Effective Note-Taking For Students or Business People

Taking notes can be the difference between success and failure for a student or for a business person sitting in a meeting. Trying to rely on memory when a stream of facts is being relayed can be difficult. Even the brightest students and business leaders run the risk of forgetting information that is important. Effective note taking is a useful tool that takes practice to master - but it is a skill that is easy to learn.

Taking notes from reading can be challenging at first. It is a helpful as a learning aid because it not only helps one retain what has been read, it helps when trying to find a passage in the book. It does not matter if notes are taken on the computer in a program such as Word - or if a notebook and pen are the preferred method. Each person has a unique learning style that meshes best with one form or the other. (My personal preference is notebook and pen. I find I process information more thoroughly by using hand writing.)

It is ideal to format notes from reading in a way that is similar to the layout of the book. Put the chapter heading in big letters. The page numbers should always be in the margins because it saves a lot of time later. You don't have to waste time searching the book for a section that needs clarification. I like to also put the APA citation information on the first page so if I need it later I do have it handy.

Key terms should be started on their own lines alongside of page numbers. Write the definition of the terms but don't use the author's words, use your own. If you cannot say it in your own words, then you really do not understand it.

Abbreviate wherever possible. It does not have to be standard abbreviations - just any abbreviations that make sense to you. This is your memory aid, so it only has to trigger your memory - no one else's.

Taking notes from lectures or meetings can be tricky because it can be hard to write as fast as someone people speak. Use key words that will prompt your memory. It is especially important to abbreviate during speeches. It will help if you have read about the topic before hearing the speech or lecture - because then you will already have some abbreviations in mind from your notes.

During a lecture or meeting the speaker might write on a visual aid like a chalk board or white board. These tidbits are especially important to get in your notes because they are probably pretty likely to reappear - either on a test for students or in a work assignment.

The speaker may emphasize a certain word with either a change in voice tone or body language. This is a potential cue that what is being said is important and may be something you will be responsible for knowing later so try to get it in the notes.

Effective note taking is a great skill for a student to learn, and also a helpful tool as one travels through their professional life.