Should I bother making notes? (A level)

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I would recommend exploiting the spaced repetition effect by using something like Anki or Mnemosyne.

http://www.gwern.net/Spaced%20repetition

That is really interesting. Thank you.

Reply 81

QuantumSuicide

Maj, man. You don't even need to make notes. You've already covered maths and further maths (u should just bunk the lessons). Physics will be easy for you and you're a clever dude with slick memory so u wont need notes for chem.

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Reply 82

Biochemist7

I personally found that I would never actually use my notes and ended up using solely text books and revision guides coming up to the exams. I found making too many notes got me into "copier" mode and I wouldn't really take in what the teacher was saying in the lessons.

Reply 83

billyfisher100

I would take notes in class simply because it aids your understanding and often memory and you will see facts as you flick through your folder to find things, etc.

Also, I NEVER revise from handwritten notes, as they're often crap and badly organised. Type them out in more detail when you finish the course with the aid of a textbook (this also aids memory and is a revision activity in itself). Revise from these or use the textbook or CGP.

Reply 84

tgwktm

yes i would take notes.
they way i did it was to take notes during my classes and just write down things i thought were relevant or things my teacher said to write down.
then during my free periods or at home i would type these notes up in neat, print them off and put them in a folder for revision.

Reply 85

KittyRe-play

Take notes and apparently mind maps really help...use colour as well to make it clear and less boring for you to easily take in and understand. I'm doing AS so I'm going to try out a variety of things. :smile:

Reply 86

toonervoustotalk

You would defo need to take notes for chemistry and physics in class. My maths notes consisted of worked examples, theories and practice exam questions.

For the sciences I would take notes in class and when I get back from sixth form I would get out my textbooks/revision guides and my class notes and condense all the notes into 1 or 2 sides of A4 and keep reading them and make sure you draw diagrams for chemistry and physics.

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Reply 87

Smaug123

Original post by billyfisher100

Also, I NEVER revise from handwritten notes, as they're often crap and badly organised. Type them out in more detail when you finish the course with the aid of a textbook (this also aids memory and is a revision activity in itself). Revise from these or use the textbook or CGP.

On the other hand, I find it very hard to revise from printed notes, and much easier to revise from my own handwritten versions. (Not saying "you're talking nonsense", but "YMMV".)

Reply 88

Youis Trollin

Original post by Arithmeticae

lol strong username to post content ratio

Sorry oi lkoitteralklky have noi oidea what yoiu are sayoing alksoi .my lkeyboiard ois broilken soirry cannoit type lketters lk oir lk oir oi

Reply 89

The Smart Fool

Original post by <*(((><

I didn't make any notes throughout my entire time at sixth form. I was the only person in any of my classes not to. I don't know if they would have helped me but I did fine without them so there wasn't really any point. When it came time to revise I just used the text books. I took Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, AS Further Maths, AS Geography, AS Critical Thinking and AS General Studies and got A*A*A*A(two UMS off A*)AAAA. Maybe making notes would have improved my Chemistry, guess I will never know. But I had terrible teachers so if I made notes on what they said they would have been useless.

It's improved 'Meh' consistent in with monkey tree school.

Reply 90

The Smart Fool

Original post by Siena4996

Definitely take notes - they're a life saver! I would take them during class as the teacher was talking, making them as neat as possible and then do revision notebooks before exams as a way to revise but it just depends on the person and their method of study. But definitely take them!

So ya names Sienna? Hollyoaks? You're a bad woman, don't ever touch Dodger and leave Nancy and Maxine alone! I'm fuc**ing serious.

Reply 91

The Smart Fool

Original post by Youis Trollin

No it is not like A level is a big step up from GCSE. I wouldn't even bother revising or even turning up to lessons. In fact you could just stay at home all year and just turn up for the occasional exam. *Yes this is sarcasm* You should have started a revision program days ago with notes ect, aim for 35-40+ hours a week including lessons.

Haha! I get it! But no, 40 hourse a week is impossible. Each day is 24 hours = 48 hours a week. there's only 52 hours in a week! You have to spend 60% of time studying!

Reply 92

Youis Trollin

Original post by The Smart Fool

Haha! I get it! But no, 40 hourse a week is impossible. Each day is 24 hours = 48 hours a week. there's only 52 hours in a week! You have to spend 60% of time studying!

You went full retard.... never go full retard.

Reply 93

interstitial

Well, I tried this today (typing) and it really doesn't seem like my thing

After what was probably the most boring hour I've had in a while, all I had to show for it was two pages filled with stuff I already know which seems like a massive waste of time when I probably could have read much more stuff in that time

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Reply 94

Krollo

Original post by Arithmeticae

I do notes for Maths, Further, Physics and Economics. Most I do in class, but I do some at home. I have no idea how useful it will be, but I suspect Econ and Phys will need it.

In maths our teachers make us write out the textbook. Given that I've done the entire content of Year 12 I doubt there will be much point.

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Reply 95

interstitial

pushing on for a while despite the boredom just to see how effective this method is

what do you guys think of this layout? feel free to comment if you think there's anything i can do better

Reply 96

Old_Simon

Original post by Arithmeticae

pushing on for a while despite the boredom just to see how effective this method is

what do you guys think of this layout? feel free to comment if you think there's anything i can do better

These are your own notes ?

Reply 97

interstitial

Original post by Old_Simon

These are your own notes ?

yep

dat word 2013 swag tho (i get pretty ocd with my formatting :colone:

)

Reply 98

Old_Simon

Original post by Arithmeticae

yep

dat word 2013 swag tho (i get pretty ocd with my formatting :colone:

)

Forget A levels dude. You should be writing text books !!!

Reply 99

RoyalBlue7

Original post by Arithmeticae

pushing on for a while despite the boredom just to see how effective this method is

what do you guys think of this layout? feel free to comment if you think there's anything i can do better

Well if I were you I would have realize that the time you take to build notes is rather too much and it's kinda ineffective to transfer stuff to my long-term memory. The Chem revision guide is enough and some scribbling would be enough.

But if you're going with this the layout seems good.

The content could be improved a bit. Your definition of the first ionization energy is horrible. And the point "The first shell is made up of..." is rather mundane and could be detailed. You could improve on it but it shouldn't distract you from storing it up where it is supposed to be stored up. Again I would prefer ready-made notes :smile: