Why Notes Matter
Note Taking and Study Skills Part 1
Before I tell you why you should care about taking notes, I want to share with you why I am so passionate about this process. First, there is too much frill around note-taking processes. We spend way too much money on the most aesthetic supplies, too much time on how the notes look and whether they are “pretty” enough, and not enough time on the reason for taking notes in the first place.
Second, I have fallen prey to all the traps of taking beautiful notes and foolishly stressing about whether my notes were good enough. And, I have fallen prey to writing everything down and yet remembering nothing of importance. I have made all the pitfalls, struggled to find a groove, and felt completely underprepared to face college and life. So if I can help you avoid some of the same struggles, I want to.
Lastly, as I mentioned, I felt unprepared to take notes in a situation where I should have been able to thrive. I love note taking and yet struggled for years to find a balance between what should be written and what was written. More and more, students are not being taught how to properly take notes, nor how to edit their notes, nor given time to practice such a skill. Combine all of that, and we can finally dip into why we take notes.
First and foremost, taking notes helps you learn.
I know! Shocking revelation. But it’s true. When you actively take notes you are engaging in the learning process, meaning you are listening, thinking, and transcribing. The trick here is active note taking. It’s not enough to just copy down what the teacher presented or wrote on the board, or even to copy every note in the textbook or write every word from that work of fiction. That doesn’t help anyone in school, and it definitely doesn’t transfer to life outside of a classroom.
Active note taking means you are listening or reading (or both), thinking about the content, trying to make connections and visualize the information, and transferring those thoughts to the page. Stay serious and engage in the moment.
Second, taking notes helps you learn by forming connections.
When you are actively engaged in the note taking process, you are forming connections in your mind and on the page between what is spoken or read, what is written, and any previous knowledge you have. These connections are critical and allow you to remember what you are writing down.
In a study published by Notre Dame, researchers tested the impact of taking notes on memory and comprehension. They found that “when people are more actively engaged in material that they are trying to learn, such as by taking notes, their memory improves, particularly at deeper levels of comprehension” (Bohay). Their research also supported previous studies that found that “note taking may encourage people to elaborate on and better structure and organize the material.” When you are actively taking notes, elaborating on and organizing material, you are forming connections between your prior knowledge and current study, helping to cement your learning firmly in your mind. Notes are an important part of that learning process.
Lastly, note taking takes discipline.
Anyone can copy down notes on a page. We can all go back and highlight at random, write cute heading and titles, draw arrows and graphs and charts. But engaging in the note taking process, actively studying your notes, and forming connections is an act of discipline. You have to focus, you have to remain active, and you must practice.
Taking flippant notes is like saying you are on a diet and then sneaking a carton of icecream — it’s stupid and counterproductive. Exercise the discipline of your mind and your spirit and take your notes seriously. Whether studying for a class or for personal gain, note taking is important and can help you succeed when done with the right intentions.
Paper or Digital?
I am a HUGE proponent of handwritten notes. There is ample research – including a new study from January of 2024 – that found when you type your notes, you are typing without thinking. But when you handwrite, since you cannot handwrite as fast as a professor or teacher speaks, you are forced to actively engage your mind, make choices about what is written, and engage with the content.
The 2024 study by Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology showed that when participants were asked to handwrite notes, there was a wide range of electrical activity in the brain across different regions responsible for memory, sensory processing, and vision. When participants in the study were asked to type, the study revealed little to no brain activity involved.
That should be enough to convince you that the effort of taking notes by hand is more beneficial in the long run. I have also found from my own experiences that when I handwrite my notes, I am 100% more likely to study those notes, remember what is written, and engage with the content. As I study, I can draw arrows, add sticky notes and thoughts to the page, and make connections much easier than when I am on the computer. Handwriting causes me to slow down and focus more on what I am doing and learning.
In our modern age, there is a time and place for digital notes and I understand that. But whenever possible, handwrite.
Sources:
Bohay, Mark, et al. “Note Taking, Review, Memory, and Comprehension.” The American Journal of Psychology, vol. 124, no. 1, 2011, p. 63, https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.124.1.0063.
van der Meer, van der Weel. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945/full
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-writing-by-hand-is-better-for-memory-and-learning/