What to avoid

Wrong sized paper

Don't use small notepads or odd sized paper.

Always use A4 sized paper.

If some notes are on small notepaper, they cannot be filed along with A4 notes.

In such cases, take the trouble to copy them out onto A4 pages.

You are more likely to get your notes mixed up if they are written on the wrong sized paper.

Too much information

Don't record too much information.

Quantity does not equal quality when you are taking notes.

Record only the main points, plus selected examples or important details.

The value of your notes is measured by the quality of your analysis and discrimination.

If you record too much you might as well take a photocopy!

Too little information

Don't forget to do the work of summarising and recording.

Some people get absorbed in a lecture or a book - but then discover that they have only written two or three topic headings.

In order to makes efficient notes, you must pay attention to both the subject and your objectives.

Missing key points

You might miss the main points if too much detail is recorded.

Detailed points can occupy too much space.

Don't let the details swamp the key issues.

Listen or think carefully, then make a note of only the most important ideas.

Illegibility

Record your comments as clearly as possible.

Leave 'white space' on the page around each entry.

Don't write on every line, and don't write continuous prose.

Taking care over good layout will make your notes more useful later.

Poor labelling

Highlight the important issues.

Use emphasis, capital letters, boxes, or coloured ink.

Clear labelling will help you to see the structure of the material.

Don't write continuous prose.

Too much of original text

Don't waste your time copying out long quotations.

Having too much of the original means that you have not digested the material.

What this means is as follows:

• You have not translated it into your own terms.
• You have not 'processed' the material.
• You have probably not extracted the main argument.

Poor layout

Let the ideas breathe and stand clear of each other.

Use plenty of 'white space' around your text.

Good page page layout will help you to see the overall scheme of the information.

It might even help you to remember it.

Poor storage

Keep separate folders for different subjects.

Use ring binders and all the simple devices of dividers and numbered pages to store your material.

Efficient storage will eventually save you time.