4 answers
Chase
Student
Belpre, Ohio
2
Questions
Updated
564 views
What is the best way to take notes during lectures?
How should I take notes during lectures for my freshmen year for chemical engineering classes or any general education classes? Is it worth it to get an app to listen to the lectures and to help take notes?
4 answers
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
150
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Chase,
This is a rather difficult question. We are generally good at different things. Some people understand concepts very quickly, have strong memories. Others are quick at taking notes. Most of us tend to be average in these areas. Therefore, what works well for one person may not work well for one. Every individual needs to identify what works well for him or her.
It's important to fully understand what is being taught. This allows one to jot down important points only and hence keep pace with the lecturers. Recording allows you to keep a complete record of the lectures. Additional time is required to convert the recordings into notes. A balancing act is required to optimize one's time so enough time is available for reading and revisions.
Proficiency in shorthand would be a great asset for someone who is slow at taking notes.
Through practice, you can strike a combination that works well for you.
This is a rather difficult question. We are generally good at different things. Some people understand concepts very quickly, have strong memories. Others are quick at taking notes. Most of us tend to be average in these areas. Therefore, what works well for one person may not work well for one. Every individual needs to identify what works well for him or her.
It's important to fully understand what is being taught. This allows one to jot down important points only and hence keep pace with the lecturers. Recording allows you to keep a complete record of the lectures. Additional time is required to convert the recordings into notes. A balancing act is required to optimize one's time so enough time is available for reading and revisions.
Proficiency in shorthand would be a great asset for someone who is slow at taking notes.
Through practice, you can strike a combination that works well for you.
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
Hi Chase. When you're taking notes, especially in subjects like Chemical Engineering, it's important to include visuals (like diagrams, chemical structures, equations, and graphs). These visual elements are crucial for understanding the material.
As for whether to take notes by hand or on a laptop, there are pros and cons to both. Handwriting your notes can be more effective for learning because it forces you to actively think about and summarize the material. On the other hand, laptops can be useful for quickly typing out equations or accessing online resources.
You might also wonder if it's worth using an app to record lectures and help with note-taking. Yes, listening to the recordings is helpful if you miss something, but it's not the same as engaging with the material while you're in class. These apps should be used as a supplement, not as a replacement for writing your own notes.
Additionally, reviewing your notes regularly is essential for remembering what you've learned. After each lecture, go through your notes while the material is still fresh in your mind. If something isn't clear, look it up in your textbook or online, or ask your professor for clarification. All the best.
As for whether to take notes by hand or on a laptop, there are pros and cons to both. Handwriting your notes can be more effective for learning because it forces you to actively think about and summarize the material. On the other hand, laptops can be useful for quickly typing out equations or accessing online resources.
You might also wonder if it's worth using an app to record lectures and help with note-taking. Yes, listening to the recordings is helpful if you miss something, but it's not the same as engaging with the material while you're in class. These apps should be used as a supplement, not as a replacement for writing your own notes.
Additionally, reviewing your notes regularly is essential for remembering what you've learned. After each lecture, go through your notes while the material is still fresh in your mind. If something isn't clear, look it up in your textbook or online, or ask your professor for clarification. All the best.
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Electrical Engineer, Software Developer, and Career Mentor
517
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
Taking notes effectively in chemical engineering is all about understanding, organizing, and staying engaged. Before class, quickly go over the topics or review your previous notes to get a sense of what's coming. Make sure you have everything you need, like a graph-paper notebook, pens, or a tablet. During lectures, pay attention to how formulas are created, the assumptions made, the units used, and any shortcuts. Place examples and diagrams next to important ideas. Try to put things in your own words and ask questions to help you understand better.
After class, go through your notes within a day to clear up any confusion, fill in missing parts, and rework example problems. Study the material several times until you feel confident you understand it and can use it, not just memorize it. Keep a special section for formulas, unit conversions, and assumptions for easy access. Regular reviews, spaced repetition, and digital tools like OneNote or Notion can help you stay organized and reinforce your learning. Test yourself, talk about concepts with classmates, and teach others to really lock in your knowledge. Using color coding, visual aids, and a mix of handwritten and digital notes makes studying easier and helps you deeply understand and master your field over time.
After class, go through your notes within a day to clear up any confusion, fill in missing parts, and rework example problems. Study the material several times until you feel confident you understand it and can use it, not just memorize it. Keep a special section for formulas, unit conversions, and assumptions for easy access. Regular reviews, spaced repetition, and digital tools like OneNote or Notion can help you stay organized and reinforce your learning. Test yourself, talk about concepts with classmates, and teach others to really lock in your knowledge. Using color coding, visual aids, and a mix of handwritten and digital notes makes studying easier and helps you deeply understand and master your field over time.
Joseph Neilson
Radiation Detection Physicist
244
Answers
Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Best notetaking strategy somewhat varies person-to-person based on your preferred learning style(s) and how you want to manage your notes.
There's a few different questions to think about - copying down every word vs summary notes; paper vs digital notetaking; dictation technologies vs doing it yourself - I can tell you what sort of things to ask yourself and say what worked for me, but you might have to try a few things to find what works best for you.
