When I went to school (no, I did not walk eight miles each way), I took notes in class. So did everyone else, except my method was very different.
I took notes that made no sense to anyone but me. Sometimes, it was just the first word in the sentences uttered; othertimes, it was key words. I copied any diagrams that may be useful. That covered my classroom hours of 8:30 to 4:30 every day.
When I got home, I ‘transcribed’ my notes. From those first words or key words into full sentences. I used two fountain pens- one with black ink and the other with red, so I could highlight key concepts. I did that for about 7 years. Until I got my Smith Corona Coronomatic 2200. When I began typing my notes- in black or red ink.
From then, throughout my college, grad school, and professional school days, I followed that routine – transcribing my notes via handwriting or typewriter. (There were no personal computers during my education days.)
Problems only arose when I failed to transcribe the notes that day. It was hard to remember the verbiage employed in class. But, that only happened when there were family emergencies or special activities that intervened. Which I did try to keep to a minimum.
It turns out this is the ideal way to take notes, too. Drs. Robert and Elizabeth Bjork, who lead the UCLA Learning and Forgetting Lab (Psychology) has been studying the ways we can retain- and forget- information in our brain for years. Their data suggests that we should not work hard to take notes in class, but to take them after class. That way you can recall the information, which is much better for learning and memory than just writing down what’s put on the blackboard, verbatim. You also get to pay better attention in class.
Also, if you study, wait, and study again, we learn and recall more and better. We are not just playing back memory, we make the information more retrievable in the future. (Remember my discussion yesterday about our brains and ‘card catalogues’?) The longer we wait between study and re-study, the better we do. In my case, the lapse between hearing and learning it the first time and retrieving the information for transcription ranged between 10 and 4 hours (the later classes had shorter time lapses between hearing and note-taking. I reviewed my notes the weekend before an exam- which meant reading and insuring that I understood the material. (If I didn’t, I research the point(s) of confusion.)
Try this the next time you attend a critical meeting or take a course…
You exercised a tremendous amount of discipline to transcibe your notes each evening. I remember taking notes but not looking at them again until the night before the test.
I can see where your method was very efficient and helped you become a top-notch student. There is an old saying, “You get out of it what you put in it.” You were a very dedicated student and you have reaped the rewards.
Janette Fuller recently posted..Book Review: Quick and Easy Guide to Branding Your Business and Creating Massive Sales With Pinterest
Janette:
The over-achiever in me thanks you for that approbation.
I know my kids didn’t thank me, generally, until they were much older, though….(Yes, they were shown how to do this. And, groaned often when they had to rewrite their notes…)
I’m a note taker, too…though my classroom notes are extremely different from my meeting notes. For meetings, I use your style, Roy. It allows me to maintain eye contact and be present. But for learning purposes, I had to transcribe in class verbatim (I was a very fast writer) and then when it came time to study, I would distill key points down onto flash cards from my notes. Pen on paper helps me integrate what I’m hearing and learn it. Students should experiment with different styles and find what works for them. I know my brain works much better when I use a note system like yours!
Tambre Leighn/coaching by tambre recently posted..Conviction as a Challenge Cure
Thanks for those facts, Tambre!!!
I especially love the next-to-last sentence!
Roy
I can not take a lot of notes and listen to the teacher. If I know what the material will be before a class and read it then I do better with note taking because the information from the teacher is not brand new to me. I was pretty lazy in school and would write down any keywords we discussed and then read the material afterwards.
Shawn recently posted..Why We Kiss
That could work, too, Shawn…
As is known, it takes three times for us to secure new knowledge- hearing it, reading it, and either re-reading or re-hearing it…
It helps if each time, things are slightly different, too!
Roy
What great info….especially as my boys are in middle school now and just entering the taking notes years.
Glad to oblige, Marie!
It even works in Morocco!!!!
