Note taking is an effective way of retaining valuable information that you cannot afford to forget. It is a rewarding skill that we start to learn from our students’ lives and it stays with us when we enter our professional lives. In other words, note taking is an integral part of our lives and this is why various note taking methods are in use today. From the Outline method, the Cornell Method to the Charting Method of note taking, you can find a number of useful methods to help you keep track of the important information in an organized manner. Which one of these methods is the best entirely depends on the information you are trying to write, your style, and the free time you have.
In this article, we will discuss the best note taking practices that can help make your life easier.
1. The Outline Method
The Outline Method is one of the simplest yet most organized methods of taking notes in a clear hierarchy. In fact, you might have been using this method since your school years without even realizing it. This method is equally effective for taking notes on paper or digital note taking apps. With the help of this method, you can break down the information in a structural manner and differentiate each set of information by adding more and more indentations to the left as you move from a generalized outline to more specific information.
Here is how you can organize your content using this method:
- Start writing the main topic from the left side of the page.
- Add indentation to the left while writing the subtopics.
- Add more indentations to the left while writing down thoughts, facts, ideas, or questions related to the subtopics.
You might struggle in the beginning to make an organized layout, but you will learn to add proportionate indentation with practice and create neat and presentable notes.
2. The Charting Method of Note Taking
The Charting Method of note taking is one of the highly organized note taking methods. It is especially useful to make notes of the lectures that include factual information and statistical data. With the help of this method, you can make structured notes by dividing the information into columns and rows and creating a visual representation of the content in the form of tables and charts.
This is how this note taking method works:
- Pinpoint the main topics of the lecture you are going to attend.
- Draw columns and rows on your notebook.
- Give each column a main heading or a keyword.
- Write the relevant information under each keyword.
The Charting Method is highly useful for subjects that include facts and statistics, such as maths, science, social studies, etc. It also provides an excellent means to turn your data into questions, revise this information at a glance, and memorize it easily. However, this note taking method is not much helpful in case you need to write long paragraphs. Plus, you will need to know the topic and outline of your lecture beforehand.
3. The Cornell Method
The Cornell Method, somewhat similar to the Outline Method, is a widely used note-taking methods that Cornell University developed in the 1950s. By employing the Cornell Method, you can highlight the main points and have the freedom to organize your content in a more detailed manner.To work with this method, you will need to divide your paper into three distinct sections:
- A right narrow section
- A left, much wider section
- And a bottom summary section
The right section, known as “cue,” allows you to write your main questions and ideas. One way to make use of this section is to leave it blank during the lecture and fill it in once the lecture is completed.
The wider note section is where you write a detailed explanation of the main ideas and questions. Although this section is for explaining the main cues, still you will need to be careful to use headings and bullet points where needed to summarize the points efficiently.
As it is evident from the name, the bottom summary section is to write an overall, summary of the lecture. Make this summary simple and as short as possible to make your notes easier to review. With Yaayplanners, you will find some well designed cornell notebook templates which can be used with GoodNotes, Notability and other digital notes-taking apps.
4. The Mapping Method
The Mapping Method, also known as the Mind Mapping Method, of note taking is your go-to method if you are working on complex ideas and interrelated topics. The mapping method creates a map that connects different topics and sub-topics using arrows to show a connection between them. In addition, you can also include brief details of your lecture under every sub-topic.
Here is how you can use this method of note-taking:
- Start with the main idea and write it in the center of the page.
- Create branches off this central idea using arrows or simple lines moving away from the main topic.
- Make sure you effectively use the space to cover all your main points. This is something you will get better at with practice.
The Mapping Method can be used for subjects like chemistry and philosophy.
5. The Sentence Method
The Sentence Method, also referred to as the Line method, is a widely adopted note-taking methods used in fast-paced lectures where capturing important points quickly is essential. Known for its simplicity, the Sentence Method is among the most popular note-taking methods. However, this particular method lacks structure.
Here is how you can use this method:
- Use a lined paper to write down ideas, questions, or the important points that come up in the lecture.
- Start each sentence from the left side of the paper.
- Move to the next line for the next sentence.
- Use numbers to start each sentence.
This is an easy method of writing notes in chronological order. However, this note taking method is not well-structured and is not a good option for reviewing important information when needed.
Conclusion
Taking notes is an important part of almost everyone’s life. Whether you are a student or working in an office, you will need to note down important tasks, thoughts, or reminders every now and then. This is the reason, tens of note taking methods exist today. Each of these methods varies in terms of layout, amount of information, lack or presence of bullet points, etc. Every method is useful in its own way and you can choose the one that suits your needs and liking. However, you might need to experiment with more than one method before you find the one that works best for you.