Miscellaneous Me I’ll go with the flow method, this one I think I do on my notebook all the time, and this is the one that I use to write over the book to remember something.
Outline method during lecture, mind map after lecture for organizing major concepts, flashcards for factual heavy courses, summary sheets/practice tests/lectures for conceptual courses, and zettalkasten for all subjects :)
I had a teacher in high school who insisted mind maps were the greatest thing on the planet and insisted all of our notes be in that form. I've never struggled so hard in a class. They just simply do not work for me. I hate them, I hate how messy they look, and after I'm done creating them, I want to be as far away from them as possible. They also don't really prompt me to recall information very well when I do use them. I hear other people sometimes have great success with them. Just goes to show everyone's different.
gman dog6 I think they work well for some people and not for others... kind of like how two people of the same size can try on the same shirt, and it looks great on one and awkward on the other. Mind maps work well for some people, but for me, it's pretty much pointless if not counterproductive.
Agreed I don't understand it....seems incomprehensive and ur probably gonna write subtopics but not points. This is especially for subjects that have a lot of material and can't simply be put in that form ....whenever I try mind maps I get so frustrated with the lack of space and how messy it looks.
gman dog6 Bullet points and lists work very well for me. I color code them. Black is for regular writing. Blue is for examples. Red is for super important stuff like deadlines and whatnot. If it's circled/squared in red, then I need to pay extra attention to it. I usually use one of those 3 color pens if I'm writing by hand. Otherwise, I have keyboard shortcuts set up to change colors when I type notes out to save time.
I was that kid in high school. People would come to me after class and ask me questions because I became known for just knowing everything from the class. I crashed and burned in colloge.
You can memorize efectively information if you:1.understand the meaning; 2. know the content; 3. use different senses while memorizing. So I used Thomas Frank's videos to create my own method which also applies to the 3 points. 1. Cornell's method. Write the notes with a hierarchy, bullet points using different colours (Outlining) in the main area. [2] 2. Shortly explain the content to an imaginary kid (simple language and analogies) in the summary area. [1] Now you know both the content and understand it, but you'll forget it soon so: 3. An adaptation to Loci's method for memorization. Create a ridiculous image which links cronologically all of the information in your notes. For example I learned: Metals, types of metals and their properties. So I drew an amusement park which starts with a ferris wheel(ferrous metals), which blast off into space and the fire destroys all of the furniture below (ferrous metals are produced in blast furnaces). Nearby people are protesting against ferris wheels( non-ferrous) while listening to electromusic(non-ferrous metals produced by electrolysis). A man nearby slips on oil(Alloy) and his girlfriend called SMEP runs to help (each letter stands for a property). [3] You can have a whole notebook with these drawings and i guarantee when you'll look at it, you'll definitely remember the notes. 4. Use spaced repetition to look at the method and/or drawings regularly but in increasing amounts of time( 1 day, 2,4, 8, 16).
+Darrell Jared Great question. I'm more of a kinetic learner but Loki's method does wonders for me. It works for all types of learners, since Loki's method is not intended for you to learn something(aka understanding it), it's intended for you to memorize an already known concept .It gets your brain thinking creatively, coming up with great analogies, and clever way to put the concepts on paper as a story. So that's why the brain remembers it. Not only because it's an image, but because it came up with it, created all analogies, etc. It also makes it fun for the brain, and a way of relaxing after studying something hard.
+Darrell Jared I prefer to write notes on paper, so I just draw it out every time. However, I've started using Evernote a couple of days ago, and i'm planning to upload there all of my notes. I'v downloaded a Cornell's template in Evernote, and i'll probably be taking notes that way in some of my classes.
+Darrell Jared Ask as many questions as you want. I'm just glad to help with what I know. Usually it takes about one page, since you write one topic per page and usually that doesn't take as much space as you think. I mainly write theory though, every exercise/stuff like that i write on separate sheets and leave next to the topic. As for the second question, I'm always making outlines, bullet points, because it's better for revision and I use different colors, so what I write down might look just a bit different from what's written on the board(in the way it's presented). It doesn't take a lot of time, and you get the hang of it incredibly fast.
Am I the only one who finds mindmapping extremely chaotic and not at all helpful? When I look at a mindmap I always feel like I know less than I did before :D
so true.. and im a visual learner, which is what you would think i'd find the most helpful...but they just look like a mess to me and i always run out of space and things look cramped...ugh
Same! We had a professor who would try to build mindmaps for key concepts and everyone would get it. Not me though. Never felt more stupid and confused in my life
My AP World teacher ruined Cornell notes for me. Each weekend, she would make us write at least 10 pages of them from a 1,000+ page text book. Most. Tedious. Shit. Ever.
i hate in english class when they made us ask questions in Cornell notes. it turned notes into homework and not an actual note talking system. it was just bullshit i wrote down just to look like i tired
my high school recently imposed Cornell Notes as the preferred method for all classes. (Some even require them). My Psychology teacher prefers the Write on the Slides: I personally work best in the Outline method :(
@@katewilliams5636 What did he mean about "write on the slides" in the video about the Flow Method? Is it the notes you can get access to before and or during the class lecture and write your personal notes based on the slide notes you see about the lecture on your computer?
Yeah like I don't get why people seem to not understand the concept of Learning. Like its as simple as scoring well on a test and applying what you "learned" - (I put learned in quotes because some people just memorize and don't learn) - in real life. Just try to take notes, if you don't need to then don't, and if you need to just try different ways and keep which ever one you feel helps you the most.
One point about the slide method that you didn't mention. - It's helpful to have a summary of the lecture already written down because you can focus on taking down notes for all the little fleshy bits and extra information that's not included in the slides. This is great because it also gives a context to the fleshy bits, and you're also not losing too much 'active' learning capacity because your still thinking and problem solving as you go. This also helps you to remember the lecture better because when you review your slides and you see the extra notes it gives you a little reminder.
i tried the cornell method for a while ( i can confirm that it's really good) but then since i was a lazy fuck i just printed the lectures and followed the write on the slides method.
Isabelle Walker - it's called Coggle and it's a free web app for mind-mapping. If you check out the companion blog post linked in the description, you'll find a link to it :)
Kyle - If you're taking most of your notes straight in Evernote, you'll never even come close to the upload limit. Text files are super tiny, so no worries there. If you upload the occasional scanned page of paper notes, you'll be fine as well - but if you want to do that all the time, you might hit the limit since pictures can be pretty big. However, Evernote Pro is $5/month and removes the cap, so look in to that if you're wanting to go that route.
