Notetaking Symbols

Summary

This video covers essential symbols to use when taking notes in English, which can help you keep up with faster speakers. While most people write at a slower pace than they speak, symbols offer a shorthand solution to capture information quickly. Common symbols include the ampersand for 'and,' the dollar sign for 'money,' and arrows to indicate increase or decrease. By learning and using these symbols, you can save time and make your notes more concise and manageable, especially in settings like college lectures.

Takeaways

• 😀 Note-taking symbols help condense information and keep up with fast-paced speech.
• ✍️ The ampersand (&) or plus sign (+) can replace 'and,' 'plus,' or 'with' in sentences.
• 💵 The dollar sign ($) symbolizes money, value, or cost, and double dollar signs indicate high expense.
• 🔁 The equal sign (=) means 'is' or 'equals,' while the unequal sign (≠) represents 'is not' or 'does not equal.'
• 📈 The greater than (>) and less than (<) symbols are used for comparisons like 'more than' or 'less than.'
• 🌊 The wavy equal sign (≈) stands for 'approximately' or 'about.'
• 📅 The at symbol (@) represents 'at,' commonly used for times and locations.
• 🏷️ The number sign (#) signifies 'number' or 'pound,' and can also highlight the ranking of something.
• ➡️ Arrows (→) denote leads to, causes, or results in, helping illustrate relationships.
• ❓ The question mark (?) indicates uncertainty or doubt about information.

Q & A

Why is it important to use symbols when taking notes?

Using symbols allows you to write faster, helping you keep up with a speaker's pace. The average person speaks at 150 words per minute, but most people can only write 5-20 words per minute. Symbols provide shortcuts to record key information more efficiently.

What is the purpose of the ampersand (&) and plus (+) symbols in note-taking?

Both the ampersand (&) and plus (+) symbols are used to mean 'and' or 'with.' For example, if someone says 'cheeseburger and fries,' you can shorten it using 'cheeseburger + fries' or 'cheeseburger & fries' in your notes.

How can the dollar sign ($) be used in note-taking?

The dollar sign ($) can represent money, value, or cost. For instance, if the note mentions something expensive, you could write '$$' to indicate a high cost. It simplifies recording financial or cost-related information.

What does the equal sign (=) represent in note-taking?

The equal sign (=) represents 'is' or 'equals.' It can replace forms of the verb 'to be' like 'am,' 'is,' 'are,' or 'was.' For example, 'Knowledge is power' can be shortened to 'Knowledge = power.'

What is the use of the unequal sign (≠) in notes?

The unequal sign (≠) is used to mean 'is not' or 'does not equal.' For example, 'Being rich does not equal being happy' can be shortened to 'Rich ≠ happy.'

How do the greater than (>) and less than (<) symbols help in note-taking?

The greater than (>) symbol means 'more than' or 'greater than,' while the less than (<) symbol means 'fewer than' or 'less than.' For instance, 'Texas population is greater than Florida' can be written as 'TX pop > FL pop.'

What does the approximately symbol (≈) mean in notes?

The approximately symbol (≈) means something is close but not exact. For example, 'Jeff Bezos's net worth is about 180 billion dollars' can be written as 'Bezos ≈ $180B.'

How is the at symbol (@) used in note-taking?

In notes, the at symbol (@) means a specific time or place. For instance, 'I work at 7 a.m.' can be written as 'Work @ 7 a.m.' It's different from its social media use, where it refers to tagging users.

What does the arrow (→) symbolize in note-taking?

The right-pointing arrow (→) means 'leads to' or 'causes.' For example, 'Smoking can cause lung cancer' can be shortened to 'Smoking → lung cancer.'

What is the function of the asterisk (*) in note-taking?

The asterisk (*) is used to highlight important or special information. It emphasizes something that needs attention, like in a to-do list: '* Get milk.'