Regardless of the specific subject that an individual is studying, it may be wise for an individual to take notes from a textbook in addition to the notes that he or she would normally take in a lecture. However, just as an individual needs to make sure that his or her lecture notes are complete and accurate, it is essential for an individual to make sure that his or her textbook notes are as complete and accurate as possible as well. Unfortunately, this can be extremely difficult if the individual is having difficulty understanding the material. As a result, it is important for an individual that is having difficulty with a particular piece of material to find ways of understanding the material.
Fortunately, there are steps that an individual can take to make it easier for the individual to understand complicated concepts and material. First, the individual should read the entire section or chapter before he or she begins taking notes and try to get a basic understanding of what the chapter is trying to say. For example, if the chapter is discussing wood rot, the individual should attempt to determine if the chapter is discussing the common fungus that often causes wood rot, the process of wood rotting, the effects of wood rotting, or any of a multitude of other topics that the chapter could be covering. The individual should then focus on the specific details that the chapter is discussing about the specific topic that it covers. Once the individual has a basic understanding of the topic that the chapter covers, he or she should close the textbook and try to write a summary of the material that he or she just read. This will allow the individual to place the material in his or her own words and make sure that he or she actually understands the material. If the individual finds that he or she cannot put the material in his or her own words, the individual should go back to the textbook and identify any sentences that describe main ideas or key concepts. The individual should then try to paraphrase these sentences as this will allow the individual to determine if he or she can put the sentence into his or her own words and ultimately determine whether or not the individual understands the material.