I’ve noticed a lot of people at my uni using a highlighter when reading. I tried it but for some reason I just seem to do better when I write out notes while reading a chapter.
Is one way more effective than the other?
If there are time constraints what is the best method? Also, is it just that some people learn better with one method?
I like to write things out but I just dont have the time right now. I fear that just highlighting might backfire in terms of retention.
Advice?
Thank you. smile
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
i perfer writing bcuz it will stick in ur headd
and mayb make u go bak and look in the book to calrify thingss
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Highlighting never worked for me, I always end up highlighting the entire textbook. I prefer reading than making my own notes and if need be than hightailing the important parts in the notes once you have an idea of what you will be tested on.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
same here.
highlighting doesn't work for me.
I always have to write my own notes.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
brainstorms work.....but dont go wasting time trying out new and funky ideas....cos thts valuable revison time being lost- stick to what you know best!
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Highlighting doesn’t work for me either – I typically write my own notes using two different colors to make a distinction between core concepts and peripheral ideas… and in a subsequent review, I might use a highlighter on these notes to identify main ideas which I can then jog my memory with until such a time when I need to spit out the learnings. So far, this has worked well for me – preparing for my Ph.D. comprehensive exams was a true test of the strategy.
This is not to say that highlighting doesn’t work. Different people use different ways to alleviate their extraneous cognitive loads. Textbooks aren’t written in the best possible way to aid understanding.
I am an avid supporter of summarizing through schema building techniques to facilitate learning. Matrices, concept trees, diagrams etc. make it simpler to visualize the theory when needed - and I use these on a daily basis in teaching my classes.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
You know what used to do the trick for me : underlining.
Somehow, the color of the highlighter just flares up from the paper, and blinds me - especially the bright yellow.
And writing out notes just ended up in me re-writing the book. Which was a massive waste of time.
Also try to make concept maps - they're cooler, shorter to write, and help you tie in the info better.
Also make a list of some quiz questions on the material for yourself. So when you review, you can just review the questions.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Oh comon, this is my favorite subject. Pens and highlighters and pencils.
bump
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
i cant study unless and until i have atleast 2 colored pens and 2 highlighters...i underline whatever i read and highlight important terms and points..and on the sides of the text i scribble what i've read in the form of points....it helps me reatin stuff....it has always worked for me....but its always what makes u comfortable....i dont think using highlighters and stuff is time consuming....
if there are time constaints i think its best to stick to ur own routine rather than trying other things....and having flash cards and summarizing schemes also aids especially if u r running out of time...like near a test or exam...
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
The reason why I prefer to write my own notes is because this process helps me to put the concepts that I need to absorb in my own words.
If left in someone else's words, they are the thoughts of someone else. If translated to my own words, they are suddenly mine.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Muzna, as much as I'd love to keep making my own notes, I cannot do it anymore because its too time-consuming. After posting this I spoke with a relative of mine and he suggested like PCG said to underline stuff that is important. He also said to only write out things I am having difficulty understandng, like pathways.
Apparently, reading things more than two times is good for retention purposes. He said he told his fiancee, who is in a similar program as I am, to stop writing out notes, and she tried it and it worked for her. It was also very time-consuming for her, as it is for me. She just reads everything 3+ times and found this worked better than writing stuff out all the time.
Being the procrastinator that I am, I just dont have time to rewrite the book. So I am going to try this new method and see what happens. I read faster than I write, so I am hoping this will be beneficial. Insha'Allah.
Thanks all. smile
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
No offence lovey but this is quite a silly, petty question. It depends on the individual, there is no right or wrongs when revising and using your own methods.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
In Munni’s world, there is no such thing as a silly or petty question. You can infact say there is no right or wrong for many of the questions asked on this board, but it will not stop people from inquiring. I find it a legitimate question, and so I asked.
Thank you for your input though. smile
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Munni, I agree with you. I used to use the same approach and it yielded excellent results.
I switched to notewriting (because all of a sudden, I wanted 1 notebook for each class - 
I don’t know where I get these obsessions from), and I was having A LOT OF TROUBLE.
I guess it depends on what you are studying. Underlining, highlighting, notes in margins, vocab lists, flash cards, etc work in memory-intensive courses.
Outlining, concept mapping works better in more concept-based courses.
Most of my courses were heavy memorization with basic application. I found the first to work better. Because once the information is memorized and in long-term memory, then it wont leave easily. Furthermore, if its applied regularly (like at a job, etc), then you wont need to go back to outlines. Plus, I have a SLIGHT photographic memory, so its easier for me to pull out a textbook and flip right to the page I want when I want to refresh something.
Re: Taking notes or highlighting?
Thank you for your input though. smile
Granted.
T'is still petty, I won't start drowning my tea with 6 teaspoons of sugar because others find it 'sweet' yet 2 teaspoons is enuff for me.
Anyways... carry on..