​​​​Tips to create effective study notes

Jotting down notes during classes is one of the many good habits that primary and secondary school students can cultivate in school. Further to that, creating study notes at home after school can also be a major game-changer for them. Effective study notes not only help students retain more knowledge that they’ve learnt in school, but also help them retain focus and stay organised. They can also help students prepare for upcoming exams and quizzes, making the learning process easier and less stressful.

There are many approaches towards creating study notes, but here are some pointers that your child can follow to create the most effective ones for their revisions.

1. Choose the right format

Bullet points, underlining, highlighting, and mind maps are some of the many formats that students can choose from to create study notes. Each format has its own advantages, so it’s important for your child to experiment and understand what works best for them. For instance, some students may prefer bullet points as they are concise and easy to digest at one glance, while some students may prefer mind maps because they help to visually connect related information.

2. Write it down

Writing down your notes by hand has been shown to be more effective than typing them. Writing by hand requires students to engage their brains, make the learning process more interactive, help them internalise information better, and enhance their understanding of the study materials at hand.

3. Make it visually appealing

Visual aids such as drawings, illustrations, and colour-coding can help your child retain information better and make their revisions more appealing and engaging. For instance, students can use different coloured pens, highlighters, or sticky notes to denote different types of information or to categorise pointers based on their importance.

4. Summarise information

Your child can summarise the information learnt in class in their own words, instead of copying verbatim what the textbooks or slides says - this helps them understand the information better and remember them more easily. Students should also consider adding keywords or phrases that are easy for them to remember.

5. Organise information

It’s not easy to refer to your study notes when you don’t know which page or section to look at first. Organising information in a logical and easily digestible way is an important part in creating effective study notes. Headings, subheadings, bullet points, and more can be used to make your child’s study notes easy to follow and understand. Abbreviations and symbols can also be used to save time and make their notes more concise.

6. Review and revise regularly

Regular review and revision of study notes is important to help your child remember the information they learnt. They should aim to review their notes on a regular basis, especially before exams and quizzes. They can also do so by summarising and condensing the information and adding any new information they have learnt.

Conclusion

Effective study notes can make a big difference in your child’s academic performance. Through these tips, students can create sets of study notes that are organised, easy to read, and effective in helping them retain and internalise knowledge. As a parent, you can help your child by encouraging them to experiment with different formats to see what works best for them. With the right approach, your child can create study notes that will help them learn, revise, and achieve better!