Writing notes (1 Viewer)

[ellebelle]

Why is it when i try and be a good little girl and write up notes to summarise my subject topics, my notes end 5 times the size of the textbook? (slight exaggeration but my point still remains)

How do you write helpful notes that still hold enough info without being the length of a thesis? I really seem to lack the skill.

 

[yr12]

write notes following the syllabus dot points. Don't drift off the subject (REALLY easy to do if you're not careful) and be concise. Don't spend three sentences explaining something that you could in one. Your not trying to impress anyone with your study notes, they are there to jog your memories. Save long winded explanations and flashy terminology for the exams.

 

[ballerinabarbie]

hahah u sound like me - i write notes on the syllabus dot points, but in subjects like chemistry - i have 26 pages of notes, for 2 topics... that means by the time i have done the other 2 i'll have 50 pages of notes to learn! ahhhhhhh
the thing is, all the stuff i write, i really do think i need, i mean it's all important stuff... hmmmmm i dunno

 

[kini mini]

Originally posted by ellebelle

How do you write helpful notes that still hold enough info without being the length of a thesis? I really seem to lack the skill.

When you write notes, you have to be brutal and strip out absolutely everything that isn't crucial . Try to explain concepts in your own words - if you find you end up endlessly qualifying your statements and blabbering on for ages (I know, it happens!) you probably need to go over the material again .

ballerinabarbie
but in subjects like chemistry - i have 26 pages of notes, for 2 topics... that means by the time i have done the other 2 i'll have 50 pages of notes to learn! ahhhhhhh

I had pages and pages of chem notes - you can take solace in the fact that a lot of the value of notes lies in the process of compiling them . There is so much to remember in chem that you cna easily end up writing endlessly if you try to answer every dot-point. Just answer the importatnt ones, most of the others you can check mentally to see if you can produce a decent answer.

 

[Rahul]

as said b4....make notes on the syllabus, complement ur notes wid reading the material in text book(s).

the more times u involve urself wid the notes the effective-er they will be, ie- reading, writting, listening!

 

[tooheyz]

yeah i wrote notes on the syllabus dot points... yeah i got a typed up page for each point so i have heaps of pages for physics and biology! hahahahaha

yeah thats the only way to make sure you have notes on everything that needs to be known.

 

[pri]

here is a handy tip i read for writing notes

you do 3 sets


1) the first set is notes with every single thing you need to know (pages and pages!)

2) the second set is a summary of that (ie explanations of stuff that you DONT need gets taken out)

3) the third set is a very very brief outline of your summary encompassing only the MOST important things


this method will prob ensure you have memorised all your stuff coz u have to learn it endlessly, I know it takes a while but for science and humanities its the only way to go.

 

[lillaila]

ello,
write notes on lil cards, wat i do: i write em as flash cards ......bring em everywhere...........ie. everywhere, toilet, bus, train......ummmm......yea.......AND stick em everywhere......esp. behind doors......windows walls.....hmmm
(however.........i stuck em on my door, but i always seem to ignore it......... )
But it works.............cos ull get used to it.

 

[Rahul]

Originally posted by lillaila
ello,
write notes on lil cards, wat i do: i write em as flash cards ......bring em everywhere...........ie. everywhere, toilet, bus, train......ummmm......yea.......AND stick em everywhere......esp. behind doors......windows walls.....hmmm
(however.........i stuck em on my door, but i always seem to ignore it......... )
But it works.............cos ull get used to it.

lol.....good idea.....but it would get annoying for the rest of the pp in the house, train, bus, etc.

 

[Minai]

Originally posted by pri
here is a handy tip i read for writing notes

you do 3 sets


1) the first set is notes with every single thing you need to know (pages and pages!)

2) the second set is a summary of that (ie explanations of stuff that you DONT need gets taken out)

3) the third set is a very very brief outline of your summary encompassing only the MOST important things

Good method - I used that to a degree
the 3rd point u mentioned is called an Executive Summary

 

[InfiniteQ]

*Everytime* I try to write notes for Economics... I kid you not - I fall asleep. It is SO boring, it eats me alive. There has to be some interesting way of writing Eco notes.

 

[pri]

Originally posted by MinAi


Good method - I used that to a degree
the 3rd point u mentioned is called an Executive Summary

aha did you read that in a book perchance? called maximising ur UAi (excel)? Thats where I found the method

 

[Minai]

Originally posted by pri


aha did you read that in a book perchance? called maximising ur UAi (excel)? Thats where I found the method

not really, I think I learned this off some motivational speaker...come to think of it, he was the author of that damn book!

 

[lillaila]

Originally posted by Rahul


lol.....good idea.....but it would get annoying for the rest of the pp in the house, train, bus, etc.

i dun stickem on trains, buses etc! .........just around the house.
n e one says n e fing i givem the evil eye.

 

[InfiniteQ]

Originally posted by lillaila


i dun stickem on trains, buses etc! .........just around the house.
n e one says n e fing i givem the evil eye.

I want to do this for maths formulas... there are starting to be waaaay too many of them.