How to take notes effectively is something that all students constantly struggle with. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of taking notes on everything you read until you have practically rewritten the textbook. Not only is this incredibly time consuming, but it often doesn’t make the material any easier to learn.

Below, I have listed a few ideas that I have found to be helpful in my own studies.

Suggested Note Taking Tips

(1) Prioritise!
While you will probably need to read the whole of each Learner Guide/Workbook included in your course, you will probably not want to write detailed notes from each section.

Some students find it useful to begin by reading the contents page of a book and marking different sections with, for example:

- ‘Must Know (MK)’, ‘Should Know (SK)’, and ‘Could Know(CK)’
or alternatively
- ‘Essential (E)’, ‘Important(I)’, and ‘Useful(U)’

What we might be considered ‘Must Know’/ ‘Essential’ information will vary slightly for each student, but will probably include:
a) Any topics related to the assignment questions at the back of your learner guide
b) Any information you feel you can directly apply in your current workplace or at home
c) Information on particular skills you are keen to obtain or develop further
d) Any topics you have a special interest in, either because of your future career goals or for more personal reasons

Clearly, you should write your most detailed notes from the ‘Must Know’/ ‘Essential’ information. Then depending on the time available, you might only decide to read, highlight, or note a few key points in the margins of the less important sections.

(2) Use the Practice Activities
Another note-taking strategy is to use the practice exercises and questions included throughout many Learner Guides to direct you to the most critical material.
For example:
a) Start by quickly reading over a section of text to get a feel for the subject.
b) Then, after reading the practice questions at the end of the section, go back, find and highlight answers to specific questions in the text one by one.
c) Finally, read over the whole section again more slowly. You will be amazed at how much more you can take in and remember, after doing the practice tasks.

(3) Use Reading Questions
As suggested in the ‘Study Tips’ Student Orientation Email at http://www.thomsoneducationdirect.com.au/index.cfm?id=450 and elsewhere, before reading a section of a book, you should write one or two questions to guide your reading.

For example, if the section title is ‘Anti-social behaviour’, you might write
a) ‘What kind of things does anti-social behaviour include?’ and
b) ‘What causes antisocial behaviour?’

These questions can guide both your reading and note taking, as you highlight and record points under each question.

(4) Categories (e.g. For and Against)
While you are thinking of reading questions, it may also occur to you that you could write notes under different category headings.

For example:
a) If you are about to read a section entitled ‘Helping Children Master Language’, you could record notes under the headings ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’, or ‘Advantages’ and ‘Disadvantages’

Or

b) For a section entitled ‘Feeding Pets’, your categories might be ‘Cats’, ‘Dogs’, ‘Birds’, ‘Fish’ and ‘Other’

(5) Concept Maps/Mind Maps
Taking the idea of key categories a step further, some students like to organise their notes around ‘Concept Maps’ (Sometimes called ‘Mind-Maps’).
In a concept-map the main ideas around a topic are written on a single sheet of paper. Lines are then drawn between the words to show how the ideas are linked.

To start a simple concept map you might write the largest/broadest idea in the centre of the page. This might be connected by lines to four smaller ideas. For example, the broad concept Methods of Training might be connected to three subtopics, Classroom Training, Workplace Training and Computer-based Training.

Each of these sub-topics in turn might each be connected to 3 related ideas. For example, Computer-based Training might be linked to Tests & Assessments, Discussion Forums, and Online Resources.
You can then write points under each of these topics.

One advantage of a concept map is that you can build it as you read. They are also great for revision, since at a glance they prompt you to remember all of the key areas in a topic and where facts fit in relation to one another.

(6) Don’t write it if you can draw it!
The old saying ‘A picture paints a thousand words’ is very true when it comes to study.

Many things including instructions for using machines, and remembering parts of the human body are easier to learn when presented by a picture with labels, rather than lots of dot points.

For revision, some students write labels on small slips of paper and test themselves by seeing if they can attach the right word to the correct picture or part of a picture. Other students try to match words and pictures prepared on flash cards.

Finally
Remember what works for one person will not work for others, and the same techniques are not equally useful for all topics and texts, so I suggest you try a few of these and decide what works best for you.

A great book to buy on note taking skills is ‘Score More – Essential Academic Skills for Tertiary Education’ (See below).

I hope you have found some of these ideas to be useful.
If you have other ideas on note taking techniques which you have found to be successful, I would encourage you to share them with us here.

Happy Studying!!

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Recommended Reading
Ed. Adams, P., Openshaw, R., and Trembath, V. (2006). Score More – Essential Academic Skills for Tertiary Education. Melbourne: Thomson Dunmore Press.