Does anyone else not take notes?

[shaggybill]

I have 5 classes this semester, and only take notes in two of them. In chemistry, I just listen for understanding without taking notes, and then I read the book on my own for actual studying and practice. I've found that if I take notes, I end up paying attention only to making sure I get everything written down instead of comprehending what is actually being taught. Anybody else find this kind of approach effective? If so, what classes?

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[tennisball80]

I'm a high school senior.

If I take notes, I end up paying attention only to making sure I get everything written down instead of comprehending what is actually being taught. Anybody else find this kind of approach effective

Yeah, this is what I found for myself too.

 

[tennisball80]

And I can't concentrate when I write down stuff, is it good or bad habit ?

 

[amph119]

Didn't take a single note in PChem, slept through every class, and got an A weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

 

[TupacalipseT96]

In general, I've found that pre-meds take way too many unneccesary notes. I don't know if that's because they are not very intelligent, extraordinarily neurotic, attempting to appear gunnerish to intimidate, or some combination.

Listening in class is usually what I do, taking an occasional note that I think might be relevant to future test studying. Any real notes I take are at home on my own time from the book or the handouts.

So I'm with you.

 

[fizzle]

I didn't take notes at all in my classes. It amused some of my classmates/friends who asked to see my notes, only to find out that my notebook is filled with doodles.

There was no point in taking notes in most of my classes because everything was put online. I'm amused by people who take the time to print out all the slides when it's right in front of them during the lecture. It's not like the course covers anything not on the slides...

 

[shemarty]

In college, I didn't really take notes.

First of all, my handwriting is illegible

When I tried to take notes on a laptop, I end up typing word for word what the profs say, which ends up being really useless, since that produces too many pages of text. So I end up checking email, etc, on my laptop during class.

I studied by rereading the textbook. I guess I read fast and have a good memory so that worked for me. But I really wish I had the ability to organize notes into outlines. That seems like a super useful skill to have and I just can't do it.

 

[Wants2give]

Wow... This post is awkwardly really amusing..
Now that I think about it, i do take a crud ton of notes in every class and no I usually cannot write it down and comprehend it at the same time. Thats crazy.. I thought it was just me. I always thought it was just me..

My dad told me this quote his professor told him in med school..
It went something like " If you don't want to be in class, thats fine, If you don't want to take notes in class thats fine too, because im sure you all can read faster than I can speak."

Gosh dangit its true!!

 

[gabeybaby]

I have 5 classes this semester, and only take notes in two of them. In chemistry, I just listen for understanding without taking notes, and then I read the book on my own for actual studying and practice. I've found that if I take notes, I end up paying attention only to making sure I get everything written down instead of comprehending what is actually being taught. Anybody else find this kind of approach effective? If so, what classes?

you're not alone.

what i do is that i listen, understand what is being taught and then do the hw-- see if im comprehending things (if no hw, then i just go over what is being taught-- i write down what i learn on a piece of paper so it's not like i quickly brush through the chapter)...if i dont understand then, i'll just go see the professor.

taking notes honestly doesn't help-- unless you're a smart note taker, and write small things down to jot your memory when youre trying to go back later to study.

 

[tennisball80]

To summarize, comprehension during class time is more important than taking notes ?

 

[GlamDoc]

Yes, comprehension is the most important thing. But it doesn't hurt to jot down a few things. Sometimes professors give great examples/tidbits that can't be found in the text.

But I'm too lazy to constantly take notes.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

For most of my classes, I dont know why a text is even required because all of my profs say that they are only going to cover stuff from the power point slides. I always end up getting shafted and paying 100+ unnecessary dollars cuz I always think that I'll go to the text for reference, which pretty much never happens

 

[andrewnwi]

I make my own notes. Most of the I use my tape recorder. I have even had a few professors allow me to record them, they even asked me to email it to them so they could post it online on classes WebCT for others. I know actually make videos recording for my old chemistry teachers intro classes during exam and finals week. She has actually seen a significant amount of improvement since the videos became available. Which I too think works, cause this way students can always go back and check on something they might have blanked out on in lecture. Of course, there was a few students who stopped showing up, and just watched the videos. So she changed it to emailing students who asked for it, and then when she would ask about something in class and you didn't know it she wouldn't allow you the video. Some people...

