How to Take School Notes That’ll Actually Help You Learn and Study

If you've ever dutifully taken tons of notes in class only to bring them home and not understand them, you're far from alone.

Taking notes effectively is a skill that, unfortunately, isn't always taught in school, but it can make all the difference to both studying for tests and actually learning the material you're being taught. But that's why we're here. Below, we've collected a few of our favorite strategies for taking organized and understandable notes, and making the learning process a whole lot easier.

Sleep Right

This may sound weird, but getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your overall learning. Better rest can translate to better moods and alertness, which directly correlate to focus and attention. When you're tired and distracted, it's tough to listen actively, and if you're not paying close attention to your teacher, how are you going to know when they're highlighting a key point?

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Also read about: 18 Dreamy Products You NEED for Great Sleep

 

Always Be Prepared

Learning can be way more challenging when you don't have any context for the material, so it can be helpful to get a head start. By reviewing readings and materials before you head to your lecture, you can familiarize yourself with the topics before you start taking notes, which will give you a better sense of what's important to jot down and what's not.

 

Develop Your Own Shorthand

Just trying to write down everything your teacher says is most likely to leave you overwhelmed, whether you can't keep up or wind up taking lots of notes that aren't very meaningful. Notes should be selective, summarizing while emphasizing the most critical points, and you'll remember them better if you can write them in your own words. Creating your own shorthand through abbreviations and symbols can also improve your speed and conceptualize what you're working on.

 

Practice Different Note Structures

Different structures of notes can also be helpful for sorting through your thoughts when you review them. You can also try different ways to structure your notes, like putting key ideas in a different column, drafting outlines or even making mind maps. Different types of note-taking work for different people, so experiment to see what's ideal for you. And if you don't want to risk taking bad notes in class while trying out a new format, try it out first by taking notes on an informative YouTube video or podcast and see how you do.

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Also read about: 7 Things That Don't Matter After High School

 

Keep Notes Separate for Different Classes

It might be tempting to keep all of your notes in one big, handy notebook and have it all in one place, but that will make it 10 times as hard to study later. Instead, utilize dedicated notebooks (or different sections in your note-taking apps) for each subject to save yourself a lot of page-turning.

 

Don't Be Afraid Not to Know

There's no shame in being confused about something in class, so if you're not getting something, make a note about the fact you need to come back to it. Whether you're brave enough to raise your hand and ask in class or you plan to look it up later, this gives you a cue that there's a hole in your understanding, while helping you to mentally move on in the lecture, rather than getting stuck because of the knowledge gap.

 

Spice Up the Visuals

Using the right visual cues in your notes can help you make a kind of glossary of what you've written and make it fast and easy to find the info you need. Think highlighters, color-coding and bolded or bubble text to help you quickly find what you're looking for. Depending on the class, copying graphs and charts, and tailoring them to your own understanding, can help you simplify tricky ideas.

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Also read about: The 6 Cutest Backpacks for the 2023 Back-to-School Season

 

Do a Post-Class Review

This isn't always possible as you bounce between classes, but being able to immediately review your notes while the information is still fresh in your mind is one of the best ways to process it, while also making your notes better. Use this time to omit unnecessary info, discover and fill gaps and make your notes as concise and informative as possible. Summarizing the notes will also allow you to really lock in that information, and revisiting throughout the week will cement that knowledge further.

 

Team Up With Friends

A little collaboration can go a long way when it comes to making the most of your notes. Whether you work together online or do a note swap, looking at how someone else organizes their thoughts can give you insights or perspectives you might have missed, or even show you new techniques you might want to incorporate into your own note-taking.

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