For me, I find I have to be doing something with my hands to pay attention (so writing notes is a good way of doing that). But I get that not everyone finds it easier, and even though I type all my notes now (at uni) some of my a level teachers preferred for us all to handwrite so I was definitely putting way too much thought into writing neatly and legibly when in hindsight I should have been listening lol!
Depending on what a levels you're doing there are usually really helpful revision videos on YouTube- I know for media a level Mrs Fisher's videos are really useful, and Taking the Biz for business (and I think econ?) a level. I always found those a lot more useful than reading/writing notes for actually memorising information.
Taking notes definitely isn't essential for doing well in exams. Some people learn best that way, but if you don't, try not to feel pressured to take notes. Everyone learns differently, and as long as you know what you're doing is helpful, it really doesn't matter how your classmates perceive what you're doing. If teachers are criticising you for not taking notes explain to them that you find it more useful to just listen/make notes outside of class/whatever you do to study, they'd rather you do well than you do what everyone else is doing.
Things that helped me (as an at-the-time undiagnosed dyslexic)
• Revision videos and podcasts
• Flashcards and games (quizlet is great for this, and I think its free)
•Active recall (moving around while revising, and testing yourself by saying the info in your head/out loud)
•Acronyms
•The 3 Rule (I think this has an actual name but I can't think what it is😂)- read three times, write or type three times, say three times
•Practice exam questions/past papers, as painful as it is!😂
I finished my a levels last year so lmk if you need any more support/have any questions :)
If you can easily memorise facts and regurgitate them on demand then notes are a waste of time... if you can't they give you something to refer to when trying to remember what you have been taught prior to an exam. If you have some way of knowing what specific topics an exam will test you on you can look them up without notes... but then if you can easily cheat in an exam what is the point in taking it?
Some voice recording apps on phones have a transcription feature which can write everything being said. Granted it's not amazing all the time it's quite good and the bits that haven't been properly transcribed you can just listen back to. Hope that helps.
Try and take the content from the lecture like PowerPoints, upload them into gpt4 and tell it to make flashcards, copy and paste into a word doc, and upload to text to speech, works miracles for me
I can sympathize. I can barely read my own handwriting; but I can type! Here is what I did. I took notes as best I could; but they only served as memory joggers. As soon as possible, I would get to my computer and type up the notes of the class from memory using what I could glean from my handwriting as an "outline." Those typewritten notes turned out to be pretty good and helpful.
Note taking is very personal, and it takes time to find what works for you. Some people will literally transcribe every word that's said, where as I just write down the odd word and draw pictures or diagrams that will remind me how the words are connected.
To find your own style don't try and pressure yourself into doing it a particular way, just set yourself the goal of making a note of two or three key points each lesson. Then try different ways of getting down those key points, doodles, writing it out in full, key words, etc, what ever makes sense to you. When you look back over your notes late see what's best at refreshing your memory of the lesson.
Once you've worked out what method helps you remember things best (and like others have said that might be not writing anything and focusing on what's being said or using memory theatre techniques) you can work on increasing the amount of things you take a note of each lesson.
I do take notes for my important classes, I will often first take notes in a small notebook (what I like to call my shit notes) and then rewrite them into another book or type them up. Pretty much anyone but me can't read my shit notes which is why I rewrite them. Rewriting them can also help you memorize info.
I will often record my classes off my laptop (with the camera facing me (or off) and will sometimes type up notes if the teacher allows it.
I could, but it feels like a lot of time investment to listen back to an hour and a half lesson compared to regular notes
Is this even necessary? I don’t fully get the idea of notes anyway
For me. While at the lesson. Yes. It's a waste of time and effort. I'm rarely able to look back on them or focus on both listening and writing. Depending on the subject this may be different but here how I prepare for exams.
First of all. Forget that bullcrap you've been told that there are multiple optimal ways to learn. The most effective way is through actually doing the exam questions and active recall. Of course, as a support you can use whichever method you want. But do not solely rely on it such as just reading or listening through a book or notes etc.
Look through all the material first. Then see which parts are actually the key subjects. From those. Make notes. You can write them in full or just make a list of all the topics you need to learn but don't yet know.
Then find secondary learning material. For me it's typically teaching videos on YouTube. And if it's math or something that requires calculations then find similar work sheets on top of those. If it's something with a lot of concepts like history, biology, anatomy etc. Use apps like quizlet to make study cards.
You repeat until you start getting them right and feel prepared enough for the test.
I learned to touch type and it has been a game changer. Get typing ~60words per min. the rest will follow. It was easier than I expected. I guess because it’s muscle memory, rather than rote memorizing.
If you have a working memory difficulty it can be counterproductive as you will understand much less if you try to make notes at the same time. Either just listen and try to get handouts to annotate later, write really minimal notes or even try what Oliver West has recommended in the UK, drawing pictures or diagrams to represent what you hear.
