Every day, we are all occupied with some form of work. Revising for exams, preparing for interviews, learning a new interest, researching or whatever it may be. And we take notes in our own styles typically in a book or on a computer.
You are probably content with your work or perhaps somewhat frustrated that you just can’t engage your brain to make the notes worthy. There is a simple way out. Do more with less.
Bullet Point your Notes
When you’re prepared to take notes, don’t just copy or jot down chunky paragraphs. You’re doing too much! If you’re not remembering it, you are doing nothing in essence. Instead, try to bullet point everything so that later, when you reflect on it, you can try to remember the unlisted work. This way, by taking minimal notes, you are actually working your brain and gaining a maximum out of it.
Active Recall
Starting your notes can sometimes be the tricky part. But, you gotta start somewhere! An undemanding way to begin is by doing active recall – when you actively engage your brain to recall the subject. So, question yourself, “What do I already know about this topic?” Evidence from this link, suggests that active recall is a much better study method than re-reading, highlighting or summarising. The evidence proves that people who recalled from their knowledge by doing a test had performed better than people who did normal “highlighting and reading” revision. By doing so little, you can achieve as much as 15% better(according to the evidence).
The Digital Workspace
Some of us like note-taking on books, however, generally, it is a hassle to maintain. Hence, a tablet-stylus combination may come in handy. An iPad and Apple Pencil is the best blend for storing your notes in the cloud, whilst getting a very natural approach in writing with precision on the new iPads.Apps including Good Notes, One Note and Notability are a perfect start for saving and organising all our notes in one location.
A Minimal Desk
Lastly, your desk/work environment is critical for a satisfactory revision session. By keeping it as simple as possible, you can feel relieved and focused on just the set task which increases productivity. When you set up your desk, reduce the clutter and gather only what you require. With this minimal setup, you will be rocking those results!
When you concentrate, anything is possible. Although, some may find it difficult to settle into the game. As long as you do more with less, you are being productive.
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