Doesn't taking notes just eat up a lot of time?
- Yes, if you have a photographic memory and can remember everything you see, hear, and read.
- No, note-taking is simply part of an active-reading process
- note-taking helps you understand and remember information better
Think of your notes as kind of a "cheat sheet" or "cue cards" that you can revisit when you need to remember.
What's the best way of taking notes?
- no one right or wrong way
- jot down names, dates, concepts
- jot down you thoughts, ideas, or questions
- be as messy as you want with your notes -- as long as they help you learn, it doesn't matter what they look like
- write notes in your own words
- use in rough draft or outline
- helps you avoid plagiarism
- add the name of the database, the title of the article or books, author's name, and publishing date
If you'd like some strategies or tips about note-taking, check out the LibGuide linked below.