Roy
Unfortunately I took notes that I thought would make sense to me but too often would look at them later and wonder what my often random abreviations meant! Perhaps I should adopted the going home and transcribing them on the same day approach, am sure that would have helped. Intersesting post, thanks Roy.
Ruth Seba recently posted..Filigree Friday (i)
Ah, yes, Ruth. Isn’t that what we called the best intentions…
That’s, indeed, why I transcribed them. (In my mind, it meant I never had to study them again- just scan them one more time to be ready for a quiz…)
Roy
I found that if I left about 1/3 of the left hand margin clear, I could add notes later. Sometimes I would add things during the lecture to that side if something further came up. Then I would use that space to put in keywords and to study would cover the right side and use the left side to cue up the information. Of course this method evolved from being a reporter and using a steno pad. Later I just drew lines on each page. We each come up with a better mouse traps as we get older. Yours is a good one, too, Roy.
Ann recently posted..SEO and Three Other Ways to Get Your Business Blog on Page One
Thanks for the share, Ann!
But, when I went to school, we never got handouts (which has been the norm for the last decade or so- probably a present from M$ due to PowerPoint…). And, yes, I have provided them to my students (and are still on the web) for at least that long, too!
Roy
My physics teacher in Grade 9 taught us this. She hated it when we actually wrote everything down. She told us to focus on diagrams and key points and work on it when we get home. It did work a lot better. When I was in college, I did use the same method for note taking and found that recalling made me read more, have more questions and I tend to question other things too. Like for instance, I remember a word from class, but can’t recall the context; I try to work things around it and then see how well I have done. It is like constantly testing oneself and in the process learning more.
Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?
Amazing what we learn in school, isn’t it, Hajra? And, when it works, we are amazed we never knew that technique before.
Glad this was just review for you and you’ve had plenty of time to practice and hone the skills.
Thanks for the visit AND the comment.
Roy
Thanks for the visit- and the comments, Julie!
And, the trick is to review the notes, since it takes about three times for us to learn something (hear it, read it, and then re-read or re-hear it…)
Roy
Hi Ray–
Sorry to be brief and a bit brash, but could you please delete the link from “Julie” above. Seems this spammer is has been going around and leaving comments with my website, talktherapybiz.com. I finally got “her” off my site when I enabled GASP plugin.
Don’t believe me? Click on her name and tell me what webiste she entered for your site.
Thanks so much and good luck with your blogQ
Linda Esposito recently posted..The ABCs of Anxiety Relief
I just thought that Julie was promoting dental implants. I DO check every link that is active in comments. And, if it seems reasonable, and their comment is germane to the article (not either or, but both), then I figure they may not have the same business concept as I, but that’s what makes the world go around.
However, if you say they have hijacked your domain… That is not acceptable.
Roy
You had me at fountain pen Roy! I remember using fountain pens too 🙂
Note taking for me even through my corporate days was shorthand. Literally, shorthand because it was a class I took in high school. To this day I love using shorthand that really has helped me to take better notes without having to write down verbatim words.
Really enjoyed reading this post Roy. And as usual, you always share interesting and useful information.
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Ultimate Social Meda Giveaway Is Here
I guess my little scribbles were my version of shorthand. (I always was intrigued with that- having read a book or two on the subject when was younger- MUCH younger.)
Thanks for visiting and thrilled you liked the post, Lynn.
Roy
Aloha Roy, nice post and great notes to consider. You know I attended a network marketing meeting and the person giving the session yelled out to the crowd NOT to take notes during the given information. We are so condition as if we were back in school, so listen more to retain the information and jot notes down after. And now you’re saying the same, so I guess there are some habits worth changing. Mahalo, Lani 😉
Lani recently posted..Url Shortener, Could It Be A Benefit Or A Drawback?
Thanks for the visit AND the comments, Lani.
Yes, we often are so worried about taking notes that we miss the main points of a lecture or discussion…
Enjoy the new outlook, Lani.
