Most if not all students resort to taking notes when it comes to gathering information from books, videos, podcasts, and lectures. It can be said that note-taking is a great way to organize one’s ideas, reflections, and points of interest and importance. If done properly, notes can be a great tool to maintain one’s focus and engagement in important information. Which in turn can help individuals notice and analyze the important details in various informational resources.
Table of Contents:
Advantages of Note-taking
Disadvantages of Note-taking
Advantages of Note-taking
Note-taking is essentially a great way to record and organize both the information given and the conclusions made. As an individual learns to organize their ideas into concise structures, they will be able to think of conclusions, see mistakes, and maybe find inspiration to draw deeper connections. These features make note-taking a great way to create accessible study materials for both yearlong and pre-exam revisions. Since most students tend to organize their thoughts according to their preferences and understanding, rereading the notes becomes more meaningful and effective.
Note-taking, in the words of Jens Getreu’s blog’s article on minimalist note-taking, is a rather uniquely personal and “intimate” act. While two individuals may be taking their notes on the same topic, what they write differs in the style that corresponds with one’s way of perceiving information. This is why some may benefit from gathering information using specific techniques which while comfortable for them, may confuse and stress out another person.
For instance, many of my friends and teachers recommended that I start taking the “Cornell notes”, and when I did, it not only made me disoriented but also wholly took away my focus from the tasks towards graphing the lines and organizing my writing to follow the pattern. This is to say that while it may have benefited many individuals with proven results, it prevented me from achieving similar results.
Disadvantages of Note-taking
The University of North Carolina argues that thoughtful note-taking enhances one’s active listening, understanding, and recall of the material whether from classes, reading, or video resources. Moreover, they state that on-point notes can help students significantly reduce the time they spend rewatching and pausing videos.
While thoughtful note-taking benefits one’s studies, mindless copying can greatly affect one’s performance. Why? Think of it this way, if someone was to write their notes while asking deep questions, drawing conclusions, and (after class perhaps) doing further research their understanding and comprehension would simultaneously grow much stronger. Mindful note-taking helps people build network connections between new and past information creating an inner mind map. This sort of knowledge is much more accessible and valuable compared to copied words of somebody else be it a teacher, book author, or a video scriptwriter.
In conclusion, note-taking is a great tool to enhance one’s studies; however, it should be personalized to one’s liking in order to make the information more meaningful and fun. There is no doubt that we have to be conscious and serious when it comes to our education, but we have to keep in mind that it is also just as important that we make the process more enjoyable for ourselves in order to avoid burnout. So, next time you write things down get your favorite pencils, pens, highlighters, decorative tapes, and post-it notes – and make it creative!
See you next week!
Nadiia
Resources:
“Effective Note-Taking in Class.” Learning Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 26 July 2022, learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/#:~:text=Good%20note%2Dtaking%20will%20improve,what%20you%20hear%20and%20see.
“Note Taking for Minimalists.” Jens Getreu’s Blog - Note Taking for Minimalists, blog.getreu.net/20210317-note-taking-for-minimalists/. Accessed 23 Aug. 2023.
“Taking Notes While Reading.” Learning Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 6 June 2022, learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/taking-notes-while-reading/#:~:text=The%20importance%20of%20good%20notes,note%20taking%20and%20reading%20skills.
Comments