Different Note-taking Methods for Lectures
University student life
When I started University back in September last year I had already been diagnosed with ADHD.
I was confident that I would manage in lectures and retain the information because I had managed in school and my previous University achievements were of a high standard. However, I wasn't expecting the speed and variety of teaching styles between lecturers.
Three weeks in and the panic was starting to set in, I looked around at my peers as they were rapidly typing away on their laptops and there I was with a blank notebook and pen. I didn't know what I was meant to be writing or what I needed to remember which meant I tried to write and retain everything.
Attempt 1: Notebook and pen
Rating: 1/10
Thankfully there was a Neurodiverse drop-in through the induction weeks and I landed myself in front of one of the Neurodiverse team members, she helped me locate where to find important information and how to get support whilst waiting for the DSA to come through. I was also directed to the University screening tool for Dyslexia and I was encouraged to take this, I was adamant that I wasn’t dyslexic as I didn’t get my b’s and d’s mixed up, I enjoyed reading and writing.
In the next breath, I had a diagnosis of Dyslexia and Dyspraxia on top of my ADHD. “a very well-compensated neurodiverse woman” was one of the comments I remember hearing and reading which at the time was a compliment but that opened a can of worms as I started to reflect on it.
I soon enough had access to a software called Glean which is a platform that allows you to upload the presentation slides, record audio and type your notes as you work your way through the lecture. This was a game changer because I didn't have to struggle with matching my notes with the lecture slides. It also meant that if I missed something important I could listen back and gain clarity. Another feature I enjoy is the checkbox feature which means you can action plan.
Attempt 2: Glean
Rating: 8/10
However, I became overly dependent on the software and would create a list of actions but never have the time or mental energy to look back on it. I struggled to section lectures in my brain and retain the information because it was almost recording and notes done, move on to the next and never look back on it again. Whoops!
That’s when I decided to go into what I used to love at school, this was spurred on by thinking about how I was a “well compensated” neurodiverse person, ultimately I felt I needed to unravel myself a little and go back to those roots. Doodling it was, I used to doodle all over the corners of my pages, create diagrams and this allowed me to focus. However this time, I was going to doodle with intention, I was going to doodle with information and try to almost make sense of the lecture as we worked our way through. I had Glean on in the background so I was able to go back if I needed to do or add anything integral.
It started basic:
And soon became complicated:
Attempt 3: Informative doodling with Glean on in the background
Rating: 7/10
However, it was overwhelming keeping an eye on Glean and doodling at the same time. I couldn’t imerse myself in the doodling and I couldn’t not use Glean because it helped me greatly. It also annoyed me if we got part way through a lecture and something linked to earlier and I didn’t have the space for it on the canvas I had created on Procreate. The doodling was always a part of my focus in the past which aided my attention on the lessons. Perhaps this wasn’t needed as all of what I was learning was for interest?
I spoke with my tutor and asked why do I even need to take notes, what information do I need? What do I need to know? We explored my learning style and came up with pen to paper with a purpose.
It was sectioned into 6 areas:
Before the lecture: Go through the slides before the lecture and write any questions I might have.
Key points: What are the key learning points of the lecture.
Important theories and literature: Speaks for itself, a box to fit the theories in along with any reading recommendations.
Questions / further research: What questions do I have now I know all of this information and what further research do I need to do?
Anagrams / Memory hooks: I work well with Anagrams when it comes to retaining information for a formula or an exam so this features here alongside memory hooks, this is there because I need to work out how to remember a lecture so I assign a memory to the lecture based on what I learn. The easiest way to display this for you is on a previous stack: The Bystander Effect.
Assignment link(s): Any important resources, links, news, updates, or nuggets of information that link to any of the assignments for that module.
You can use it by clicking on the image and it will take you to the Printable Canva sheet, it’s free, just subscribe to this substack as a thank you *wink*.
Attempt 4: Note-taking printable(homemade) with Glean in the background
Rating: 8.5/10
However, I miss my doodling and as a result of doing one of my peer’s experiments, I discovered that I retained 50% more words when viewing images over actual words when recalling. It means that the doodling does win with the visual side of my learning.
So, where to next?
I plan to continue with my attempt 4 method but at the end of the day when I sit on the sofa, I am going to review my notes, look at any diagrams and attempt to construct a more in-depth and memorable doodle (a poster or cartoon strip style). I’m looking forward to this process especially as I enjoy looking at the Creative Clinical Psychologist and her work.
The moral of the story is that note-taking is a work in progress and not one size fits all, have fun with finding what works for you and soon you will get your 10/10 result. Constantly reviewing the process will help to see if you are getting what you need from your own note-taking methods. Yes, that’s right, it’s trial and error.
I’m open to recommendations now that you know more about my relationship with note-taking, I welcome your thoughts and feedback below in the comments as well.
Happy note-taking!