College life presents a variety of unique challenges and learning experiences. However, one of the major issues that new college students face is adjusting to the open-ended lecture courses. As a result, many of them struggle to make notes during their lectures. If you are looking for ways to take notes, read on to discover the best note-taking tips for your college life.
Effective tips for notes organization for college students
Take a look at these best notes-taking practices to set up yourself for greater academic success:
1. Consider the best strategy for yourself:
Since understanding and learning concepts may differ for every student, it is vital to consider the best strategy for yourself to take notes that will help you retain everything. The two popular strategies to take notes in college are with a pen and paper, or digital. While handwritten notes make it easy for students who are vulnerable to digital distractions, it is time-consuming. In contrast, making digital notes is faster, efficient and makes it easy to organize for later study. You can also back up, share and get access to your digital notes.
2. Keep your notes short:
It is always tempting to note down every word your lecturer utters. But in the process, you might not focus on important details.
Therefore, it would be better if you keep your notes short, concise and to the point. It is important to only focus on the new concepts and factual information. Don’t note down what you already know since it might consume your time and may prove counterproductive.
3. Get organized:
If you have a habit of creating disorganized notes, quit it already. Disorganized notes are a nightmare to study during tests and exams. You might end up getting more confused. Make sure you have a proper application or a software to keep all your notes in one place. If you are taking notes on a paper, it would be best to keep individual notebooks for each class, scan your notes and save them digitally so that you never lose them.
4. Use visual elements:
Enhance your notes by adding visual elements, colors and art. You can even take a picture of a difficult presentation instead of noting down a number of key points to understand the presentation. While using a note taking application, you can attach these photos directly with your notes.
5. Review your notes:
It is also important to revisit your notes and review them. While revising your notes, you can figure out your misconceptions and ask for clarity from your teachers or friends. Reviewing notes also helps you to keep all the new concepts fresh so you don’t have to cram them just a night before your exams.
Call to Action:
If you are planning to make digital notes, Illu notes can help you take, edit and share your notes during your lectures and presentations. Make sure to visit their flexible subscription plan and keep your notes at your fingertips!