Taking notes in high school was the same as copying what the teacher had written on the blackboard, but at university, most teachers give long lectures and don’t write anything down. What’s the result? You don’t take notes either and when the exam is coming up, you don’t even know what to study.

This is when you learn that taking notes while the teacher is giving a lecture is key to getting good grades. You may find it difficult at first, as it requires discipline and even speed. But with effort and some practice, you will begin to take notes like an expert.

To begin with, we recommend the following:

1. Tops in the salon

Sitting at the back of the room, you will have rows of students in front of you moving around, passing things to each other and whispering. This can be distracting and prevent you from hearing the teacher clearly. If you want to take good notes, you need to move to the front.

We know that for some students, being at the front of the room is intimidating because you are closer to the teacher. Ironically, by being closer to the teacher, there are fewer distractions and you will be able to stay focused more easily. You will also hear the explanations better and won’t miss any details.

2. Choose your working materials

To take notes, you have two options: do it the traditional way with pencil and notebook or do it the more modern way using a tablet or laptop. Both strategies are good, so choose the one that makes you feel more comfortable.

Some students are quicker at writing by hand, while others are quicker at typing. On the one hand, some point out that they memorise things better when writing with a pencil. On the other hand, some prefer how easy it is to make illustrations and colour changes on mobile devices.

The decision is up to you. If you have trouble choosing, we advise you to try both methods. You will find out which is more reliable and convenient for you.

3. Start by making short notes

If you do not have much practice taking notes, it is best to start by making short notes. It is important that you write down the topic of the class, the different points the teacher makes and certain relevant facts. This way, you will have a general outline of the session and when you study, you won’t feel so lost.

As you take notes consistently, you will become faster and more efficient. Therefore, your notes can become longer and more detailed. The important thing is to start small so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by not being able to write everything down on the first try.

4. Try to be tidy

If your notes are messy, when you go back to them, you will find it harder to understand what you wrote and where to start. Try using arrows, colours, bullets or numbering to create hierarchy and order in what you write.

It is also important that you leave space between ideas. If you put everything together in one paragraph, you will waste time trying to find accurate information later. Similarly, it is important that you separate your notebook into sections and dedicate a section to each subject.

5. Create your own system

To take notes in the easiest and most efficient way, always use the same system. This means applying the same order and visual elements in all your notes. If you start with an underlined title in a certain colour, make sure the colour is always the same. If you continue to use arrows or bullets, keep those elements.

This will help you to be more consistent and faster, as you will automatically know how to organise your notes. And of course, you won’t waste time improvising.

6. Use abbreviations

A good trick for taking notes quickly is to use abbreviations. Even acronyms are useful. This will save you time and allow you to write faster and more fluently. Especially when you come across long words or names that are repeated a lot.

For example, if the class is about Contemporary Art History. You can use the acronym H.C.A. so that you don’t have to write the whole term every time the teacher mentions it. However, it is important that you only use acronyms for terms that you have already written down and know. Otherwise, you will have annotations that will seem indecipherable later on.

Another option is to write down the meaning of the acronyms you use in the footnote. This way you will be able to understand what you meant without having to think about it too much.

These 6 tips are the basic steps for taking good notes. As you practice and make it a habit, you will see that it is an easy task to master that just needs a little perseverance.

In addition, taking notes is a skill that will help you a lot to study later. Especially because the act of writing will make you reflect on the subject and understand it even if you haven’t studied it.