How are you guys going to take notes/study in PT school?

[A Homeless Guy]

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Hey guys/gals was wondering how you guys plan to take notes in PT school. I was curious because I start in May and was thinking I probably have to upgrade how I take notes/study. I plan on recording lectures which I never had to do in undergrad but I'm assuming the amount of didactic information we have to consume is a lot higher once we start PT school.

 

[SwampPT]

I think it all depends on the class you're taking. Some professors will probably give you all the PowerPoints so you won't have to take notes. I would bring my recorder and at the first opportunity I would ask the professor what they recommend. Most professors are more than happy to give you the roadmap to success in their class. I has a really tough A&P professor, but she told us exactly what we needed to do to be successful. A few of us did as she said and got A's. The rest....not so much. Of course I'm making the assumption that professors in a PT program will be just as helpful as undergraduate professors.

 

[okramango]

About half the people in my class take handwritten notes on powerpoint handouts from the professor, while the other half takes notes on their computer or tablet. I find that I prefer handwritten notes for some classes, and typed for other classes. I don't think recording lectures would be that helpful, since we're so busy and would never have time to listen to it anyway, but you might find it helpful if you have to drive a lot, or to clarify something that you didn't quite hear correctly in class (though I just usually ask my classmates when that happens). Everyone has their own study styles that work for them, and you'll use your first semester of PT school to play around with study styles to see what works for you.

 

[1027453812]

You will have to play to the strengths of your professors and to your own strengths in note-taking. For me, I have some professors that have powerpoint slides that stand entirely fine on their own (which warrant no extra note-taking), whereas others have their slides more in an outline format (which warrant note-taking). Going off of what @okramango said, I do the exact same. I do half and half. I am a type of students that absolutely needs to read the textbook for each class. Other students have found success on relying on slides only. Each student will be different

It is also important to realize that you will be asked to grasp material pretty quick, and you will need to latch onto that material since each class builds upon one another. That being said, make sure you to develop a good schedule that allows you to have a decent pace with your classes. Your goal will always be to 'not fall behind'. I have heard this, and since day 1 I honestly have never felt 'ahead'. So now that statement now translated to 'not fall too [far] behind'.

 

[Archline]

I was always half and half with handwritten notes and typing, but now, its 2015, and we don't have to choose. Get a computer that uses a digitizer ( an accurate pen, not a stylus ) and switch between typing, handwriting, or even PowerPoint slides to your hearts content. Plus, its all digital, so you can search for specific words instantly and don't have to worry about losing them, ever. I use a Surface Pro 2, but there are more choices. That's my method.

 

[Archline]

You will have to play to the strengths of your professors and to your own strengths in note-taking. For me, I have some professors that have powerpoint slides that stand entirely fine on their own (which warrant no extra note-taking), whereas others have their slides more in an outline format (which warrant note-taking). Going off of what @okramango said, I do the exact same. I do half and half. I am a type of students that absolutely needs to read the textbook for each class. Other students have found success on relying on slides only. Each student will be different

It is also important to realize that you will be asked to grasp material pretty quick, and you will need to latch onto that material since each class builds upon one another. That being said, make sure you to develop a good schedule that allows you to have a decent pace with your classes. Your goal will always be to 'not fall behind'. I have heard this, and since day 1 I honestly have never felt 'ahead'. So now that statement now translated to 'not fall too [far] behind'.

That last paragraph was very well written, thanks!

 

[TravisDPT]

Hey guys/gals was wondering how you guys plan to take notes in PT school. I was curious because I start in May and was thinking I probably have to upgrade how I take notes/study. I plan on recording lectures which I never had to do in undergrad but I'm assuming the amount of didactic information we have to consume is a lot higher once we start PT school.

I've done best with printing out the PowerPoint lectures 3 slides per page, and following along and taking notes on that during class, with a backup notebook for when I need more room for drawing a diagram or something. I've experimented with using my laptop only, an iPad only, recording audio, etc. but I've always come back to this method. I plan on using it in my DPT program this fall, possibly adding an iPad for 3D anatomical apps, quick googling, etc.

 

[runnerflute]

I'm researching this myself right now since I'm starting my program in 8 weeks. For me, I've always been a pen and paper gal but given the amount of information to learn, I'm looking to incorporate more tech into my notetaking strategies. Tech-wise, I'm going to use a combo of laptop, Chromebook, and iPad but will probably use my iPad more for note taking and referencing anatomy apps, etc.

 

[starrsgirl]

You won't be allowed to record all lectures so definitely don't count on it. Also in classes we did have recordings I found I didn't have time to go back except for a specific piece of info.

I do notes by hand but only because there's a lot of drawing and diagramming that I struggle to do online.