Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Richard, and I'm Alex, and we're with Course Hero. We're here to walk you through the best ways to take notes.

Speaker 2: In case you haven't noticed, we humans forget things pretty easily. Don't believe me? What did you have for lunch the day before yesterday? And it's not just students who forget things. That's right. Just about everyone you know has to deal with the limitations of the human brain. Even teachers.

Speaker 1: Sometimes. That's why taking notes in class is one of the most important things you'll do in college. Research shows that for learning to be effective, you need to be doing things with the material you're engaging with. Reading, writing, discussing, or solving problems. Good notes will help you remember information and better understand topics and concepts. Plus, they're a lifesaver when test time rolls around. Sorry. Studies also show that learning by osmosis doesn't work.

Speaker 2: In this video, we are going to show you five scientifically proven note-taking techniques and help you decide which technique is right for you. Keep that in mind during this video. There isn't just one best method. Everyone learns in slightly different ways, and the method that's best for you is the one that helps you learn the material.

Speaker 1: Before we get started, you may be wondering, should I take notes on my computer or write them out by hand? Well, according to several studies, laptops are less effective than longhand for a couple of reasons. First, though you might be capturing more words, transcribing verbatim means your brain isn't processing the information as deeply. And second, there's always the temptation for distraction. So we're going to stick to good old pen and paper. Well, let's begin.

Speaker 2: Number one, the outline method. The outline method is great for students who thrive with structure and simplicity and who prefer to compartmentalize information. Some advantages to this strategy are that concepts are neatly organized, there is a clear prioritization to the information in a lecture, you can see the relationships between topics and subtopics, and you can easily use the information to generate study questions before an exam. The outline method is based on hierarchy, and it uses headings and bullet points to organize information. This style of note-taking works well when your lecture has some sort of visual aid, like a PowerPoint, that gives you potential overarching topics you can use as sections in your notes. It's also great when the information has a clear and predictable structure, like the information in a textbook. To take notes using this method, start with high-level headings for all the main points in the lecture. Then, add subtopics and supporting facts underneath. Each new level of detail gets indented slightly to the right, like this. When using this method, make sure to leave some extra space under each section heading in case you have to go back and add in more information. One caveat if you're trying out this technique, it can be difficult to create an outline during class because you have to both process and organize the information in real-time. So if it's possible, download your professor's presentation or lecture notes beforehand, and roughly sketch out your outline before class starts. Alternatively, you can go back and reorganize your notes from class into this format to study before an exam. This can be a great exercise to review and remember concepts.

Speaker 1: Number two, the Cornell Method. The Cornell Method was developed by Professor Walter Palk of Cornell University in the 1950s, and it's backed by real educational theory. It works for most all types of lectures, classes, and even meetings, and requires minimal page preparation. To take notes using this method, start by dividing the page into three sections, queues, notes, and summary. All notes from class will go in the main note-taking column. The column on the left is for any words, prompts, comments, questions, or hints that can serve to synthesize the notes into key points or queues. You can write queues either while you're in class or right after. After reviewing your notes, write a brief summary at the bottom of each page to capture the main ideas of your notes. Summarizing information that you learn actually helps you digest and remember it.

Speaker 2: Number three, the Mind Mapping Method. If you're a visual learner, and if the thought of taking tons of notes makes your head hurt a little bit, mind mapping might be your best bet. Some advantages to mind mapping are that it helps you identify the relationships and connections between topics, the radial design makes it easier to locate key pieces of information, and at the end of it, you have a set of notes that may be more visually stimulating than the standard lines of information. The theory behind a mind map is that it kind of resembles the way your brain works. In other words, not always linear. Rather than starting at the top of the page, a mind map starts at the center, with a core concept, and the ideas branch out from there. Let's say you're studying note-taking methods. Your central bubble might say methods of note-taking, and from there you might branch out with each method presented to you. Then, from each method, you might branch out again with the advantages and disadvantages. Once class is over, you can go back and add more detail to each of the branches, so it would look something like this. Mind maps are great for something like a class or group discussion, which is often a winding and unpredictable road where topics are periodically abandoned and revisited. You won't get a great deal of detail, but you will get a whole picture of everything that's covered. You can start branches for each subtopic that comes up, and have a place to come back to when a new point comes up. They're also great for concepts that aren't linear.

Speaker 1: Number four, the charting method. This note-taking style is basically like a spreadsheet, and it comes in handy for information that can be broken down into categories, like pros and cons, or similarities and differences. For instance, say you'd like to make a chart that analyzes the pros and cons of using the charting method. Creating a chart keeps notes clear and organized, and can be really helpful when your notes involve comparison. It can also be useful for a subject like history, where you'd like to organize information by dates or by region. However, it's not a format you can create on the fly, so if you want to use this method, you'd likely need to know in advance what's being covered in a lecture. Also this style is limited to subject matter where the information can be neatly boxed.

Speaker 2: Number five, the sentence method. Finally, if you are totally new to the world of note-taking and still getting comfortable, the sentence method might be your best option. Yes, the sentence method is the name of an actual note-taking method, and just about all it requires is the writing skills you learned back in elementary school. It's the simplest method out there, and it's perfect for beginners. The idea is to simply write down everything your professor says, with each thought or point getting a separate line. You can use shorthand as long as you're confident you'll remember what you meant by your abbreviations. You can also use bullets or numbers to separate each point, so it would look something like this. With the sentence method, it's important you take time after class to review and organize what you wrote down. When a lecture is over, you'll have pages of information, so you'll need to go back and find the key points so that, when it comes time to study the material, you know what to focus on. This method is great for taking notes during lectures when your teacher is covering a lot of information really quickly. This technique requires no preparation, no previous knowledge of the subject matter, and basically no prior note-taking experience, so you can jump right in. Also, because you need to copy down so much information, and because you'll need to go back and prioritize it anyway, this might be the only method where using a laptop is a good idea. So this one should be a little easier on the hands.

Speaker 1: Now that you've learned five different ways to take notes, which one's right for you? Again, that depends on what type of learner you are. A style that you find useful might not work for your roommate, and different classes and subject matter lend themselves to different note-taking styles.

Speaker 2: So try out a couple of techniques and see which one works best for you. Keep in mind that note-taking is a skill that gets better with practice, but there are tons of benefits to mastering it. Taking good notes provides an organized framework of your class material, deepens your understanding of the information you're learning, and makes it easy to review the subject matter before exams. Trust us, when final season comes around, you'll be glad you put in the time.

Speaker 1: We hope this video was helpful. Let us know which methods you've tried and liked, and offer your tips to fellow students in the comments section below.

Speaker 2: See you next time.