/sci/ - Science & Math

I use my laptop.

If you have fast enough typing, then you can take anything and everything your lecturer says

I just write shit down that will be important later.
Some professors lay out their information in a manner that is condusive to good note-taking, while others jump around like crazy and make my notes even more of a clusterfuck

>>3535674
I've tried that and I'm a fairly fast typer, but when it comes to any type of diagram or graphical organization you're completely fucked.

Most of my classes have decent enough lecture notes on the course webpages. Generally the only writing I do in my books are exercises, or if the lecturer mentions something that isn't part of the lecture notes. But I'll tell you this right now: The best way to learn your discipline is not by reading over notes, but PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

During my first two years of university I was pretty lazy and pretty much only did the work specified in the course outline, and did no self-study whatsoever and my grades were pretty bad (passes, but nothing fancy). But starting on my 3rd year, I made an effort to read a lot more about the field I'm focusing in and my grades have gone up significantly. I've also found that by immersing yourself in your studies, you'll develop more of a passion for your field.

set up a camera and record it

Bump

You need one clipboard with lined paper you take to all your classes.
At the end of the day you remove the pages from the clipboard and scan them over. Make additional notes to correct any derps, fill in any gaps. Put these pages in dedicated binders for each subject.
Review the binders weekly.
>Profit

>>3535674

Why the fuck would you write down everything the lecturer says? Do you not understand the purpose of notes?

Note taking? How about trying this....

Pay attention. Instead of trying to write down everything the prof. says, pay attention to examples and what they are writing down.

Seriously, I coasted through engineering at a top 10 school because I listened to examples and lectures instead of writing shit down the whole time.

It depends on what field you're in.

If you're in math, physics, or engineering, professors usually write everything down on the chalkboard. I just copy it all down into my notebook (sometimes skipping examples), and add an extra sentence or note here or there to make it more cohesive and flow better. I started using nice hardcover notebooks since they last longer (started doing that in 2nd year, now going into 4th; the spiral-bound notebooks just disintegrate halfway through the semester)

If you're in, for example, biology or the humanities (too many notes to copy down by hand), I think your only chance is to get a laptop and type it as fast as you can.

i drop out

seriously though, theres a notebook that links what you write to a lecture recorder. so you can touch a part of your notes to play back the part of the lecture.

>>3535789
LOL, I just wrote everything down the prof wrote on the board (except skipping easy examples), and turned my notes into my defacto textbook. I rarely ever used my textbooks... The REAL trick is understanding what they're saying AND copying everything into the notebook at the same time :)

And yes, I'm doing quite well in school, thank you :P Going into 4th year this september.

>>3535789

This

>>3535793

Fail

http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/StudyMath/GettingHelp.aspx

I also make notes of components, summarizing long shit just to save time, etc.

>>3535805
And why is that a fail? I'm more or less at the top of my class, and i find that works really well for me.

It just seems like less work to do as much as possible during lectures, and then really only do problem sets for studying :P

> How do you take/manage your notes, /sci/?
17 dollars.

>>3535683
keep a piece of paper and a pen next to laptop. problem solved.

My plan is...
>Take only paper with Cornell-style template and a pen/pencil to classes
>Take notes according to that template
>Scan notes with Android scanner app
>Transfer to rooted Nook Color/tablet through Bluetooth
>Review notes with that
>Transfer them to binders at end of day

>>3535813

It is inept because the purpose of notes is to highlight important concepts or to write down key details/equations so they can be viewed easily later. If you write down everything said in an entire lecture then the notes become worthless as there is an excess of unimportant information. At this point you may as well read the text for the class.

Also the more you write during the class the less you will be able to think about what the lecturer is saying or participate in the lecture. Overall it is much more effective to take a minimum of notes and to use lectures as a time to really try to learn the material, then crystallize what you've learned later by doing problems.

carve it in your skin, promises you'll have a hard time forgetting

also helps if you want to cheat on the test

>>3535849
For perhaps the majority of my classes, the professors consider anything from lecture to be fair game, and only roughly suggest sections from the texbbook. Most of them really only use the textbook for problem set questions. If you don't write down what they present in lecture, you're in trouble since you have no way of knowing what will be on the exam (other than borrowing your friend's notes)

Also, I find that writing down everything presented during the lecture (well, written on the blackboard) is the best way to properly understand and actually REMEMBER what was taught during the lecture. I actually don't go back to my notes too often; mostly, I skim through them as a reference. Maybe my brain works differently from you, I don't know.

