The Secret to Making Notes You’ll Actually Use

Many students spend hours writing notes, only to never look at them again — or worse, realise they don't actually help when exam time comes. The secret is to make notes that are clear, concise, and easy to review later.

Good notes shouldn't be a word-for-word copy of the textbook. Instead, they should summarise key points in your own words, use bullet points or diagrams to keep information organised, and highlight important terms or formulas. Colour-coding can also be helpful — for example, one colour for definitions, another for examples, and a third for key dates or formulas.

The process of writing your notes is just as important as the notes themselves. Turning information into your own words forces you to process and understand the material. That way, when it's time to revise, your notes become a powerful, personalised study tool rather than a pile of copied text.