3 effective note-taking methods

 

Research has shown that approximately 60% of information is forgotten within 9 hours. Let’s apply that statistic to high school - if you have Biology class on Monday, you forget 60% of what you learned in that class by your following class on Tuesday. Multiply that by all your subjects in a day. Yikes! That’s a lot of lost information, unless you make notes during class that is… 

 

Taking notes in class improves memorisation. In addition, note taking also promotes active listening, provides a framework for revision and improves overall understanding. 

 

Makes sense to devise an effective note-taking method for you, don’t you think? 

 

There is no correct way to take notes - but here are 3 effective note-taking methods. 

 

3 effective note-taking methods:

 

• Outline Method – Use headings, subheadings, bullet points of information and indentations to assist with the differentiation of details. Ideal for taking notes from written material or a lecture.

 

• Cornell Method – Take a lined piece of paper and rule the page so it has two vertical columns and one horizontal line about one third from the bottom. The vertical column on the right is for taking notes, the column on the left is for identifying key concepts or ideas from the notes and the section down the bottom is a space to summarise the main information from the notes. Click here to see examples. Ideal for summarising from lectures and texts books by encouraging a demonstration of content knowledge.

 

• Mapping Method – Ideas are visually connected in a non-linear manner. Click here to see examples. Ideal for comprehending complex content. 

 

Improve memory and retain more information by applying these 3 effective note-taking methods during class.  

 

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