Firstly - what exactly should you take notes on? Some people try to take down almost every word, while others opt for much more of a summary-style of notes. I think that depends on learning style - if you're someone that learns better by doing and repeating, the action of copying down every word yourself can help the content go into your brain - in which case you're going to want more manual notetaking tools. I'm the opposite end of that scale however - I learn best by being a bit more present, actively thinking about the content during the lecture and trying to understand the concepts behind it. For me, therefore, focusing too much on the notetaking is a distraction, so I prefer to take much sparser notes - headings, key points, and important specific details like equations and diagrams - skipping over details I'm confident I already know, and not trying to get down every detail. I also prefer having summary notes straight away when it comes to revision - I don't have to go through repetitive pages of detail to find the insights I need to go back over.
Secondly, paper notes vs digital. Two factors to consider here - how you manage your notes later, and the non-word nature of notes. If you like physical folders of notes, you're obviously going to tend towards paper notetaking, whereas in an increasingly digital world, you might be more comfortable with your notes in digital files and folders, and the ability to use digital search techniques (if formatted to allow that).
A key thing to note here is that in STEM subjects like Chem Eng, you have a lot of non-word things to notetake like diagrams, equations etc. That means digital notetaking with a laptop keyboard alone is largely impractical and the balance tips in favour of paper - if you're going to do digital notes, you likely need to go a bit more paper-style and use a digital pen solution. It's possible with a simple touchscreen and a cheap touchscreen stylus, but you really need more precision that a touch interface provides alone - if you're going to go the digital route, I'd strongly recommend something with a dedicated precision stylus - whether that's iPad and Apple Pencil, Samsung S-Pen, ReMarkable, or a Windows tablet with an N-Trig or Wacom digitiser. I personally got on very well with a convertible 2-in-1 Windows laptop/tablet - I was an early-adopter of that technology when I did my studies; and it was a particularly expensive choice at the time, although they have become a lot more available now.
Finally, the question of dictation technologies. I tried a classic dictaphone a few times, but there's a bunch of drawbacks. Firstly, it only picks up audio, not whatever's on the board/projector - so there's a lot that's missed, especially the equations and diagrams. Secondly, you have to make time to go back through the recording to review it. Never really worked for me. Of course, modern dictation apps are a lot better at speech-to-text, so there might be more valuable in a digitally generated transcript or perhaps even AI summary from a dictated recording - but it's still never going to catch the non-word stuff, so I'm not sure it would be a great help. There's also a temptation to stop concentrating at the time if you know it's being recorded for later, so that's a psychological aspect to be aware of too.
There's a few different questions to think about - copying down every word vs summary notes; paper vs digital notetaking; dictation technologies vs doing it yourself - I can tell you what sort of things to ask yourself and say what worked for me, but you might have to try a few things to find what works best for you.
Firstly - what exactly should you take notes on? Some people try to take down almost every word, while others opt for much more of a summary-style of notes. I think that depends on learning style - if you're someone that learns better by doing and repeating, the action of copying down every word yourself can help the content go into your brain - in which case you're going to want more manual notetaking tools. I'm the opposite end of that scale however - I learn best by being a bit more present, actively thinking about the content during the lecture and trying to understand the concepts behind it. For me, therefore, focusing too much on the notetaking is a distraction, so I prefer to take much sparser notes - headings, key points, and important specific details like equations and diagrams - skipping over details I'm confident I already know, and not trying to get down every detail. I also prefer having summary notes straight away when it comes to revision - I don't have to go through repetitive pages of detail to find the insights I need to go back over.
Secondly, paper notes vs digital. Two factors to consider here - how you manage your notes later, and the non-word nature of notes. If you like physical folders of notes, you're obviously going to tend towards paper notetaking, whereas in an increasingly digital world, you might be more comfortable with your notes in digital files and folders, and the ability to use digital search techniques (if formatted to allow that).
A key thing to note here is that in STEM subjects like Chem Eng, you have a lot of non-word things to notetake like diagrams, equations etc. That means digital notetaking with a laptop keyboard alone is largely impractical and the balance tips in favour of paper - if you're going to do digital notes, you likely need to go a bit more paper-style and use a digital pen solution. It's possible with a simple touchscreen and a cheap touchscreen stylus, but you really need more precision that a touch interface provides alone - if you're going to go the digital route, I'd strongly recommend something with a dedicated precision stylus - whether that's iPad and Apple Pencil, Samsung S-Pen, ReMarkable, or a Windows tablet with an N-Trig or Wacom digitiser. I personally got on very well with a convertible 2-in-1 Windows laptop/tablet - I was an early-adopter of that technology when I did my studies; and it was a particularly expensive choice at the time, although they have become a lot more available now.
Finally, the question of dictation technologies. I tried a classic dictaphone a few times, but there's a bunch of drawbacks. Firstly, it only picks up audio, not whatever's on the board/projector - so there's a lot that's missed, especially the equations and diagrams. Secondly, you have to make time to go back through the recording to review it. Never really worked for me. Of course, modern dictation apps are a lot better at speech-to-text, so there might be more valuable in a digitally generated transcript or perhaps even AI summary from a dictated recording - but it's still never going to catch the non-word stuff, so I'm not sure it would be a great help. There's also a temptation to stop concentrating at the time if you know it's being recorded for later, so that's a psychological aspect to be aware of too.
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