Notes / Brain Sheets

I get asked from underclassmen nursing students all the time what my note-taking process is, because there is far too much to remember in a single lecture to write down. On top of even that, even if you do have some freakish writing talent and do get all of the information down, there is no guarantee that you will be able to understand anything you wrote when you get to actually studying for the test. So, the trick is to obtain an efficient, comprehensive strategy of taking notes, that you will understand, even after weeks of taking them.

My first piece of advice is to get lecture notes from your professor. Most professors give these out initially anyway, but a few times I have had to ask the professor. Having a powerpoint presentation, with 3 slides per page and the other half of my page with lines for notes, has been tremendously helpful for me over the last 3.5 years. I then have a system. On the slides the professor already has, I highlight words or phrases that are very important to remember. I then underline things that must be emphasized, but are not as important as the highlighted content. Although ALL of the information is important, if you get caught in a tight spot before the exam and have a time crunch to study, this cuts your notes easily in half to ensure you know what you are doing on the exam. I also NEVER use yellow highlighter or black ink unless I absolutely have to. Studying and note-taking are much more appealing when the ink you use is a fun color, and when yellow highlighter is not giving you a massive headache.

If your prof does not provide lecture notes, I recommend taking all of your notes in black ink and then going back after your lecture and doing the highlighting / note-adding process the same day as your lecture so you do not forget what the things you wrote mean.

The next thing I do after a unit / lecture is make a brain sheet. I absolutely hate combing through 60 slide lecture notes to get to the heart of the content I am supposed to know for the exam. This is a half-done Defibrillation + Cardioversion brain sheet I made for our lecture that day. I try to keep my brain sheets to 1 page and only put down the very basics. That way if I study the lecture notes, then read my brain sheet, seeing a simple point helps to connect the more complex points I knew but needed prompting to remember. I will also put down the distinguishing factors between the two. Both are used for abnormal heart rhythms, but which rhythms require which treatment? A quick look at my brain sheet will have it all in one place versus looking through all of my slides to determine the answer to my questions.

Get pens, highlighters, paper, notebooks, anything you really like. Having the supplies to take the notes that make you feel organized and appeal to you will make it more motivating to take the notes and look at them later. Stay organized with the notes. I love to take notes on my laptop when I can so I can keep it all organized, and if you have to print it, I 3-hole punch the lectures and put them in a binder in order to keep them all in one place to make studying more convenient and less overwhelming. Keep the material simple, and if it is complex, break it down in your own time to make it simpler and easy for YOU to understand. The bottom line is that the same thing will not be a good fit for everyone, find what makes you tick and run with that. Trial and error is the only way you will find what works for you and how best you will succeed.

Happy note-taking, studying, and organizing to you all!

you are blessed. you are gifted. you are loved and appreciated, just as you are.

mindfully, molli