Taking notes is a task that we usually do every day, although sometimes we don’t even realize it. After all, when we take note of the shopping list, the work we have to do, or that person we have to call, we are taking notes of what we want to remember or what we can’t forget. Surely there are many things we have to do; but not all of them are written down: we only point out those that we consider most important or those that require more attention at a given moment. Above all, we are aware of the time we have, and we know that we cannot do everything. That is why we make a selection.
Similarly, that is what you have to do when taking notes in class: learn to select the content presented. As you well know, in class the teacher talks about an infinity of things. Even in those remote cases where everything he says seems interesting to you, not everything can be written down, nor does it deserve to be.
Taking notes does not mean copying everything the teacher says. It is not a matter of transcribing his entire exposition; rather, the idea is to understand the information that is being considered and express what you understand on paper, or what is the same, select what is truly important; something that, without a doubt, will be very useful when you are studying and have to prepare for the exam of that particular subject. But how? How can you take good notes without missing any details? We tell you. Oh, and if you also want to know how to write a good essay, just visit an essay writer service online and get all the necessary information.
Listen Carefully To The Teacher
First of all, you must listen. Obviously, it is essential that you pay attention to the explanations that the teacher provides in class. Within the same topic, there are different sections. Some of them may be covered in greater depth than others. It is also possible that your teacher will skip over other sections as not relevant.
In addition, another aspect that you must take into account is the language that it uses. Look at expressions like “the main thing…”, “you must not forget…”, “the most important thing is…”, etc. So, listen carefully to the teacher, both what he talks about and how he talks about it, as it will help you determine what you should take good note of.
Understands What Is Said In Class
Well, based on what you hear, you should now understand. You must understand what the teacher is talking about. For example, imagine that in class the teacher is going to talk about cell biology. As the subject arouses a certain interest in you, that day you make an effort, if possible, to pay attention, to listen to it; however, if it’s the first time you’ve heard about it, you may not understand anything, and you’ll end up with a big headache. Hence the importance of understanding what you hear; since finally you will learn what you understand.
Therefore, it is essential that you understand how what the teacher is talking about is related to the subject you have to study. You must understand how it relates to the main theme; you must understand how it relates to the material you have studied in previous topics and understand why it is necessary to study it. Obviously, the better your understanding, the better your notes will be.
Write The Main Ideas
And finally, as you understand what the teacher is trying to explain to you, it is time to write. It is clear that if you try to write or write down everything the teacher says, very possibly the most important ideas will go unnoticed, which are those that we must take note of. Don’t focus on insignificant details.
Thus, once you understand what the teacher is talking about, you should be able to know what to write down. Write in your own words a summary idea of what is convenient for you to remember. Continuing with the example I was talking about before, imagine that, in previous courses, you already studied some cell biology topics. In that case, you will most likely be familiar with some of the ideas that will be taught and, therefore, you will be able to easily know what to write down. You will be able to extract the essence, the main idea, the one that will help you study.
