By Kevin Ford
Student Reporter
Reading and writing are key fundamentals every institution preaches to enhance cognitive learning. The more you read, the better your vocabulary. The more you write, the better your communication skills. Communication is the number one tool students must utilize to get the most out of their education and personal development. When it comes to the subject of taking notes, Dr. Kaylene Armstrong with the Northwestern News believes that most students at Northwestern fail to take notes.
There are dozens of graduate programs offered at Northwestern, some require more time in school than others, however, the process of learning and understanding what you need to know has not changed.
Taking notes is the most common way of giving yourself reminders and a clear perspective of what you are studying. Research show that people who take notes have an easier time remembering and processing new information. Dr. Armstrong believes the students who fail to take notes fall behind in classes and go through a significant amount of stress. Why is that?
Technology is improving every day. Information and studying methods have drastically changed since the emergence of instant internet and online access. However, does this mean that the traditional ways of learning should be ditched for saving a bit of time?
Every child and adolescent should know how to read and write. With these qualities, a person may be fully capable of speaking for him/herself and using interpreted information to gain a better understanding of people, nature and society. Using technology does not necessarily promote critical thinking and cognitive development. Taking notes is regarded as the easiest and most common way for students to improve their writing. You are not required to write formal. The goal is to help yourself and make it easier for your brain to process new information.
Taking notes is beneficial.
People learn differently. Some may take just a few notes and some may not take notes at all, but the practice of writing can be significant for someone’s personal development.
A good tip is to always have a pencil and paper accessible. You may not find a lot of things interesting in your classes, but I guarantee you will come across some useful information over the course of the day. By noting it down you won’t forget it.
There are too many distractions for your mind in today’s digital world. Privacy is scarce, so it will only help to jot down some of your thoughts down to where only you can access them. Give your mind some peace from the rest of the world and the results will show. Take notes.