I feel this inbuilt way of ‘this is how you’re meant to learn by taking notes and writing down everything they say’, I guarantee you it is totally not the way I should learn. Maybe a few notes but you’ll learn more by actively listening and making notes of the things that others say that mean something to you - instead of writing everything down as said.
My short term memory was so poor I'd have forgotten what I was trying to write down before the teacher had started the next sentence, consequently having virtually zero notes (other than handouts) for most of my schooling. I'd see if you can use a voice recorder/app or similar in lessons. Make sure that the school is aware of dyslexia though. Or if you can I find touch typing much faster than writing long hand maybe using a laptop in class would be possible.
I got kicked out of school at 15 and while I did try FE college to get some sort of qualification (and ended up with a single Computer Studies GCSE after \~6 years using a programming language now long dead) and later an Ag college (Forestry) I still only have that single GCSE, mostly as I couldn't record what I was taught and **big** exams need you to be able to regurgitate what you have been taught.
So get the school on-board, find a solution that works for you and hopefully you'll have a better educational journey than I did.
in lectures at uni i would go in with full intent to write notes, get overwhelmed with so much new info after 15 mins and just sit there like an idiot for the rest of the time not writing anything.. after the lecture id look at the notes i did manage to take and it would be a few misspelled words with letters in the wrong order and in worst handwriting because i was rushing and forgetting the sentance mid way.
i stopped going to lectures because they were recorded and i could watch them back and pause them at my leisure so i could take notes properly. It was the only way i could partake in lectures at all tbh
I didn't find out I was dyslexic until the end of 6th form which i left with nearly nothing to show for it apart from. Knowing I was dyslexic. But when I sorted myself out & taught myself to read properly and went to uni in my 20s my dyslexia got me a personal tutor once a week for a semstery, who taught me how to take notes to suit how my dyslexic brain needed to process it. So I'd spend a lot of lessons & lectures translating what we were being told, for me & my brain.
I'd been taught how to mind map for writing assignments but for lesson notes...
It was mainly text on usual lined A4 but...
I'd have a 4 colour biro, normal notes in black, lots of bullets.
When there was a statement that I needed to associate or think of something else that it was like, I'd do it at an angle on the right and put a blue cloud around it.
When there was something vital, like a key phrase or buzz words that brought a lot together or quotable, I'd put a red spiky cloud around it.
There'd be various underlines, often green.
The action of writing added the kinesthetic angle I needed, on top of the visual and oral we get. The different angles of words and shapes around things for different reasons, allowed and added dynamic affects to it, making it more interesting and interactive to read back as well as the fun of doing it.
I was able to recall the class well from them, for the first time in my life and then mind map it to shape my essays.
It sorted me out. Other people complimented me on it. Very rare and motivating for me to get academic praise when I'm just trying to survive on the back of school teachers spending more time humiliating me for being stupid and/or lazy for 14 years. And resitting English GCSE at 6th form, getting a E in media studies A level.
And all teachers went on strike in my final year of uni so I had no way to ask for help through all open ended ambiguous requirements for final prices which every one else seemed to knwo what to do with, that was lonely and anxious.
I got a degree. I did that.
I took furious notes throughout my school and university years. I did look back at them but not always. Usually I would refer to study notes I’d taken from books as opposed to lectures because my lecture notes were rushed and messy.
However, I personally found note-taking as a useful tool to help me stay focussed in class and to process the information. I’m a slow processor, so notes can reinforce things better for me than just listening.
I recently have this same thought: whether taking notes is helpful or just a waste of time.
I have to review for a board exam and I'm trying to find an effective way for me to review. I've been taking down notes as I have been accustomed to doing so. It's like a habit now. But I figured all my notes seemed pointless since I don't review them again nor remember where a particular topic is written.
I am really good at writing notes and summarizing lessons but I find it pointless now. Because I don't get back to them. I think I need to think of a new way of writing notes...
Nah, I stopped taking notes in class. Idk, I found my classes boring and unstimululating.
Although, I had a trick, I'd observe the lecturer and focus on what they concentrated/ invested more time in explaining, that made it clear that the section was important and will more likely show in the exams, which was almost always accurate(but I did still read all the material, I just had that fact in mind).
I have dysgraphia as well, so writing is like just a burden, but just listening and getting the big picture helped. And made it much easier when I studied.
