How to Take Notes That Actually Help You Learn (Not Just Look Pretty)

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Hi, this is Ray.

Let me start with a confession. For years, my version of “note-taking” was transcribing every word the teacher said, adding some color-coded headers, and then never reading them again. I once spent four hours turning my economics notes into a beautiful bullet journal spread. The only thing I retained was that I should never be in charge of an economy.

Sound familiar?

If your notes are pretty but your recall is pitiful, you’re not alone. But here’s the truth: great note-taking isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about processing. It's what happens in your brain while you're writing things down that determines whether or not you'll remember them.

So let’s look at how to take notes that actually help you learn, using evidence, tactics, and just enough nerd references to make Gandalf raise an eyebrow.

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Step 1: Stop Copying and Start Thinking

Here’s the problem. Most people treat note-taking like stenography. They try to write everything down, assuming that more notes equals more knowledge.

Wrong.

The goal of notes isn’t to capture information. It’s to process it.

Psychologists call this the generative effect, when you generate content in your own words, you remember it better than if you just copied it verbatim [1]. This means:

• Don’t transcribe. Summarize.

• Don’t write everything. Focus on meaning.

• Ask yourself, “What does this actually mean?” and then write that down.

Yes, your notes will be messier. But messy notes that spark memory are better than perfect pages you never look at again.

Step 2: Ditch the Highlighters (Mostly)

I get it. Highlighting feels productive. It’s fun. It makes your textbook look like it went to a rave.

But the science says it’s mostly useless.

According to a meta-analysis by Dunlosky et al. (2013), highlighting and underlining are low-utility strategies for learning [2]. They make you feel good but don’t improve recall.

Instead, spend your time on note-taking methods that engage your brain. That means:

• Writing questions

• Making connections

• Summarizing ideas in your own words

• Organizing information spatially (hello, mind maps)

If you must highlight, do it sparingly. And only after you’ve already processed the material.

Step 3: Pick the Right Note-Taking Method for the Job

There is no one-size-fits-all method. Different types of material call for different styles. Here are the big hitters:

1. The Cornell Method

Great for lectures and structured reading.

• Cue column: On the left, write prompts, questions, or key terms.

• Note-taking area: On the right, record your notes during learning.

• Summary: At the bottom, summarize the content in a few sentences.

Why it works: It promotes review and reflection. Writing your own questions also primes you for active recall.

2. Mind Mapping

Great for understanding complex concepts and their relationships.

• Start with a central topic in the center.

• Branch out into subtopics.

• Use arrows, images, colors, and symbols.

Why it works: It taps into dual coding theory, which shows that combining words and visuals improves memory [3].

3. The Outline Method

Great for hierarchical or technical material (think law, biology, computer science).

• Use bullet points to organize concepts in levels.

• Indent to show subpoints and relationships.

Why it works: It forces you to organize ideas logically, which aids comprehension.

4. The Charting Method

Great for comparison-heavy material.

• Create columns for each category.

• Fill in rows with relevant information.

Think history timelines, anatomy features, or software comparison.

Step 4: Go Analog if You Can

Typing is fast. Too fast. Studies show that students who handwrite their notes tend to retain more than those who type [4].

Why? Because handwriting is slower. You’re forced to summarize, not transcribe. That means more processing and better long-term retention.

If you must type (I get it, doctors and engineers), try this:

• Don’t type word for word.

• Use digital note-taking apps like Notion or Obsidian that support backlinks, templates, and tagging.

• Use the progressive summarization method. Write full notes first, then highlight key parts later, then distill into flashcards or questions.

Step 5: Don’t Just Take Notes. Review Them.

Taking notes is not the endgame. Reviewing them is where the learning happens.

Here’s a simple review schedule based on spaced repetition:

• Day 1: Review immediately after the class or study session. Summarize in your own words.

• Day 3: Quiz yourself on key concepts.

• Day 7: Reorganize the material. Combine related ideas.

• Day 14: Teach it to someone else (even your cat).

This forces your brain to re-retrieve the information, which strengthens the memory traces. It’s like giving your neural pathways a protein shake.

Apps like Anki or RemNote use this principle to great effect, especially for dense subjects like medicine or language learning.

Step 6: Turn Notes into Questions

Instead of writing “Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy,” write:

• Q: What is photosynthesis?

• A: The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.

Turning your notes into flashcard-style questions promotes active recall, one of the most effective learning techniques available [2].

Bonus: this format is also perfect for review. You’ll spend less time re-reading and more time engaging with the material.

Step 7: Apply Feynman’s Technique

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. That’s the core of the Feynman Technique, named after physicist Richard Feynman, who once said, “If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it.”

How to use it:

1. Write the concept at the top of a page.

2. Explain it as if teaching it to a 12-year-old.

3. Identify gaps in your explanation.

4. Revisit your notes and refine.

Do this once a week, and your understanding will deepen faster than Gandalf’s voice in a cave.

Step 8: Beware the Illusion of Competence

You read your notes. You nod. You think, “Yeah, I totally get this.” But when test day comes, your brain screams, “WHO IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS?!”

That’s the illusion of competence, the sneaky feeling that recognition equals understanding.

Combat it with:

• Self-quizzing

• Teaching others

• Solving problems without notes

Your notes are not the goal. They’re the launchpad. If you never leave the page, you’re not learning. You’re just decorating your denial.

TL;DR for Note-Taking Survivors

• Don’t transcribe. Process and summarize.

• Highlighting is fun but mostly useless.

• Match your note style to your material.

• Handwriting usually beats typing.

• Review using spaced repetition.

• Turn notes into questions.

• Use the Feynman Technique to test yourself.

• Never trust the illusion of competence.

Your notes don’t need to look good. They need to work. If your biology notebook looks like it belongs in an art museum but you can’t explain mitosis, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

Take notes that make your brain do the work. Take notes that prepare you for recall, not review. And most importantly, take notes that help future you say, “Thanks, past me. You didn’t totally screw this up.”

Yours in scribbles, sketches, and science,
Ray

Sources

1. Slamecka, N. J., & Graf, P. (1978). The generation effect: Delineation of a phenomenon. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory.
   https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.4.6.592

2. Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
   https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266

3. Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory: Retrospect and current status. Canadian Journal of Psychology.
   https://doi.org/10.1037/h0084295

4. Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science.
   https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581