Mastering Notetaking

As university students, we're all too familiar with the ritual of scribbling down notes during lectures, seminars, and study sessions. Amidst the information overload, effective notetaking can significantly impact our academic success. In this guide, we'll explore various notetaking mediums and techniques, and help you discover which method suits you best.

Handwritten vs. Typed vs. Digital

Handwritten Notes

Despite digital alternatives, handwritten notes still endure as a favoured method among students. Writing notes by hand has been shown to enhance memory retention and comprehension, and encourages active engagement with the material. Plus, you’ll have the freedom to annotate and doodle however you want, fully customising your notes. However, it may be slower than typing, and some students, including myself, may struggle with keeping their notes organised—especially when new content has to be added to old notes.

Typed Notes

Typing notes combines the benefits of digital organisation with speed and legibility, so it’s ideal for those needing to rapidly transcribe information. The structured format of digital documents also facilitates searching and revising, making it easy to find specific notes. However, it's essential to avoid the temptation to transcribe lectures verbatim, as it can hinder comprehension. Typing notes is most effective if you revisit them later to review and synthesise the ideas.

Digital Notes

Digital notetaking apps like GoodNotes, Notability, and OneNote offer the convenience of technology with the familiarity of handwriting. With tons of features for annotation, organisation, and collaboration, they’ll ensure seamless integration of your notes into your workflow. While most apps aren’t free (except OneNote) the benefits far outweigh the initial investment. Since making the switch to digital notetaking, I've never looked back. Never again will I have to use a ruler to draw straight lines in my graphs!

Notetaking Techniques

The Cornell Method – works well with all notetaking mediums

The Cornell Method is a classic notetaking technique involving dividing your paper into three sections: a narrow column on the left for questions, a larger area on the right for your primary notes, and a summary section at the bottom. It’s simple to set up and use, encourages active engagement with the material, and facilitates easy review. This is the method I use all the time.

The Outline Method – works well with typed notes

The Outline Method involves making a hierarchical list with main ideas at the top level and supporting details indented underneath. This method is ideal for linear thinkers, helping with understanding the structure of the material and categorising the most important points. It’s particularly suited for typed notes as adding indents is straightforward.

Mind Mapping – works well with handwritten and digital notes

Mind Mapping involves creating a diagram or figure that visually connects key concepts and ideas. It can include drawings, branches, website links, etc. This method encourages nonlinear thinking, allowing for the exploration of multiple ideas and associations altogether. It's a creative way to organise information and see relationships between different topics, especially if you’re a visual learner.