Don't Take Notes

Taking notes creates an illusion of learning. You feel like you’re learning because you’re following along. But note taking does not cause a change to your long term memory (the definition of learning). You need to take the notes and quiz yourself, the holy grail of learning, to really learn. 

The problem with taking notes is you’ll think “I have my notes so I’ve learned it.” But you haven’t! Note taking is not learning. Note taking, done wrong, is a crutch to learning. 

It’s often better to pay close attention and then quiz yourself after the fact. If you need to check on what you couldn’t remember, then look it up. 

Note taking can be great if it’s approached not as a substitute for learning but with the understanding that you are “listening on paper.” 

What’s the right way to take notes? 

Jot down a few things you’d like to remember but quickly turn it into a quiz. My favorite note taking approach is write down questions as you are listening. These questions will form the basis of quizzing later. 

(Inspiration for this post is from this blog. Credit to the author for instilling this idea in me.)