or simply draw arrows to connect one concept to another. Laptops will allow you to record more info quickly, but are less versatile. Do what works for you -- you might even end up switching methods in different subjects.

When to Just Listen

If your professor is talking about something broad -- for instance, social trends in the late 19th century -- you might absorb more information just by sitting back and listening. Don’t obsess over recording every little detail, because you’ll end up focusing more on taking notes than really hearing what your professor is saying. You might want to try bringing a recorder to class and letting technology work for you.

Since many professors use PowerPoint presentations, you might want to ask if the presentation could be emailed to the entire class either before or after the session. That way, the burden of note-taking is eased, but you’re still getting all the relevant information. A lot of professors are happy to do this not only to save your hands from turning into gnarled claw (after all, that’s what we have video games for), but also because they do want you to pay attention and make eye contact like good, obedient, interested students should do.

Retyping Your Notes: Why You Should Do It

Retyping your handwritten notes is a great trick because it really forces you to read each word and idea. You’ll have to organize and pull together your thoughts. If you didn’t write down all of an idea, the night after class is a great time to finish recording it, while it’s still fresh in your mind. After all, if you don’t write it down now, what are the odds you’ll remember it in two weeks? Plus, once your notes are typed, pulling together a study guide for an exam will be a cinch.

The main point is, do what works for you. Sure, that advice works for pretty much everything in life, but after awhile, you’ll find a comfortable middle ground where you somehow take all those blisters and crampy fingers and turn them into A’s. And then you can get a good job after college and have a secretary who will write stuff down for you, and never have to worry about this crap again.