Did you know that most of us lose 80% of the information we learn in just 48 hours? Not only is there a learning curve, but there is also a forgetting curve. One way to remember more and learn effectively is note-taking. I was just listening to Jim Kwik's podcast, where he shares tricks for successful note-taking. I made a visual about it but will also point out some steps.
- Learning is not a passive process — so be active during learning;
- Know why you are studying and taking notes —know your purpose!
- Be organized and prioritize things;
- Create a system for taking notes;
- Use your own words, use symbols and shapes;
- By the way — the worst way to take notes is not to take them at all. And another bad way to take notes is purely verbal and linear notes.
- FILTER. I think that this is is the most important point, and all the other steps are built around it;
- Take notes manually. Manual notes can also be made digitally, using a digital pen. What is important here is this act of drawing and writing with your own hand. I will focus on this in a little more detail because it is very important to me.
In 2014 researchers Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer conducted three experiments with students who took notes either by computer typing or by hand on paper. Later, students were tested to find out the details they remembered, their understanding of the content, and their ability to synthesize and generalize information. The study showed that students who took notes by hand were more successful in testing, they remembered more and understood what they learned better. Mueller and Oppenheimer postulate that taking notes manually requires a different type of cognitive processing than taking notes on a computer. Handwriters have to keep up the pace because they can’t write down every word. They synthesize and make more sense, bring out the important. Thus, taking notes manually forces the brain to work much more, and these efforts facilitate comprehension and recording of what is heard. On the other hand, when typing on a computer, you can type quickly, transcribing the lecture word for word without paying attention to its content.
And finally- it is also very important to review your notes and why not teach the knowledge to someone else cos it is the best way to learn :)
Print out the visual and put it on the wall and share the post with a friend!
