Content

• Steps
• Advice

Notes are very convenient for reference and memorization. Ideally, the information in the textbook can help you review and supplement what you've learned in class. However, some teachers want students to find out more information on their own and they will not instruct directly from the book. It is therefore important that you effectively read, understand, and take notes from the textbook.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Review chapter

1. 

   Know the assigned reading. Checking out any textbooks, calendars, or class notes can guide you through identifying the topics that you need to read in the textbook. Ideally, you should spend 5 minutes reading each page of the assigned book. If you read quite slowly, you will need to increase this amount of time.

2. 

   
   
   Read through the main and subheadings of the chapter. Before you start reading or taking notes, you should review the chapter. Almost every type of textbook has been broken down into sections that make it easier for you to learn and usually start with the main headline. A chapter review and examining the main and minor headings from start to finish will give you a concrete idea of ​​the length and direction of the chapter. It will also help you to be aware of the keyword bold in the subheading during reading.
   • Also, look for other bold words. They are often the key concept or vocabulary defined in the chapter or in the glossary.
   • If the textbook you're reading doesn't have any major or minor headings, you should refer to the first sentence of each paragraph.

3. 

   
   
   Review charts, graphs, or additional info charts. Many students often ignore or ignore information in the box or chapter chart. However, this is the wrong act; That information will be the key to understanding or reviewing the main concept of the chapter. Reviewing additional material (and reading the caption below the image or chart) will keep you focused on key information during reading.

4. 

   
   
   Refer to the "review questions" section at the end of the chapter or topic. Review questions are designed to ensure that students have a clear understanding of the "general knowledge" or concept needed of a particular passage. Reading these questions ahead of time will help you focus on almost every aspect of the chapter. advertisement

Part 2 of 5: Reading to understand

1. 

   Stay away from distractions. Eliminating any ambient noise or distractions makes it easy to focus and absorb the information you have learned. If you are researching new material or consulting complex ideas, you need to stay away from any distractions. Find a quiet, comfortable area where you can start reading and learning.

2. 

   Divide the assigned reading into more manageable sections. If you have to read a 30 page chapter, you should try to break it up into sections. The length of each item will depend on your attention span. Many people think that you should divide the reading into 10-page sections, but if you have difficulty concentrating and absorbing a lot of text, you can divide the reading into 5 pages. The chapters themselves can also be broken down into more manageable sections.

3. 

   Read actively. It is easy for you to read something so passively that you find it quite complicated or boring. Passive reading happens when your eyes are on every word, but you cannot keep any information or think about what you are reading. For active reading, you should try to think while reading. This means summarizing ideas, linking them to other concepts you are familiar with, or asking questions for yourself or on a topic you read.
   • For active reading, don't take any notes or highlight any information on the first read; instead, just focus on reading to understand.

4. 

   Use tools to aid your understanding. Make sure you understand the text you are reading. You may need to use a dictionary or legend from a book or table of contents to identify words you don't know well.
   • When you get into the note-taking phase, write down the new key words for each chapter along with the page number for which you found that term and definition. This way, you can easily review the textbook if needed.

5. 

   Summary of main point. After reading through each section of the text (whether it is your own division or the division that exists in the book), think about the main point. Try to summarize the headline and identify 1 to 3 of the most important details.

6. 

   Do not skim the supplementary material. Hopefully you have taken a close look at them, such as images, charts, and graphs, as you review the chapter. If not, be sure to refer to them when you have finished reading the subject. Examining these details will help you to synthesize the information.
   • This kind of additional information will be quite helpful for students who tend to study through vision. When trying to recall information, a chart or graph is easier to remember than the actual information.
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Part 3 of 5: Notes

1. 

   Selected carefully. You should not write down everything in the book. And you shouldn't just note a single fact for each page. Finding the right balance of full but not too much writing can be difficult, but it is the key to effective note-taking. Using the strategy of reading a paragraph and then recaping it will help you record the right amount of information.
   • Depending on the topic and level of the textbook, writing 1-2 summary sentences for each paragraph will be the right ratio for taking note information.

2. 

   Reinterpret the information from the text. You should write notes in your own language. Interpreting the information will show that you do understand what you are reading (it will be difficult for you to write something in your own language if you do not understand its meaning). If you use your own language for taking notes, you will find them more meaningful when you review them in the future.