 

[andrewnwi]

For most of my classes, I dont know why a text is even required because all of my profs say that they are only going to cover stuff from the power point slides. I always end up getting shafted and paying 100+ unnecessary dollars cuz I always think that I'll go to the text for reference, which pretty much never happens

Trust me, you're going to want those books. I have a lot of friends in grad level classes who ask to borrow my GenChem book. They're perfect to go back a freshen up and reference for papers, etc.

 

[NiCad089]

I have 5 classes this semester, and only take notes in two of them. In chemistry, I just listen for understanding without taking notes, and then I read the book on my own for actual studying and practice. I've found that if I take notes, I end up paying attention only to making sure I get everything written down instead of comprehending what is actually being taught. Anybody else find this kind of approach effective? If so, what classes?

Definitely depends on the class. I do this in bio classes since they're just rote memorization. In my math classes and chem classes I take notes. I usually don't review the notes. The act of writing them down helps me learn. What I don't do is read textbooks.

 

[NiCad089]

Didn't take a single note in PChem, slept through every class, and got an A weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Wait. Was this thermodynamics or Quantum Mechanics. Thermo was pretty easy, but quant is kicking my butt. What's your secret?

 

[amph119]

Wait. Was this thermodynamics or Quantum Mechanics. Thermo was pretty easy, but quant is kicking my butt. What's your secret?

It was thermo. I had taken an engineering thermodynamics course prior to this one that I also got an A in. This course was a breeze compared to that, ha.

 

[Vido]

I am totally different. I never read any book through these 4 college years and i always rely on my lecture notes. weired how people can be very different.

 

[tennisball80]

How many % of professors in this country use power point ?

 

[NiCad089]

How many % of professors in this country use power point ?

Too many.

 

[FlowLimited]

How many % of professors in this country use power point ?

68.3% at last census.

 

[135892]

For most of my classes, I dont know why a text is even required because all of my profs say that they are only going to cover stuff from the power point slides. I always end up getting shafted and paying 100+ unnecessary dollars cuz I always think that I'll go to the text for reference, which pretty much never happens

Ha, I'm completely different. I rely heavily on the textbooks to learn the material, without the books I would be screwed. If I do go to class though, I don't really take notes, as most profs post the lectures online, and will mostly only write down solutions to sample problems or stuff like that. So I don't even find it too useful to go to class, and only go when there is some sort of attendance grade.

 

[202781]

I usually get bored and fall asleep in class or start drawing pictures about how bored I am.
I think lectures usually move too slowly. I end up just reading the chapter and studying on my own...although I still go to class because

1. I feel guilty paying for something I don't attend
2. Figure I might learn something via osmosis
3. Good place to flirt with chicas

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

.

 

[DrWookie]

It all depends on how you learn.

I personally remember things better if i write it down...the actually act of writing it is what helps me memorize it.

So yah, I take a lot of notes...but for me once I've taken the notes I already remember more than half of it...so I do less studying then most because it is mostly a refreshing (A lot of times my studying is just writing the things down one more time...like onto note cards...but then when it comes to study the note cards I only need to really study like 5 of them because the rest I know already).

It works me...sure I waste a lot of paper, but it's how I learn things.

In terms of "understanding" the material vs. just memorizing the material...My brain thinks pretty fast so I can grasp the material while I'm writing it down...most of my professors have to stop me from asking questions that move the lecture too far forward too quickly (because other people need to conceptually catch up...especially in 8:00 AM classes, because I'm a big morning person), so I feel I'm doing pretty good.

 

[airplanes]

Trust me, you're going to want those books. I have a lot of friends in grad level classes who ask to borrow my GenChem book. They're perfect to go back a freshen up and reference for papers, etc.

Except...med students aren't grad students won't be needing that old genchem/genetics/biochem or physics text. Trust me. The worst purchases I've ever made are my ochem text for 200+ (my prof had detailed outlines) and my biochem book for another 200+ (never used it once).

Taking notes in class is how I learn, personally. Reading lecture slides or the textbook doesn't do it for me.

68.3% at last census.

 

[NDPitch]

I rarely take notes. I write down a few things per class at most. But usually for only blatant things like when the professor says "This WILL be on the exam, so make sure you know it!" I'll write down a note saying "study this".

