Comments on: The Art of Taking Science Notes http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/ Demystifying Sustainable Success Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:58:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Craig http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-15907 Craig Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:51:53 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-15907 For fact-intensive subjects I like to take some of the notes in Q/A format, like... Aphrodite : Goddess of love Hades : God of the Underworld That way you can easily type in or paste into a memorization website to painlessly commit the facts to memory. For example you can paste text like the above into memorize.com and to use it's lightweight learning process on them. This is particularly helpful if you are pasting in your notes, per lerniac's comment. For fact-intensive subjects I like to take some of the notes in Q/A format, like…

Aphrodite : Goddess of love
Hades : God of the Underworld

That way you can easily type in or paste into a memorization website to painlessly commit the facts to memory. For example you can paste text like the above into memorize.com and to use it’s lightweight learning process on them.

This is particularly helpful if you are pasting in your notes, per lerniac’s comment.

]]> By: learniac http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-12295 learniac Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:33:32 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-12295 Cal, In comment #18, you mention that this type of skill would be beneficial for finding loop holes in conceptual understanding. What about students who take notes on their laptops? Do we retype/reorganize notes? Will it help? Thanks. Cal,
In comment #18, you mention that this type of skill would be beneficial for finding loop holes in conceptual understanding. What about students who take notes on their laptops? Do we retype/reorganize notes? Will it help?
Thanks.

]]> By: Note-Taking: How to Take Notes Effectively | WHAKATE http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-9876 Note-Taking: How to Take Notes Effectively | WHAKATE Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:32:36 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-9876 [...] brain – but there are other uses for it apart from a recall tool. Well organised notes can help trigger new ideas and also help with problem solving. To paraphrase David Allen, when you lay out your thoughts [...]

[...] brain – but there are other uses for it apart from a recall tool. Well organised notes can help trigger new ideas and also help with problem solving. To paraphrase David Allen, when you lay out your thoughts [...]

]]> By: Meredith http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-9116 Meredith Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:20:01 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-9116 @ Michael Anatomy involves many visuals... (if I were taking the course) I'd take the diagrams, and write my notes on there, or associate certain facts with certain visuals. I suppose my study guide would be like a huge notecard with diagrams for a lecture prompt, the lecture being the quiz-and-recall session. @ Michael
Anatomy involves many visuals… (if I were taking the course) I’d take the diagrams, and write my notes on there, or associate certain facts with certain visuals. I suppose my study guide would be like a huge notecard with diagrams for a lecture prompt, the lecture being the quiz-and-recall session.

]]> By: Michael http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8951 Michael Sun, 31 May 2009 10:55:48 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8951 I am studying a master's course on anantomy and the end of semester exam questions are short answers and essay types. So what would be the best way to take notes and study anatomy? There so much factual information to retain and recall! In the red book you suggested question and answer format. I've started doing that but seems to be taking a bit of time. Most of the time, my answers are copied straight from the textbooks and notes. I am studying a master’s course on anantomy and the end of semester exam questions are short answers and essay types. So what would be the best way to take notes and study anatomy? There so much factual information to retain and recall! In the red book you suggested question and answer format. I’ve started doing that but seems to be taking a bit of time. Most of the time, my answers are copied straight from the textbooks and notes.

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8766 Study Hacks Sun, 10 May 2009 14:16:34 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8766 <blockquote>I assume for focused cluster the idea is to get the notes neatly and quickly into the proper format and review as much as possibl</blockquote> In general, I don't believe in rewriting notes as a way of memorizing (active recall is *much* more effective.) The advice presented in this post, however, has you rewrite the notes in a more organized manner. This is less about memorizing, and more about forcing you to recognize whether you actually understand the underlying concepts. So it's an exception to my no rewriting rule. I think the advice in this post is very well-suited to science classes where the insights are tricky, and hard to capture directly in class.

I assume for focused cluster the idea is to get the notes neatly and quickly into the proper format and review as much as possibl

In general, I don’t believe in rewriting notes as a way of memorizing (active recall is *much* more effective.) The advice presented in this post, however, has you rewrite the notes in a more organized manner. This is less about memorizing, and more about forcing you to recognize whether you actually understand the underlying concepts. So it’s an exception to my no rewriting rule.

