Kwik Brain 013: How to Take Notes for Rapid Recall

There isn’t just a learning curve but a forgetting curve – most of us lose 80% of the information we learn in just 48 hours. But it doesn’t have to be this way! In this episode, I teach you how to remember what you learn by taking notes effectively.

Show Notes

We lose 80% of the information we learn in 48 hours.

Taking notes is one of the best ways to mitigate this loss.

Principles of Effective Note-Taking

1. Be active.
   • Learning is an active process, not a passive one.
   • The same principle applies to note-taking.
2. Know your purpose.
   • Knowing why you want to take notes will help you do it well and remember more.
3. Have a hierarchy.
   • Have a way to prioritize what’s important.
4. Be organized.
   • You remember better when the information is organized.
5. Use your own words.
   • Other than not taking notes at all, taking notes verbatim is the worst way of taking note.
6. Develop a system.
   • The best note-takers have their own systems, which improves the speed of their note-taking.
   • Use abbreviations, symbols, etc.
7. Filter.
   • Differentiate between what’s important and what is just fluff.

Handwrite (Don’t Type) Your Notes

• Multiple studies show that when you handwrite your notes, you retain more information.
• Handwriting forces you to synthesize the information, so you remember it better and are more likely to recall it later.
• The fact that you can’t keep up verbatim forces you to differentiate between what’s important and not important.
• The visceral action also helps the information stick:
  • If you want the convenience of digital notes, consider using a stylus on a digital pad.

The Capture & Create Method

• Split your note-taking paper into two sides:
  • Left Side = Capture:
    • Take notes & write what the speaker says.
  • Right Side = Create:
    • Create notes and write down your impressions – your feelings, how to teach it, questions, etc.
    • This is a focusing tool – so instead of doodling and getting distracted, you’re creative in an efficient way.
• When you’re doing this:
  • Think (about what to learn).
  • Identify (what’s important/relevant).
  • Prioritize (the information).

Review Your Notes

• It’s ESSENTIAL to review your notes regularly after you take them.
• Fill in the blanks you missed.
• As you review:
  • Summarize.
  • Teach the notes.
  • Test yourself.
  • Memorize the notes.