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People learn in different ways and my experience is completely different: note taking, on paper, was critical for me to learn. Whether it is a differential geom
by ptero 9y ago
People learn in different ways and my experience is completely different: note taking, on paper, was critical for me to learn. Whether it is a differential geometry lecture (in college) or a test planning meeting having written notes is very important for me -- it allows me to think through the topics again at leisure.
The most important thing for me is to keep note taking at the "high secondary" importance level: not preempt thinking or participation in real time but high enough to ensure writing at least a couple of words or a quick diagram for each main topic. Break either and note taking starts to be a problem and not a help. Just my 2c, YMMV.
- dkarl 9y agoIn school, I never got anything out of looking at my notes, but I had much better retention when I took notes. Now I take a lot of notes and actually use them, because I take down tons of information that isn't very interesting and can't be learned by connecting it to a conceptual framework but which I will definitely need later.
- coding123 9y agoSame here, I would write down everything I heard and everything I understood, and I would draw arrows connecting concepts. A given lecture would probably fill up like 5 pages back and front in a notebook. I rarely actually read the notes - everything got retained simply by writing them in the first place.
- ChuckMcM 9y agoPeople learn in different ways is the answer. Different people have different ways of cementing understanding in their heads. My ideal form is to record the meeting, and then later review it and write notes.
- Griffinsauce 9y agoIdeal for learning yes but very time consuming. Do you feel it's worth it in that way?
- ChuckMcM 9y agoI have long since come to grips with the reality that learning something is going to take some time. It is a challenge to put up with that time sink if what I'm learning is merely an intermediate step between now and a point in the future when I can do this third thing that requires that I understand something first. This is because the goal doesn't feel like it is getting closer while I'm wasting my time learning how to use a tool or technique for example. That said, I have experienced many times where learning the tool or technique along the way to getting something done has been rewarded in a better outcome in the goal or a bit of knowledge that was applicable elsewhere. I use those memories of those rewards to mitigate the feelings of impatience or frustration with the time investment.
- bmurphy1976 9y agoI never took notes, I doodled. All my learning came from doing after the lectures were done.
- wutbrodo 9y agoDid your lectures take attendance? My attendance rate throughout college was probably about 10%, and I certainly wouldn't say I learned any less than my peers. Naturally, this is more suited to some majors than others, but I never understood what compelled people to go to lecture.
- djellybeans 9y agoI took notes a lot in college. But oddly enough, I rarely go back to look at them. It is probably due more to my reading and learning style than the lecture, though. I generally had a good mental memory, but the notes were only really important to fill in the missing gaps.