The Best Way To Take Notes

In our "How To Take Better Notes in Class: 5 Proven Methods" article, it covered different ways to take notes. In this article, we're going over the steps to make your notes simple and easy to understand.

Here are five quick steps:

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1. Start with a title. Make sure it encompasses everything you want to take notes on.

2. Create bold sub-headings for each of the sub-sections.

3. Under each sub-heading, write bullet points that elaborate on it.

4. Within the topic of each bullet, use indented bullet points to elaborate.

5. Add color and/or emphasis. Color-coding can help make the information easily digestible and emphasis can make it easy to find the important points.

In summary, your notes should should look something like this:

[Title] Ethical Arguments

[Subheading] Argument Vocabulary

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Argument: a chain or reasoning designed to prove something [bullet point]

• Consists of one or more premises [indented bullet point]
• Every argument has a conclusion
• Says the conclusion follows from the premises

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Valid: conclusion follows from the premises

• Doesn’t mean the premises are true
• The conclusion must connect

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Sound: the argument must be valid AND the premises must be true

• This means that the conclusion connects to the premises and that, since the premises are true, the conclusion is. This means it is true and makes sense.

Afterwards, color-code your notes with a highlighter or colored pen and you're done!

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