Did you have good study notes?

[The Lone Liberal]

Something I read recently kick-started my thoughts about study notes and how I always swore at the beginning of a semester to really be better at organizing them. I, never fulfilled that vow and always just before finals was faced with trying to interpret something that had been written months before and which I was sure was important; but could not decipher what I had written.

Did anyone ever devise a creative way to control their lecture or study notes?

[cally]

1. I'm not sure what you mean

but I just kept a separate notebook for each class. I would keep a highlighter open in class and highlight the very important points. I would usually re-read them before the next class and write clarifying notes. Not very creative but it worked for me.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. I found that writing legibly was a good start.

Unfortunately, writing legibly was never one of my strong points, especially not with those professors in love with the sound of their voices who would drone on and on and on and on and on.

Later, I would wonder why the hell I had bothered to write down some bit of drivel that would never be found on the final.

In other words, my notes were fairly all-encompassing.

[The Lone Liberal]

4. Bad penmanship was always my Achilles heel.

My handwriting has never been the best. As a child, I hate repetitive task of writing the alphabet, so usually mentally pi**ed off during that exercise. That lack of discipline returned to haunt me during my undergraduate and graduate endeavors.

Luckily for me I have a very good recall facility and was able to parlay that into a 3.85 GPA.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. I missed a lot of 2nd grade when we were taught penmanship

because I had almost chronic strep (until my mother threatened the doctor of the consequences if he didn't yank my tonsils -- she won, LOL). Consequently, I was taught handwriting by my 12-year-old sister, who happens to be left-handed while I am right-handed.

Despite that terrible experience, my sister became a teacher. Perhaps it was revenge.

3.85 GPA. :thumbsup:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. What I always did was this

If I was going to class and was tired (which was often), I used a mini-recorder so I could review my classes to fill in my notes. I would always PRINT notes on the BIG index cards rather than long paper or a spiral book and I could laterfast forward through the tape to hear the issues I missed or REHEAR what I may have heard wrong in the first place

[The Lone Liberal]

5. I attempted the recorder once.

Either the Japanese recorder I purchased was not up to the task or the GA spoke to softly, or, I forgot to turn it on.

Regardless, it was not very effective and was discarded after a couple attempts.

Great idea.

[Kamika]

7. separate noteblock for each class

topic

[SoCalDem]

8. I took class notes, but I also had a photographic memory then

and during a test, I could close my eyes, and mentally flip pages of my notes til I got to the part I needed.. I LOVED essay questions :)

Now I have C.R.S. and would never be able to do that :(

[SOteric]

9. I learnt to take shorthand

@ 120 words per minute just to keep up with lecture notes. After each days class, I'd typed my notes and only needed to spend about 20 minutes sorting them into outlines. Most professors will pretty much stick to a logically progressing outline they've worked long and hard to devise.

Those notes were exceptionally good study tools. I aced a final exam in Philosophy only because of my review that morning of my study notes wherein the prof had outlined the answer to the question which had everyone else stumped.

[Nay]

10. I did the same thing, Soteric, minus the shorthand.

I made the effort to type class notes the same day of the class, spending some time to organize them as I typed. It really helped, since the stuff was fresh in my mind at the time. I also left plenty of white space on my pages, because I used several memory systems to remember stuff for tests, and I would devise and write down the memory aids in colored pencil right on the notes pages. Made studying a breeze.

The key? DON'T BE LAZY -- TYPE UP THE NOTES EACH DAY AND FILE THEM IN A NOTEBOOK, ONE NOTEBOOK FOR EACH CLASS.