When the fall semester begins, many freshmen are confident that they already know how to take good notes for their college classes. Just write down everything the professor says, and you'll be set, right? A few months later, however, these students scramble to locate the information needed for their midterms among scrawls on hundreds of sheets of paper. These same freshmen then discover that good notetaking requires considerable thought and attention, not just effort.

The good news is that notetaking can be simple. You don't need to learn shorthand or make every page as beautiful as you see on social media. With some preparation, you can take efficient notes to help you study rather than getting lost in the bottomless pit of your backpack.

Why Take Notes?

The purpose of notetaking is not to record everything said in a classroom. Even if you could write quickly enough, your notes would be too long for you to review effectively. Instead, good notes should only record the significant themes and key details of class so you can review them at a glance. Notes are an aid to memory—not a replacement for it.

As a result, the first thing you can do to improve your notetaking is to ditch the laptop or tablet. While electronic notes might sound nice in theory—promising advanced features such as searchable text and an automatic cloud backup—in practice, they perform less well as a memory aid.

The most obvious problem is a distraction. When your email, text messaging, and social media accounts are only a click away, it's hard to resist the temptation of clearing notifications and browsing the Internet during class.

Even in controlled laboratory conditions, however, multiple academic studies (here, here, and here) have demonstrated that students who take notes on paper have better recall and achieve higher scores on their exams. The increased speed of typing, these studies suggest, tempts students to mindlessly record information, whereas the physical process of putting pen to paper encourages students to synthesize and condense. Researchers point out that "the pen is mightier than the keyboard."

Organization and Supplies

Nonetheless, paper notes do require some effort for organization. Notes that you cannot find might as well never exist. No matter how you organize, write the class title and date at the top of each page of notes and keep your notes in chronological order. Your future self will thank you when it comes time to study.

To keep track of a semester's worth of notes, it's worth investing in some basic classroom supplies. Sometimes, the most straightforward system is the most effective—you can't go wrong with a large three-ring binder and a set of dividers for each class. Label the binders clearly, and you'll always know where to look for your notes, readings, and study guides.

If lugging multiple binders to campus seems impractical, try using one smaller binder with dividers for each class as your daily carry. At week's end, transfer your notes and handouts from the smaller binder to the larger binders in your dorm room. If you prefer taking notes in a separate bound notebook, that system can work too. Make sure you quickly identify notes from a particular class—using different notebooks or color-coding your notes by class are common methods of keeping organized. When choosing to organize, be diligent, and stick to a system. A little effort spent filing your notes properly will save you endless trouble later.

Finally, ensure that you have pens or pencils that are comfortable to write with and produce easy-to-read text. For example, a bolder line may be helpful if you have large handwriting, but those with small handwriting may prefer a fine point. Whatever you choose, it's well worth investing in quality writing utensils—they're relatively cheap, and no one wants to be stuck in class with an old pen that won't write.

Practical Notetaking Systems

Once you have the right equipment, it's time to figure out what notetaking system works best for you. For many students, a simple outline system works well. Write the subject of the lecture at the top of the page, then write headers for each main topic or idea and indent subsequent details and supporting concepts below each header. You can quickly skim through the headers for the most important points when you need to review.

If your professor's lectures are particularly disorganized, or if your classes include lots of free-flowing Socratic discussion, you may find it helpful to try mind mapping. For this system, write the main topic in the center of the page and draw connecting lines to notes on related topics as they come up in class. With this method, it's possible to link specific ideas to multiple topics, which makes it easier to record non-linear information.

A popular notetaking system including built-in review is the Cornell method. For this system, divide your note paper into a narrow left-hand column and a wide right-hand column. Take notes in the larger column using the outline method or simple bullet points. Then, during or immediately after class, record cues in the left-hand column next to related topics in your notes, such as key terms or questions. Finally, make a third section at the bottom of the page for a brief summary after class. This reflection forces you to recall and synthesize the information you learned into just a few sentences.

These systems work better if you develop abbreviations, symbols, and writing styles that save space and make the most important information stand out. For example, you might try writing key terms in all caps or using an asterisk to cross-reference related information. Some students like to color code, perhaps using one color pen for the professor's lecture and another color for their observations.

Don't be afraid of a bit of trial and error. Every class is different, and you might find that you need to adjust your strategy to fit the subject or your professor's method of instruction. Just because you start the semester with one system doesn't mean you can't change it if you find something else that works better.

Using Your Notes

Above all, your notes will only be effective if you use them. It's a good practice to take a few minutes at the end of each day to read your notes and add any important details you left out. You should also set aside time each week for an in-depth review session. The more often you refresh your memory and test your recall, the stronger your memory will become, and time well-spent each week will save many stressful hours of cramming before your tests.

Effective notetaking is a powerful tool that can enable you to excel in your college classes. Take some time now to develop a system that works for you, and you'll thank yourself once midterms come around.