Making Notes as You Read Material If you are in college or are planning on attending college, one of the truths of any degree program is that it will involve a lot of reading. Whether you are planning on attending a nursing program or a graphic arts program, there is going to be a lot of material that you need to take in and apply. You can fully expect to do a lot of reading, in addition to course work which has been assigned. Getting full comprehension out of the experience can be a challenge, especially in focused and directed programs.
Personalize your Learning Since taking in all of this information can be difficult to process entirely, it is important for you to apply your own methods to learn. Personal learning habits and tricks are how we are able to solidify information in our minds and to crystalize it for later use. Studies have shown that students in college retain very little information after they have attended a class or have read from their coursework. This is not necessarily the result of laziness or ineptitude, but rather is the hallmark of busy people leading busy lives. We all have so much to do and so much to remember that the brain often cannot store everything needed all at once. Students generally remember less than half of what they just learned, with the total amount retained dropping drastically over time. One of the best ways to remember and process material is to make notes in the reading material, or have a dedicated place to put these notes. Everyone is different with their on the spot note taking. Some people prefer to write in the margins of textbooks, while others may want to create a Word document to constantly add to. It all depends on the preferences and interests of the person. How these notes are created and compiled is not the critical issue here. Rather, it is the act of creating them in the first place which enhances reading comprehension and memory.
Your Note Taking Style We all learn and process and think about things in different ways. As such, it is very useful to take notes in one’s own unique styles and way; for example, a business management program student may focus their efforts on core business tenants they find in the material. It may be as simple and highlighting important material with a highlighter, or making little cross references throughout a book in order to enhance the learning process. Others may wish to write out the important parts in their own words.
The physical act of coming up with ways to apply and remember material is what helps it to crystalize in the brain itself. We learn by creating connections and bonds in the brain between all of the things that we process and think about. Composing notes on reading materials does exactly that, increasing learning potential and memory as a direct result. Whether you are a new student or are one who is returning a bit later in life, this practice is one which can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to academic performance and real learning.