I am 30 years out of college and recently began working in a new industry. I am immersed in a new industry and supporting very different people doing very different tasks. This is super helpful. I am frantically taking notes as I am on the phone with my team while tasking.
I have to go with the lazy write on the slides methods in lectures, because the lecturers go through everything too fast to write my own notes from scratch plus there are lots of complicated diagrams. but then I rewrite the notes using the outline method afterwards :) around exam time I turn my notes into flashcards and summary sheets for revision :)
I get you. But I feel like I would learn little if I didn't write it down. It's something about going through the motions and remembering when you wrote it.
This is EXACTLY what I do but I make the outline notes on the computer to form a study guide which I print and get bound then I make the flash cards from it. Its also super helpful if I need to read up on something from a past class without having to search through lectures.
I'd like to start taking notes in the flow method, since it seems interesting in the sense that it makes it so you learn your own way. My only struggle is that there are some things I plan on learning on my own through online resources and when I take notes off them, I end up just writing it out in an outline method since it's what I've grown accustomed to which I feel isn't very effective for me. It's hard to figure out what i necessarily need to learn since I'm self teaching so I start to think every little thing is important.
00:30 Outline method 1:34 Cornell Method (Walter Pauk - 1950s) 2:27 Mind Map Method 3:24 The Flow Method - Scott Young (went through entire MIT computer science curriculum in a single year) Method diametrically opposed to rigid transcribing style of the outline method As you take notes the goal is to create an original document that represents your mental image of the subject, as you take notes you can go back to earlier points and details, incorporate arrows and offshoots and create something that is your own Entire point is to learn it once and accelerate learning. 4:28 Write on the slides method- lazy mans way haha Pros: Timeline view, don't need to write as much
What I am excited to try is combining both the Cornell style of notes with Mind mapping. Contrary to the other 500 people that said mind mapping is confusing to them, it is really help me out with not just organizing already known information, but forcing me to process the information and put it under what category it belongs to.
If I use the slide method I always go back and remake outline notes because It's much easier for me to remember information if I actually write down everything.
This is my first year of college, and due to COVID, we had online classes. I was so messed up on the first semester, where I just simple screenshot every slides/lectures of my professor. Now I just finished my first semester, and I want to be better student. Thank you so much, I hope your videos would help me (and other people too). P. S. English is not my first language
Hi Thomas, I just sent your video to the 250 university students that I'm working with as a Supplemental Instruction facilitator. Thanks for making this accessible and concise.
I really like this video. Too many youtubers spend 5 minutes talking about themselves and their thought process and why they made the video and whatnot. You got right to the point and I really appreciate that.
You should take notes on how to frisk his heart away, by preparing the Street Fighter tournament to beat all the competition. I'll be rooting for you maam. All i ask is please invite me to your wedding, when you two get hitched.
I love how you bonded the notes techniques with Street Fighters characters, a little flavor to the subject make it more interesting, I use the first, before-the-last and last techniques, didn't know there were techniques for taking notes.
My college 101 professor had us watch this and take notes on it. I can understand why. Also I had no idea the way I usually notate was even a common method lol. I have been using the flow method pretty much my entire life. I think for people with neurodivergence's like me and my ADHD it is super beneficial. If I focus on writing and note taking too much I won't actually take it in, so then I had to review it again or twice more. If I'm lucky, I end up stressing over details I missed and loosing focus again. Then I just end up adding more thoughts of my own to it anyways which I find is important, mainly because I WILL forget. I also find it to be less stressful and time consuming. So thank you for sharing how not weird it actually is.
Using the cornell method to study for tests is perfect, because you usually think of some of the same questions on the test and it makes it really easy to remember
Dear Thomas Frank! Thank you for your videos. It's so helpful, and your tips and advices so accessibly! It's a one of the most wonderful channels on a TH-cam. Special thanks for a subtitles. I'm a russian, and it's help me to understand all that you saying and learning to English. Sorry for a mistakes in this message. Great job!
For math subjects, like precal or chem, I found that just rewriting everything in your own words did the trick. And instead of copying down practice problems, you should make a bullet point list of which step to take for every type of problem instead redoing the problem again in the notes. Everything should fit in 2-3 pages for each type of problem Subject/Topic (Ex. REDOX) Key terms (Oxidation, Reduction, Oxidation Numbet, etc) Easy to remember sayings that might help (Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain OIL RIG) Bullet Point of Steps Ex. Oxidation # reduction vs oxidation make half reaction add H2O, add H+ add electrons balance charges (add OH if basic) combine Ofc everything would have to be reworded in your own words and you have to be able to think of the steps in your head without referring back to it over and over- since this is a remorization tool not a reference tool
I think another big thing for us students to take into mind is how a specific professor lectures. I primarily print out powerpoints if they are given and write along the sides of them however this does not always work. I have had professors that put a bunch of info on the powerpoints that they barley even mention or they can be so compacted with info that when it comes time to study I just lose my brain over it and can't seem to grasp concepts correctly. Other professors can move to quickly during lecture thus making writing out notes seem impossible. I think a great tip is during the first few weeks of the semester really pay attention to a professors teaching style and definitley try out some of these awesome note taking strategies till you figure out which works best.
