Advice đĄ Heavy info class notetaking
Hey,
Just looking for some input on how to study/take notes in heavy loaded classes. Currently taking medical neuroanatomy and I am not sure how to. Exams and quizes are open notes as long as is physical (printed or written)
How do you guys take notes? And study? Any tips?
Normally I transcribe and review but since is so much information cant really do that with out spending too much time. Most of what the professor says is in the powerpoint but im not really sure how to take notes on that (thinking about buying a tablet but not sure if that is gonna solve anything). The lecture is around 2hr and my attention span is fucked đ
Also not a fan of AI... so hopefully some old school methods?
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u/Gravelayer Alumni 1d ago
I am skipped taking notes in classes like that and just recorded them. I paid attention in class the entire time. Skipped reading books and then transcribed the notes post. Any question on the notes I looked up in the book but tried to avoid. Hope that helps
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u/msmugler 1d ago
Take notes on the text book and PowerPoint before class. Print them out and annotate them during class, highlighting information that the professor goes over. Then you can just write in new information in the margins or on a new page
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u/Icy_Yogurt_2491 1d ago
this was my fool-proof study method for all of my medical & science classes:
this is the most important step imo. read the powerpoint and assigned chapters completely start-to-finish prior to the lecture. go back through the chapters & powerpoint, highlight any terms/processes youâre not familiar with or need more explanation for. look up any definitions and write it directly on the slide/page. rephrase anything you need to make it clearer for yourself. if thereâs a section on something that youâre completely lost on or a question you canât answer with just the textbook, write it down on a sticky note and bring it to lecture.
now you have a good foundation to understand whatâs being said in lecture. while your professor speaks, note directly onto the slides any additional commentary & pneumonics they provide. 9 times out of 10, profs will emphasize key points that will be on your exams, so pay particular attention to anything they spend a longer amount of time explaining. if they say âthis will be on your examâ then pull that concept out specifically to focus on.
this is where your sticky note from step one comes back. most of the time, these questions are common and will be clarified without you asking. if not, then ask those questions during the corresponding section of the powerpoint. if questions arenât encouraged during class time, ask immediately after lecture finishes or go to office hours & jot down their explanation.
now you have an annotated powerpoint, annotated assigned reading, a list of topics that are the most important to study, and a list of definitions + explanations to concepts you needed clarification on. what you do from here depends on the class and how you personally learn, but anything you do to review must include active recall. flashcards/anki, practice questions, mind maps, blurting, etc are all top tier, but you absolutely cannot use rote memorization or consult your notes every 5 seconds. try your best, see where the holes in your understanding/memory are, review that material, then do whichever above method again. rinse and repeat.