Tips on how to take notes in JC chemistry

20 Aug Tips on how to take notes in JC chemistry

Note-taking is a crucial discipline in learning. Whether you are in school or attending chemistry tuition classes, always have your pen and writing material to take notes. Students who do well in physics, chemistry, and math write their notes well.

Research shows that a person is prone to losing 40% of new content within the first 24 hours after the first exposure. However, people who take notes of the information they hear or see are in a position to retain more. Taking notes allows you to transition the learning process from passive to active learning.

Best Tips to Take Notes in Your JC Chemistry Tuition Classes

1. Cornell Note-taking Method

It is a unique note-taking method that is applicable to both chemistry school and tuition sessions. You divide the page of your writing material into two sections and a small portion at the bottom. You have a left and a right column plus a summary part at the bottom of your page.

The left column is quarter the width of the page while the right column takes up the remaining three-quarter space. On the left column, you write the keywords and phrases to give you clue of the whole content. The right column is where you write your full notes.

How it works

i. Record: During your lecture in school or chemistry tuition session, note down what you hear on the right column. Write your notes using telegraphic sentences, that is, clear and concise sentences. Don’t write everything that your chemistry tutor says, be straight to the point.

ii. Question: After the class, sit down and write down questions related to what you heard. Write them on a separate paper or on the left column of your page. The questions help to strengthen your memory, clarify the meaning of what you got in the class, and also a good start for exam revision.

iii. Recite: Cover the notes on your right column with a sheet of paper. Have a look at the questions you structured together with the clues on the left column. In your own words, try to answer the questions, talk about the facts and ideas you can get loudly. Repeat this as many times as possible to retain much of the information in your mind.

iv. Reflect: Think through carefully about what you have just read. Reflect how such concepts relate to what you have already read in the past, the facts about the information or how does it relate to your life activities.

v. Review: Make it a habit to read the notes again from time to time. Read them through once or twice a week to master them well.

2. The Charting Method

The charting note-taking method is ideal when taking a lot of content which is in the form of facts and statistics. It is recommendable when summarizing your JC chemistry notes to revise for your exams. Don’t use this method during lecture time or chemistry tuition classes.

It involves drawing a table or a spreadsheet where you will categorize your information. You can have as many columns as you want on one page. Though the method is time-consuming, you can have a good summary of a lot of information that you read.

How it works

You create a chart with different columns and rows. Each column represents a specific category of information which makes the row comparable. It allows you to summarize each concept on its own column and write the features of the content on the rows. When it is about chemistry exam time, use this method to revise your notes.

3. Gavilan Method

It is a method proposed by Gavilan College. The suggests patterns and categories as the best methods to take your notes. The method allows you to write down your lecture notes on one side and leave the backside blank. The backside is reserved to clarify and correct your notes afterward.

How it works

i. Abbreviate: The method allows you to abbreviate symbols to speed up your note-taking pace. You are in a position to take the most important content on time. As long as you remember the meaning of each abbreviation, you can use any symbol.

ii. Fill in gaps: In case your lecturer leaves you behind, don’t worry. Leave behind a few lines and keep going with the other notes. After the chemistry tuition centre session, ask the tutor or a fellow student about the content you left behind. Fill in the blank spaces to have complete notes.

iii. Identify special sections: When your JC lecturer gives out an example, demonstration or an experiment about a particular concept mark it out. You can do this using a different ink, underline or enclose the information with brackets. When distinguished from the other content, you can easily refer back to the experiment or the demonstration to clarify any confusing concept. Mark out special diagrams, charts, and formulas also using a different colored ink. By marking these concepts out, it allows you to establish relationships between them, and also it makes revision easier.

iv. Read before the next lecture and stay attentive: Be a good student. If your chemistry tuition classes tutor assigns you some materials to read before the lecture begins, please do. Also always be attentive in class and avoid making unnecessary noise. Remain behind after the lecture to catch the last content which is helpful to you.

v. Review: Reviewing your notes allows you to retain most of the information in your mind. Using the spacing effect, review your lecture notes from time to time. In this manner, the content sticks at your fingertips for long. Don’t be a crammer of chemistry concepts as they will evaporate in your exam room.

Chemistry note-taking is essential for your success. Don’t attend a lecture hoping to have everything sticking to your mind instantly. You can be disappointed after a day trying to remember what you learned and nothing to rewind. Have your notes in place to revise for your exam and pass excellently.