Outline Method: Probably a bit chaotic after a while, tabs in too much, can't be super detailed. Cornell Method: Way too complicated. Having to draw out the layout on _every page_ is such a timewaste. Mind Map Method: As a Virgo, no. Way too messy. I always run out of space and end up making flashcards anyway. Flow Method: Good, but I like the idea of taking down everything from a lecture, so it means I have to write faster. It's the one I use right now but I wish there were a more efficient way. Write-On-The-Slides Method: Good, but messy. I'd rather paraphrase the slides on seperate flashcards and memorise them. My Method: 1. I write the Title: Subject, Module, & Topic. This is how I will file it later. I also write the date. 2. I scribble down as much as I can from the entire lecture. I study Law, Business Management and Politics, so I write in a specific coloured pen (pink for Law, blue for BM and green for Politics) when I'm writing down the name of a person or the title of a concept, then I highlight key points, and I underline anything that needs clarification. Each subject is colour coded so I'm never mixed up. 3. Rewrite everything more neatly. Messy notes are rarely helpful to me - it would be more efficient for me to read straight from a textbook than to stick with shorter, but messy, notes. While I'm rewriting, I can clarify any difficult concepts and reword things. When that's done, I file the new notes away in my binder, which I can reference later. 4. Make Flashcards. I love flashcards and I make them any time I'm learning a new set of laws, business strategies or political ideas and structures. They're great for pre-exam cramming. Also cramming works for me, I don't get how people say it's bad to cram. I do on average 15% better when I cram the night before. 5. At the end of each period of studying, I write down anything I had previously underlined in my Questions Journal and I use my professor's office hours to ask them these questions. Then I can go back to my neat notes in my binder and use stickynotes to add in the explanations. Usually I will make seperate Flashcard collections to explain the underlined terms in each topic. I hope my method can be of help to some of you ♡
Great video, man. 👌 I like the Outline, Flow, Cornell, and "Lazy man's" method. My top favs. are Outline and Flow methods. Notes 📝 *Outline method (0:32) *Flow (3:24)
I really need to get better at note taking, and it's always been a challenge since I have learning disabilities, and it's difficult for me to listen and transcribe what I'm hearing. I got a notebook I'm going to use for a specific topic I'm studying, and decided to make the first page about note taking so I can reference it in the future. I took notes while watching this video, and I ended up naturally using the flow method! In high school I always tried doing the "Outline method" since that was how I was taught to take notes, but it is really only helpful for me if the teacher is specifically teaching using it. But I guess the flow method might be the better choice for me! I also like the look of the Cornell method, so I'll have to experiment with that as well. Thank you for the video!
Is it possible to take flow notes on a laptop somehow? I tend to write a lot of useless fluff when I take them in the traditional outline method and was wondering if it was possible to do on a laptop.
Personally, I love taking outline notes for a number of reasons: 1. Easy to read and find what you're looking for 2. Easy to type 3. Suits a variety of classes/topics 4. Easy to share notes with others, as all the main topics are there 5. Forces organized notes (Notice how this was written in an outline style)
This channel is my savior. i don't know what i would've done without it. Its useful, original and actually makes sense, so for that, me and my future college self thank you
Hey, I was wondering if there were different methods of note taking for subjects that involve math. What I do now is basically devide the page in half (vertically) on the left side I write the numbers stuff and on the left notes about it explaining what happened but sometimes it takes too long. I end up just writing the numbers and then forgetting how I got there.
What I would do is go on youtube and find people doing those types of problems, so say youre solving a set of equations algebraically, go on youtube search up how to solve equations using algebra, and make notes, create diagrams and visual cues if that helps.
holaCarolina I've found that good notes were almost never the most crucial part of learning math anyway (and trust me, I've had to learn a lot of math as an engineering major and a math tutor). I recommend getting all of the definitions and formulas down, and most importantly, write down how the math concept you are trying to learn is related to concepts you already know (or should already know - this is really useful for identifying previous areas of weakness). If your professor walks through a derivation, this will be an absolute boon to your understanding - write it down. After that, it all comes down to practice. Sit down and actually give your full attention to the homework. Work through the problems until you get the right answer, and if you don't, try again. Crucially, you must identify the mistakes you made in attempts that led you to the wrong answer. Only turn to asking Google or Wolfram Alpha for the answer as a last resort. This has worked great for me, anyway, and I hope you can take something useful from it!
After I watched this video I was trying to take a screenshot of his face because he looks like my brother but I just ended up spending 10 minutes looking at how smoothly the camera captured his mouth moving.
I've been reading your blog, listening to your podcasts and watching your videos for about two straight days now, haha. I'm currently preparing for the second semester of my sophomore year. I'm planning on experimenting on whether outlining, writing questions instead of notes (tip from Ryan Nguyen) or the flow method works best for me. I have a feeling, though, that the method would also depend on the kind of subject I'll use it for. Thanks for all the help you make available for college students like me who have big dreams! Stay awesome, Thomas!
Questions about the Cornell method... wouldn't the note-taking section be a little too short of space for note-taking? I've used this method once, but found out I didn't have enough space for notes. Or maybe I should choose bigger sized paper. Is there any recommended sizes of paper for note-taking?
+Grace Tang I think you're supposed to use multiple sheets for the top two sections, and then write your summary on the first page. To separate lectures, I'd do something like folding a corner of the first page, or marking the edge of it with a thick marker. Personally, I don't use the Cornell Method - I'm happier with Outline and Flow.
+Grace Tang (me thinks)the simplest way to use Cornell method is to use your sheet horizontally, if you use a computer you can change the page orientation to landscape.
Damn you Thomas, in your book you tell us all these fantastic note taking methods, ways to beat procrastination and better your study!..... But in ONE line you take all those lessons away.... "Also, you keep margins nearby for spontaneous drawings of those weird “S” things - or elaborately drawn out Mario levels if you’re me." You don't know what you've done...
I only take notes with the mind map method. Literature history, art. It does not matter. I can always add new thoughts even if my teacher adds a comment after that particular point. And by visualising I remember more easily to my notes. It is great. Thanks to my grandpa!
You are absolutely brilliant. I've watched six videos of yours right now in a row and I will look forward to the ones you post later. Thanks so much. A very happy new year.
Thanks for the video! I'm trying to improve my note taking skills using the Cornell method. I realized that I use a flow-style for most classes involving math: math, physics, chem, etc. Identifying this will let me crank this style of note taking to improve my notes for these classes. I too use the mind-map for planning and organizational purposes. I also use it when leading a brainstorming session as one type of group exercise.
Bretton Raymond right on! I think we're quite similar then - I tend to use the Flow Style now when I do research or have to learn anything complex, and I mindmap a lot when I need to organize thoughts for big writing/videos projects.
Thank you very much. Deeply Appreciated. you categorize different type of note taking clearly. I would like to mention that I usually take notes but I use flow method to connect my notes together. I usually use flow method to connect two or three chapters together.
