Is It Better to Take Notes While Reading or Just Read It
In that location are three steps to effectively taking notes while reading:
- At the end of each chapter write a few bullet points that summarize what you've read and brand it personal if you lot tin can — that is, utilise it to something in your life. Also, annotation any unanswered questions. When you're washed the book, put information technology down for a calendar week.
- Selection up the volume again and get through all your notes. Most of these volition exist garbage but at that place volition exist lots y'all desire to remember. Write the good stuff on the inside encompass of the volume forth with a page number.
- (Optional) Copy out the excerpts by paw or take a moving picture of them to pop into Evernote. Tag accordingly.
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I've been asked to how to take notes while reading a lot. Often what people are actually getting at is how can I better focus, retain, and utilize what I'm reading. And taking notes while reading can supercharge all of these things if you do it correct. However, when we're taught how to read read, nosotros're non allowed to write in books. And then we never really learn a system for taking notes that we can use as adults.
The first step to taking notes is to effigy out why you are taking notes. If y'all're studying for an test your notes are going to expect different than if y'all're reading for entertainment. The way y'all have notes depends on the reason you're taking notes.
Learning something new as an developed is a part of consuming data (what you read and how yous read), the information you retain, and your ability to put what you learned into practice (recognize patterns). For this, I employ a simple three-step note-taking process that scales up to 150 books a year.
Similar almost everything in life, there is no magical respond that fits everyone. You'll have to do a bit of trial and error and take what works for y'all.
Taking Notes While Reading
Pace One.The showtime thing I practice when I pick up a book is read the preface, the tabular array of contents, and the inside jacket. Oftentimes, I'll glance over the alphabetize besides. This doesn't have long and often saves me fourth dimension, as a lot of books do not make it past this filter. Maybe it doesn't contain the information I'm trying to proceeds. If it seems crappy, I'll flip to a few random pages to verify.
This filter is a form of systematic skimming. This isn't my term, Mortimer Adler, a guy who literally wrote the book on reading, came upward with it. Adler says there are four levels of reading. I tend to blend inspectional reading and analytical reading together for most books.
This style, when I beginning reading a book, I have an idea what it'southward about, the main argument, and some of the terminology involved. I know where the author is going to take me and the wide strokes of how they will bring me along. That's very useful information.
While reading, I take notes. I circle words I need to expect up. I star points that I think are critical to the argument. I underline anything that strikes me equally interesting. I annotate like a madman in the margins. I endeavor to tease out assumptions, etc.
Essentially, I'1000 trying to engage in a conversation with the author. Perhaps my questions will exist answered on the next page or in the next affiliate. Maybe I'll need to find another book to answer them. Who knows. But I write them down.
At the cease of each chapter, I write a few bullet points that summarize what I've just read. When I'm done, I write a cursory summary of the entire volume and and so I do something few other people do. I permit the book age.
I put the book on my desk and I won't affect it for anywhere from a few days to a week. This is very of import.
Pace 2.
When I pick the book up again, I re-read every scribble, underline, and comment I've made (assuming I can still read my writing). Sometimes I can't.
I'1000 not the same person I was the first time I read the book, 2 things have inverse: (1) I've read the entire volume and (2) I've had a chance to sleep on what may take seemed earth-shattering at the fourth dimension simply at present just seems meh.
If something all the same strikes my involvement, I write a notation in the showtime few pages of the book, in my own words, on the topic. Often this is a summary simply increasingly it's ways to utilise the knowledge. I index this to the page number in the volume.
Sometimes, and this depends on the volume, I'll create a sort of mental summary of the book's main arguments and gaps. Sometimes I'll cross-link points with other books.
Stride 3 (optional only highly effective).
Wait a few days. So get through the book and copy out excerpts by hand and put them into your repository or commonplace book. I use these notes to connect and synthesize ideas as I read.
To aid call back, connect the ideas to something you already accept in your listen. Is it a continuation of the thought? Does it replace an idea? Is it the aforementioned idea in a different discipline? I add these connections to my notes and percolate them in my mind. Frequently I plow out to be mistaken just that's the procedure.
Most of the fourth dimension, y'all become to see the ideas on Farnam Street. Yous tin can see how I connect and contextualize ideas, linking them across disciplines. I find writing about the ideas really helps me develop my understanding.
Even if you don't share your thoughts with millions of people you tin can practise the same matter with Evernote, which is searchable, easy to employ, and free. Personally, I practise not employ technology as a substitute for the not-technological arroyo mentioned above only rather as a compliment.
I rarely listen to books simply if y'all are listening to a book, create a new notation for that volume and type in notes as you lot are listening. I know a few people that do not have notes as they are listening because they listen in the car on the fashion to work. They find that sitting downwards right away when they get to piece of work and typing up notes is an effective manner to improve call back although the notes are less accurate.
If you liked this article, you'll dearest our helpful guide to reading better.
Is It Better to Take Notes While Reading or Just Read It
Source: https://fs.blog/taking-notes-while-reading/