Correct me if I’m wrong. Almost every teacher tells you to take notes, right?
But what does that actually mean for you?
After starting anew after the hols, whether it’s a new year or term, note taking is a huge part of GCSE success.
But HOW do you do it successfully?
How NOT to Take Notes
A couple of years back, did you read our popular revision blog, ‘I Just can’t Revise’ – full of practical tips on how to brush up your note taking skills?
The Cornell note taking system is in there too. Very handy!
But before you perfect the skill, let’s look at how NOT to do it.
When a teacher is explaining something, whether a tricky Maths concept, character or poem analysis – or a detailed explanation of medieval medicine – the worse thing you can do is try to write down everything your teacher says.
Why not?
- You’ll write the first part of the sentence, not the second
- Writing at break-neck speed results in messy scribbles you can’t read
- You’ll end up with half of what you need to know
Believe me, we’ve all done this. Instead, it’s far better to get organised.
Get Ahead with Headings
One of the easiest ways to take notes is to condense info under simple headings rather than write a wall of words.
Headings divide topics; sub-headings divide ideas and info under those headings. See?
That’s why it helps to have a system. Something that means something to you.
One option is to use WHAT – WHEN – WHO – HOW – WHY headings when note taking. Not for everything you study, but it’s amazing how much of what you learn falls under these categories.
Try it!
Note Taking with Bullet Points
Avoid time-consuming waffle when writing full sentences by shortening notes with bullet points and abbreviations.
Bullet points:
- Let you prioritise key information helping you write more in less time
- Help you cut out words you don’t need to write
- Ensure you focus on key ideas that matter
Try it with anything: a page of science notes, an anthology poem, event in history.
Abbreviating is helpful too.
- Use + or – signs for pros and cons, then bullet point
- ↑ increase, rise, growth
- ↓ decrease, fall, shrinkage
- Use simple symbols such as a grave cross to denote date of death
- Arrows could mean cause and effect information: → leads on to, produces, causes
- Shorten words: Gov = government etc…
Understanding key information really is half the battle when studying GCSEs.
When a Private Tutor Can Help
The last thing you need is to move on from a topic not having understood it.
Aside from exams and mocks, you’ll only find time to go over your notes when studying for your finals.
This is when enlisting the help of a personal tutor can make a difference.
Instead of getting mixed up or grounded by confusion, some personalised 1-1 sessions with a subject specialist can turn your fortunes around – whether you’ve:
- failed a key GCSE subject, or an end of year exam
- just not got off to a good start
- always struggled with a subject
Get in touch with our fantastic tutor team right here for a chat. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say…
Based in and around Manchester and Cheshire, we also support students anywhere in the country through our online learning platform.
Wherever you are, we have someone to help.
Tags: abbreviatoins, bullet points, Cornell note taking system, Effective GCSE study, headings, sub-headings