Hey, thank you so much for this vid. I'm a dental student and I've been struggling since last semester. I don't know what went wrong but I just can't seem to study like I did back when I was in foundation. We have lectures from 8 till 1, and uni course lectures at 2-4. By the time my day end I would get so tired & I just don't want to be looking at books anymore. There's a lot to learn and just thinking about it makes me feel burdened. But I found your channel (and podcast) and been binge watching them (its my midsem break so its ok). They're so helpful!! Please keep making them. God bless you, man
Cues | Notes | Summary (Cornell Method ) I think this is the best. When you read and learning something new you have to have question about what you read and to know to answer to yourself. If you don't know to answer to yourself you didn't learn.
I used to go home after school and type out my notes on an old manual typewriter my Aunt gave me. Yeah, that was a century ago ! It gave me the opportunity to add things to my notes and make them easier to review when exams came. People started asking me for copies of my notes. I went from a C average to a 3,9 GPA that year. The rewriting everyday I think was instrumental and necessary for me to memorize material in pharmacy school. All memorization !!!!
I mainly use the outline method because my mind works well with lists. Though I do leave quite a bit of space on the right side of the page so I can write extra notes on the topic either to reference to something earlier or later in the class or numbers of slides with extra information or questions for the tutor and stuff like that. But I also take all my notes by hand and use a recorder to record whole classes so I can hear them back when I need them for essays.
Thomas Frank you have the best channel on TH-cam! I'm an absolute fan of yours. However can you please make a video for Freshers to uni, as it would helpful for those who start the uni this year!!! Thanks! Keep up the great work 👍🏻😊
Summary of what I learned: Outline method : top level bullet points from the lettuce and then we add other bullet points to add the details. Cornell method: you divide you paper in three difference coulons the left one being the cue coloumn and the right one being the note taking column and the one in the bottom for a summary. Mind map method: draw a circle in the middle and we write the topic in that circle, we then spread lines that are kind of branches from that circle and those branches will be related too that topic. Write-on-the-slides-method:printing slides from your teacher and you go with the teacher about the topic.
Just a big THANK YOU! Very big :D I've been watching your channel for maybe 2 weeks now and every video is more than useful. I've already created an account in Habitica and now I'm just doing more than before. Before I found your channel I was just planning to do the things I had to do, but now (with the help of Habitica :D) the things started to change. Please, stay awesome and make more videos!!!
I like the video. This one is very forthright unlike some other videos which horribly drag in the introduction part and make the watchers boring and exhausted later on
I like Outline for books I want to know/read thoroughly; Mindmaps for checking what I remember; I convinced my sister to try Cornell (not my thing, though); and am going to experiment with Flow.
I like to combine the Mind Map and Write-On-The-Slides methods personally. Print the slides with extra margins and/or in portrait mode and you'll be in good shape. Didn't know about the Cornell method though, I'm gonna have to try that one. Great video.
Outline Method - 0:32
Cornell Method - 1:34
Mind Map Method - 2:28
Flow Method - 3:24
Write On The Sides Method - 4:29
Miscellaneous Me I’ll go with the flow method, this one I think I do on my notebook all the time, and this is the one that I use to write over the book to remember something.
For me as I tend to forget everything the Cornell or flow method works best
It's writ on the slides not write on the sides sorry lol
Who are you so wise in the ways of science
Outline method during lecture, mind map after lecture for organizing major concepts, flashcards for factual heavy courses, summary sheets/practice tests/lectures for conceptual courses, and zettalkasten for all subjects :)
I had a teacher in high school who insisted mind maps were the greatest thing on the planet and insisted all of our notes be in that form. I've never struggled so hard in a class. They just simply do not work for me. I hate them, I hate how messy they look, and after I'm done creating them, I want to be as far away from them as possible. They also don't really prompt me to recall information very well when I do use them.
I hear other people sometimes have great success with them. Just goes to show everyone's different.
gman dog6 I think they work well for some people and not for others... kind of like how two people of the same size can try on the same shirt, and it looks great on one and awkward on the other. Mind maps work well for some people, but for me, it's pretty much pointless if not counterproductive.
Agreed I don't understand it....seems incomprehensive and ur probably gonna write subtopics but not points. This is especially for subjects that have a lot of material and can't simply be put in that form ....whenever I try mind maps I get so frustrated with the lack of space and how messy it looks.
Different methods for different situations, mind maps could be used as stated in the video as "Business Idea generators"
gman dog6 Bullet points and lists work very well for me. I color code them. Black is for regular writing. Blue is for examples. Red is for super important stuff like deadlines and whatnot. If it's circled/squared in red, then I need to pay extra attention to it. I usually use one of those 3 color pens if I'm writing by hand. Otherwise, I have keyboard shortcuts set up to change colors when I type notes out to save time.
gman dog6 Computer Science
There’s always a classmate who takes bad notes / no notes but has everything in the brain.
I wish I was that classmate tho 😭 I get distracted in class so much and I hate to always rely on Voice Recordings
I was that kid in high school. People would come to me after class and ask me questions because I became known for just knowing everything from the class. I crashed and burned in colloge.
@@adithyastren6218 same. im going back after 4 years finally and landed on this video to correct my errors...
That’s me
Me, I wrote nk notes during lockdown still got 99 percent in offline test.
I'm currently note taking on a note taking video, oh the irony
Amerie C uhm where exactly is the irony?
Amerie C irony fail
ME
Which method?
SAME
You can memorize efectively information if you:1.understand the meaning; 2. know the content; 3. use different senses while memorizing. So I used Thomas Frank's videos to create my own method which also applies to the 3 points.
1. Cornell's method. Write the notes with a hierarchy, bullet points using different colours (Outlining) in the main area. [2]
2. Shortly explain the content to an imaginary kid (simple language and analogies) in the summary area. [1]
Now you know both the content and understand it, but you'll forget it soon so:
3. An adaptation to Loci's method for memorization. Create a ridiculous image which links cronologically all of the information in your notes. For example I learned: Metals, types of metals and their properties. So I drew an amusement park which starts with a ferris wheel(ferrous metals), which blast off into space and the fire destroys all of the furniture below (ferrous metals are produced in blast furnaces). Nearby people are protesting against ferris wheels( non-ferrous) while listening to electromusic(non-ferrous metals produced by electrolysis). A man nearby slips on oil(Alloy) and his girlfriend called SMEP runs to help (each letter stands for a property). [3]
You can have a whole notebook with these drawings and i guarantee when you'll look at it, you'll definitely remember the notes.
