How to Use Symbols in Note Taking
When you take lots of notes, whether for your job or school, you'll need to come up with a system of working faster or miss a lot while suffering from severe hand cramps. Successful note takers use symbols to replace words. This keeps the meaning clear, and note taking goes much faster.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Include symbols to establish relationships. Equal (=), less than (<), greater than (>) and number (#) are examples of these. So is using an asterisk to signify something of importance. Establish that something is not equal by putting a slash through the equal sign.
-
2
Realize that many people use symbols in transitions, the most common being an ampersand or plus for "and." You can also use "w/" for "with" and "w/o" for "without." Abbreviate words whenever possible. In this way, "before" becomes "b4." As long as you realize that "grp" is "group" and "int'l" stands for "international," you're in good shape.
-
-
3
Use discipline specific abbreviations and symbols for note taking. For example, in real estate (re), you'll find many abbreviations-fp (fireplace), ba (bathrooms), dr (dining room) and mol (more or less; often used to indicate the size of the house or lot in approximate values). Many sciences use symbols, particularly chemistry.
-
4
Drop vowels in the middle of words to leave an identifiable skeleton of a word. In this way, "government"" becomes "gvt" and "association" becomes "assc." Try using the letter "g" to indicate "ing" and a simple "d" for a word in past tense. For any word used often in note taking, adopt a symbol or abbreviation.
-
5
Make your system of note taking uniquely yours by using symbols that mean something to you. As long as you know what you mean, nothing else matters. Still, you might want to review notes soon afterwards, and clear up any confusion in your notes while the subject matter is still fresh in your mind.
-
6
Adopt familiar symbols and shortcuts used in texting or instant messaging for note taking. The top of a keyboard offers other symbols to choose from.
-
7
Be consistent in using the same symbols in your note taking. If you use different symbols to mean the same thing, it can cause confusion.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Consider lines, arrows and branches to build a concept map from your notes. This can provide you with a better overall impression of the material.
