Help with writing up my own notes.

Fresh Breeze

So, as a repeat student, I want to do the best I can. Many people here have said it's more more beneficial to make my own notes than get them off other people. I agree, I'm the kind of person who learns thing when I write them down etc.

However, I'm having trouble condensing notes, how do I know what to take down from the textbook and what not to? What if I condense too much or have too much imformation and nothing important/relevant?

This would apply to Biology and Business. If anyone can help me out, thanks a million.

gaybitch

Well, for any subject, try to cut all the obvious fluff from the textbook away. Write notes that eliminate the need to look back over the text book when answering exam questions - neat, legible, with plenty of arrows and underlines and anything that makes something stick in your head. I did both Business and Bio, and by some freak accident or lovely examiner, I got A1s in them both. Test yourself often, get someone to get your notes and ask you questions from them. No point writing out a load of stuff if you're not learning it properly or even reading it properly!


Notes are defo handy for Biology because by writing stuff down you understand it better - eg the photosynthesis cycles, plant sexual reproduction.

Buy a revision book, and make notes from there if you are really that worried about knowing pointless info.

Look at the chapter questions in your book, by writing them out fully and neatly you have a full set of notes on that chapter - and in answer form, which is handy for revising. Don't leave out too much, and remember when you'd have to draw a diagram.

Notes in Biology aren't the be-all and end-all - by writing out one set of notes, you haven't got it covered. Don't be afraid to read through a chapter and make little notes to yourself on a piece of paper, that help you understand. Not every set of notes you make has to be put in a folder - by writing loads and often you will get something in your head and it needn't be used to revise later on. Throw it away, write it out again. You have 9 months, don't be thinking you'll make one set of notes on a subject and that's it.


Notes are only really handy for the legislation etc in Business, and other than that I would recommend just being able to answer exam questions. Answering every single exam question in your papers and keeping them all in a folder is great in Business - remember to State, Explain and then give an Example. Bullet point everything, write quickly, and answer the question they ask completely and fully. Know a good few examples on things - reference Michael O Leary if they ask you about an entrepreneur, and Simon Cowell if its a management question. By knowing the marking scheme well you also can pick up loads of marks.

Hope that helps. Tbh, notes are kind of a personal thing and what worked for me might not actually work for anyone else. As you can see I like to ramble and write loads, so that's why notes were good for me!

Maybe recording yourself reading your bio chapters, or something like that, would work for you. Try a few things and you'll find something that works. Good luck with repeating, hope it all works out well for you.

Fresh Breeze

Thanks a lot, GB. I'll try all the things you said.

I took up Business as a new subject and the teacher kind of sucks so this is very good advice for me.

gaybitch

Are you repeating in the tute or where? I did a crash course there during Xmas that was pretty good. The biology one with Mr Burke was deadly though, he was an amazing teacher. Apparently he's not there during the year either, just at the Xmas thing.

Business is all about how you answer the question, not always about the amount you know. They're really nit picky and weird about their marking scheme and what they give marks for, so knowing the marking scheme is good.

It's on examinations.ie, but as far as I remember for a ten mark question, it'd be four marks for stating what the thing is (a definition), four marks for explaining that a bit more, and then two marks for a relevant example. That's where a lot of people get stung in Business - they'd just give a definition, whereas they really want bullet points of brief, relevant info.

Learn your ABQ chapters backwards, and remember to keep mentioning the company in your answer. Make it specific - make a general businessy point, then relate it back to the company they've made up for you.

Good luck again. You'll be grand.

Fresh Breeze

I am repeating in a public school in Waterford. The closest place where I could get stuff like that would be Bruce College in Cork. I'm saving up to go there at Easter or/and Christmas for those crash courses.

It's crazy, none of the class even have exam papers or anything. The teacher goes off the topic so much and the students don't care. We were doing EU last week and someone asked him about the new type of car, and he went rambling on about cars for a double class. WTF!

Since it's my new subject, I really want to get the highest in class and get the medal. It's motivation for me to do really well. Kind of petty but meh.

insinkerator

I heard a story once about writng notes, wether its true or not i dunno. I thin it also applies to college more so than school but here goes.

There was a lecturer teaching a class and he was watching them as he spoke, and they were all furiously writing reams upon reams of notes. He stopped talking and looked around the class. Looked at the front row marvelling at the amount they had written. He then posed a question to the class."who here has ever cheated on a test". Nobody did anything at first, for fear of getting in trouble. Eventually one lad put up his hand. The teahcer looked at him, and asked him how he did it. He said he wrote some stuff out on a sheet, and brough it in with him. The teacher asked him what he wrote... it was just key words and stuff. Then the teacher said that that was what ntes should be, key words.... when you are taking notes, you should be essentially writing out a "cheat sheet"

Dunno if that helps anyone, but i thought i would just throw it in there:)

When it comes to business. Your best friend is the format. Point. Explain. Example. That was drilled into us in our two years of LC. Also, in the ABQ, always always always always give a relevant quote to your answer wherever you can. If you cant come up with a quote, make up an example that would be relevant to your answer.

I cant really give much advice on biology, we were just blessed with a fantastic teacher. However, if you do come to cork, be it for the Bruce course or whateve, let me know and i wouuld be more than happy to give you my two notebooks, that we accumulated over the course!

Fresh Breeze

Cool, I think I'm visiting friends in UCC next Friday/Saturday if you're in cork at that time.

Are you attending UCC?

ordinary_girl

Hi
I don't do business, but I do biology. Your notes should be concise and to the point; for example:

ENZYMES
-Globular shaped protein
-Catalysts

etc. It helps if you write in different colours aswell. Best of luck!

insinkerator

Ya, i'l be around Friday..... but not all day. I finish lectures at 1, but depending i can hang around until 4, but no later as i have work on friday evening. I dunno about saturday, because i have a work as well at 2.30, and getting in and out of town would mean getting up early..... something which i am generally not prepared to do :P

I really hope i still have the notes now, seeing as i have gotten your hopes up...:O


Ya just checked, i still have them

If you want them and are coming down, i will PM you my number later in the week

Fresh Breeze

I'm stuck in school until 7pm on Friday. (Study)

I know it's a lot to ask but maybe you could give them to one of my friends in UCC and they could give them to me when they come home at the weekend.

What course are you doing? One of my friends might share a class/lecture with you.

gaybitch

Oh, I meant to say, the notes on skoool.ie for Biology are pretty good. They don't have diagrams, but by reading the notes and drawing your own in the margin it's actually not bad study.

insinkerator

Ya i can do that no problem, im doing first year Commerce and French.....

Theres two hardback notebooks, i can bring them in any day really, I'll PM you my number and just get them to text me!