4. Use spaced repetition to look at the method and/or drawings regularly but in increasing amounts of time( 1 day, 2,4, 8, 16).
Fucking awesome.
+nick junior great answer!
+Darrell Jared Great question. I'm more of a kinetic learner but Loki's method does wonders for me. It works for all types of learners, since Loki's method is not intended for you to learn something(aka understanding it), it's intended for you to memorize an already known concept .It gets your brain thinking creatively, coming up with great analogies, and clever way to put the concepts on paper as a story. So that's why the brain remembers it. Not only because it's an image, but because it came up with it, created all analogies, etc. It also makes it fun for the brain, and a way of relaxing after studying something hard.
+Darrell Jared I prefer to write notes on paper, so I just draw it out every time. However, I've started using Evernote a couple of days ago, and i'm planning to upload there all of my notes. I'v downloaded a Cornell's template in Evernote, and i'll probably be taking notes that way in some of my classes.
+Darrell Jared Ask as many questions as you want. I'm just glad to help with what I know. Usually it takes about one page, since you write one topic per page and usually that doesn't take as much space as you think. I mainly write theory though, every exercise/stuff like that i write on separate sheets and leave next to the topic.
As for the second question, I'm always making outlines, bullet points, because it's better for revision and I use different colors, so what I write down might look just a bit different from what's written on the board(in the way it's presented). It doesn't take a lot of time, and you get the hang of it incredibly fast.
What I took from this video is that Hannibal isn't a duck.
It's crucial for understanding the Punic Wars
Hannibal tied torches to bull's horns to burn village homes.
why are the replies so mested up im so crying
ikr
o
Am I the only one who finds mindmapping extremely chaotic and not at all helpful? When I look at a mindmap I always feel like I know less than I did before :D
so true.. and im a visual learner, which is what you would think i'd find the most helpful...but they just look like a mess to me and i always run out of space and things look cramped...ugh
Same! We had a professor who would try to build mindmaps for key concepts and everyone would get it. Not me though. Never felt more stupid and confused in my life
Me 😁🤯
Obviously you wouldn't use this in every subject. It has its uses in other more specific tasks such as writing an essay.
I believe it is best for teaching or explaining, but not note taking
My AP World teacher ruined Cornell notes for me. Each weekend, she would make us write at least 10 pages of them from a 1,000+ page text book. Most. Tedious. Shit. Ever.
i hate in english class when they made us ask questions in Cornell notes. it turned notes into homework and not an actual note talking system. it was just bullshit i wrote down just to look like i tired
my high school recently imposed Cornell Notes as the preferred method for all classes. (Some even require them). My Psychology teacher prefers the Write on the Slides: I personally work best in the Outline method :(
@@katewilliams5636 What did he mean about "write on the slides" in the video about the Flow Method? Is it the notes you can get access to before and or during the class lecture and write your personal notes based on the slide notes you see about the lecture on your computer?
Yeah like I don't get why people seem to not understand the concept of Learning. Like its as simple as scoring well on a test and applying what you "learned" - (I put learned in quotes because some people just memorize and don't learn) - in real life. Just try to take notes, if you don't need to then don't, and if you need to just try different ways and keep which ever one you feel helps you the most.
🥴 My students HATE Cornell notes, but when it's time for review they know exactly where to go. I try to keep it one page.
One point about the slide method that you didn't mention.
- It's helpful to have a summary of the lecture already written down because you can focus on taking down notes for all the little fleshy bits and extra information that's not included in the slides. This is great because it also gives a context to the fleshy bits, and you're also not losing too much 'active' learning capacity because your still thinking and problem solving as you go. This also helps you to remember the lecture better because when you review your slides and you see the extra notes it gives you a little reminder.
i tried the cornell method for a while ( i can confirm that it's really good) but then since i was a lazy fuck i just printed the lectures and followed the write on the slides method.
alex zannettou 😂😂😂
Isabelle Walker - it's called Coggle and it's a free web app for mind-mapping. If you check out the companion blog post linked in the description, you'll find a link to it :)
Kyle - If you're taking most of your notes straight in Evernote, you'll never even come close to the upload limit. Text files are super tiny, so no worries there. If you upload the occasional scanned page of paper notes, you'll be fine as well - but if you want to do that all the time, you might hit the limit since pictures can be pretty big. However, Evernote Pro is $5/month and removes the cap, so look in to that if you're wanting to go that route.
+Thomas Frank Make a video about your beard.
You, this comment made my Evernote experience much more awesome.
Thomas Frank Ur Super Handsome....thanks 4 the advice😁😁😁
Thomas Frank I
Make a video on how to make notes from textbooks please
I am 30 years out of college and recently began working in a new industry. I am immersed in a new industry and supporting very different people doing very different tasks. This is super helpful. I am frantically taking notes as I am on the phone with my team while tasking.
I have to go with the lazy write on the slides methods in lectures, because the lecturers go through everything too fast to write my own notes from scratch plus there are lots of complicated diagrams. but then I rewrite the notes using the outline method afterwards :) around exam time I turn my notes into flashcards and summary sheets for revision :)
Seems like too much work.
The best method for taking notes is to find a really good note taker, befriend them and copy their notes. It got me through.
I get you. But I feel like I would learn little if I didn't write it down. It's something about going through the motions and remembering when you wrote it.
This is EXACTLY what I do but I make the outline notes on the computer to form a study guide which I print and get bound then I make the flash cards from it. Its also super helpful if I need to read up on something from a past class without having to search through lectures.
"Are you seriously reading these Egyptian history notes right now"
Bro I love you
Thank you for this video. I'm tired of being flooded with videos of girls showing how they take notes, with fancy pens and intricate handwriting
True lol
That's totally right and all of those methods are useless in real life
true, I intentionally looked for a guy's vid to avoid that...
And a ipad you left it..!
Isela G I can relate. 😮
I'd like to start taking notes in the flow method, since it seems interesting in the sense that it makes it so you learn your own way. My only struggle is that there are some things I plan on learning on my own through online resources and when I take notes off them, I end up just writing it out in an outline method since it's what I've grown accustomed to which I feel isn't very effective for me. It's hard to figure out what i necessarily need to learn since I'm self teaching so I start to think every little thing is important.
this channel is amazing....