I think the advice in this post is very well-suited to science classes where the insights are tricky, and hard to capture directly in class.

]]> By: Tom http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8765 Tom Sun, 10 May 2009 05:12:06 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8765 In terms of recopying, at other places across the site you recommend typing your notes. A lot of times this means typing in class. But in terms of rewriting your notes, do you mean retype them? Or Handwrite them? Some suggest handwriting helps commit the notes to memory, which is why I ask. I assume for focused cluster the idea is to get the notes neatly and quickly into the proper format and review as much as possible.. In terms of recopying, at other places across the site you recommend typing your notes. A lot of times this means typing in class.
But in terms of rewriting your notes, do you mean retype them? Or Handwrite them?

Some suggest handwriting helps commit the notes to memory, which is why I ask.

I assume for focused cluster the idea is to get the notes neatly and quickly into the proper format and review as much as possible..

]]> By: Nina http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8230 Nina Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:18:24 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8230 I just would like to say that what Julie asked above is really interesting and a post about it would be great. Thanks! I just would like to say that what Julie asked above is really interesting and a post about it would be great.

Thanks!

]]> By: Mike http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8212 Mike Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:47:06 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8212 I read thru the study guide Hirsch wrote, and I think its not very useful. Here are some examples: "You can think of the course material in two groups: (A) the material you do know; and (B) the material you do not know. Why waste time with (A)?" Well, just because you know something today doesn't mean you'll know it tomorrow. Regular review and practice is necessary to keep things fresh in your mind. If you don't believe this, go to your folders and pull out a midterm from a class you had a year ago. See how many of the questions you got right back then you can answer today. "If you study by yourself, you are likely to gloss over the material that you don't understand very well, and think more about what you do understand, because that is the material that feels good to think about." Maybe that was true for David when he studied. I found it FAR more useful, especially in the sciences, to buy one of the "Problem Solver" books for about $20; probably the best $20 I ever spent. Find the chapter covering the material from class, then simply cover up the answers and start working. Check your work after each problem. You can't gloss over anything; you're getting the right answers or you're not. And rather than having to arrange a time when your study group can meet (David is a fan of study groups), you can practice anytime you have a spare 15-30 minutes and your book with you. Don't get something right away? You're not holding back the group if you go over it once, twice, 5X until it is clear. I read thru the study guide Hirsch wrote, and I think its not very useful. Here are some examples:

“You can think of the course material in two groups: (A) the material you do know; and (B) the material you do not know. Why waste time with (A)?” Well, just because you know something today doesn’t mean you’ll know it tomorrow. Regular review and practice is necessary to keep things fresh in your mind. If you don’t believe this, go to your folders and pull out a midterm from a class you had a year ago. See how many of the questions you got right back then you can answer today.

“If you study by yourself, you are likely to gloss over the material that you don’t understand very well, and think more about what you do understand, because that is the material that feels good to think about.” Maybe that was true for David when he studied. I found it FAR more useful, especially in the sciences, to buy one of the “Problem Solver” books for about $20; probably the best $20 I ever spent. Find the chapter covering the material from class, then simply cover up the answers and start working. Check your work after each problem. You can’t gloss over anything; you’re getting the right answers or you’re not. And rather than having to arrange a time when your study group can meet (David is a fan of study groups), you can practice anytime you have a spare 15-30 minutes and your book with you. Don’t get something right away? You’re not holding back the group if you go over it once, twice, 5X until it is clear.

]]> By: Heather http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8209 Heather Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:53:16 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-art-of-taking-science-notes/#comment-8209 I used the note copying method as a science graduate student and found that I got more out of each lecture by copying over notes for the previous lecture. It forced me to understand the material from the last lecture, which I was then able to build upon in subsequent lectures- I therefore asked better questions and learned more from new material. Using this method, when it came to test time, I found I needed very little studying (or none!) to ace the exams since I had already learned the material well. I used the note copying method as a science graduate student and found that I got more out of each lecture by copying over notes for the previous lecture. It forced me to understand the material from the last lecture, which I was then able to build upon in subsequent lectures- I therefore asked better questions and learned more from new material. Using this method, when it came to test time, I found I needed very little studying (or none!) to ace the exams since I had already learned the material well.

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