What I learned about note taking after a year in college that might help you too
Before class:
Check your syllabus or course outline so you know what to expect when you're in class
Do any necessary pre-lec stuff required/encouraged by your profs (readings, practice probs, answer sheets)
Try to see if you can get your lecture slides before the class and read through them, print them if you need to and write on those during class
Breeze through some stuff from vids ot books so you can get the idea or overview of the topic
Research more and read about subtopics.
Reading ≠ Understanding so do ur best to understand
Write down any possible questions and important stuff from what you've researched
During class:
Your notes taken in class don't have to be pretty or super organized! (But keep them a bit organized if you can)
Always ALWAYS ALWAYS go to your classes and take notes if you can. Don't rely on other people's notes too much since their way of organizing and structuring of notes is probably different than yours, so it'd be easier to understand your own
When your teacher doesn't allow the use of gadgets during class, don't list everything on the slides word per word, but focus mostly on what they're saying and what they're putting emphasis on
If you just take photos of notes and would rather listen, why not compile them on google docs and just write what the teacher was talking abt
When I can't use my ipad during class, I just have this one notebook that I carry around and write everything there. Usually these are my Gen Ed classes (like History) so I have to be fast in writing stuff.
I use one notebook since I'm too lazy to bring a lot, and if I use loose papers I lose them a lot
I use colored sticky flags/tabs so I can jump between pages when I need a quick read through (I have a color for each subject)
I would make the titles in the slides given as my basis for an outline of my notes, usually writing on the slides on my ipad if there's space
Write down any questions!!
After class
Share notes with people who also take notes in a different style so you can make sure you covered everything plus you can look at stuff at a different angle
Ask your profs the questions you have when you have time
Find books in ur school library or any reliable resources you can find on the internet and get additional info u think will be helpful (I usually place these extra info on sticky notes or write them in a diff colored pen)
Take time to rewrite and reorganize your notes if this helps you. DO IT!!! Do it during any free time that you're not using for studying. It'll help you understand the lesson more by refreshing the topic, you'll know which parts are difficult to understand, and what you have to do.
Tips for rewriting:
When you rewrite, don't focus on making it pretty. You have to understand what you're writing.
Don't focus on your highlighters and diff colored pens. A simpler color scheme is always better
Don't pretend that you're studying when you're blindly rewriting old notes oof shady
I usually write on my ipad and I have a notebook on Goodnotes for that certain topic (always write the date) and I rewrite it in another notebook for that topic too.
For classes with a lot of memorization like my History class, I would normally type up my notes afterwards since it'll be easier to understand and my other classmates can place stuff there too
You can rewrite your notes by also writing on index cards, making mind maps, or write on another notebook. Find what works for you!!
For subjects that involve mostly calculations like Calculus, you don't have to rewrite everything (maybe the questions or problems) but if something isn't legible then pls do.
Practice solving the problems given as examples, homework, and find more on the internet and in books!!! I regretted not doing this so pls take the extra steps and I promise it'll all be worth it
I like printing my finished notes and writing on them because there are times when I retain info better when it's on actual paper. I try to reduce my paper use but I can't help it at times
DO THIS IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE TIME. It'll be hard if you do this too long after the class since you'll forget a lot of info after some time
Hope this helped a bit!!
Now go and be productiiive 💖