Take our 2 minute quiz

Whatever your system, we've boiled down typical college note taking into 4 different types. Come and see where you stand, and learn a little more about why it's important to find a good balance with your notes.

What do you use for your note taking?

Pen and paper

Laptop

Smartphone

It's all in the mind!

Do you write in full sentences when taking notes?

I try to as much as possible

I just write down the key points

I write hardly anything in my notes

If the plural of mouse is mice, why isn't the plural of house hice?

Do you add anything to your notes after the lecture?

Yes, all the time

Sometimes. I might highlight key parts

Never. It's pretty much all there

If there's a doodle I'm proud of...

Do you study your notes before exams?

Yes, every time - and I make more notes on them

I'll have a read over them sometimes

If I need a reminder. My memory's good so I might not need to

Whatever will be will be

Which of these examples most resembles your own notes?

Answer 1

Answer 2

Answer 3

Answer 4

Do you use specific formatting for your notes?

Yes - it's the same every class

I use bullets - does that count?

Not really. It's free form - like jazz

Yes - left to right on the page, until the page is filled

If you gave your notes to someone else, would they understand them?

Absolutely

If they could read them...

Probably not

They'd understand more about the aerodynamics of a paper airplane

The Scribbler

When the lecture starts, you spring into action.

Scribbling or typing - you're busy with it as long as the professor is talking. This is about creating a record for you to come back to. Who knows what might be important later in the semester?

You might get quicker and capture more with practice, but you'll never be able to get it all.

Studies have shown that lectures are delivered at a rate of 120-180 words per minute, while average typing speeds only reach 33 words per minute.

That's still a big gap.

While you're busy scribbling away, you could be missing out on engaging with the moment, too.

Truth is, you're caught on one side of the Note Taker's Dilemma...

The Sponge

You might see others frantically writing or typing in the classroom, but you're calm. Why? Because you're focused on absorbing as much of what's happening as possible. You already know that you can't copy everything down fast enough. So you only write what you think is necessary, and spend the rest of the time engaging with the professor's words.

But there's a problem here. You're not creating much of a record to come back to. And studies have shown that this might trip you up. Research suggests that the more complete your notes, the more you'll remember.

But how do you maintain that focus if you start trying to take more notes in class?

The truth is, you're caught on one side of the Note Taker's Dilemma...

The Technician

You've got a process. You stick to it. Everything's in place before the lecture starts - you just need to fill in the gaps.

You're the type that requests the presentation slides a week in advance. Your stationery is the envy of the world. Nobody organises a folder like you.

You're the Technician, and while everyone else is working off ink-smudged scraps of paper with illegible handwriting or trying to find long-lost Word documents in their chaotic hard drive, you just refer to your indexing system.

But for all your careful planning and organization, you're probably still missing out. Because, no matter how well drilled you are, you will never capture everything in class.

What if you could combine your process with a note taking system that left nothing to waste?

Luckily, we have just the ticket.

The Slacker

You're not much of a note taker, are you? Your approach doesn't go much further than doodling.

Maybe you just never got the hang of it. Maybe you have a great memory, and feel like you don't need to note too much down.

Either way, your technique needs a bit of work.

Note taking helps encode information. Even if you don't review the notes later, taking them will help you remember key points.

And we think we can help you get started.