00:30 Outline method
1:34 Cornell Method (Walter Pauk - 1950s)
2:27 Mind Map Method
3:24 The Flow Method - Scott Young (went through entire MIT computer science curriculum in a single year)
Method diametrically opposed to rigid transcribing style of the outline method
As you take notes the goal is to create an original document that represents your mental image of the subject, as you take notes you can go back to earlier points and details, incorporate arrows and offshoots and create something that is your own
Entire point is to learn it once and accelerate learning.
4:28 Write on the slides method- lazy mans way haha Pros: Timeline view, don't need to write as much
What I am excited to try is combining both the Cornell style of notes with Mind mapping.
Contrary to the other 500 people that said mind mapping is confusing to them, it is really help me out with not just organizing already known information, but forcing me to process the information and put it under what category it belongs to.
I never thought about it that way.
Got the highest score on my IB History test thanks to this video! Changed my study/note taking game, thanks.
If I use the slide method I always go back and remake outline notes because It's much easier for me to remember information if I actually write down everything.
This is my first year of college, and due to COVID, we had online classes. I was so messed up on the first semester, where I just simple screenshot every slides/lectures of my professor.
Now I just finished my first semester, and I want to be better student. Thank you so much, I hope your videos would help me (and other people too).
P. S. English is not my first language
Was a human, not a duck :)
Leia H glad somebody caught it :P
:)
I saw it too rofl
Me too
Hi Thomas, I just sent your video to the 250 university students that I'm working with as a Supplemental Instruction facilitator. Thanks for making this accessible and concise.
Love how you linked street fighter characters with the different note-taking methods. Thinking out of the box!
I really like this video. Too many youtubers spend 5 minutes talking about themselves and their thought process and why they made the video and whatnot. You got right to the point and I really appreciate that.
My professor at Hillsborough Community College in Florida just had this video listed as a required assignment. We had to summarize your video! :)
He looks like he'd be a cute dad.
True. Bet his son would be genius.
You'd never know either way with all the stuff he'd know.
Arne Maeschaelck I don't know how being organised makes you a genius. Obviously I got the joke, but still that was inaccurate ;)
Nice...
You should take notes on how to frisk his heart away, by preparing the Street Fighter tournament to beat all the competition.
I'll be rooting for you maam. All i ask is please invite me to your wedding, when you two get hitched.
The Cornell method seems really interesting.. I will try that this semester. Thank you so much! I love your videos :)
I love how you bonded the notes techniques with Street Fighters characters, a little flavor to the subject make it more interesting, I use the first, before-the-last and last techniques, didn't know there were techniques for taking notes.
you have awesome quality videos! don't give up on this channel! you have the ability to explode on youtube if you keep up the work!
Thanks Kraig! Not stopping anytime soon :)
@@Thomasfrank 5 years later...
@@tobydude7462 6 years later...🎃
@@namanydv_garud This man is consistent
My college 101 professor had us watch this and take notes on it. I can understand why. Also I had no idea the way I usually notate was even a common method lol. I have been using the flow method pretty much my entire life. I think for people with neurodivergence's like me and my ADHD it is super beneficial. If I focus on writing and note taking too much I won't actually take it in, so then I had to review it again or twice more. If I'm lucky, I end up stressing over details I missed and loosing focus again. Then I just end up adding more thoughts of my own to it anyways which I find is important, mainly because I WILL forget. I also find it to be less stressful and time consuming.
So thank you for sharing how not weird it actually is.
Thank you for making your videos fun, educational, and productive. Love your work!
Using the cornell method to study for tests is perfect, because you usually think of some of the same questions on the test and it makes it really easy to remember
Dear Thomas Frank!
Thank you for your videos. It's so helpful, and your tips and advices so accessibly! It's a one of the most wonderful channels on a TH-cam. Special thanks for a subtitles. I'm a russian, and it's help me to understand all that you saying and learning to English. Sorry for a mistakes in this message.
Great job!
***** thanks so much for the feedback! I figured adding the subtitles would be useful :)
For math subjects, like precal or chem, I found that just rewriting everything in your own words did the trick. And instead of copying down practice problems, you should make a bullet point list of which step to take for every type of problem instead redoing the problem again in the notes.
Everything should fit in 2-3 pages for each type of problem
Subject/Topic (Ex. REDOX)
Key terms (Oxidation, Reduction, Oxidation Numbet, etc)
Easy to remember sayings that might help
(Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain OIL RIG)
Bullet Point of Steps
Ex.
Oxidation #
reduction vs oxidation
make half reaction
add H2O, add H+
add electrons
balance charges
(add OH if basic)
combine
Ofc everything would have to be reworded in your own words and you have to be able to think of the steps in your head without referring back to it over and over- since this is a remorization tool not a reference tool
Bro your tips are gold. Thank you. I'm attending USC and also got into UC Berkeley and UCLA, and you are helping me so much!
Thank you so much for this! I was homeschooled my entire life so I'm so used to just reading to learn. Lectures scare me, lol.
xForeverEternal me tooo! I find myself reading more than listening lol
I like the Flow, the Cornell, and the Lazy method! Thanks Frank.
What's the name of the program used for Mind Map at 2:52?
I think another big thing for us students to take into mind is how a specific professor lectures. I primarily print out powerpoints if they are given and write along the sides of them however this does not always work. I have had professors that put a bunch of info on the powerpoints that they barley even mention or they can be so compacted with info that when it comes time to study I just lose my brain over it and can't seem to grasp concepts correctly. Other professors can move to quickly during lecture thus making writing out notes seem impossible. I think a great tip is during the first few weeks of the semester really pay attention to a professors teaching style and definitley try out some of these awesome note taking strategies till you figure out which works best.
Outline Method:
Probably a bit chaotic after a while, tabs in too much, can't be super detailed.
Cornell Method:
Way too complicated. Having to draw out the layout on _every page_ is such a timewaste.
Mind Map Method:
As a Virgo, no. Way too messy. I always run out of space and end up making flashcards anyway.
Flow Method:
Good, but I like the idea of taking down everything from a lecture, so it means I have to write faster. It's the one I use right now but I wish there were a more efficient way.
Write-On-The-Slides Method:
Good, but messy. I'd rather paraphrase the slides on seperate flashcards and memorise them.
