# Taking Notes From Textbook = Pointless?



## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm starting to think that taking notes from textbooks is pretty pointless and that it's better to simply re-read the textbook until you remember everything. Hear me out.

I took a test in my psych class yesterday and nearly bombed it because he pulled a lot of the multiple choice questions from the most random places in the textbook. This guy tested me on questions on material that was literally only discussed in one, maybe two sentences from the entirety of the assigned reading and never discussed again. When you take notes, you try to look for the important concepts and write them down. You forget about the petty stuff or else you would write everything down. With so much focus on the important concepts I completely forgot about those odd sentences.


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## Mind in Flight (Feb 24, 2012)

I'm a huge procrastinator, so I'll usually read the textbook for the first time right before an exam. Oddly enough, I think my procrastination actually helps me do better than the other students on tests since the whole text is still fresh. I never really though about it before, but it might be for the reasons you stated above.


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## Twelve Keyz (Aug 28, 2011)

InfiniteBlaze said:


> I'm starting to think that taking notes from textbooks is pretty pointless and that it's better to simply re-read the textbook until you remember everything. Hear me out.
> 
> I took a test in my psych class yesterday and nearly bombed it because he pulled a lot of the multiple choice questions from the most random places in the textbook. This guy tested me on questions on material that was literally only discussed in one, maybe two sentences from the entirety of the assigned reading and never discussed again. When you take notes, you try to look for the important concepts and write them down. You forget about the petty stuff or else you would write everything down. With so much focus on the important concepts I completely forgot about those odd sentences.


Damn... I've been thinking the same thing lately. I bombed my last bio quizz because of this. Taking notes is far too time consuming - especially when a chapter is like 40+ pages long. **** that sh*t. Not gonna bother anymore. It may have worked in first year but this time around it's impossible to keep up with all my classes. Mine as well take your time, read everything carefully, and get a solid understanding.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

Twelve Keyz said:


> Mine as well take your time, read everything carefully, and get a solid understanding.


lol, exactly.


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## Ape in space (May 31, 2010)

It depends what subject it is. For physics the important thing is the thought process behind the stuff in the textbook rather than the details themselves. If you know the thought process, you can reproduce the details on demand. So when reading a textbook I just try to distill the skeleton of the thought process of whatever the section is talking about and write that down. This makes it easier to remember as well as making the concept clear in my mind.

For other subjects where you have to remember a lot of information, it is probably better just to use the textbook.


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## laura1991 (Apr 12, 2012)

InfiniteBlaze said:


> This guy tested me on questions on material that was literally only discussed in one, maybe two sentences from the entirety of the assigned reading and never discussed again.


In my opinion, I don't think that this teacher wants to know if your really "learning", but rather that they want to set a high standard. He may be trying to see how people do on the test, and may curve it. I think its better when teachers actually try to give you good examples of the content in the book, so that you can make connections. Sounds like he was just being an *** just for the heck of it lol.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

laura1991 said:


> In my opinion, I don't think that this teacher wants to know if your really "learning", but rather that they want to set a high standard. He may be trying to see how people do on the test, and may curve it. I think its better when teachers actually try to give you good examples of the content in the book, so that you can make connections. Sounds like he was just being an *** just for the heck of it lol.


Well he did say it was going to be challenging and he did say he ws going to curve it (With 100% being equal to the highest score)

However, I feel like some some super smart person who can remember minute details is going to get like a 96% on the exam and screw the rest of us over.


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## vanishingpt (Mar 9, 2012)

I think it depends on how you are taking the notes and what you are writing down. I find writing notes to be time consuming but I would rather re-read my notes than 100+ pages every week to memorize everything. But everyone has their own learning styles


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## cafune (Jan 11, 2011)

That's comforting. I've a psych midterm coming up soon. The questions are all multiple-choice. :blank

Anyway, I find it depends on what type of learner you are and the subject you're studying.

When studying for biology/psych/memorization-based subjects, I rewrite _everything_ from the textbook, add my own diagrams and talk aloud (explain the concepts to the invisible person beside me). I remember best when I feel myself writing out the words (I tried typing out my notes and it did not work, at all) and hear it as well. It requires a lot of patience and time though. May not have the time to in university. :/

When studying for physics I rewrite the key concepts/formulas (of which there aren't too many per chapter in my textbook cause the rest are examples) and make concise notes. And I talk aloud again. Then I do some practice questions. The general approach is similar for problems within the same chapter so hopefully, the midterm isn't too far a jump and I can make the links/connections. Anyway, I find it easier to study for this since I don't need to "memorize," just understand. It's nice cause I can't "forget" and blank out as I can for other subjects.


