Net Paper 1 Study Material

[Cilinia Looker]

In order to meet this need, I started using a strategy that I call note condensing. Essentially this is just the process of taking a large chunk of information from a class and displaying it in a more concise form. For example, in my ECON 590 class, my professor shared six different slide decks that had information for the first midterm. I went through all six slide decks and any time there was a formula, graph, or definition that I thought would be important, I put it on my condensed notes. As you can see in the pictures below, I started with hundreds of slides and ended up with a set of notes that had all of the most important bits of information that I might need on the exam.
An example of one of the slide decks that I used to create my set of notes.

From there, I took my already condensed notes and made them even more concise by fitting all of the information onto a single sheet of printer paper. For my set of ECON 590 notes, I took some of the extra explanations and definitions out and decided to keep the graphs, formulas, and tables. This process forces me to find ways to break concepts into smaller and more manageable chunks. Recognizing the most important aspects requires me to truly understand the concept. The process of rewriting information multiple times also helps me create a stronger memory of the concept that is much easier to recall on the day of an exam.

One benefit that I did not necessarily foresee when I first started using this strategy of note condensing is the visual aspect. I quickly found that creating a study guide using only one sheet of paper allowed me to create a link within my brain between a given topic and where it was physically located on my study guide. For example, on my ECON 590 study guide, I would remember that the graphs for different types of transfer programs were on the bottom of the front page. Having this association allowed me to visualize what the graphs looked like or recall a specific formula when I was struggling to remember it on the exam.

This strategy has also been immensely helpful during online classes that often have open-note exams. I have found it all too easy to be overconfident on open-note exams just to end up wasting tons of time flipping through all of my notes trying to find a concept instead of using that time to answer questions. Having a condensed set of notes to quickly reference makes it much easier to manage my time on open-note exams.

This blog showcases the perspectives of UNC Chapel Hill community members learning and writing online. If you want to talk to a Writing and Learning Center coach about implementing strategies described in the blog, make an appointment with a writing coach, a peer tutor, or an academic coach today. Have an idea for a blog post about how you are learning and writing remotely? Contact us here.

Typing is a fast and easy way to take the information presented in lectures and textbooks and consolidate them for reference later. But, due to its fast nature, this method leads to the least amount of information retained and will require you to study more later.

Organization is customizable. Limitless folders can be created almost instantly so sorting is as easy as ever. Tags can be applied to files for easy access, sorting, and searching. Each file has a name so it is clear what that file is; and those names can always be changed. Files can easily be moved to different areas on the computer. Since the files are digital, there is no physical footprint and the more files or folders you create does not take up more physical space (unlike more notebooks or papers). All these reasons make the computer the device with the best organization options that are fast and easy.

Easy to share. Rather than copying or scanning notes, computers have simple share screens to instantly share with anyone. People can collaborate on the same document like in Google Docs, or files can be emailed and/or texted quickly. When sharing notes, instead of handing-off the page like you would with paper, you still retain the original notes.

Backups. Although it is less likely anything bad will happen to a computer since it is more valuable than a notebook, computers can backup manually (or automatically) so that your notes are safe. Losing notes can be costly when an exam is approaching and/or you spent a lot of time working on them, by having the ability to backup the notes it is one less thing to worry about.

Some editing capabilities. Although you can change the color and highlight text, or add elements such as photos and tables, text is restricted to being within headers and organized in paragraphs. Although text boxes are sometimes an option, they do not provide as much placement customization as simply writing the words.

Can be expensive. Computers can range from $150 to thousands. So, unless you are willing to spend the money on that, notebooks are the cheaper alternative costing only a few dollars. Although, it is likely you already have a computer since you are accessing this post and most universities require you to access the internet for assignments, enrolling in classes, etc.

Low retention. Typing has been shown to yield the least retention of the three methods described here. Since it is a faster method and students tend to passively listen and type everything they hear, they do not have to go through the process of picking out the important content for transcription like they would with handwriting since it is slower.

The tablet (and other devices that allow digital handwriting) is a happy medium that has both benefits of the computer and those of paper notes. Sharing and customization is easy and handwriting yields greater retention while size makes tablets as portable as notebooks. Some note-taking apps for tablets such as the iPad include GoodNotes and Notability.

Portable. Not only is a tablet the size of a notebook (or smaller), but it also takes the place of all of them. All your subjects can be stored on the single device (ex. five courses may be five notebooks but can instead be all on one device).

Simple and extensive editing capabilities. Handwriting allows you to write anywhere on a sheet and not be restricted by margins or spacing and there are a variety of pen sizes and colors to use. Photos and other elements can be placed anywhere on a page and text wrapping is not a concern. If you want your handwriting to be turned into text, many apps offer that ability.

High retention. Since you are handwriting the notes on the device, there is higher retention and mental processing of the information. This yield to better acquisition of the information and less need for studying later.

Writing on glass. Glass is a frictionless surface that is very different from paper, so writing on a tablet may be strange and uncomfortable at first. With time you would probably become more accustomed, and there are always solutions such as the Paperlike iPad screen protector that changes the surface of the glass so it is more like paper.

Expensive. Tablets cost a lot of money and there are additional costs such as buying the electronic pencil or stylus, a screen protector, and/or a case. These devices are big investments, and while the payoff is great it may be more than some are willing to pay.

Writing can be time consuming. Writing takes longer and requires you to abbreviate words or come back to later to complete. This may be a drawback for you if you do not have much time.

The standard modality that college students have used for centuries. Paper notes are the most accessible way to take notes. Cheaper than the other two methods, many people utilize paper notes to record information for courses.

Highest retention. Since you must be very aware of what content you are writing down as well as that erasing is not as easy on say a tablet, there is a higher retention of the materials compared to the other modalities discussed.

No distractions. Computers and tablets have notifications and if someone texts you or you get emails on the device, or your favorite game sends an enticing notification to try and get you to play again can cause distractions. This disrupts your flow of learning and breaks your focus. Do Not Disturb is an option, but for a truly distraction free experience, paper is the best option.

Easiest to lose and destroy. Notebooks are easy to destroy by tearing a page or erasing too much, water damage, your dog ate it, etc. They can also be easy to lose and notebooks are often misplaced.

No backups. Unless you scan it or copy the notes, there are no backups, and you have one copy that if destroyed is gone forever. Also, scanning and copying notes takes more of your valuable time that you could use to study the material. This is the riskiest option overall in terms of note safety.

Difficult to correct mistakes and customize. Erasing can be somewhat challenging if you have a lot to erase as some of the writing can remain on the page (just faded) or you might rip the whole page with the force of the eraser. Also, to use many colors or highlight, you must buy additional pens and highlighters. These items are almost never erasable when put on a page as well. These reasons make customization and corrections very difficult.

Archiving can be difficult. Instead of all your notes stored in one device, it is likely if they are paper that your notes are in several notebooks. Notebooks can accumulate greatly over time resulting in a bunch of old notes that you are not sure if will use again and takes up a lot of space. Also, since they are not digital, specific notes about a specific concept can be very challenging to find since notes are not named, tagged, or able to be searched.

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