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+++ title = "Missing Link for Notes" description = "Why and when do you consult notes instead of other methods?" date = 2024-01-10
updated = 2024-01-10
draft = true [taxonomies] tags = [] +++
One point of confusion I have with learning and note taking in general: how do you use the notes you take? For most of the subjects I study, there doesn't seem to be much value in consulting the notes after they are written compared to having a highlighted/annotated version of the source. This post is me being critical just as much as I am genuinely searching for an answer.
When I was studying for my CISSP, I was taking notes alongside the study guide for the first half or so of the book. However, I later realized that I wasn't finding any reason to consult the notes afterwards. All of the important concepts had been turned into Anki cards anyway, and that was entirely to remove the need to consult a book or notes.
Perhaps notes were more valuable in the days of analog when answers weren't a quick Google search away. If you had to take a trip to the library to get the information again, it would make sense that you'd want a condensed but portable copy. The same may apply for one-off learning experiences like interviews, or some time in the future when Google's declining quality reaches a point of uselessness.
I tried searching on the Intersphere™️ for an answer, but the search engine seemed to take "use" and "take" as the same thing so I got unlimited results on how to take notes and none on how to use them afterwards.
A shift in search query, then? "What is the purpose of taking notes?" According to miamioh.edu:
The primary purpose of note taking is to encourage active learning and to prepare study materials for exams.
...and unc.edu:
Actively taking notes during class can help you focus and better understand main concepts. ... After class, good notes are crucial for reviewing and studying class material so that you better understand it and can prepare appropriately for exams.
...and opentextbc.ca:
People take notes for two main reasons:
- To keep a record of the information they heard. This is also called the external storage function of note-taking.
- To facilitate learning material they are currently studying. The availability of information on the internet may reduce the importance of the external storage function of note-taking. When the information is available online, it may seem logical to stop taking notes. However, by neglecting to take notes, you lose the benefits of note-taking as a learning tool.
So besides as a tool for exam prep (of which Anki suits my purposes fine), what purpose is there for notes? It's possible that I simply don't encounter the type of information that requires the use of notes, or that my line of work isn't the type that makes notes as useful as something like writing or other research-heavy topics.
I think that a topic would need to satisfy one or more of the following conditions to be "noteworthy" for me:
- Information that I cannot easily get a second time such as meetings or books that I cannot find easily online
- Information that cannot be Ankified such as procedures
As a quick site meta-update: I've added a script to the site's git repo so I can make new posts more easily. It's nothing fancy, but hopefully the reduced friction will mean I post more often.