How I take notes - Tips for neat and efficient note taking | Studytee

Summary

In this video, the creator shares an updated method for effective note-taking, combining lecture and textbook notes. The process starts with skimming lecture topics a day before and jotting down key concepts. During lectures, grid paper and erasable pens are used for neatness and flexibility. The creator emphasizes having an organized system, using colored pens for key terms, and incorporating diagrams after lectures for better understanding. Reviewing and refining notes soon after lectures, using abbreviations, and creating brief summaries are also highlighted to enhance study efficiency. Viewers are encouraged to find a personalized system that works best for them.

Takeaways

• 📚 Prepare for lectures by skimming through the topics and writing down key words as a checklist.
• 📝 Use grid paper for neat and organized notes with narrower spacing for small handwriting.
• 📂 Prefer loose leaf paper over notebooks to avoid spirals and easily store notes in a binder.
• ✏️ Utilize erasable pens like Pilot FriXion for writing and Uniball Signo for extra colors to keep notes clean.
• 📋 Create a margin for extra space and follow a consistent system for organizing notes with paragraphs, bullet points, and arrows.
• 🖍️ Highlight important terms with a colored pen to easily identify key concepts during revision.
• ⏱️ Save time by using abbreviations but ensure you remember their meanings.
• 🖼️ Leave space for diagrams during lectures and draw them later for more detail and understanding.
• 🔄 Review notes after lectures to draw diagrams, check the checklist, and add any missing information.
• 🖍️ Use a highlighter to emphasize important points and write brief summaries at the bottom of the page for quick revision.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is an updated method of taking notes for lectures and textbooks during university, combining efficiency and neatness.

What does the speaker do the day before the lecture to prepare for note-taking?

The speaker skims through the topics for the upcoming lecture and writes down key words on a piece of paper as a checklist to ensure all central topics and concepts are included in the notes.

What type of paper does the speaker prefer for taking notes during lectures?

The speaker prefers using grade paper for notes due to the grid support for neatness and organization, and the narrower spacing which is suitable for small handwriting.

Why does the speaker prefer loose leaf paper over notebooks?

The speaker prefers loose leaf paper because it avoids the inconvenience of a spiral binding and allows for easy organization in a binder after the notes are finished.

What kind of pens does the speaker recommend for note-taking and why?

The speaker recommends erasable pens, specifically Pilot FriXion 0.5 millimeter pens for writing, and other FriXion pens for coloring, along with Uniball Signo erasable pens for extra colors, as they allow for easy correction of mistakes without crossing out or using whiteout.

How does the speaker organize the content within the notes?

The speaker uses a system of starting a new paragraph for each concept, bullet points for additional information, arrows for short examples, and boxes for calculation examples and important information.

Why does the speaker use colored pens to write down important terms?

Using colored pens helps the speaker to easily identify the most important terms while skimming through notes during revision, and the process of changing pens and taking extra time to write these terms aids in remembering them.

What is the speaker's advice on using abbreviations while taking notes?

The speaker advises using abbreviations to save time, but emphasizes the importance of ensuring that they are memorable so as not to cause confusion later when reviewing the notes.

Why does the speaker recommend making space for diagrams during lectures but waiting to draw them after the lecture?

The speaker finds that drawing diagrams after the lecture allows for more detailed and understandable illustrations, ensuring that only diagrams relevant to the topics discussed are included, and also serves as a revision of the topic.

How does the speaker refine the notes after the lecture?

The speaker refines the notes by quickly reading through them, drawing diagrams, checking the checklist for completeness, adding any missing information, using the margin for additional details, and reading through the notes again to highlight important points.

What is the final step the speaker takes in the note-taking process?

The final step is writing a brief summary at the bottom of the page focusing on main ideas and difficult concepts, which can be used for quick revision before tests or exams.

Is there an optional step the speaker mentions for enhancing the appearance of notes?

Yes, the speaker mentions an optional step of taking a few minutes to make the notes look neater, such as changing the title or making subheadings fancier, but clarifies that this is not necessary and should not be felt as obligatory.