9 ways to take notes for physics and math?

many students are wondering how to take notes for physics and math. So what are the best ways to take notes for physics and math?

in this article, we’re going to discover the best notes taking methods that you can use as a stem major.

9 best ways to take notes for physics and math

There are many ways to take notes for physics or math subjects, each student finds his preferable method. It can be like doing active actions like writing or being passive and reading or only listening.

So in this paragraph, we’re going to discover the famous method that physics and mathematics students use to prepare for their exams or classes.

Rewriting the important rules

The most important and effective method that students use is rewriting content. That being said picking the key points rules like the first law of thermodynamic or rewriting delta=-4ac. The goal is to repeat and main information to help them stick in the mind.

This method can be effective more in personal studies or revision sessions. In other words when you could have control of time.

Also for physics, the same principle is applicable, picking up the book and rewriting the key physical points will help to memorize and be used to those definitions.

Many students do this method, they pick a textbook and repeat all core information in their notebook. Sometimes they write rules first in the paper note then rewrite them again in their official notebook in a clean and tidy way.

Most students say that this method helps them to memorize and understand better.


Take sound notes

Some students prefer to take sound notes, it is more comfortable for them and helps them to recall easily memories. Even if they catch noisy sounds in classes, it helps them well to memorize what they understood at this moment.

The sound carries the memories that help them remember exactly the actions that happened in study time. it is a kind of memorization technic.

Most students take sound notes using their phones which help them to record important moments that can’t be noted completely by pencil or keyboards. While others prefer to record the complete session if professors don’t mind that.

What is good about this method, is not time or energy-consuming. It is not hurrying to take notes and missing a lot of parts of them.


Take pictures on the notes

Taking pictures is another method that students use to take notes. They pick and focus on key points, take pictures of them, and highlight, using photo software or electronics pencil for tablet owners.

This method is popular with iPad users who love to take notes in this method.

This method of taking pictures is powerful but sometimes is not working for some situations. But many students love to pick images without having any context. They say that it helps them to remember the events and details that happened related to the lesson.

This method is preferred to people who love using their image memories, which is a powerful method like you can see in this video.


Transform notes to other notebook or computer

Rewriting notes for the second time is a powerful method that helps a student to memorize and organize more his notes. It is a method that has a double effect:

Organization: it helps students to reorganize their notes and filter them. In other words, erase the wrong information and edit the other ones. Also, write them down in a tidy and appealing way using colored pencils.

It is not possible to write good-quality notes in classes when you don’t even have time to write them down anyway.

Memorization and revision: The second is when you write those notes, which bring memories and recall many questions and information. Consequently is the principal goal of this method which improves your level of awareness around math or physic topic.


Writing asking question notes

Writing questions method is a weird method, but some students are doing it. It is a method that focuses on writing down questions instead of statements. it a good method that opens a mind and makes you ask more relevant questions about a topic.

For instance, instead of writing a delat=-4ac and framing it. You start pointing questions like:

why we use delta?
in which cases, we should use delta?
what are the examples of delta applications?

so you make your own questions and then try to respond to them later. This method helps you to eliminate any problems and misunderstandings about a topic.


Using markers form different colors

Using colored markers for taking or highlighting notes is very useful and could be applied in many different methods. To make effective note-taking, at least have three different colors to make things work well.

We will give one example of taking notes using markers. in this example, we will use three-color RED GREEN YELLOW

RED mean not understood
YELLOW means in middle it is not quite clear
GREEN you completely understood

take notes for physics and math

So your goal is to highlight the lessons or questions that you don’t understand with this 3 dimension scale. In other words, you will color the part where find difficulty in a RED, YELLOW if they are not clear, and GREEN if you understand them well.

This method is simple and basic but quite important it helps you to understand your advancement and determine if you are ready for the next exams or not.

Many students fall into the trap of not understanding what they understood and not. So filling holes is important.


Add images to notes

Adding images to note is a powerful method for students who have tablet-like iPad or surface pro. These tools are so powerful and help so much to take notes. You could watch this video below to understand more about it.

taking notes with images helps to build strong memories using images and remember easily in exams times.

Use sticky papers

Using sticky paper is a great way to point notes. It helps to memorize and remember the tasks or notes you should revise or do. The sticky paper came in different colors and can be attached in different places.

For instance, you could write down your note and stick them on different pages book. That helps you to remember the key points about this page, what you didn’t understand, or maybe something you should do about it.

Use tablets with digital pencils

Using tablets to take notes is the best, flexible and easy way to take notes. it helps you to make fascinating notes and prevent you from not worrying about throwing them in the future.

With time many graduated students find themselves having notes that take space but don’t know what to do that about them. Do they have to keep them or throw their lovely notes away?

Using the iPad for taking notes or other products is an amazing way that has many advantages. especially at using a digital pencil, you could do many things like:

  • take notes in different colors
  • add images from the web and place them in your note
  • put drawing and explanation about your topic
  • take images and add them to a note
  • add videos to a note
  • follow the lessons and take notes at the same time by splitting the screen option
  • save your note and index them, to easily access them in the cloud or in a memory device

using any kind of tablet is so helpful and will help you to reduce of a lot of time of studying.

4 steps to take notes for physcis and math?

To make an effective note take we recommend following these 4 guided steps below:

Pick the key point or information

Pick the key point of information is not noting anything randomly, the information to pick is must have two characteristics:

==>Not understood: lesson rule or anything that you don’t understand it could be in mathematics or physics. The thing that you don’t understand is most important that you do. You have to note them and not forget.

==>New discoverable: The information that you knew about in classes or discovered by yourself. So focusing on key helpful notes that you might lose not taking.

Having only these two kind of notes help you to be focused and not fill a book with things that you already know about. In this way, you stay focused and out of noisy things to drain you.

Classify this information

The second thing is to classify these two types of information, is better to devote two groups of piece papers one group of the new information and other for non-understood ones. To clarify, classify your questions aside and information notes in other side.

You can use a binder to put the two groups of paper notes.

Research for the non understood information

The third step is to work and find answers to your questions. You could browse on the internet, ask your professor or colleges. The most important is to respond to these questions and gather as much as possible of information.

You could write the answer on the same paper that you wrote your questions or anywhere. The most important is to keep them. So you could use them in the last step.

Rewrite the note in your official note book

at this moment we have:

  • questions
  • the answers to these questions
  • informational notes

So at this moment you take a special notebook and write the informational notes that you wrote before. Also, questionable notes and their answers. This is the final version of your notes, thus writing them in an organized and appealing form is essential.

using this method helps you to filter and classify the high-quality notes that are not duplicated or found anywhere else.

conclusion

taking notes for physics and math or any other subject is an art that people should learn about. Everyone has his own tone. So you should find your own.

you could watch also this video is famous for taking notes on youtube.

yassin.ajanif

Yassin ajanif is a physics graduate and electromechanical engineer width more than 5 years in the field. My goal and my team are to share our experience to help you succeed in your career as a stem major. we talk about all tips, problems, and struggle STEM students face in their career and how to overcome them.