NOTE-TAKING

Learning Support / Time Management and Study Skills / Note Taking

How can we help you learn?

As you move through your courses, you'll come across information that you need to revisit and remember.

Taking good notes will help you to:

Remember the information you’re learning.
Plan your assessments.
Create a record of your learning you can refer back to when you have finished your course.

Top Tips

Take notes in your own words.
Only record key ideas or specific information you may need to remember, such as dates, definitions and examples.
Keep your notes organised and store them all in the same place.
Record notes in different formats, such as in tables, diagrams, pictures, mind maps, and vocabulary lists.

How should I record my notes?

Every learner is different, and it’s important to find a solution that works for you. Here are a few of the many tools available to help you keep your notes organised:

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook that is part of the Office 365 suite, which you can access for free as a learner using the eCampus NZ platform.. Find out more about OneNote on our Office 365 page.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is also part of the Office 365 suite. You can use Word to create live documents, which makes it unlikely that you’ll lose your work. Find out more on our Office 365 page.

Pen and paper

Some people find that taking the time to record notes on paper helps them to remember what they’re writing. Another benefit of using pen and paper is that you can easily incorporate your own diagrams and images in your notes.

How can I keep my notes organised?

No matter which tool you use, it’s important that you keep your notes organised so you can easily refer back to them later. Try the following strategies:

Recording the date on which you are taking your notes whenever you start a study session.
Arranging information under headings, so you’ll easily be able to find what you’re looking for.
Naming documents and files clearly, so you know exactly what’s in them without opening them.
Using colour to highlight keywords and definitions.

Note-taking templates

If you like using pen and paper to record your notes, you can print out the following template.

If you prefer using digital tools, you can recreate the template in the application of your choice.