Do you rewrite your notes by hand or by typing?
For people that rewrite there notes
- Thread starter bdibbs
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Do you mean re-write as in the teacher has the notes in a powerpoint and you copy them down?
Yes or write them in your own words.
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*their.
I'll write down lecture notes, then type those up and print them, then go over the typed notes with a highlighter alternating between two colors.
Probably overkill, but it really helps reinforce things and keep me from zoning out (esp the highlighter thing).
Not sure if any of this will be feasible in med school though...
I'll write down lecture notes, then type those up and print them, then go over the typed notes with a highlighter alternating between two colors.
Probably overkill, but it really helps reinforce things and keep me from zoning out (esp the highlighter thing).
Not sure if any of this will be feasible in med school though...
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I always do this for every class to help me study and remember.
1. Write notes during class.
2. Type up notes from class into large 'Study Guides'.
3. Read through the study guide multiple times and highlight anything that doesn't stick and anything that requires memorization (lists of information [i.e. cranial nerves])
4. Get plain printer paper and create a 'mini study guide' from the large typed study guide, but this time, hand write it and only pull from the highlighted items in the large guide.
Yes, I am crazy.
1. Write notes during class.
2. Type up notes from class into large 'Study Guides'.
3. Read through the study guide multiple times and highlight anything that doesn't stick and anything that requires memorization (lists of information [i.e. cranial nerves])
4. Get plain printer paper and create a 'mini study guide' from the large typed study guide, but this time, hand write it and only pull from the highlighted items in the large guide.
Yes, I am crazy.
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Not too crazy. My routine is similar.
1. Take notes during class on powerpoint handouts
2. Hand write very condensed study guides from those notes/handouts
3. Quiz myself on the study guides.
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I did something similar in undergrad. I recopied everything with color pens and copied pictures from powerpoints/book/notes into them.
In medical school there's just no time to do this, so I started typing them since its so much faster. I actually rewrite them straight into an electronic notecard program and review the information that way.
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This never worked for me. I always felt it was much more efficient (for me) to just read over my notes 10,000X than to spend time recopying information. The problem is I usually forget everything within 24 hours after taking the test. I am going to have to modify this strategy once I get to medical school, but for now, it works quite well and gives me time to pursue other interests and ECs.
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I just read powerpoint but when I do take notes in class I just write them by hand.
I think writing them out is a waste of time and energy!
I think writing them out is a waste of time and energy!
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Hand. I space out and just start mindlessly copying if I'm typing, so in class I write them down, then condense the important stuff into a hand-written study guide. Usually I don't end up studying too much from them though, it's more the process that helps me.
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With you there, except I prefer typing my notes up. I never saw the value in writing by hand (it doesn't seem to help me) and typewritten notes are easier to keep on file and available for later. They also save trees.
Personally, I usually get what I need from class. If I do have questions/need clarifications or know the prof tests on things outside lecture, I'll generally refer to the book as needed. Usually, I have a pretty good sense of things from just these few methods of study, so I generally don't look at the material again until a couple of days before the test, when I will usually spend 2-3 hrs reviewing, including 1-2 hrs w/ a study partner to compare notes. To me, all of the extra stuff like flash cards, recopying notes, and hours upon hours of review seems like a total waste of time and, at least for me, makes no measurable difference.
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if you're crazy so am I...sounds like what I do for the most part. However I'm starting to doubt whether this will be efficient for me in medical school...we shall see. I alternate with using notecards as well depending on how heavy on memorization something is. However, I find they are pretty useless if I don't make them early enough as we are learning the material. If I wait until right before the test I don't have much time to actually study them and spend too much time just writing them out...
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In that case, I generally write down whatever is on the powerpoint + the instructor's comments. If it's a class where the lecture is just a ton of graphs and charts, I usually print the powerpoint and write down whatever the instructor says.
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Just curious, what's the name of this program and where can I find it? I'm trying to figure out methods to study in med school.
Thanks a bunch!
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I do the exact same thing. So no, you're not crazy. Unless I'm crazy too. Which actually isn't entirely implausible.
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anki didn't work for me. I used iFlash which costs about $15. I like it because I can add pictures, which helps for the visual part of my learning style 🙂
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I either take my original notes directly onto powerpoint print outs of the lecture or write notes in a notebook. A few days before the exam I make a detailed outline from my notes and recopy all diagrams. This is basically re-writing my notes, but I sometimes expand on subjects and occasionally simplify things into a very organized outline. This is very helpful! I've tried it on a computer a couple times and it worked fine that way, too. I prefer pen to paper, though, but either way is effective!
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I used to rewrite by hand and made little books for each class (crazy, I know, but it's sooooo helpful). Now that I have a tablet PC I do it all in OneNote. It's more fun, it saves paper, and I never lose my notes.
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I would always type up my written notes after getting home that day. I never re-typed something that was already typed out, though. I felt it'd be kind of redundant. The only exception was for drawn diagrams, which I just left in the notebook (I could have redrawn it using a textbook picture as a reference, but if I have a textbook picture, then who needs a drawing?)
On a later day, I would then go through those typed notes and organize it in a way that maximized easy readability (specific color-coding for definitions, topic headings, etc.)
Finally (when this was done depended on my workload and how I felt), I would add in additional, related details from the text that seemed relevant, helpful, or just felt like something that screamed "This will be asked about on an exam". Sometimes this would simply mean adding notes like "See page 132 of the text for a helpful table/diagram/explanation".
By forcing myself to go over and analyze the content of my notes, it helped me retain the information. By organizing and adding to it, it made future studying quick and efficient. Also, since I had a digital copy of it, it wouldn't be a big deal if my notebook was lost or destroyed somehow.
This also made it easy and effortless to share with a classmate who couldn't attend a lecture and needed the notes. I was notorious in my classes for having awesome, easy to distribute notes, and it resulted in getting similar (if not extracurricular) favors in return when I needed them. Note, I never told people nor implied that they needed to give me something in return. Most of them did eventually all on their own. Good karma and all that, I guess.
On a later day, I would then go through those typed notes and organize it in a way that maximized easy readability (specific color-coding for definitions, topic headings, etc.)
Finally (when this was done depended on my workload and how I felt), I would add in additional, related details from the text that seemed relevant, helpful, or just felt like something that screamed "This will be asked about on an exam". Sometimes this would simply mean adding notes like "See page 132 of the text for a helpful table/diagram/explanation".
By forcing myself to go over and analyze the content of my notes, it helped me retain the information. By organizing and adding to it, it made future studying quick and efficient. Also, since I had a digital copy of it, it wouldn't be a big deal if my notebook was lost or destroyed somehow.
This also made it easy and effortless to share with a classmate who couldn't attend a lecture and needed the notes. I was notorious in my classes for having awesome, easy to distribute notes, and it resulted in getting similar (if not extracurricular) favors in return when I needed them. Note, I never told people nor implied that they needed to give me something in return. Most of them did eventually all on their own. Good karma and all that, I guess.
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I tried to make outlines at the beginning of med school, but I just found it was too time consuming and the time was better spent memorizing something because this is all medical school is. I occasionally make flash cards, but only for stuff that is pretty similar (Cranial nerves, branchial arches, aa structures, etc.)
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