Note-Taking for University Students

Don't try to write down every word

For most lectures, you will have access to slidesets, signposting to key papers and often a recording of the session to go back to at any time after the live event. In addition to this, not everything your lecturer says is the final word on a topic, or the only time they will say it. In short, you don't need to make a note of everything that is said. 

Having said that, there is evidence that having a pencil or pen in your hand and transferring key concepts from what you hear, into something you can paraphrase or summarise and then putting that personal version of this knowledge down on paper can have a role in an effective learning process. 

The skill is finding the right balance of listening and engaging with noting down key concepts that you want to be reminded of after the event. Try different methods (e.g. computer, tablet, pen, pencil, lined paper, blank paper etc) and also try out different mapping techniques (e.g. spider diagrams, 

A lecture is not a dictation exercise where you have to write down everything the professor says. You need to watch out for key points, arguments and themes in the lectures. It's a good thing that lectures are recorded at LSE, so you can always go back and check if you missed a point.

Don't just write words

Underline, Highlight and Capitalise. Use mind-maps, tables, line diagrams and systems tables (see https://help.open.ac.uk/notetaking-techniques for more). 

No-one else is going to see the notes so draw pictures. 

Make a note of key sources

It's great to write down important facts and concepts so they can be used in subsequent assessment submissions. What's just as important is to write down the original source of that information. Citing your sources is an essential academic skill. 

Do remember though, that you will probably be able to review slidesets again to find full reference information and/or you don't always need all of the citation to be able to find it in a literature search. Often the first author's name (or one of the author's names that is easy to write yet not too common), the date and two or three key words from the article title will be enough. 

Include your own thoughts

If a lecture makes you respond emotionally or creates links with other content you have experienced, write it down. These type of notes are probably more useful than simply repeating what you could find in the shared slides anyway. 

Laptops, tablets or paper and pen/pencil

This is really down to the preference of the student and might depend on practical factors such as the furniture and set up of you class, the availability of plug sockets and how you choose to travel to University and what you can carry in your bag. 

Technological methods are great for quickly accessing full sources and making connections with other content. They are also great for using apps such as Evernote or Notion that can be navigated and used more innovatively than paper and pen. They can however be complicated, and there are many distractions within an electronic device. 

Paper-based methods have the advantage of having less distractions and being more flexible in terms of transport and power. The act of using a pencil or pen and making 

Ask questions when confused

Don't just write down things you do not understand. Ask for clarification when you are confused. If you're not satisfied, you can always meet the lecturer for further clarification during breaks, after the lecture or during Office Hours.

Share and compare notes with classmates

Two heads according to the popular adage are better than one. It is good to find time to compare notes with your classmates and use theirs to update yours and vice versa. They might have picked up some important points that you didn’t. Find software that might enable sharing to take place. 

Cornell method

Sketchnotes look great and everyone should feel that they are able to draw to help the note-taking process become more useful - the process of drawing images requires increased cognitive engagement AND the notes are easier to navigate as well when re-visited.  Having said that, not everyone is as skilled at making high quality sketchnotes and for some it takes too long and is a barrier to note-taking. 

What more people can do though, is to develop, refine and use a series of common annotations that can help content be differentiated both when taking the notes and revisiting them. See below for some examples. 

Advanced Note-taking

Notion, Obsidian, Building a second brain etc

Fote - 

Capture

Organize - PARA (project, organize, area, archive)

Distill

Express

Further Reading

Zettelcasten - https://zettelkasten.de/posts/overview/ 

Recommended Resources

• A FREE Learning Resource on the Cornell Note-taking method, by Cornell Unversity - https://canvas.cornell.edu/courses/1451 

• Making Notes in Class - A series of resources from Edinburgh University - https://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/study-hub/learning-resources/making-notes-in-class 

Books on note-taking

Carroll, R. (2018) The Bullet Journal Method: Track Your Past, Order Your Present, Plan Your Future. Fourth Estate.

Ahrens, S. (2022) How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. [pdf]

Forte, T. (2022) Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential. Atria Books.

Apps for note-taking

• Google Keep - 

• Evernote - 

• MS OneNote - 

• For iOS users - Notability & Notes

• Notion - 

• Obsidian - 

Apps compared - https://www.ntaskmanager.com/blog/best-note-taking-app-for-students/