HOW TO MAKE EFFICIENT NOTES

Note making is something that has been overlooked by students as there is not much of emphasis on it given by parents or teachers. However it is a proven fact that note making helps the child to understand the concept and grasp everything being taught. Note making methods are personalized strategies that may vary from student to student, but the basics remain the same. The process of note making is just like curating "Points to remember" with a personal touch.

While in school I always believed that studying is tough and it requires a lot of hard work. But when I looked at the topper of my class, he always managed to have time for fun, extra curricular activities and yet was brilliant in studies. This always made me wonder how can someone do everything so efficiently! This intrigued me to a level where I wanted to know the trick. Based on the observations, I realized while we all are busy listening to the teacher, he writes something down. Being curious I approached him to seek answers and he was kind enough to share it with me. It was he who introduced the simple habit of 'taking notes' to me. His clear words resonated every time I studied. He said, " You can rote learn everything but you will remember that for a short period. Try understanding the concept and noting it while you are taught, that would stay for a lifetime."

I decided to inculcate this habit immediately. I tried noting down what was taught. At the beginning it was tough for me to understand what all things should I note, as writing everything that was taught seemed impossible. With a little research, practice and patience I could effectively make my notes that proved beneficial for my academic performance.

Today I shall be sharing the Note Making tips and Note making methods with you.

1. Have a dedicated book for Note : Having a dedicated notebook for your notes helps you keep them organized and refrains you from cluttering. 
2. Use color : Since the ancient times, visuals and colors have been associated with memory performance by increasing attentional levels. You can dedicate a color for each notation.  For eg., 
3. Black can be used for headings.
4. Red can be used to jot the important bullet points.
5. Green can be used to note examples.
6. A pencil can be used for diagrams.
7. Purple/Blue can be used to mark the important concepts. Doing this shall enhance the visual appearance of your notes making u recognize and understand it better during revisions.
8. Spot the take away points : While making notes, you cannot always write everything that has been said or taught. It is important to understand the important points that add value to the concepts. This can be examples, extra information, Annotations etc.
9. Always name the concept : Naming the concepts is important. This helps it to be accessible and distinctive. This will help you to associate all the content written under it with that name.
10. Write headings and subheadings in bold and underline it : A written text that is bold and underlined always grabs attention. Every time you open the book you'd always tend to see the bold texts. This will help you remember them.
11. Keep the sentences short and write them in bullet points : We already have the cluster of words in the textbooks with proper line formation, sentences etc. The main aim of note making is to only curate the important points. For eg., Let's curate important points for the topic "Mitochondria"
12. Powerhouse of the cell
13. Membrane bound cell organelles
14. Rod shaped
15. Converts oxygen and nutrients into ATP
16. Structure - the outer mitochondrial membrane 
17. intermembrane space,
18. inner mitochondrial membrane
19. infoldings of the inner membrane = Cristae
20. space within the inner membrane = Matrix. Noting only the important words would help you focus on the content of the concept, rather than the whole structure of an answer. A well understood concept can be easily turned into a well structured answer. Hence the focus must be on key words.
21. Have illustration in the form of diagram : Diagrammatic illustration makes a content visually effective. Draw diagrams wherever possible, relate your key words with a diagram.  For Eg., Let's again consider the above example "Mitochondria". The above key words can be associated with a diagram like this.

8.Create flow charts , mind maps, codes, tables etc wherever possible : Creating flow charts, codes, mind maps etc lead you to a simplified and well understood content which makes learning and revisions easy. 

For eg., 

9.Noting examples is a must : Example enables you to understand something in a much better way. With appropriate examples understanding even the toughest concept is easy. Example aids to relate the concept with real life events and situations. While considering note making, involvement of appropriate examples enhances its effectiveness.

10.Make sure your notes are neat and organized : The most important part to make your notes effective is cleanliness and organization. Write in a good handwriting and keep appropriate spaces.

Note making is fun and easy if done correctly. Follow the above note make methods and enhance your note making skills to excel in academics.