Jordan Peterson: Don't Take Notes During Lecture!

Summary

In this insightful discussion, the speaker shares valuable strategies for effective note-taking, emphasizing the importance of active listening during lectures and reflective reading techniques. Instead of passively highlighting or underlining text, the speaker advocates for reading a few paragraphs, closing the book, and then writing down your thoughts and reflections. This approach encourages deeper understanding and strengthens memory retention by attaching multiple memory hooks to new information. By practicing recall rather than simple recognition, students can internalize complex concepts and integrate them into their knowledge base for easier retrieval in the future.

Takeaways

• 😀 Don't take notes during a lecture. Focus on listening and understanding first, then take notes afterward to reinforce memory.
• 😀 Listening to the lecture before taking notes forces you to actively engage and think about the material, enhancing retention.
• 😀 This note-taking method works well for certain disciplines, especially in lectures where the material builds on concepts and ideas.
• 😀 Avoid highlighting or underlining while reading books. This is seen as unproductive and not conducive to deep understanding.
• 😀 Instead of highlighting, read a section, close the book, and then think about what you've learned, reinforcing it in your mind.
• 😀 Writing down your thoughts after reading is key to integrating the material into your memory and understanding.
• 😀 The process of remembering is improved when you reflect on the material and try to connect it with other ideas you already know.
• 😀 To remember complex material, attach multiple memory hooks or connections to each concept you learn.
• 😀 Recall is the ability to spontaneously remember information, which is more effective than recognition (e.g., picking out the correct answer from a list).
• 😀 Practicing recalling information rather than relying on recognition helps solidify your understanding and ability to retrieve knowledge.
• 😀 Reformulate what you learn in your own words when note-taking, as this ensures you internalize and truly understand the material.

Q & A

Why is it advised not to take notes during a lecture?

It's recommended not to take notes during a lecture because doing so can distract you from fully listening and understanding the material. The speaker suggests focusing on listening and absorbing the content during the lecture and taking notes afterward to reinforce your memory.

What is the benefit of taking notes after a lecture instead of during it?

Taking notes after the lecture forces you to recall the information, which helps strengthen your memory and understanding. This process of active recall aids in retaining the material more effectively than just passively writing during the lecture.

What is the speaker’s stance on highlighting or underlining while reading books?

The speaker believes that highlighting or underlining is ineffective and constitutes 'pseudo work.' Instead, they suggest reading the material, closing the book, and then trying to recall and write down what you remember in your own words to truly understand and retain the content.

What method does the speaker recommend for taking notes from books?

The speaker advises reading a few paragraphs, closing the book, and then recalling and writing down what you remember in your own words. This method helps reinforce memory and understanding by making you process and internalize the material.

How does the speaker manage to recall complex ideas during lectures?

The speaker attributes their ability to recall complex ideas to the practice of thinking critically about the material. They engage with the content by questioning it, relating it to other ideas they know, and considering its significance, which creates multiple 'memory hooks' for easier recall.

What is the difference between recall and recognition, according to the speaker?

Recall is the active process of remembering something complex, and it's a deeper form of memory retrieval. Recognition, on the other hand, is easier and involves identifying something familiar. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recall for truly understanding and retaining information.

Why is it important to relate new information to existing knowledge?

Relating new information to existing knowledge is crucial because it creates 'memory hooks' that make the new material easier to remember. This approach not only enhances retention but also helps in synthesizing and understanding the information more deeply.

What is the advantage of summarizing material in your own words?

Summarizing material in your own words helps ensure that you understand the content deeply. By rephrasing the material, you are actively engaging with it, reinforcing your memory, and creating personal connections to the material, which makes it easier to remember.

What does the speaker mean by 'practice remembering' when it comes to learning?

By 'practice remembering,' the speaker means that actively recalling information from memory strengthens your ability to retain and understand the material. This practice of recall helps make the information more accessible and integrated into your long-term memory.

What is the overall strategy for learning that the speaker recommends?

The speaker recommends a strategy of 'read, think, write.' The process involves reading the material, reflecting on it, and then writing down your thoughts and what you remember in your own words. This method promotes deeper understanding, active engagement, and better retention of the material.