notes,  studying,  textbooks

the note-taking conspiracy

Tell me, is it worthwhile to take notes from textbooks in courses with heavy reading material? Or shall I just read and study, not bother spending hours on taking down “key points”?

this is going to depend on who you ask. i’m a big fan of taking down notes, but only for material that i know i’m going to have an issue remembering. it’s particularly useful for sciencey type courses or stuff with very picky details. as well, writing out the notes gives you one more way to interact with the material which, come exam time, may help with your recall.
so i say yes, take notes, but only if you think the material is going to be really difficult to remember. otherwise, go with the read and study approach. university is all about finding that perfect balance between half-decent marks and free time to go and live.
cheers,
askastudent

2 Comments

  • Kailani

    No freaking way. I?m absolutely disagreeing. Next time when you post something think about reaction of readers.

  • Haroon

    Well others may disagree but I think you’re right.

    “university is all about finding that perfect balance between half-decent marks and free time to go and live”. I agree completely.

    and as for the notes, i would also suggest taking them only when you feel you need to (or otherwise you’d forget the material). don’t take them cuz other classmates are taking notes.

    personally, i’d rather have read the material (ALL the material) before taking notes

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