A look at the practice of note-taking in college, and how it's not as necessary as a student may think, particularly when it comes to skills training

1. Address:Centennial College,P.O.Box631, StationA, Toronto M1K 5E9, Ontario,Canada
Tel: 416-289-5300, Email: success@centennialcollege.ca Page 1
Five Reasons to Curb Your note-taking in College
If there's one thing it's assumed you'regoingto be doinga lot of duringyour post-
secondary education, it's note-taking. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself
why you'retakingthem? Perhapsit's to ace the next test, or as referencesfor your
eventual career. Well, based on my own college experience, I can say there's a
good chance you'rehitting the notes too hard, and you need to ease up and spend
more time listening, especially if you're at a community college, where the
emphasis is more on practical skills. This isn't to say that you should never take
notes, but you should definitely be a bit more selective about what you jot down,
and here's why.
1. Notes make you pay less attention to what's being said
Think about it: When you're frantically scribbling or typing up everything
your instructor is saying, are you really listening to them? Sure, you're
listening to the words, but you're not absorbing them. You're just putting
them in your head long enough to spit them out on the page, rather than
absorbing the knowledge. Sure, you could always re-read your notes later,
but it's likely double the work. And it may be unnecessary, since…
2. It's probably in your readings
Pay attention to whether or not there's a textbook for the course. Or, if
there's a slideshow or power point, check if they're going to be posted
online. While it's not an exact duplicate of a lecture, if you want to review
things at a later date, especially if there's a test, you can use that instead.
The important thing is that it frees you from the need to take notes, and
instead allows you to spend time listening to the lecturer, and actually
absorbing what they're saying, which is a good thing, because…
3. Your education is about more than simple notes
If you're at college, you're there to become employable, and pick up some
job skills. Job skills aren't acquired by lectures alone. Instead, you get them
by getting off your feet and working on things. Lectures and the notes they

2. Address:Centennial College,P.O.Box631, StationA, Toronto M1K 5E9, Ontario,Canada
Tel: 416-289-5300, Email: success@centennialcollege.ca Page 2
generate have a purpose, in that they provide you with the theoretical
foundation to engage in practical skills, but they're only the first part.
Learning by doing is the second component, and if you're at a college like
Centennial, then you'll be encouraged to get on your feet and work on your
profession.
4. You won't use them when your semester is over.
Finally, a bit of honesty. If you're like me, you saved your notes, thinking
that you'd refer to them afterwards. The truth is, I never once looked at
them again after the year had ended. Instead, I remembered the skills I'd
practiced through sheer muscle memory. Taking minimal notes leaves you
with less clutter, and moreroom both mentally and physically for the useful
skills you will have picked up by the time your education is over.
Author:Jason White