How to Take Good Notes in College (Best Methods)
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There are ample ways to prepare notes while studying but students generally struggle more about finding the best way to take notes in College that aligns with their pattern of studying. Taking down notes is a technique that helps students comprehend the difficult topics in an easy and understandable manner quicker. While pursuing higher education, effectively prepared notes can make a huge difference in the students’ academic life where they struggle between barely passing the exam and having an in-depth understanding of the subject.
Taking notes during the lecture helps the students focus and understand the main concept of the subject. It is a vital factor that aids the students’ academic success. Wondering about what is the best way to take notes in College? Dive into this blog to know more about the best way to take notes in College that can be helpful for preparing effective notes.
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Top 7 Note-Taking Methods for College Students
Note-taking during College lectures is quite different from what students use to prepare during their Schools. Thus, it is important for the students to apply certain strategies in order to prepare concise and easy to understand notes.
Here are some best ways to take notes in College that will help the students in making their learning process easier:
1. Use Abbreviation & Symbols
Using abbreviations allows students to take notes more quickly and it can be used to save space & time, and avoid repetition of long words and phrases. This technique allows one to focus on the topic which is more important rather than being stuck in elaborated details. Use common abbreviations like ‘imp’ for ‘important’, ‘info’ for ‘information’, etc.
Use symbols like ‘↑↑’ for ‘increase’, ‘↓↓’ for ‘decrease’, and so on. This is the one of the best ways to take notes in College as it ultimately helps students in saving time, and avoid clutter & repetition of long words.
2. Charting Method
The charting method is a systematic note-taking technique that classifies information into charts. In this method, the information is presented in a clear and concise manner that can be ideal for comparing facts & statistics. This technique certainly helps to clearly differentiate between varied topics through visual evaluation itself.
This can be considered as one of the best note taking methods for College students while they are learning a technical / biological process or for summarising the series of information in a structured way, especially during history lessons.
3. The Outlining Method
In the outline method, each section starts with a heading of the main topic followed by each sub-topic written below the heading. Through this method, the notes look more organised and it simplifies the connection between topics and subtopics. This can be one of the best ways to take notes in College for students studying complex and comprehensive topics so that they can properly understand the flow of the same.
4. The Mapping Method
The mapping method involves visual representation using diagrams to represent the relation between different ideas. This method is more useful for a visual learner. It can be used to understand the sub-parts of an individual topic. This technique helps the students to remember and connect various concepts, and for organising complex and inter-linked information.
5. Be an Active Listener
Active listening is a practice of diligently listening to the lecturer and processing information that is being imparted. By focusing on the speaker students are less likely to get distracted by unnecessary thoughts during the lecture.
Active listening enhances the students’ ability to effectively write notes. This method also helps the students to understand the concept more deeply, making it easier to grasp the main theme of the subject. Thus, this is one of the best ways to take notes in College that boosts the productivity & intellect of the students.
6. Colour Code Method
Still confused to decide which is the best way to take notes in College? Try using the Colour Code Method in which coloured pens, highlighters, sticky notes, etc. are used to highlight keywords, definitions, examples, and so on. Using a limited set of colours helps avoid confusion and make the notes easy to understand. For example, by incorporating this method, students can easily categorise the information.
As a result, this method being one of the best ways to take notes in College makes the notes more presentable. Also, the process of learning beocmes more interesting for the students. It allows them to remember the important subject matter in an easy manner.
7. Boxing Method
Boxing method include separating the topics into separate boxes. Students wondering about how to take good notes in College that helps them remember concepts can try using this method. This is the one of the easiest and the best way to take notes in College that is also very effective during revision. Additionally, visual learners can take utmost benefit of this method because it is easy to focus on one box at a time.
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How to Choose the Best Way to Take Notes in College?
The course material, lecture, speed and the student’s way of grasping all these things have a huge impact on the note-taking technique. The mapping method can be more appealing to visual learners, whereas the charting or outline method may be more useful for learning complex subjects.
Determining the best way to take notes in College can be tricky but is not impossible. Students can try different types of methods and choose what suits their learning style. For example, combining two methods such as charting or the colour method can turn out to be a successful strategy. By such experimentations, students will ultimately get to know the best way to take notes in College that aligns with their studying pattern.
Conclusion
Through this blog students must have understood the importance of note taking and figured out the best way to take notes in College. As discussed above, they can use different methods like mapping, charting, outline, etc. to make it easier as per their personal preferences.
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Students are advised to include the preferred note-taking methods in their study plan to have a deeper understanding of the subject. Furthermore, they can try mixing different methods and determine what works best for them. With the help of these methods students can make their learning process simpler & more effective.
