When the teacher or teacher speaks, you have to remember what is said. That is usually done through notes. Although all the notes are, in a sense, good. Some notes are better than others in terms of ease of use in remembering what the teacher said.

In other words, some note-taking techniques and the use of them will lead to better recall and an overall improvement in grades.

What are these techniques?

I’m glad you asked! Let’s start with the first tip.

  • Use colored pencils or colored pens when taking notes. – Using these tools will help because they will add another visual layer to your notes, which will inevitably make it easier for the note taker to remember information. As you work, try using and experimenting with more colors. You may find that some colors can help you remember a little more than others. Also, it will help if you mainly write all your notes in black and then embellish the most important parts with the use of colors.
  • Underline and accentuate the important elements. – Being creative with this is a must. You have to find new and fun ways to really get into note taking. Use some fun shapes, double underline, or draw a star. These little things can encourage active note taking, which will make you more engaged with the notes. Which leads to a better memory.
  • Draw shapes and organize information. – Next, you should try to use figures, graphs, tables, mind maps, etc. to get more involved in your notes. Use them to build relationships between information and link all data comfortably. They also make it easier to take notes on things that cannot be effortlessly conveyed with the use of words.
  • Write your notes clearly – Messy notes sometimes mean that the information that was written was not fully understood. Also, messy notes can make it very difficult to study for midterms or finals.
  • Reread your notes regularly. – Most of the time that people open their notes and study for exams is usually right before an exam. Studying 12 hours before an exam is not the best way to study. Studying this way is a good way to get gray hair early from stress. Instead, review your notes regularly at different times and on different days. Also, if you find yourself doing great on a test, rewrite all your notes in a separate notebook. This will engage you more and force you to review everything you have learned.