3. 

   Use the right specifications for you. You can write notes as bulleted lists of information. You can also write down a timeline of events so that you easily see the order of each issue, rather than simply a list of events. Or, you can draw a flowchart (growth chart) to emphasize continuity. Or you can sketch out a traditional outline with the main idea above and the supporting idea below. In the end, taking notes is only intended to aid your learning, so it's best to take them down in the way that is most meaningful to you.

4. 

   Add an element of vision if possible. Adding visual representation in notes will be of great help for visual learners. You should make a copy of the chart instead of writing down information about it. You can create a simple comic book about a specific event or character interaction. Don't allow visuals to distract you from the task at hand - understand and take notes - but adding visual elements to your notes will help you to synthesize or memorize the material effectively. than.

5. 

   Organize notes in a meaningful way. Depending on the topic, you might want to organize your notes in a specific way. Sorting historical notes in chronological order would be the most plausible (or even chronological) approach. However, the scientific note needs to be recorded in serial order to show the main concept before moving on to other factors.
   • If you don't know how to organize your notes, you should make use of the textbook order. Information written in a particular order in books often has a reason.
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Part 4 of 5: Make use of the notes for class work

1. 

   Pay attention to class lectures. Teachers will usually state a textbook chapter or topic related to the upcoming test. Knowing this information well before reading will save you time and energy, and allow you to focus on what is most important.
   • Take note of anything the teacher writes on the board. These will usually be related to future discussions and assignments or tests.
   • Consult with your instructor if they allow you to use your personal recording device to record your lessons and listen at home. Anything that you miss during class notes will be in the recording, and you can jot down that information after class.

2. 

   Learn how to shorthand. It can be difficult to take quick notes when the teacher is giving a lecture. Learning how to shorthand is a great way to make sure that your notes in class contain everything your teacher wants you to understand.
   • Write down any important names, places, dates, events and concepts. If you write about them, it will be easy to memorize the specifics of these characters or places when you review the textbook.
   • Take note of a few more brief hints that follow the main topic. They may be just a few words or a short sentence, but they will help you better understand the names or dates that you took notes while listening to the lecture.

3. 

   Review your class notes. Now that you have your lecture notes on class names, you should review them to begin learning about the important topics covered in class.
   • Try to re-read your notes as soon as you finish class. Reviewing your notes right after class ends will help you retain information for longer.

4. 

   Combine class notes and textbook notes. If you have transcribed lessons in class and in textbooks, you can combine and compare them with each other. You should identify any emphasized elements in your textbook and from your teacher; they will often be extremely important concepts. advertisement

Part 5 of 5: Using notes

1. 

   Study your notes. You can view them as study guides for the upcoming exam. Writing will help you remember certain information, but you won't be able to remember anything clearly in your textbook if you don't study your notes. Reviewing notes will keep you from forgetting key concepts and specific terms, even after a few months.

2. 

   Share notes. If you are studying together with other students in your class, you should exchange and share notes. This is quite useful strategy, as different people can focus or emphasize different concepts. Also, if your friends or classmates are out of school or don't understand something well, you can help that person by sharing your notes.

3. 

   Use a flash card. If the exam is coming up, you can move your note to the info card. They will make it easier for you to study and memorize names, dates and definitions. Alternatively, you can use them for collaboration and study with other students or a group study as this improves test results. advertisement

Advice

• Arrange a time. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the knowledge you need to learn, but if you take full notes and manage your time well, things will become more manageable.
• Keep dates and key headers in your notes to keep them organized. You can also write page numbers for your notes if they are separate, or if you plan to remove them from your notebook.
• Write down your main point. You shouldn't write down the entire sentence, just write about the main information. This method will help you when you need to review your notes and study as you will not be confused by the countless writing.
• Find out which study habits are best suited for you. Whether you work best in the morning or evening, sticking to a set schedule for reading, taking notes, and reviewing your notes will keep you on the right track.
• Maintain mind alertness. Relax, stretch, and take breaks.
• Form 1 - 2 summary points for each paragraph; then, use them to create a general summary for the heading.
• If you do not understand the meaning of the text, you should consult your teacher and rewrite the text to understand it better.
• If possible, use color. Your brain is drawn to color and this method will help you memorize the chapters that you need to review in the textbook.