Note taking

Notetaking is the practice of writing pieces of information, often in an informal or unstructured manner. One major specific type of notetaking is the practice of writing in shorthand, which can allow large amounts of information to be put on paper very quickly. Notes are frequently written in notebooks, though any available piece of paper can suffice in many circumstances&mdash;some people are especially fond of Post-It notes, for instance. Notetaking is an important skill for students, especially at the college level. Many different forms are used to structure information and make it easier to find later. Computers, particularly tablet PCs and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are beginning to see wide use as notetaking devices.

Cornell Method
A strip of white space is left to the left side of the notes, which are written as they come up. In the white space, one summarises concepts once they become clear. In that way, the method requires no rewriting and still results in systematic notes.

Charting
Charting means that one creates a table with rows and columns. Good for facts and relationships.

Outlining
While notes can be written freely, many people structure their writing in an outline. A common system consists of headings that use Roman numerals, letters of the alphabet, and the common Arabic numeral system at different levels. A typical structure would be:


 * I. First main topic
 * A. Subtopic
 * 1. Detail
 * 2. Detail
 * B. Subtopic
 * II. Second main topic
 * A. Subtopic

However, this sort of structure has limitations since it is difficult to go back and insert more information. It is possible to simply leave large spaces in between, but another common alternative is a mind map.

Mapping
Here, ideas are drawn as a graph with keywords written with lines connecting them together in a tree-like structure. Mind Maps are commonly drawn this way, but with a central point, many colors, little graphics and anything that helps to visualize the information easier.

Sentence Method
Every new thought is written in a new line. Great when speed is the key.