The Habit of Note-taking

Love it or hate it, note-taking is part of every student’s life. Textbooks and lessons are packed with so much information that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Note-taking is an effective solution to helping you cope with all that content! 

Why take notes? 

Effective notetaking can vastly shorten your revision time and help you remember better. 

Firstly, by making notes of what the teacher or textbook is saying, you make this information more personalized and easy-to-digest. This means you won’t have so much information to deal with when revising later, making it easier to pick up from where you’ve left off. It’s like saving computer games – better to continue your progress from a previously saved checkpoint rather than starting right from the beginning! 

Secondly, note-taking helps you get a better idea of the big picture. As you write notes, you survey all the available information and become better at making connections between ideas. You’ll also be able to figure out what topics or concepts are hardest to understand, and can get help from others (parents, tutors, peers, etc.) to strengthen knowledge of those areas. 

 

So how can you take effective notes? 

1. Rewrite ideas from textbooks/presentations in your own words, so they’re easier for you to understand. 

2. Take notes in the style that suits you best, whether it’s mind maps for visual learners, or voice recordings for those who learn better by listening. Regardless of style, most learners find the Cornell note-taking technique most effective – by splitting notes into three parts, with keywords on the left, main content on the right, and a summary at the bottom. 

3. Don’t squeeze too much information at one shot! One sentence should only express one idea. 

4. Keep sentences short and simple! Using numbered lists can help keep thoughts focused. 

Tuition can help students improve by focusing on weaker areas. If you take notes, you’ll be able to ask tutors more specific questions and gain more relevant feedback in the areas you want to improve in. 

At Cudy, we offer online tuition in Singapore. We believe in helping you manage your time better to become a stronger and smarter student. With our livestreaming technology and personalised dashboard, we offer you flexible and convenient tuition options that you can customize for your specific needs. Find out more at www.cudy.co!