My Method:
1. I write the Title: Subject, Module, & Topic. This is how I will file it later. I also write the date.
2. I scribble down as much as I can from the entire lecture. I study Law, Business Management and Politics, so I write in a specific coloured pen (pink for Law, blue for BM and green for Politics) when I'm writing down the name of a person or the title of a concept, then I highlight key points, and I underline anything that needs clarification. Each subject is colour coded so I'm never mixed up.
3. Rewrite everything more neatly. Messy notes are rarely helpful to me - it would be more efficient for me to read straight from a textbook than to stick with shorter, but messy, notes. While I'm rewriting, I can clarify any difficult concepts and reword things. When that's done, I file the new notes away in my binder, which I can reference later.
4. Make Flashcards. I love flashcards and I make them any time I'm learning a new set of laws, business strategies or political ideas and structures. They're great for pre-exam cramming. Also cramming works for me, I don't get how people say it's bad to cram. I do on average 15% better when I cram the night before.
5. At the end of each period of studying, I write down anything I had previously underlined in my Questions Journal and I use my professor's office hours to ask them these questions. Then I can go back to my neat notes in my binder and use stickynotes to add in the explanations. Usually I will make seperate Flashcard collections to explain the underlined terms in each topic.
I hope my method can be of help to some of you ♡
Thanks for the tips and I appreciate your humble💙
Great video, man. 👌
I like the Outline, Flow, Cornell, and "Lazy man's" method.
My top favs. are Outline and Flow methods.
Notes 📝
*Outline method (0:32)
*Flow (3:24)
Then you have lectures who will not post the notes beforehand (cough cough cough...)
I really need to get better at note taking, and it's always been a challenge since I have learning disabilities, and it's difficult for me to listen and transcribe what I'm hearing. I got a notebook I'm going to use for a specific topic I'm studying, and decided to make the first page about note taking so I can reference it in the future. I took notes while watching this video, and I ended up naturally using the flow method! In high school I always tried doing the "Outline method" since that was how I was taught to take notes, but it is really only helpful for me if the teacher is specifically teaching using it. But I guess the flow method might be the better choice for me!
I also like the look of the Cornell method, so I'll have to experiment with that as well.
Thank you for the video!
Is it possible to take flow notes on a laptop somehow? I tend to write a lot of useless fluff when I take them in the traditional outline method and was wondering if it was possible to do on a laptop.
Yeah theres this app for it but i forgot, you could find it pretty easy by just googling mind map app
"Your goal is to create an original document that represents your mental image of the subject". Well said.
Personally, I love taking outline notes for a number of reasons:
1. Easy to read and find what you're looking for
2. Easy to type
3. Suits a variety of classes/topics
4. Easy to share notes with others, as all the main topics are there
5. Forces organized notes
(Notice how this was written in an outline style)
This channel is my savior. i don't know what i would've done without it. Its useful, original and actually makes sense, so for that, me and my future college self thank you
Hey, I was wondering if there were different methods of note taking for subjects that involve math. What I do now is basically devide the page in half (vertically) on the left side I write the numbers stuff and on the left notes about it explaining what happened but sometimes it takes too long. I end up just writing the numbers and then forgetting how I got there.
On the right side I write the explanation, not on the left
DIAGRAMS
What I would do is go on youtube and find people doing those types of problems, so say youre solving a set of equations algebraically, go on youtube search up how to solve equations using algebra, and make notes, create diagrams and visual cues if that helps.
holaCarolina I've found that good notes were almost never the most crucial part of learning math anyway (and trust me, I've had to learn a lot of math as an engineering major and a math tutor). I recommend getting all of the definitions and formulas down, and most importantly, write down how the math concept you are trying to learn is related to concepts you already know (or should already know - this is really useful for identifying previous areas of weakness). If your professor walks through a derivation, this will be an absolute boon to your understanding - write it down. After that, it all comes down to practice. Sit down and actually give your full attention to the homework. Work through the problems until you get the right answer, and if you don't, try again. Crucially, you must identify the mistakes you made in attempts that led you to the wrong answer. Only turn to asking Google or Wolfram Alpha for the answer as a last resort. This has worked great for me, anyway, and I hope you can take something useful from it!
2:50
I use it for revision! I note down everythingggg I know. And then fill it in!
What software or program did you use when you were talking about mindmaps?
Thank you, love the way you summarized all those note taking methods.. appreciate it.
probably the cornell method :)
sharanya yapa it's a great system :)
9 years old and this video still top TH-cam recommended
After I watched this video I was trying to take a screenshot of his face because he looks like my brother but I just ended up spending 10 minutes looking at how smoothly the camera captured his mouth moving.
Everyone says that notes need to be orderly etc etc, but I'm SO happy to see the flow method, I didn't think I could do that!!
I do the flow method, same as Scott Young. Maybe I'll become a genus too O_O
I've been reading your blog, listening to your podcasts and watching your videos for about two straight days now, haha. I'm currently preparing for the second semester of my sophomore year. I'm planning on experimenting on whether outlining, writing questions instead of notes (tip from Ryan Nguyen) or the flow method works best for me. I have a feeling, though, that the method would also depend on the kind of subject I'll use it for.
Thanks for all the help you make available for college students like me who have big dreams! Stay awesome, Thomas!
Questions about the Cornell method... wouldn't the note-taking section be a little too short of space for note-taking? I've used this method once, but found out I didn't have enough space for notes. Or maybe I should choose bigger sized paper. Is there any recommended sizes of paper for note-taking?
+Grace Tang I think you're supposed to use multiple sheets for the top two sections, and then write your summary on the first page. To separate lectures, I'd do something like folding a corner of the first page, or marking the edge of it with a thick marker. Personally, I don't use the Cornell Method - I'm happier with Outline and Flow.
+Grace Tang (me thinks)the simplest way to use Cornell method is to use your sheet horizontally, if you use a computer you can change the page orientation to landscape.
i never have enough space for my notes.So i just make a mix of cornell and outline so my teachers don't chew me out on not doing cornell kots
I have been using flow method for my entire life (33 years now) and glad to know I am not the only guy who writes such chaotic notes.
I've always wanted to make organized notes but being a perfectionist I usually hate the way it turns out so I give up before even finishing it :"(
my university referenced this video for their preparation course, but I was already subscribed to Thomas so I'm very happy now. :)
Damn you Thomas, in your book you tell us all these fantastic note taking methods, ways to beat procrastination and better your study!..... But in ONE line you take all those lessons away....