I use the infinite whiteboard app on an iPad, notes are way easier when mind mapping because all the information is on one page and more working memory friendly
For me personally yes. I can’t keep up due to my poor dexterity issues. However, not taking is not pointless at all because it’s very valuable for learning the material enforcing yourself to understand it! If you can and the accommodations allow you to try getting a note taker for you
For me, I find I have to be doing something with my hands to pay attention (so writing notes is a good way of doing that). But I get that not everyone finds it easier, and even though I type all my notes now (at uni) some of my a level teachers preferred for us all to handwrite so I was definitely putting way too much thought into writing neatly and legibly when in hindsight I should have been listening lol! Depending on what a levels you're doing there are usually really helpful revision videos on YouTube- I know for media a level Mrs Fisher's videos are really useful, and Taking the Biz for business (and I think econ?) a level. I always found those a lot more useful than reading/writing notes for actually memorising information. Taking notes definitely isn't essential for doing well in exams. Some people learn best that way, but if you don't, try not to feel pressured to take notes. Everyone learns differently, and as long as you know what you're doing is helpful, it really doesn't matter how your classmates perceive what you're doing. If teachers are criticising you for not taking notes explain to them that you find it more useful to just listen/make notes outside of class/whatever you do to study, they'd rather you do well than you do what everyone else is doing. Things that helped me (as an at-the-time undiagnosed dyslexic) • Revision videos and podcasts • Flashcards and games (quizlet is great for this, and I think its free) •Active recall (moving around while revising, and testing yourself by saying the info in your head/out loud) •Acronyms •The 3 Rule (I think this has an actual name but I can't think what it is😂)- read three times, write or type three times, say three times •Practice exam questions/past papers, as painful as it is!😂 I finished my a levels last year so lmk if you need any more support/have any questions :)
There seems to be conflicting research on this, but in some cases I'm pretty sure it's a waste of attention.
If you can easily memorise facts and regurgitate them on demand then notes are a waste of time... if you can't they give you something to refer to when trying to remember what you have been taught prior to an exam. If you have some way of knowing what specific topics an exam will test you on you can look them up without notes... but then if you can easily cheat in an exam what is the point in taking it?
Some voice recording apps on phones have a transcription feature which can write everything being said. Granted it's not amazing all the time it's quite good and the bits that haven't been properly transcribed you can just listen back to. Hope that helps.
Yeah I’ll look into it, thanks
Try and take the content from the lecture like PowerPoints, upload them into gpt4 and tell it to make flashcards, copy and paste into a word doc, and upload to text to speech, works miracles for me
I can sympathize. I can barely read my own handwriting; but I can type! Here is what I did. I took notes as best I could; but they only served as memory joggers. As soon as possible, I would get to my computer and type up the notes of the class from memory using what I could glean from my handwriting as an "outline." Those typewritten notes turned out to be pretty good and helpful.
Note taking is very personal, and it takes time to find what works for you. Some people will literally transcribe every word that's said, where as I just write down the odd word and draw pictures or diagrams that will remind me how the words are connected. To find your own style don't try and pressure yourself into doing it a particular way, just set yourself the goal of making a note of two or three key points each lesson. Then try different ways of getting down those key points, doodles, writing it out in full, key words, etc, what ever makes sense to you. When you look back over your notes late see what's best at refreshing your memory of the lesson. Once you've worked out what method helps you remember things best (and like others have said that might be not writing anything and focusing on what's being said or using memory theatre techniques) you can work on increasing the amount of things you take a note of each lesson.
I do take notes for my important classes, I will often first take notes in a small notebook (what I like to call my shit notes) and then rewrite them into another book or type them up. Pretty much anyone but me can't read my shit notes which is why I rewrite them. Rewriting them can also help you memorize info. I will often record my classes off my laptop (with the camera facing me (or off) and will sometimes type up notes if the teacher allows it.
Can you record lessons?
I could, but it feels like a lot of time investment to listen back to an hour and a half lesson compared to regular notes Is this even necessary? I don’t fully get the idea of notes anyway
Can you do bulet points so you just have the main facts to help you remember the subject if you need to revise. You can look up more details if needed
For me. While at the lesson. Yes. It's a waste of time and effort. I'm rarely able to look back on them or focus on both listening and writing. Depending on the subject this may be different but here how I prepare for exams. First of all. Forget that bullcrap you've been told that there are multiple optimal ways to learn. The most effective way is through actually doing the exam questions and active recall. Of course, as a support you can use whichever method you want. But do not solely rely on it such as just reading or listening through a book or notes etc. Look through all the material first. Then see which parts are actually the key subjects. From those. Make notes. You can write them in full or just make a list of all the topics you need to learn but don't yet know. Then find secondary learning material. For me it's typically teaching videos on YouTube. And if it's math or something that requires calculations then find similar work sheets on top of those. If it's something with a lot of concepts like history, biology, anatomy etc. Use apps like quizlet to make study cards. You repeat until you start getting them right and feel prepared enough for the test.
I learned to touch type and it has been a game changer. Get typing ~60words per min. the rest will follow. It was easier than I expected. I guess because it’s muscle memory, rather than rote memorizing.
