Ever heard of the saying: “The dumb listen, while the smart write”?

According to Medical Daily, while the learning process differs from person to person, taking notes can improve your memory and make the process of understanding information shorter. Writing notes by hand was also found more efficient than writing notes on a laptop from Association from Psychological Science. But among university students, the concept of handwritten notes can be seen more as a burden than a welcomed activity. To write efficient notes, one must have readable handwriting, be concentrated, organised and also have a preassigned system to keep the notes in order.

In this new era of constant changes and development of new approaches, even the process of taking notes is not the same as it once was. Yes, you’ve read it right – the strategy of note-taking is changing. Nowadays, it is more innovative, fun, less time-consuming and organized.

In this article, we will present the three best methods for productive note-taking.

1. THE MAP METHOD

The Map Method is ideal for visual learners and to process a large amount of information. It suggests writing the main theme at the top or in the middle and dividing it into subtopics by using arrows. You can also use arrows to make connections between different subcategories.

#OurCampus Tip: If you run out of space on one page, rewrite the last subtopics at the top of the new page.

2. THE BOXING METHOD

The Boxing Method is an increasingly popular method of writing notes, especially advised to those of you that bring their iPad or Laptop to class. With this method, notes that relate to one specific subject are grouped together in a box with the title at the top.

#OurCampus Tip: This note-taking method is good for learning languages (especially verbs and tenses).

3. THE CORNELL METHOD

You have probably heard about this method of taking notes, but have you tried it too?
When using this method for every lecture, you are practically memorising the learned information the same day. However, the Cornell Method takes additional time to prepare the page layout. First, the page should be divided into two columns: the left one taking around 30% of the paper and the right one taking around 70%.
Second, there should be space at the bottom of the page for the Summary.
When using this method, write all notes in the right column. After each lecture, review the notes and write abbreviations (keywords) and possible questions at the left side, as well as the summary at the bottom.

#OurCampus Tip: This method is very efficient but time-consuming. Therefore, we advise you to use it while preparing for the exam(s).

Hopefully, these tips will make your student life easier and university grades higher!
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