"Also, you keep margins nearby for spontaneous drawings of those weird “S” things - or elaborately drawn out Mario levels if you’re me."
You don't know what you've done...
Uni Bridges bwahahahahaha
I only take notes with the mind map method. Literature history, art. It does not matter. I can always add new thoughts even if my teacher adds a comment after that particular point. And by visualising I remember more easily to my notes. It is great. Thanks to my grandpa!
I'm a Outline/Cornell hybrid.
You are absolutely brilliant. I've watched six videos of yours right now in a row and I will look forward to the ones you post later. Thanks so much. A very happy new year.
totaly paused to read egyptian history notes #nerd
Thanks for the video! I'm trying to improve my note taking skills using the Cornell method. I realized that I use a flow-style for most classes involving math: math, physics, chem, etc. Identifying this will let me crank this style of note taking to improve my notes for these classes.
I too use the mind-map for planning and organizational purposes. I also use it when leading a brainstorming session as one type of group exercise.
Bretton Raymond right on! I think we're quite similar then - I tend to use the Flow Style now when I do research or have to learn anything complex, and I mindmap a lot when I need to organize thoughts for big writing/videos projects.
who's watching this in 2019? 😄
Foodtech Simplified... Im not sure, how can I tell?
@@jacoblepley9966 Calendar
The outline method is definitely the best method for me!
I use that method for all my classes, it really helps me stay organized :D
Great video!!!
i want to marry his voice
heheheheh why?
what about himself
Thank you very much. Deeply Appreciated. you categorize different type of note taking clearly. I would like to mention that I usually take notes but I use flow method to connect my notes together. I usually use flow method to connect two or three chapters together.
After being in AVID for 6 years, I'm absolutely tired of c-notes-.-
yes me too
Same
Hey, thank you so much for this vid. I'm a dental student and I've been struggling since last semester. I don't know what went wrong but I just can't seem to study like I did back when I was in foundation. We have lectures from 8 till 1, and uni course lectures at 2-4. By the time my day end I would get so tired & I just don't want to be looking at books anymore. There's a lot to learn and just thinking about it makes me feel burdened.
But I found your channel (and podcast) and been binge watching them (its my midsem break so its ok). They're so helpful!! Please keep making them. God bless you, man
for a second I thought it said who was Harambe xD
glad im not the only one aha
same
Cues | Notes | Summary (Cornell Method )
I think this is the best. When you read and learning something new you have to have question about what you read and to know to answer to yourself. If you don't know to answer to yourself you didn't learn.
i just use the "whenever i'm not on my phone" method
eva fanourgiaki I'm not sure that's such an effective method :P
I used to go home after school and type out my notes on an old manual typewriter my Aunt gave me. Yeah, that was a century ago ! It gave me the opportunity to add things to my notes and make them easier to review when exams came. People started asking me for copies of my notes. I went from a C average to a 3,9 GPA that year. The rewriting everyday I think was instrumental and necessary for me to memorize material in pharmacy school. All memorization !!!!
never knew my method was called the 'flow method' :')
poshablyposh ah yep! It's honestly the way I take most notes now.
Yeap! Although i find it harder to do so in lectures- cant keep up with the pace. More after class revision then! awesome vids man keep it up :)
the way I use a mix of Cornell method,Flow method and mind mapping method.
and it works pretty well :)
Onenote>evernote
Notebook > onenote> Evernote
@@abhisheksahu664 writing stuff on my hand and have em erase emselves from the sweat of my palm>notebookevernote
Thanks so much! I needed this for college! I am very excited that I can use these methods! You are amazing!!! keep up the good work!
. . . I'm supposed to take notes?
I mainly use the outline method because my mind works well with lists.
Though I do leave quite a bit of space on the right side of the page so I can write extra notes on the topic either to reference to something earlier or later in the class or numbers of slides with extra information or questions for the tutor and stuff like that.
But I also take all my notes by hand and use a recorder to record whole classes so I can hear them back when I need them for essays.
And was not a duck...
I'd already been using Cornell but will now use a combination of Cornell, mind-map and outline. Thanks for this video.
I'm so in love with you
Thomas Frank you have the best channel on TH-cam! I'm an absolute fan of yours. However can you please make a video for Freshers to uni, as it would helpful for those who start the uni this year!!! Thanks! Keep up the great work 👍🏻😊
if the dude wasn't so cute, he wouldn't hold my interest...lol
Summary of what I learned:
Outline method : top level bullet points from the lettuce and then we add other bullet points to add the details.
Cornell method: you divide you paper in three difference coulons the left one being the cue coloumn and the right one being the note taking column and the one in the bottom for a summary.
Mind map method: draw a circle in the middle and we write the topic in that circle, we then spread lines that are kind of branches from that circle and those branches will be related too that topic.
Write-on-the-slides-method:printing slides from your teacher and you go with the teacher about the topic.
He's so hot, I can't
+Witforllife Your username is witforlife and that's the best you can come
+Multieman Come on even if your straight you can't deny that he is a pretty good looking guy. wouldn't you want to look like him?
+Multieman cool story bro
+Justin Macabre lol, im a girl and he isn't that hot imo// at least not on video
+candleinthewind to each their own :p
Just a big THANK YOU! Very big :D I've been watching your channel for maybe 2 weeks now and every video is more than useful. I've already created an account in Habitica and now I'm just doing more than before. Before I found your channel I was just planning to do the things I had to do, but now (with the help of Habitica :D) the things started to change. Please, stay awesome and make more videos!!!
Never found any helpful channel as helpful as yours.
I like the video. This one is very forthright unlike some other videos which horribly drag in the introduction part and make the watchers boring and exhausted later on
You always make learning feel easy and enjoyable.
I like Outline for books I want to know/read thoroughly; Mindmaps for checking what I remember; I convinced my sister to try Cornell (not my thing, though); and am going to experiment with Flow.
I like to combine the Mind Map and Write-On-The-Slides methods personally. Print the slides with extra margins and/or in portrait mode and you'll be in good shape.
Didn't know about the Cornell method though, I'm gonna have to try that one.
Great video.
I watched so many videos about how to take notes, this one was the best one!!!! Thank you so much!!!