In his book, How to Take Smart Notes, Söhen Ahrens (Ahrens, 2022) gives some excellent pointers on taking good notes that are especially relevant to academic note-taking. 

1. Focus on capturing the essential ideas. Do not try to write down everything you hear or read, focus on capturing the most important concepts and ideas. Focusing on crucial ideas will help you stay engaged and understand the material better. 
2. Use your own words. When taking notes, try paraphrasing the information in your own words. Using your own words will help you understand the material better and make it easier to remember later. If you can’t do it in real-time as the teacher is speaking, review your notes after class and rewrite them in your own words. 
3. Make connections. As you take notes, try to make connections between the different pieces of information you’re learning. Making connections will help you to see how everything fits together and make it easier to remember the material. Don’t just think about the class you’re in, but about other courses you’re taking or classes you’ve taken in the past.  
4. Review your notes regularly. Make sure to review your notes regularly—this is key and helps with all the steps above. The review will help you reinforce your understanding of the material and commit it to long-term memory. 
5. Organize your notes. This tip is actually from Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain (Forte, 2022), but it’s vital as you work to make connections. First, consider storing your notes in the note-taking app on your phone or computer. Then, consider ways to organize them, like hashtags. For instance, if I were to put a hashtag on this note, I might add #notes or #organization. Then, later when I’m searching for something about notes, all of my notes with the hashtag note would show. The organization of your ideas is instrumental in connecting ideas. 

Effective note-taking is an essential skill that requires capturing, organizing, and retrieving information. These tips can help you take better notes, retain information for the long term, and achieve academic success.

Meet Your Goals at ChattState

• Set Up a Calendar
• Set SMART Goals
• Have a Growth Mindset
• Set Breaks and Self-Care
• Take Good Notes

Ahrens, S. (2022). How to Take Smart Notes.

Forte, T. (2022). Building a Second Brain (p. 81). Simon and Schuster.