What good notes look like

When we read something long, it is hard to remember large chunks of information. Notes keep the main points, in a form we can look at again later.

How to make notes, step by step:

• Underline the key information as you read.
• Read again, asking yourself questions: What is it about? Where? How many? Why?
• Write the answers as short points.
• Combine related ideas, and put them under headings.
• Number the points.

Good notes are short. They are written in phrases, not full sentences. Small words like articles (a, the), prepositions (of, in) and conjunctions (and, but) are usually dropped, and abbreviations and symbols are used freely (govt. for government, → for 'leads to', = for 'is').

Show the divisions clearly, in one of two ways:

• Numbers and letters: 1, 2, 3, with sub-points (i), (ii), and under those (a), (b).
• The decimal system: 1, 1.1, 1.1.1.

Above all, your notes must still make sense when you read them again, weeks later. Notes you cannot understand are of no use.