How to Take Notes From a Textbook
Studying effectively includes knowing how to take notes and how to use them to increase your grades, your knowledge and your ability to remember the facts you need to know. Using these techniques should help you determine what is important, and help you learn how to use the knowledge you have right at your fingertips.
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Instructions
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Read through the chapter you are on, paying attention to what the main focus is. Use a pencil to lightly point out any areas you think might be important. Make sure you do this in pencil, as you will want to erase it later.
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Draw arrows or underline the heading of the most important points made with pencil as you read through the first time. You will want to pay particular attention to dates, events and names of important people in the area of study.
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Skim through the chapter a second time with your notebook and pen handy. Write down information that you pointed out in pencil earlier. As you go through the chapter, make sure you erase your pencil marks as you take your notes in your notebook.
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Organize your notes after you are finished writing down the information you got from your textbook. It is a good idea to group like things together. For instance if there are dates of events that you need to memorize, organize them in your notebook by date.
If it is people and what they did, make a list of names followed by the achievement made. -
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Turn to a blank page in your notebook after you have organized your notes. Write down as much information as you can recall from the notes you took. If you remember some of the facts that you took notes on, you have done a good job taking notes and beginning the process of studying from them.
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Tips & Warnings
Some people learn better if they read out loud what they are writing down. Try reading the notes you are taking out loud. It may help you remember the facts better. If the textbook words things in a way that is hard for you to remember, try rewording it as you take notes. Make sure the words you use have the same meaning as the text does though.
Never copy for a paper from a textbook. Taking notes for personal study is great, but turning in copied work for a grade is plagiarism (stealing someone else's work), and that is against the law.
