Name: How to Take Great Notes
Uploaded: 2020-06-06T21:01:10.000Z
Duration: 5 min 9 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

The average student takes notes at a rate of one-third of a word per second.

The average teacher speaks about two to three words per second.

Present continuous

Bottom line, if you're trying to copy down everything

your teacher is saying while he drones on about Shakespeare,

Note-taking is an important skill in and out of school.

You can make the difference between passing and failing a test,

excelling at a job or even enjoying a complicated movie.

We took a viewer suggestion for this week's episode—

We're going to give you a three-step method for taking notes

Numerous studies over the years have proven what's already pretty obvious.

People who take notes remember the material better than those who don't.

A 1970s' study by developmental psychologist Michael Howe

found the students were seven times more likely to remember facts one week

But here's the thing, most people don't know how to take notes.

that when a teacher starts delivering a load of information...

For example: "Shakespeare described Romeo and Juliet's love as star-crossed..."

That we should start writing down as much what they're saying as possible.

Well, this is an incredibly inefficient way to take notes.

Why? You're not actually learning anything.

You're simply acting as a human audio recorder.

A recorder by the way that only picks up one out of every ten words.

when you'll have an even less complete lesson plan to look over.

Note-taking should actually act as a form of learning.

through the lesson as the teacher is giving it.

So that when you leave the classroom (you) already understand the concepts.

We have a three-step method for taking the kind of notes

that force you to learn the material inside the classroom and not out.

Pause and print the sheet and put it in your binder.

Ready for your next class... finished? Okay let's go!

Don't worry about capturing every single thing your teacher is saying.

format your notes as a series of questions posed by the teacher's lecture,

For example, question: What is the central theme in Romeo and Juliet?

Conclusion: More than being a tragic love story,

Romeo and Juliet is about the consequences of deeply held grudges.

This way, you're recording the importance of

what the teacher is saying and not just raw facts.

add only the most important points under each question.

This is the evidence for each question's answer.

Yap that's right! This will help you remember your notes visually.

Also, if you establish a set template for your notes,

you'll be able to take them more efficiently.

Write questions in red, definitions in blue, conclusions in green.

Step three: review your notes, don't relearn them.

Spend at least ten minutes organizing your notes after class.

Try teaching the material to a classmate.

This will be a great marker to see if you've actually learned anything.

Note-taking is a valuable life skill that doesn't lose its utility when you graduate.

Find ways to integrate note-taking in your daily life.

You'll soon find yourself in the exclusive and creative group of people.

Bring out their Moleskines at lectures, movies, and TED (Talks).

Today we learned how to take notes in a way

that ensures you learn the material during class time and not after.

First, write down your conclusions instead of a barrage of facts.

Second, use your questions to make connections.

And third, spend 10 minutes going over these notes at the end of class.

try going over these notes by teaching them to a classmate or friend.

that you'd like it to see covered, shoot us an email.

We'd love to see your notes! Haha... oh man.

Tweet us at watchwellcast, email us at watchwellcast@gmail.com,

or leave a comment down below—we'll see you next time!