Other than that, I sit and pay attention to what is going on.

 

[COMBAT MEDIC172]

I never take notes.

 

[iduwanna]

I never take notes.

If you don't take notes -- don't go to class! just sleep in or read the book and ask your friend if you missed anything.

It pissed me off big time today when I was surrounded by people coughing and sneezing and wheezing on there infectious phlegm ... and NOT ONE of them even had a pen or paper!!

these d-bags just come to class (late) to infect everyone, and they don't even (pretend to) take a note!

 

[ChichiMD]

If you don't take notes -- don't go to class! just sleep in or read the book and ask your friend if you missed anything.

It pissed me off big time today when I was surrounded by people coughing and sneezing and wheezing on there infectious phlegm ... and NOT ONE of them even had a pen or paper!!

these d-bags just come to class (late) to infect everyone, and they don't even (pretend to) take a note!

Hahaha! I sooo got a good laff out of reading your post iduwanna!!!

I take notes and I think i do an absolutely phenomenal job at it too! Never read books in undergrad (ok maybe initially when i was confused)... In fact, I was the paid note-taker for some of my classses senior year so i basically got paid for doing what I would have done anyways! Sweet!

 

[Dr McSexy]

Depends on the class. If it's a class were you work problems (math, chem, physics, etc.), I just sit and listen, occasionally jot down some stuff.

Otherwise, I tend to jot down what the professors says in lecture. Taking 20 pages of notes on 4 different chapters is much better than reading 150 pages of the text book, which goes into too much detail and requires time I don't have nor want to spend. I tend to use textbooks as a reference to clarify material presented in the professor's lecture. But I've had professors who disagree with material in the books and would rather you understand the way they present as opposed to the textbook's presentation of the material.

 

[BlitzSleep]

For histology I take notes as I read the book. Seems to help. However, I'm sitting in Physics 2 right now, so it's obvious that I don't take lecture notes (for Physics at least). I used to take lecture notes but I've found it to be a waste of effort. In Genetics, I took a ton of notes (the professor offers great notes). It all boils down to if your teacher is actually a teacher or someone that just derives equations for an hour.

 

[drelizabeth292]

i guess it would depend on the class but i was a BIG note taker in undergrad. what i used to do was handwrite notes in class, and handwrite notes from the texts and then condense them both together according to topics and subcategories and chapters. and THEN i would type them all up and then i would read them as many times as i could and would continue to edit out the unnecessary info until i could memorize all the information. i liked my method because i had all the info in ONE area and it helped me memorize things faster. i dont know if this will work in med school (as it is time consuming)-i'll let you know in august.

 

[DrYoda]

In the rare class where the test material is only given orally then I will take notes.

95% of the time I just read the supplied powerpoint slides.

 

[pianola]

Class-dependent.

If the teacher is slow enough, then maybe I will take notes for the reinforcement.

If I'm learning something for the first time, it's usually best for me just to listen. Sometimes taping a lecture is helpful in this case, too. NO I am NOT a gunner, just an auditory learner.

If the teacher is horrible then I don't take notes at all.

 

[tennisball80]

i guess it would depend on the class but i was a BIG note taker in undergrad. what i used to do was handwrite notes in class, and handwrite notes from the texts and then condense them both together according to topics and subcategories and chapters. and THEN i would type them all up and then i would read them as many times as i could and would continue to edit out the unnecessary info until i could memorize all the information. i liked my method because i had all the info in ONE area and it helped me memorize things faster. i dont know if this will work in med school (as it is time consuming)-i'll let you know in august.

wow how much time did you spend to organize your notes ?

 

[majahops]

I always take notes, but never look at them again. Wow, thanks for helping me realize how ******ed I am.

 

[funkydrmonkey]

I am totally different. I never read any book through these 4 college years and i always rely on my lecture notes. weired how people can be very different.

Same here... I feel bad if I do not take notes... yeah I have weird guilt issues, but I take incessant notes to the point too many people wanna borrow my notes... I even take notes for classes where there is not need, as in seminar classes that only have a paper to write that does not have anything to do with the material presented in lecture...

 

[badapplestix]

If I take detailed notes, I don't have to read the book to do well. I just study the online material plus what the prof said in class.

 

[billw]

You have to attend lecture to take notes.