Best Note-Taking Method

[Hopefulham]

Hi all,

I will be entering my first year of PT school in the fall and I would love to get some advice on efficient and effective note-taking methods. I am currently a paper/written note-taker but am thinking of switching to typed notes. I've heard that getting a tablet or iPad with OneNote and an attachable keyboard is a great way to go (I have a MacBook Pro so I would probably try to stay with Apple). I've also heard that written notes work best for some people. I just don't want to have a mound of notes to carry around.

Suggestions/thoughts? What works best for you guys?

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[ROSTedFlakes]

Pen/paper likely won't be feasible due to the amount of material they throw at you. You'll definitely go back and re-write/draw some stuff out to help learn and reinforce concepts, but for general note-taking you'll want to be electronic. All of my classmates use either a laptop or iPad. OneNote is a popular app.

95% of our notes come in the form of powerpoint or pdf so keep that in mind. There's very few actual paper hand outs.

For me personally, I will take notes directly in the powerpoint lecture or if it's in pdf format, I'll open a word document and take notes in that. I don't personally use OneNote but many of my classmates do. I've figured out a system that works best for me and I stick to it. You'll have to figure out what works for you.

 

[NJ DPT HOPEFUL]

I'm a paper and pencil type as well

For me I typically print out power point lectures prior to class and either take my notes on them or in a notebook corresponding to the slides. Then I turn them into note cards I use to study with. A few of us in my class use paper and notebooks but the majority are electronic. In my opinion there is no general best method. You just need to find the best for you

 

[twotired]

Note taking methods depend on the class I think. For slide-heavy courses I either took notes on the slides electronically e.g. on my laptop or ipad, or printed the slides out (usually 4 or 6 per page) and took notes in class.

For reviewing, I prefer to have something in my hands. So I'll use my notes to make flashcards or have a stack of annotated slides to flip through.

For managing old notes, I'll either have a dropbox of annotated slides sorted by exam and/or physical folders and binders.

 

[mao3122]

Starting PT school this fall but currently taking on last pre req. Im using this last class as a trial run for DPT classes and have found that Evernote works great. Its a website/app so all your notes are stored in the cloud, they're easily shareable with classmates if needed, and you can open them on your computer, iPad, or phone. Ive found it useful to study notes when standing in line at the store or sometimes at the gym.

 

[DesertPT]

Blackboard app + iPad + Bluetooth keyboard/case + Notability + Auto-backup to Google Drive has worked fantastically for me. YMMV depending on your school and the way they do things.

 

[DocTAP87]

Everyone is different but for me, typed notes just did not help with retention. I took typed notes my entire first semester because there was so much information. I struggled bad but our first semester is notoriously hard anyways. The next semester, I switched to handwritten notes. Here's what I do:

During lecture, I put my computer away and get out a note pad and paper. I write down things that stick out, questions I might have, side notes the instructor makes and anything that they say is important or will be on the exam. I do not write what is on the PowerPoint. This ensures that I'm paying attention and not trying to type everything the instructor says.

When I get home, I then re-write the PowerPoint slides in my own words including any information I took from the lecture. This helps me go over the PPP thoroughly and that I understand what the slide is saying
For things that I need to compare/contrast or memorize, then I write that information on a whiteboard. Write, go over it, erase, write it again.

When studying, I have my notebooks and my computer open to compare the slides to my written notes.

Finally, any concepts, exams, manual skills, measuring, etc I practice with another person or an imaginary person. Even if we won't be tested on a practical, I still practice it live because it helps me to retain that information.

Is this time consuming? Absolutely. It can be mind numbingly (and finger crampingly) boring. However, it works for me and I don't forget the material later when I have to build on it in the clinic or in subsequent courses.

Maybe that gives you some ideas but you really have to find what works best for you. It may be unlike anything anyone else is doing or it may be what everyone else is doing (computers open, FB tab on the side) and it works for you!

I don't believe there is an easy button for this though. We have to know a lot and we want to be the best so no short cuts.

 

[TatsPT]

Pen and Paper for me.

Tho electronic is more portable, bringing ALL your 1 tonne books and notes in a 150gram tablet is great but retention for me electronically is bad. Writing it means I have to think what I'm writing unlike typing which I just jot down notes using muscle memory on a keyboard.

Plus on pen and paper I can write then draw then remember which part of the page I wrote it at when I try to remember a note I made. And it's much easier for me to browse looking for a particular note.

well that's just me. You should go what's best works for you. Take suggestions from people try it out then pick which is best.