Most of the students consider note making and note-taking as the same thing. But in reality, both of the terms refer to different things. The aim of this article is to discuss different aspects of both terms and note making format.
What is Note-Making and Note-Taking?
If we talk about note-making, it is not all about writing for recording purposes. But the main purpose of note making is to convince other persons. You can make notes for exams. For this, you just have to make sure that you are writing from your own perspective. Similarly, the teacher may deliver a lecture to you. Now you are supposed to understand that lecture as per your on point of view.
On the other hand, if we talk about note-taking, the main purpose is to record the lecture or other related information. Though the content remains the same, you just have to record it as per your method. For example, you can make outline, summary or flow charts. Now it depends on you which way is easy for you. Whatever method helps you to recall the syllabus, go for that. I personally prefer making outlines. Furthermore, I just write important points related to my lecture. For this strategy, I do not have to spend lots of time, and it is effective for me to recall the whole lecture. Similarly, you have to pick one strategy as per your choice.
What Are the Three Types of Note-Taking?
There are several types of note-taking, but the three main types are mentioned below:
- Outline notes
- Visual notes
- Cornell notes
Let’s discuss each type in detail.
Outline Notes
The easiest and most effective type of is outline notes. In this type, you do not have to note lecture as it is. Rather, you are supposed to make outlines of important points. This type saves a lot of your time. You can use that saved time in some other beneficial activity. You can write outline notes during a lecture or after a lecture. Try to write an outline notes on the same day of the lecture. No matter at what time but write on the same day. In this way, you can get a lot of clarity about the points without forgetting. However, if you still face any issue, you can buy assignment online to get your notes done.
Visual Notes
All students who have good visualisation go for visual notes. You may get amazed to see how some students do not write anything, but they remember everything. Irrespective of this, they can remember all points. This is just because of their strong visualisation. They make a picture of the lecture in their mind and remember it in the form of a flow chart. I remember one of my college mates used to do this. He used to link different points of a single lecture and make a chart or mind-map on his mind.
Cornell Notes
Another type of is Cornell notes. In this type, you are supposed to add a brief description as well as comments. The description can be the explanation delivered by the teacher. In the same way, you can add comments. For example, you are unable to understand some terminologies. For this, you can Google those terminologies and add their details in the section of comments. Most of the students prefer going with the type of Cornell notes.
What is a note-making technique?
The technique of note-making is to divide your content into three parts. It includes pre, during and post phases. In each note making format, make sure to include all these parts. The pre-phase covers the objective of writing, while in the phase of ‘during’, you have to pen down the detailed information with prime ideas. In the ‘after’ part of note-taking, you have to critically analyse what you have discussed till now.
What is the format for note-making?
Just like orher types, there are many note making formats. You have to pick one format that suits you the most and practice that. From bundles of note making format, the three main formats are mentioned below:
- The Three-Column Format
- The Pattern Format
- The Linear Format
Let’s discuss each format in detail.
The Three-Column Format
As the name of this format suggests, it has three parts in it. The first part of this note- making format is about something that is directly added from the lecture. At the same time, the second part includes your understanding of that topic. You can add different ideas linked with your topic. And last part of the three-column format is about the end result made on the basis of critical analysis.
The Pattern Format
The core concept of pattern format is the same as education based visual notes. In this note making format, you have to make a flow chart or graph in your mind. As we just discussed that if you have good visualisation, then this format will work well for you. Otherwise, I suggest you to go for some other note making formats.
The Linear Format
The last note making format is a linear format. It is good to cover lots of content with very little time and effort. The best strategy to go for a linear format is to add it into your notebook. You can mark a margin line on a page. Write the main heading or abbreviations there. The best example of a linear format is the periodic table. If you do not follow note making format, it will become so difficult for you to remember that table. Furthermore, you can highlight or underline important lines.
What is note-making with example?
It is all about writing original content. Although you collect ideas as a secondary source but whenever you write it as per your perspective, it is taken as note-making. The best example of note making is dissertation. Here you have to prove your objective in a logical way.
Final Thoughts
Each note making format puts an impression on a teacher that you have not just crammed the syllabus, but also understood each topic conceptually. In this way, the chances of securing good grades increase. Therefore, every student should follow the format.
