An Essay on Note-Taking: Stages, Methods, and Evaluation for Students

This essay explores the multifaceted aspects of note-taking, a crucial skill for academic success. It begins by highlighting the significance of note-taking, emphasizing its role in enhancing focus, improving listening skills, and aiding in information retention. The essay then delves into the stages of note-taking, encompassing pre-class preparation, in-class engagement, and post-class review, providing practical strategies for each stage. Furthermore, the essay meticulously examines various note-taking methods, including the Cornell method, outline method, sentence method, and mapping method, evaluating their respective advantages and disadvantages. The Cornell method, with its structured approach, is presented as a tool for active listening and information organization, while the outline method is praised for its ability to highlight key facts. The sentence method is recognized for its professional approach, and the mapping method is valued for its comprehensive nature. The essay concludes by reinforcing the importance of note-taking as an essential tool for effective learning, communication skills, and personal growth.

An Essay on

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Stages and Importance of note taking..............................................................................................3
Methods of Note taking...................................................................................................................4
Evaluation:.......................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Note taking refer to the process in which person record or write in according to
information provided (read or hear) in a descriptive way. Body remain active through the process
and information can easily be accessible using notes. Essay explains importance of take notes for
example it helps students in focusing in class and increase ability of listening. It also gives
details about stages in which not taking follow such as before, during and after information
collection. Essay also gives details discussion about methods of takes notes such as Cornell
method, outline method, mapping method, sentence method.
MAIN BODY
Stages and Importance of note taking
Note taking help students in collection of information in organized way. It reduce time of
reading un necessary information before exams. Body remain active because of Note taking and
hence help to overcome from drowsiness or distraction (Peverly and Wolf, 2019). It emphasize
and organization information in better way for example students highlights important features of
information and in time of example this highlights can be read in 2 to 3 min. It also indicated
various supporting points related to documents which are require in exam to give detail
description of information. Organized date reduce time of searching details in different copies
and books. Note taking’s plays significant role in increasing active listening which is important
part of communication and hence it helps in personal growth of student. It also helps in review
and edit of notes once it noted
There are three stages of note taking, namely before beginning of class, during class and
after the class over. This stage must proceed to systematic and organized collection of
information in the class room and hence achieving higher marks with collected information.
Before Note taking:
Student prepare with chapter which will be taught in the class so that he can easily
understand the key points of notes information. Students must ready with required instrument for
information collection such as laptop, pencil, pen, cop, book before going into the class. It helps
in decreasing time for searching and asking instruments from other students. If the lecture was
already taught in other classes then collect notes from good students and analyses and use it
make own notes in the class. Preplanning increase active listening habit of student and hence
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improves communication skills. Pending work must be done in order to full focus in the
classroom by the student. Students come in class before 5-10 minute and hence find a good seat
which can easily help in gathering information and decrease distraction by others.
During Note Taking:
Student has to focus on instructor ways of describing information such as change in
voice inflection, animated movements, writing on the board. It helps in gathering information
with proper details. Starting 5 min and end 5 min of lecture are more specific and hence student
must focus to understand all detail so that easily organize and understand the information in
notes. Proper listening and then thinking and in the end writing improve note taking skills.
Students write notes with own shorthand system with abbreviations and symbols develops
effective writing skills. Raising hand for the query and question also improve Note taking skill of
the students in the lecture (Mueller and Oppenheimer, 2016). Key ideas of information and
related details with some examples are the way in which record of information can be done in
note taking. Skip lines with heighted new information is another way in which effective note
taking can be done.
After Note taking:
After note taking students must analyse the collected information in case wrong correct it.
Students must try to review and compare notes within 24hours so that confusion related to notes
can be timely solved. Students identify the query which can be asked from professor in
upcoming class and hence construct notes with proper information. Notes should be framed with
proper symbol and different collect to build interest in next time of reading. Information
collected must be discussed with other students for better understanding. In the end of week
again revise notes and check if anything missing in it or more changes can be done to effective
note taking (Gillies, 2017).
Methods of Note taking
There are various methods in which note taking can be effective done such as Outlined,
method, Cornell method, sentence method, SQ3R method, charting method etc. This method
