Note making

NOTE MAKING 

Note making (also known as note-taking) is the practice of keeping the record from different sources. By taking notes, one can record the essence of the information, freeing their minds from having to recall everything. Notes are commonly drawn from a brief source, such as a lecture or an oral discussion at a meeting in which case the notes may be the only record of the event or from a long content. Note making is not just only about writing down everything you read or hear but also a process of synthesizing and reviewing ideas from your lectures or reading.

Common Methods Of Note Making

Few common Note making Methods are listed below.

• The Cornell Method

• The Outlining Method

• The Mapping Method

• The Charting Method

• The Sentence Method

Advantages of Note Making

Few advantages of note-making are as follows.

• It has great importance in exams or academic writing.

• It is a record of the main points of a meeting, lecture, or study for future use.

• It helps in keeping the information handy whenever we require it.

• Note making helps in recollecting and recalling the past events said or heard.

• It helps in understanding, concentrating, and provides a permanent record.

• The format helps a writer to go through bulky documents faster.

• It helps in understanding a concept easily, if the notes are in your own words.

• It helps to distinguish between the key points and details.

Note Making Format

A note making format involves the selection, analysis, summarization, and organization of information. There are different note-making formats. Let us make ourselves familiar with them.

1. Split Page Format (A narrative format of note-making method)

In this method, the page is divided into two columns. The first column had the standard notes. The second column will have a summary. This is the most common format to note down lecture notes.

2. Diagram or Pattern format (A visual note making format method)

In this method, the information is introduced by a diagram. Related ideas connect the main topic. This method is visually easier to understand.

3. Mind Map (A visual note making method)

Here, the main points and all the related points are presented through a map. It contains text and images both. For a clear understanding, the information is linked in the proper sequence.

4. Outline Format (A visual note making format method)

Here the information is presented as an outline. Proper titles and subtitles are numbered accordingly for this outline.

5. Question and Prompt Format (A visual method)

Here the main points are highlighted as a series of questions and appropriate answers. It helps in quickly revising the notes.

Strategies Of Note Making

The use of bullet points is something we commonly come across in various books. The basic idea behind this practice is providing a gist about something in a way that is not easily forgettable. The purpose of note-making is the same; to bring the focus of readers on the most significant information, leaving behind everything else. Now let us read about the strategies one must follow to make appropriate notes, point by point.

1. Heading/Subheading

To allot a short and best-understood heading and subheading, we need to go through the source content at least twice.

2. Content

Only write the most applicable content to make your notes truly accurate and also do not forget to include those important details that you think you will have a hard time recalling later.

3. Readability

There are a few tips that one can use to avoid any ambiguity to make the notes more catchy.

• Do not leave unnecessary spaces to avoid confusion.

• Make use of as many abbreviations as possible, but it should not come out as poor comprehension.

Three stages of note-making and they are as follows.

• Before note-making: Prepare by finding out what you need to know and the purpose of the meeting, reading, or lecture.

• During note-making: Note down the main ideas and keywords. Then techniques that work for you.

• After note-making: Reflect, review, and then set your notes.

OPTIONAL

Prepare yourself

To take effective notes, you should prepare for the lecture or reading. You should think about what you want to know, what the lecture or material is about, and how it is relevant to your own work.

If you are preparing for a lecture, you can start by reading your module handbook to find out what the lecture will be about and what the learning outcomes are. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with new ideas, terms or language by consulting recommended texts. Your tutor may have recommended some preparatory reading, and Wikipedia can also be helpful for an overview of unfamiliar topics. Consider how the lecture material relates to your assignments and identify the key points that you need to note down.

It might also help to review your notes from previous lectures so you can make connections between each lecture.

If you are preparing to read texts, ask yourself what you need to get from your reading. Do you need an overview, case studies and examples, definitions, or ideas and evidence to support your own argument?

The purpose of your reading will influence your reading technique as well as the way you take notes.