Hammer, Saw, Notes

A hammer, a saw, the notes you take for class: these are all tools. As tools, they are means to an end. Most people do not use a hammer for the sole purpose of hitting a nail; usually there is some end in mind, such as building a new fence or hanging a painting. Similarly, do not take notes for the sole purpose of writing down what your textbook or teacher is stating. Keep in mind the desired end, which is to learn the material being covered.

When you build a fence, do you just hammer one nail, and then another, and then another, until all of the sudden - magically- a fence is complete? No! You have a plan, perhaps a blueprint or an image in your mind. Before you start hammering nails and as you progress along, you are thinking about how the pieces relate. Where does this long piece of wood go? In relation, how about this smaller piece? Without the big picture in mind, you will probably end up with a bunch of boards nailed together, not an actual fence.

It is the same with note-taking. Before you start taking notes and as you progress along, you need to be thinking about the big picture. How does this note relate to what I wrote yesterday? The textbook says one thing and the teacher says another: how do these two pieces of information go together? You need to step back from your note-taking periodically to make sense of the "fence" taking shape. To use a different metaphor, what sort of image are your notes painting? What is the big picture? What does all this mean?

A carpenter that arbitrarily hammers nails without thinking about how the pieces relate will end up with one odd-looking and ineffective fence. Just the same, a student that takes notes without thinking about the big picture and meaning will not be able to learn and understand.

Reading, Notes, and PBJ

Reading your textbook is to taking notes as peanut butter is to jelly. That is, it is helpful to read your textbook and it is helpful to take notes in class. However, it is even better to combine your reading with your note-taking!

Reading your textbook and taking notes in class are not two separate activities. It can be helpful to link these two activities together - both before, during, and after class.

Before class, start a new page in your notebook. Write "Reading Notes" and the page numbers at the top of the page. Now, as you complete the assigned reading before class, write an outline of the main topics and headers of the reading. Also, write down a few definitions of key words (which will probably be in bold in your textbook.) You should be able to fit all of these notes on one page in your notebook.

During class, start a new page in your notebook. Write "Class Notes" and the current date at the top of your page. As the instructor teaches, listen for the main topics, headers, and key words that you wrote down before class. This will help you focus on the most important topics during lecture. Write down details in your class notes on these key topics. Also, write down details on any other topics that the instructor spends a lot of time on during class.

After class, review your class notes. Do you understand everything that you wrote down? If a concept or term is unclear, go back to your textbook to clarify.

This may sound like a lot of work, but is actually an effective and efficient study system. By connecting your readings and your notes both before, during, and after class, you focus your time and energies on the most important topics, concepts, and terms. The process of going back and forth between your textbook and your notes - making comparisons, reviewing the material, adding detail - is also an effective learning strategy.

Taking good notes

1. Use an organization system that works for you.
- Leave open spaces within your notes so that you have room to add details during review. The side column or bottom of the page often works well as an open space.
- Create relationships between the different topics within your notes: emphasize main points, use outlines or lists, use arrows or diagrams.

2. Capture the main idea, not every word.
- Do NOT try to write down everything that your instructor says.
- Write down key points, concepts, terms - you will fill in the details later.
- Listen actively to your instructor and try to understand what s/he is teaching.
- Ask questions when something is unclear.

3. Review and add to your notes immediately after class.
- Highlight, underline, or star main ideas that stand out as especially significant.
- Use your open space to fill in definitions, examples, and details.
- Write down any comments or questions and share them with your instructor.
- Some people find it helpful to rewrite and summarize their notes.