Advantages of notes

Learning

Taking notes helps you to learn and understand.

It will also help you to concentrate whilst studying.

Get into the habit of taking notes during all your study activities

• reading
• talks
• classwork
• experiments
• broadcasts

Understanding

Notes translate what you are studying into your own words.

This will help you to understand it and remember it.

You are processing and digesting the information.

You are also adding it to what you know already.

Assessing

Making a short note means you are assessing the information.

You are selecting the most important parts.

You are also spotting its key issues or ideas.

This is one reason why you don't need to record details.

Thinking

Taking notes will help you think about the subject.

Writing down one idea often produces ideas about another.

Taking notes produces a strong memory trace of details.

You are more likely to remember information if you have made a good set of notes.

Recording

A good set of notes also acts as a permanent record.

This will be useful when you are writing essays or revising for exams.

Reading the notes helps bring back the original experience.

Re-writing

You might even re-write your notes following a talk.

This allows you to produce a neater set of study materials for future use.

It also helps you to understand the subject.

Storage

Treat your notes with respect, and store them carefully.

Keep them in a folder or a ring binder.

Use separate folders or sections for different subjects.

They will be useful later for writing essays or revising for exams.