digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Choose one of five note-taking systems that suit your style, rather than relying on a single method for every class. The five systems covered are the outline method, the Cornell method, the mind map method, the flow method, and the write-on-slides method, each with distinct strengths for different learners and lecture formats.
Key Points
- The five methods named in the video are: 1) the outline method, 2) the Cornell method, 3) the mind map method, 4) the flow method, and 5) the write-on-slides method.
- The outline method is a disciplined, hierarchical system: top-level bullets capture main points and lower-level bullets fill in details.
- The Cornell method, developed by Walter Pauk in the 1950s, divides the page into a cue column, a note-taking column, and a summary box, with cues and summary added after class to aid review.
- The flow method, invented by Scott Young, prioritizes learning during class over transcribing; the aim is an original document reflecting your own understanding rather than a verbatim record.
- The write-on-slides method works best when the professor provides slides in advance, giving a timeline-style view of notes that mirrors the lecture's sequence.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Outline method: Create top-level bullets for each main lecture point, then add lower-level bullets for details. On paper, leave space between main bullets or summarize them at the top; on a computer (e.g., Evernote or Microsoft Word), add and reformat bullets freely.
- Cornell method: Divide the paper into a narrow cue column on the left and a wider note-taking column on the right, with a summary box underneath. Take notes in the right column during class. As soon as possible after class, write review questions or cues in the left column and a lecture summary in the bottom box.
- Mind map method: Draw a circle in the middle of a blank page, write the lecture's main topic inside, then branch out subtopics with lines and smaller branches.
- Flow method: Do not try to capture every detail. Add details, arrows, and offshoots, and return to earlier points as needed to build your own mental picture of the subject.
- Write-on-slides method: If the professor allows it, download the slides before class, print them, and write notes directly on them, using the slide sequence as a timeline.
- The mind map method was illustrated by the speaker using a blog post on saving money in college: the central topic was placed in the middle and branches explored different areas of student spending, which produced a more comprehensive list.
- The speaker describes the flow method as especially suited to accelerating learning, in contrast to the more rigid transcription style of the outline method.
- The write-on-slides method's main advantages are that it requires less writing because the slides carry much of the content, and it provides a timeline view. The speaker compares it to SoundCloud comments placed at specific moments in audio.
Bottom Line
Match the note-taking system to your learning style and the lecture format: structured and hierarchical for outlines, review-oriented for Cornell, visual for mind maps, understanding-focused for flow, and slide-based for timelines.
