Taking notes is really important - no matter what you are learning!

So this is the FoondaMate guide to note taking for school or university. 👩🏾‍🎓👩🏾‍🎓👩🏾‍🎓

There are basically three types of notes that you will need while going through any course at school or university 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

1. Textual Notes 📗📙📘

These are notes on your textbook, set work book or any prescribed readings for your class.

You should make notes on these sources to reference when studying. This means your textual notes should:

1. Simplify the content in the original book, so it’s easier to study from than the textbook. 👓
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2. Have the content written in your own words whenever possible. 💬 There is no point in rewriting the textbook when you already have the textbook 🤷🏽‍♂️ 📚 . Find ways to write the content that will make it easier for you to remember it 🌟🌟🌟
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3. Do this early! ⏰ ****The sooner you start with this, the more time you will have to move on to other study methods like past papers where you ✨apply✨ the knowledge - rather than just remember it.
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   🧠Pro tip: make textual notes before covering the section in class. If you do this you will already know what is going to be confusing in class, and can prepare specific questions on the confusing stuff. ⁉️This way you will get the most out of class - instead of just listening, you will be getting information on the specific topics that are confusing you! 🙋🏻‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️

2. Class Notes ✏️ 🗒️

These are the notes you take in class - usually your messiest notes, where you write down anything your lecturer or teacher says that seems important. 🤔🤔🤔

Two things to remember about taking good class notes:

1. Make a note of what topics your teacher is emphasising. 🧑🏾‍🏫 If they mention something more than once, chances are it’s important. ‼️This means it might come up in a test or exam‼️
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   Pro tip: use a different colour pen to note these topics, and make sure you spend extra time studying them before tests and exams!
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2. You are not trying to write down everything the teacher says. ✏️ You are trying to pick out important bits of information that are ✨only said in class✨ (e.g. don’t write down stuff that’s already in the textbook - you already have that information!).If something is only said in class then you don’t have that information anywhere else. So you definitely want to have it in your notes! ⭐⭐⭐

3. Test/Exam prep Notes 📝📚

These are notes that you write at the very start of your studying process. 📔📔📔

They should be very ✨short✨ - one page per topic. 📃📃📃

You should essentially write these notes as a one page summary of the topic. On that page you should have all the key concepts, definitions, arguments, dates, formulas, or anything else you will need to remember for the text/exam. 🤓

This summarising process forces you to do three things 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

1. 🤔 Work out what the most important parts of that topic are
2. 😕 Work out what you didn’t understand
3. 🧠 Make mental connections between the different concepts in the topic - since you are now having to put everything on one page.

Once you have made this summary you should read over it before you go to bed, or stick it up on your wall, and keep going through it right up to the day before exams. 🤓 This will help consolidate the knowledge. 🏆🏆🏆

You should also ✨further consolidate✨ the knowledge by doing past papers and practice tests, where you apply the knowledge.

‼️You can get past papers for high school by sending a WhatsApp to this number +2760 070 3213 or clicking this link.‼️

🙋🏿‍♀️ And on a final note...

(sorry for the terrible pun 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️)

If you take all three of these kinds of notes, follow the pro tips and do past papers you should be well on your way to passing with flying colours! 🔥🔥🔥

Sending hugs and strength. You got this. 💛🤖

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