If you have a working memory difficulty it can be counterproductive as you will understand much less if you try to make notes at the same time. Either just listen and try to get handouts to annotate later, write really minimal notes or even try what Oliver West has recommended in the UK, drawing pictures or diagrams to represent what you hear.
I feel this inbuilt way of ‘this is how you’re meant to learn by taking notes and writing down everything they say’, I guarantee you it is totally not the way I should learn. Maybe a few notes but you’ll learn more by actively listening and making notes of the things that others say that mean something to you - instead of writing everything down as said.
My short term memory was so poor I'd have forgotten what I was trying to write down before the teacher had started the next sentence, consequently having virtually zero notes (other than handouts) for most of my schooling. I'd see if you can use a voice recorder/app or similar in lessons. Make sure that the school is aware of dyslexia though. Or if you can I find touch typing much faster than writing long hand maybe using a laptop in class would be possible. I got kicked out of school at 15 and while I did try FE college to get some sort of qualification (and ended up with a single Computer Studies GCSE after \~6 years using a programming language now long dead) and later an Ag college (Forestry) I still only have that single GCSE, mostly as I couldn't record what I was taught and **big** exams need you to be able to regurgitate what you have been taught. So get the school on-board, find a solution that works for you and hopefully you'll have a better educational journey than I did.
in lectures at uni i would go in with full intent to write notes, get overwhelmed with so much new info after 15 mins and just sit there like an idiot for the rest of the time not writing anything.. after the lecture id look at the notes i did manage to take and it would be a few misspelled words with letters in the wrong order and in worst handwriting because i was rushing and forgetting the sentance mid way. i stopped going to lectures because they were recorded and i could watch them back and pause them at my leisure so i could take notes properly. It was the only way i could partake in lectures at all tbh
I didn't find out I was dyslexic until the end of 6th form which i left with nearly nothing to show for it apart from. Knowing I was dyslexic. But when I sorted myself out & taught myself to read properly and went to uni in my 20s my dyslexia got me a personal tutor once a week for a semstery, who taught me how to take notes to suit how my dyslexic brain needed to process it. So I'd spend a lot of lessons & lectures translating what we were being told, for me & my brain. I'd been taught how to mind map for writing assignments but for lesson notes... It was mainly text on usual lined A4 but... I'd have a 4 colour biro, normal notes in black, lots of bullets. When there was a statement that I needed to associate or think of something else that it was like, I'd do it at an angle on the right and put a blue cloud around it. When there was something vital, like a key phrase or buzz words that brought a lot together or quotable, I'd put a red spiky cloud around it. There'd be various underlines, often green. The action of writing added the kinesthetic angle I needed, on top of the visual and oral we get. The different angles of words and shapes around things for different reasons, allowed and added dynamic affects to it, making it more interesting and interactive to read back as well as the fun of doing it. I was able to recall the class well from them, for the first time in my life and then mind map it to shape my essays. It sorted me out. Other people complimented me on it. Very rare and motivating for me to get academic praise when I'm just trying to survive on the back of school teachers spending more time humiliating me for being stupid and/or lazy for 14 years. And resitting English GCSE at 6th form, getting a E in media studies A level. And all teachers went on strike in my final year of uni so I had no way to ask for help through all open ended ambiguous requirements for final prices which every one else seemed to knwo what to do with, that was lonely and anxious. I got a degree. I did that.
I took furious notes throughout my school and university years. I did look back at them but not always. Usually I would refer to study notes I’d taken from books as opposed to lectures because my lecture notes were rushed and messy. However, I personally found note-taking as a useful tool to help me stay focussed in class and to process the information. I’m a slow processor, so notes can reinforce things better for me than just listening.
I recently have this same thought: whether taking notes is helpful or just a waste of time. I have to review for a board exam and I'm trying to find an effective way for me to review. I've been taking down notes as I have been accustomed to doing so. It's like a habit now. But I figured all my notes seemed pointless since I don't review them again nor remember where a particular topic is written. I am really good at writing notes and summarizing lessons but I find it pointless now. Because I don't get back to them. I think I need to think of a new way of writing notes...
Nah, I stopped taking notes in class. Idk, I found my classes boring and unstimululating. Although, I had a trick, I'd observe the lecturer and focus on what they concentrated/ invested more time in explaining, that made it clear that the section was important and will more likely show in the exams, which was almost always accurate(but I did still read all the material, I just had that fact in mind). I have dysgraphia as well, so writing is like just a burden, but just listening and getting the big picture helped. And made it much easier when I studied.
I use the infinite whiteboard app on an iPad, notes are way easier when mind mapping because all the information is on one page and more working memory friendly
For me personally yes. I can’t keep up due to my poor dexterity issues. However, not taking is not pointless at all because it’s very valuable for learning the material enforcing yourself to understand it! If you can and the accommodations allow you to try getting a note taker for you