Roy
No wonder you are such a genius! I will have to share this with my kids, only I wish they were as diligent and serious about their studies as you were. Thanks for sharing! ~ Suerae
Suerae Stein recently posted..Fab Foto Friday – Water Droplets
Even if they don’t use multiple colors, it is best to pay attention in class and write down their notes afterward. They will then find that they have to only review their notes and homework right before an exam (assuming they did their homework, too) to be perfectly ready.
Thanks for the comments Suerae!
Interesting. After all of the classes that I have taken, I probably will not be attending another one, but I do take a lot of notes at meetings etc. I usually take notes that have about two words, only to jog my memory. Occasionally I forget what I meant by the note, but the process of remembering helps keep my memory sharper.
Kristen recently posted..Expressing Gratitude: Why Being Thankful is Good For You
Now, you can just assemble your thoughts after the meeting and write them out, Kristen!
Thanks for the visit and the comment.
Roy
Yes, I did taking notes those important things that I want to remember and when I find it helpful. Taking notes is really important.
Danyelle Franciosa recently posted..Bifold Doors
Glad you have those notes, Danyelle.
The other trick is to remember where they are when you need them :-)!
Seriously, though, thanks for the visiting AND your comments. They help others determine the critical facts, too!
Roy
Good study tips, Roy. After I attend a seminar, I retype my notes to make sure I remember what I learned and because I have the world’s worst handwriting. I want to make sure that when I go back to my notes a few weeks later, I’ll be able to read them. Any student could benefit from your study tips. Thanks for sharing them.
Lisa Kanarek recently posted..Home Office Truth vs. Perception
Glad you liked the tips, Lisa. And, even happier that this was just a review for you, since you practiced the concept already!
Roy
I use a similar method now with clients. I take notes during calls, but primarily keywords (although I think I take down more than what you do, Roy). I write up a summary within a day of the call and share them with the client.
Then when I get ready to work on the project, I pull out my notes and any additions from the client (if provided). It helps tremendously when writing the paper. And here I thought it was just boomer syndrome. 🙂
Cathy Miller recently posted..Keyword Use Made Simple: A Guest Post
I’m impressed that you can wait a day or two- but that may be why you write down more than I, Cathy,
I love your system as well. And, yes, it’s boomer syndrome- to keep our business and knowledge booming!!!!
Oh, I’m going to have to steal that boomer description. 🙂
Cathy Miller recently posted..Are Your Business Communication Pictures Worth a Thousand Words?
Glad you liked it, Cathy.
It makes sense. Not only the recalling process helps to fix the memory in your brain but also taking brief notes provides with an automatic reference that could work as a clue for the future. I think I might have used this method from time to time, without being aware of it. I hope I knew this 20 years ago
As long as there’s hope… 🙂
Thanks for visiting AND commenting, Gustavo!
My daughter is the first of our family to go to University. It was 100% down to her hard work and determination, but the one thing that i may take a little credit for was teaching her Mind Mapping. To me this is the most sensational way to capture information during lecturers, seminars, basically for any information gathering function. I also use it for brainstorming, and as yet find nothing that comes close to beating it. My memory, or retention of the information i put down on my mind map is always virtually 100% able to capture everything of importance.
Larry Lewis recently posted..Back to Blogging on to My Passion
Larry, that is so cool. Thanks for sharing that- and congratulations to your daughter, as well.
Roy
That is a lot of discipline but I’m sure it was all worth it in the end. I always had multiple methods to help with the recall and then had my own system at home–and still do. Multicoloured pens are really important. When I did my law module, I would write the main notes in black, key points in red and then case names and dates/quotes from judges in purple.
Alexandria Ingham recently posted..Note Taking Tips: Getting Everything You Need During Lectures
Alexandria- those are great ideas. Ones I wish schools would teach our students so they can be all they can be. It’s folks like you who share their tricks that can make that happen, too!
Thanks for your share.