Bad Habits
It's been over a year since I finished university but there are some bad habits I need to break.
I spent most of my time as an undergraduate student learning in a classroom setting. The professor stood at the front of the room, clicked through a wordy PowerPoint Presentation, and expected students to write everything down and remember it for a test.
Does this sound familiar to you?
My old note-taking "strategy"
I would furiously take notes and try to capture every word onto my paper. After the lecture or textbook reading I would review the notes and create Quizlet cards or a google doc summary to study from.
I was aware that this was a poor note taking strategy, but I did well in my classes and had no motivation to change my habits.
The truth is plain and simple. This strategy is ineffective for long term memory. It wastes time and attention on irrelevant concepts and distracts from key takeaways.
I have trouble remembering most of the fact-based information in college. All those definitions, terms, and case studies I memorized have evaporated from my mind...
(Thankfully I held onto the practical lessons I learned from my 3 years in neuroscience and psychology research labs which translated well to my job as a research associate and then a research project manager at a tech company - but thats besides the point).
I will not make the same mistake again.
Time for Change
It's time to completely reset how I learn and how I take notes.
Instead of focusing on capturing all information while it's thrown at me, I plan to limit what I put down on paper and focus on the bigger picture during lessons.
I will remember what I learn in my full-stack development bootcamp and take it with me as I become a developer.
So how will I do this? Here's my new strategy.
Note-taking strategy for assigned readings
This strategy is subject to change as I complete the coding bootcamp and discover what works best.
- Read once through without taking any notes.
- Take 5-10 minutes to write down the most important concepts from memory.
- Skim the article and take notes on key information (No need to write everything down).
- Practice key problems or translate the concepts to a real world example.
- Convert notes into digestable blog posts here on Dev.to!
What do you think of this note taking strategy for readings? What methods do you use to accurately capture key concepts during a reading?
Comment your thoughts so we can become better learners together.
Note-taking strategy for lectures
This strategy is subject to change as I complete the coding bootcamp and discover what works best.
- Listen to professor and prioritize understanding material over writing everything down. Only take notes on key concepts during class.
- Practice new material on real-world problems (luckily, these are built into the coding boot camp)
- Review provided materials to take notes on useful pipelines, commands, or terms. Write a post on Dev.to to summarize big concepts.
- Apply concepts to class projects and personal projects.
- Connect weekly with cohort/mentors/developer community to ask questions and dive deeper into new material.
How do you take notes in your computer science or coding classes? What methods have you found most effective? Comment your note-taking strategies!
It's not easy to change habits. This new strategy will be difficult - but it is worth it for the outcome. I will remember what I learn in bootcamp and take it with me as I become a developer.
Follow me here on Dev.to for weekly posts summarizing key concepts learned in my full-stack development bootcamp. We can help each other learn and break these old bad habits.
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