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## Tania I (Jul 22, 2012)

it really depends on the lecturer.
The more you get to know his style the higher success rate.
That's why getting pointers from a senior is like a revelation.


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## darkrider (Aug 13, 2012)

I read the entire chapter first, try to remember as much as I can then I take notes.

It works for me.


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## W A N D E R L U S T (Oct 2, 2012)

Depends if your a kinesthetic, visual or auditory learner.

I'm more of a visual learner and when I take notes I usually draw around my notes or make them look fancy or whatever. It started out as being bored in class when my teachers told us to take notes, I'm a fast writer so I always got bored waiting and started drawing while waiting for the next things to write down. I found out that I remember more if the information looks really cool so now I do it to help me. If it's just words, I'm gonna forget so I draw pictures that relate to them in if I can. It's pretty fun too since I like designing.


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## WD3 (Oct 11, 2012)

Best thing to do is probably read it at a normal pace once, wait a little while then go back and read it again for reinforcement. That is what works for me at least. If I was to take notes I would be to worried about writing everything down instead of soaking in the information.


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## awkwardsilent (Jun 14, 2012)

Wow, I never even had time to read text books mostly, I was in science, mostly bio courses in general, what was mentioned in lecture was what was on the tests. (Go to your tutorials if there are any I didn't until year three and I was surprised and just how much they help!). I generally rewrote my notes, looked at the Note Takers Club notes (we had those in my faculty for most classes that were large) and/or got together with people from my class and compared notes, filled in the gaps we might be missing from each other, took practice explaining concepts the combo of writing/extra audio visual (from myself and the people I studied with) really seemed to work for me and was way more efficient for me than studying away by myself. Studying by myself I still read aloud sometimes to try and have that extra reinforcement.


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## Myluckystar (Sep 29, 2012)

TigerLilly02 said:


> Depends if your a kinesthetic, visual or auditory learner.
> 
> I'm more of a visual learner and when I take notes I usually draw around my notes or make them look fancy or whatever. It started out as being bored in class when my teachers told us to take notes, I'm a fast writer so I always got bored waiting and started drawing while waiting for the next things to write down. I found out that I remember more if the information looks really cool so now I do it to help me. If it's just words, I'm gonna forget so I draw pictures that relate to them in if I can. It's pretty fun too since I like designing.


I love doing this lol


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## Charmander (Sep 5, 2012)

There's nothing wrong in writing down notes from a chunk of text.


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

I have to take notes from book. It helps me understand what I am doing and understanding is half the battle. it makes chunks of writing that look scary and complicated more simple and in my words that I can learn from. It works for me.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

"Depends" is the best answer. 

I had a test recently that involved listing all the blood vessels, valves, spaces, whatever, in order of the blood's pathway through the heart to the liver. Had I not taken the time to draw that out previously I probably would have bombed that. Otherwise I'm not a notetaker either. Sometimes visuals help but I'm all for rereading the text too.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm starting to feel this way again. I feel like I'm not learning anything when I take notes. I feel like I'm just copying everything down.

Honestly, I tred taking notes in my accounting textbook and boy is one of the chapters dense. I started off taking ntoes and then I got upset and abandoned my notes entirely. I started reading critically but without taking notes and I actually feel like I'm learning.


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## catcharay (Sep 15, 2011)

i dont usually read the whole text..just parts i don't understand, particularly mathematical formulas and processes. taking summary notes for each chpt? yeahh.. aint nobody got time for that


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## Diacetylmorphine (Mar 9, 2011)

I've never really taken notes from the textbook. I tend to rely on memory, I find it easier.


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## Genetic Garbage (May 7, 2011)

I have always performed poorly when I was taking notes from textbooks so I always end up reading the entire material over and over again. Works much better for me.


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## alissadisa (Mar 25, 2013)

I think are u depends on how you are taking the notes writing down on a note book.
I take notes. I feel like I'm just copying everything down to book.


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