Taking Notes from a Textbook - Organizing Notes

In most situations, it may be wise for an individual to take notes from a textbook in addition to any notes that he or she takes during a lecture instead of just taking notes in class alone. However, just as an individual needs to make sure that his or her notes from a lecture are complete and accurate, it is essential for an individual to make sure that his or her notes from a textbook are as complete and accurate as possible as well. In order for an individual to make sure that his or her notes are as complete, accurate, and ultimately as effective a study aid as possible, the individual must make sure that he or she organizes his or her notes in an orderly fashion.

First, as the individual is taking notes, the individual may want to set up his or her notes as an outline with a main heading and subheadings that allow the individual to quickly identify the topics that have been covered. The main heading should be the date, the chapter, the title of the chapter, and the main topic that the chapter covers. The subheadings should be the main topic of each section of the chapter and the individual should include key concepts, important facts, definitions, and lists under each subheading. For example, if an individual is taking notes from an American history textbook on a chapter titled "The Revolutionary War," the individual should write a main heading that includes the date that the individual started to write the notes, the chapter number, and "The Revolutionary War," which in this case is both the name of the chapter and the main topic that the chapter covers. This particular chapter might also include a passage that describes the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party so the individual should write a subheading such as "Boston Tea Party" and summarize the events that led up to the Boston Tea Party such as the passing of the Stamp Act and several other related events that the passage covers. Secondly, the individual should make sure that any information that the individual finds later in the chapter, which is related to a topic that he or she noted previously, is placed near any other notes related specifically to that topic. Finally, it is important for the individual to take as much time as he or she needs to keep the information organized since the individual does not need to keep up with a professor if he or she is taking notes from a textbook.