Study methods
How to take notes in lectures
The problem with lecture notes is that you cannot write and listen at the same time. Most students end up with half-sentences and miss the explanation that made them make sense. Good note-taking is about writing less and understanding more.
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Why it works
- Writing everything down means you stop thinking about it
- Notes in your own words are remembered better than copied ones
- A clear structure makes revision much faster
- Questions written down during the lecture are the best revision prompts
How to do it
Record the lecture
Record it in Memo with the screen on, or with your phone's voice recorder and upload it afterwards. Then you can listen instead of copying.
Write only ideas and questions
In the lecture, write down the main ideas in your own words and anything you did not understand. The Cornell method helps: notes in the wide column during the lecture, then questions in the narrow column and a summary at the bottom afterwards.
Combine the two afterwards
Memo writes full notes and a transcript from the recording. Compare them with your own and fill the gaps.
Turn the questions into tests
Answer your own questions from memory, then do the flashcards and quiz on the note.
The study modes that fit best
Notes
Full notes and a transcript from the recording.
Flashcards
To revise the lecture the next day.
Quiz
To check you understood it.
Questions
What is the Cornell method?
A page split into three parts: notes in the wide right column, taken during the lecture; questions and key words in the narrow left one, added afterwards; and a short summary at the bottom. You revise by covering the notes and answering the questions.
Should I type or write by hand?
Handwriting is slower, so it pushes you to summarise, which can help you remember. Typing is faster but tempts you to copy everything. If the lecture is recorded, writing down only the key ideas, by hand or typed, is the better habit.
Try it on your own material.
Upload a lecture, a PDF or your slides and get notes, flashcards and a quiz in a few minutes.
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