The Art Of Note Making

It’s no secret that the process of note making is an art in itself. I’ve said this numerous times before but notes have been the ultimate lifesavers in my school experience and I presume they will continue to. This post is completely devoted to note-making. Specifically diving into basic points you should keep in mind while jotting them down and how you can make your notes more organised and cogent.

Few Things To Remember While Making Notes:

1. Shorten And Simplify. It is impossible to note down every single thing that happens in the class. Don’t write everything down, write what’s important and shorten it all up. You don’t have to write long sentences. Take notes with complete thoughts but abbreviate, diminish and simplify
2. Keywords. Make sure you write down the keywords. Specific subjects require the application of particular words, make sure you don’t miss out on them.
3. Clarity. Make your notes clear and readable. At times, we’ll often write in a hurry, but when we come back to those notes it’s almost impossible to read them. Even if your notes aren’t organised make sure they are readable at least to you, that way you can come back and organise them later.
4. Symbols. Develop your own set of symbols for your convenience. Symbols refer to something as simple as highlighting, underlining or circling something. Simple figures that support your understanding of the content.
5. Be Creative! You have the ultimate independence! You are absolutely free to make your notes creative. Make it colourful using highlighters or markers. You could even add some stick pads on for additional information. Anything really!

Different Strategies You Can Make Use Of:

Below are some strategies you can use to make your notes more organized and presentable. The following are simply a number of templates that obviously differ depending on the kind of information you are trying to present. The kind of template you want to make use of to organize your notes is your call.

• List

A simple list is a cohesive way to put down information. Writing more about a specific category or topic in detail in bullet points is a perfectly good way to organise data. Lists are particularly useful when you need to note down specific features or characteristics of a concept or even when you are trying to explain something using keywords or small phrases.

• Mindmapping

Mindmapping is a particularly useful method when it comes to noting down little details about something. One element that makes this method extremely effective that mindmaps mimic your brain processing, which will definitely help you absorb the information much better. Mindmaps are recommended when it comes you’re brainstorming on a certain topic when you’re in the thought process of the same. Mind maps have a very simple layout, the topic in a bubble in the centre, with your information branching out from the centre-most node.

• Tables

Tables serve as a much more aligned form of displaying information. Tables are quite handy when you’re comparing two things or when you’re displaying statistic or certain values. A simple table would work perfectly too, or you could make a much larger one, storing all the data. Tables are highly recommended in areas where you have to be precise and organised.

• Timescale

Timescales are mostly confined to mapping down specific dates or arranging information in chronological order. A simple stretched line in the middle with arrows coming out explaining the event is sufficient. Personally, when it comes to arranging information in a successive order my prime go-to is a timescale.

• Concept Map

A concept map is much similar to a mindmap however a concept map is more branched out. A mindmap consists of only basic ideas (usually) while concept maps include detailed information put together in the form of keywords. Instead of information being encased in boxes, information rests on simple lines in concept maps. The major differentiated between a mindmap and concept map is the amount of information you have to present on it. If the information is more detailed and heavy, a concept map is a better option.

• Formula Sheets

If I were, to be honest, formula sheets are a must when it comes to nothing down formulas. Formulas are most effective on a formula sheet, a place where you’ve collected all the necessary formulas. It is recommended to add an explanation and an example with them, just to make everything more clear. There is no better way to present formulas than a formula leaf.

That was some advice on note-making from my side. If you have some more techniques you like to use while making notes, do take a minute to pop them in the comments below!