I used to have an ebook about getting organized and efficiently taking notes, OP. I'll see if I can find it.

>>3535825
Is there an affordable one that's strong enough to catch the teachers voice if they're a ways away?

What I do is that I usually write down key words, avoiding words like 'the, a, an' as well as writing as if I were texting, then I just scribble words down as the lecturer speaks.

Later, I take some time to rewrite the notes in an organized way I can understand and easily study later

Just write down whatever is the most important. Instead of stressing out trying to write shit down as fast as possible try to actually learn most of it during the lecture. Just write down the main points and whatever else you think you will have a hard time remembering. That way when I looked at my notes I could just go back and recall what the prof said about each point.

>>3535886
Other other than listening critically and interacting with the material as it is presented? Oh no,...just be a parrot.

>>3535894
Uh... yeah?
> implying the one posted isn't capable

That fucking thing picks up noise outside the building at high enough volumes.

>>3535920
Implying that you can't multitask :P

Writing down notes doesn't preclude you from actually paying attention to the professor or actively participating.

>>3535940
yes it does. Haven't you seen the latest studies?
http://www.redgage.com/blogs/vignesssh/google-kills-our-memory.html

Notes are often a crutch the same way good is to developing memory.

Sure you can pretend you can critically interact with material at the same time you try to decide which material is important, but then you get lagged and eventually, you either have to stop or just doggedly copy all the notes, and then all you're doing is being a parrot.

>which is fine if you're a biology student.

>>3535825
Where did you find it for $17?

>>3535964
>>3535964
...
On the internet?

>>3535968
More specific.

>>3535978
lmgtfy.com

Beat the shit out of someone who took good notes and take theirs.

>>3535962

Nah, physics student :) (and I've already finished 3 years of undergrad)

>>3535978
Really?

>>3535986
Derp. Yeah, really. Herp.

First I decide whether there is any point in taking notes. Some classes it's better to stick to the book or the horrible professor just reads off the slide and you only go as far as marking which slides are most important.

For real classes I don't like to use recorders because I don't have the patience to listen to the lecture again. I try to come in with a basic knowledge of what the lecture is on by reading the book. Then I listen for unique ideas and what the professor stresses which you get better at after more lectures if you actively listen for cues. Overall I make a point of thinking while note taking, I process the information while writing down details and then sum up the point. Often this gets messy and crazy with lines and diagrams and cross outs because whats on paper is what is going on in my head.

In the end my notes are incomprehensible to anyone but me, but damn are they some good notes.

>>3535658
Read the book like the prof tells you and write what you didn't actually didn't understand from the reading the next day. Re-read notes and reading pertaining to what you wrote in class. You have two days and you're a full time student... start acting like one.

>>3536011
>>3535986

Fucking lol'd.

>>3536013

>Read the book like the prof tells you
>Read the book

>>3536041
>>3536041
I like to imagine my teachers are incompetent and that I'm the actual future. Egomania will eventually take me over, but it's k.

how to get (and maintain) a 4.0 in college/university:

- sit in the front row
- learn it the first time; ask questions until you understand it. you should not leave the classroom until you understand what just happened
- make a first impression with the instructor very early in the semester. fun fact: having a good relationship with the instructor is what kept me on president's list last semester
- write down what the instructor writes down. pick out the important stuff and study it more. the intricacies come second
- use any and all resources that could potentially increase your grade
- learn to pick up on how the professor emphasizes certain things. some instructors flat out say "you might want to remember this." others are more subtle
- after the first exam, compare your notes with the questions from the exam. what did you do good? what'd you fuck up? by third exam/final you should be a master of anticipating their questions.

optional but encouraged: become friends with someone who can get adderall

basically you just don't be a moron. all of this is common sense.