helps in recording information in effective way so during the exam of student it can easily be
understand.
The Cornell Method
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Professor in university of Cornell develops method of note taking to help the student in
university in the year 1950.
Evaluation:
This method divide page into three area for information record and arrangement. Notes
write in right side of the page and question on the left side and in the end summary of
information described. Cornell not taking follows two styles of noting, namely linear and pattern.
Further five step follow to effective note making such as record, reduce, recite, reflect and
review (Syafii, 2019). This methods helps in arranging information in effective way and in the
end of exam easily understand by the student. Students use this method to increase active
listening and reading. Increase memory for remembering various lectures.
Advantage:
This method is specially designed for effective collection of information in the class
rooms and queries helps in active engagement with the class and recording information.
Disadvantage:
This is very time consuming in terms of learning method and sometimes details are skip
in classroom because of using this method.
The Outline Method
This method of note taking gives emphasis over outlining the essential facts and
information over the specific topic on which notes are prepared.
Evaluation
The outlining method gives emphasis to outline all important facts and information
essential over a topic. All such information that can project the best level of information would
outline under this method (Luo and Ma, 2019). This method is a systematic manner to create
notes. Outline all essential information over topic involve in this method of note taking. This
method give priorities to all the essential information involve in the notes while reading there
after preparing the notes. Most of the students all across the globe and teachers also give priority
to this method while preparing notes.
Advantage:
The outlining method highlights all the essential information involves in notes. This
method saves the respective time of all the readers of notes. By projecting the necessary
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information over the topic quality time of reader saves and also it makes the notes more effective
for the readers. This method of note taking makes the notes look more attractive for the readers.
Disadvantage:
Many times while preparing notes outlining takes plenty of time. This makes the task
more difficult for the student to prepare notes in this method. There is also not any specific
method to evaluate which information must be outlined under this method and which
information must not be outlined.
The sentence method
The sentence method is another method used to prepare notes. In this method all
information are noted in sentence format. This is a wide used method of note creation across the
globe.
Evaluation
The sentence method is another effective technique to prepare notes. Every student all
across the globe usage this technique to prepare notes. Teachers also get involved in this method
and encourage students to use this technique of preparing notes. This is a systematic manner of
preparing notes in sentence format (Chen, 2018). All information that is relevant in relations to
the topic are involved in notes in sentence format. This method is a widely used method of
preparing notes.
Advantages:
This method is a professional approach to prepare notes. This method of note creation
involves all information necessary over the topic in notes in sentence format. This involves all
relevant information and this is flexible as not any specific structure is defined to use this
method.
Disadvantage:
Irrespective of any specific structure involve in notes creation this method create many
confusions many times in students.
The Mapping Method
The Mapping Method involves comprehension or concentration skills to create notes.
Evaluation
This method of note taking involves comprehension and concentration to prepare notes.
This method involves all facts and figures while taking notes in a systematic manner. This
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method involves all types of respective facts and figures while preparing notes so that reader get
to access of all types of information.
Advantage:
Involve all types of information in notes.
Disadvantage:
This is time consuming technique of taking notes.
CONCLUSION
To be concluded note taking is important part of collecting and recording information in
the classroom. It increase active listening of students and hence helps in personal growth. It also
helps in increasing communication skills of the students with effective note taking. Report also
focuses on various stages in which note taking take place in the classroom for example before the
class students must ready with chapter and instrument and select proper seat for proper recording
and collecting information. It also focuses on various method notes taking for example Cornell
method which helps in effective learning and increase curiosity of student in the classroom.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chen, S., 2018. A pen-eye-voice approach towards the process of note-taking and consecutive
interpreting: An experimental design. International Journal of Comparative Literature
and Translation Studies. 6(2). pp.1-8.
Gillies, A., 2017. Note-taking for consecutive interpreting: A short course. Taylor & Francis.
Luo, J. and Ma, X., 2019. Reflection on Consecutive Interpreting Note-taking Textbooks
Published in China. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation. 5(1).
p.9.
Mueller, P.A. and Oppenheimer, D.M., 2016. Technology and note-taking in the classroom,
boardroom, hospital room, and courtroom. Trends in Neuroscience and Education.5.
(3).pp.139-145.
Peverly, S.T. and Wolf, A.D., 2019. Note-taking.
Syafii, A., 2019. Students’ Response of Using Cornell Note Taking System (CNTS) in Listening
Class. Journal of English Language Teaching and Islamic Integration (JELTII).2.
(01).pp.131-145.
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