Note Taking Formats

By Elizabeth M.

There isn’t a “one size fits all” rule for taking notes. Everyone has a slightly different learning style, and the endless stream of words method may work for your best friend, but not for you. Listed below are a few alternative note-taking options that you might find helpful.

• Foldables

A lift-the-flap for secondary school students, foldables are useful when you need to quiz yourself on content, but you do not have anyone around to help you.

You can make foldables with any number of flaps and tabs with some scissors and a sheet of paper. The most basic foldables are folded once like a book, and 3-6 flaps are cut on one half of the paper. Tutorials and examples of more complex foldables can be found online if you want to test your creative side. Foldables are a very customizable way to organize your notes, but I would not recommend them for detailed notes since space is often very limited under the flaps of a foldable.

Your notes can be written on the inside of the flap. Write a key term or vocabulary word on the outside of the flap so you can test yourself on the related definitions and facts you may need to recall.

• Cornell Notes

I personally use Cornell Notes often, and I find that they are a great method for keeping the content I learn in class organized.

1. If you are using notebook paper, draw a dark horizontal line across the top line of the paper. You can also make Cornell Notes out of regular printer paper in a pinch. Just draw the horizontal line about an inch down from the top of the paper. The class and/or subject of the notes will be written on this line.
2. Draw another horizontal line 3-5 lines away from the bottom of the page. If you think you may use more than one sheet of paper, save this step for the last page of your notes. The summary of your notes will be written below this line.
3. Draw a vertical line about a hand's-width away from the left side of the paper, starting at the subject line and ending at the summary line. On the left hand side of this line, the main points/questions of the notes will be written. On the right hand side of the notes, the body of the notes will be written.

During the class, lecture, etc., you only need to write on the right hand side of the vertical line. After you finish writing the body of the notes, re-read your notes and identify the main points of the notes and write them in the left hand column. At the bottom of the page or set of notes, write a short summary of the most important facts in the body of your notes. Finding the most valuable parts of the body to write in the left hand side of the notes and the summary is an efficient way to analyze your notes.

• Flash Cards

I find flash cards to be one of the most effective studying tools. They break up your notes into smaller pieces by their very nature, making studying seem less overwhelming. It is an easy format for you to test yourself, and other people can quiz you without much hassle as well.

Flashcards work best with vocabulary and concepts with short descriptions and even sketches, drawings, and diagrams. You can make flashcards out of index cards, which I like because they are sturdy and have ample room. You can also cut pieces of printer paper into rectangles to make flash cards too.

If these strategies don’t work for you, think about modifying these techniques and other note-taking methods you already know and coming up with a style that works for you!