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Do You Use Other People's Notes/Resources?

When you're revising and studying, do you use other people's notes at all? Or do you only prefer your own?

Also, as it is summer now for many of you, do you find yourself searching for notes/resources in order to keep up or get ahead? Or do you want to forget al, about studying until September comes back around?

And finally, do you always use free resources or are you willing to pay for other people's work?


Just curious on your thoughts :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1
Avatar for 0zzu
0zzu
15
No one else could read my notes, I use a shorthand system and it looks like gibberish to anyone who doesn't know it! :P
short-example.jpg
Original post by brainzistheword
When you're revising and studying, do you use other people's notes at all? Or do you only prefer your own?

Also, as it is summer now for many of you, do you find yourself searching for notes/resources in order to keep up or get ahead? Or do you want to forget al, about studying until September comes back around?

And finally, do you always use free resources or are you willing to pay for other people's work?


Just curious on your thoughts :smile:


I use other people's notes and make it into a compatible form that I can easily revise from. Kinda like paraphrasing.

I'm trying to keep my memory active by trying to keep my knowledge/language skills fresh in my mind.

I wouldn't pay for revision resources.
Original post by 0zzu
No one else could read my notes, I use a shorthand system and it looks like gibberish to anyone who doesn't know it! :P
short-example.jpg


That's pretty cool! How long did it take you to get the hang of shorthand and remember each symbol/phrase?

And do you ever use anyone else's notes when you're studying? :smile:
Original post by Valyrian
I use other people's notes and make it into a compatible form that I can easily revise from. Kinda like paraphrasing.

I'm trying to keep my memory active by trying to keep my knowledge/language skills fresh in my mind.

I wouldn't pay for revision resources.


Ah that's good, using other's to make something you understand whilst getting additional info.

That's a great idea - what sort of things are you studying? :h:
Original post by brainzistheword
When you're revising and studying, do you use other people's notes at all? Or do you only prefer your own?

Also, as it is summer now for many of you, do you find yourself searching for notes/resources in order to keep up or get ahead? Or do you want to forget al, about studying until September comes back around?

And finally, do you always use free resources or are you willing to pay for other people's work?


Just curious on your thoughts :smile:


I genuinely think that making your own notes definitely helps the information to stick. It allows you to present it in a way that helps you remember. However it depends on the subject and how long you have till the exams. If it's history, geography or english lit I'll definitely make my own notes from information from class and revision guides. Anything else I just re read class notes or the revision guide.
As I've currently just finished GCSEs I don't think I'll be opening a book until September, but I might do a bit of light research on my subjects.
Original post by 0zzu
No one else could read my notes, I use a shorthand system and it looks like gibberish to anyone who doesn't know it! :P
short-example.jpg


I also use shorthand, especially when its really near exams and didn't make any notes before hand. Also it helps because no one can copy off my work:smile:
Original post by dania.abdalla
I genuinely think that making your own notes definitely helps the information to stick. It allows you to present it in a way that helps you remember. However it depends on the subject and how long you have till the exams. If it's history, geography or english lit I'll definitely make my own notes from information from class and revision guides. Anything else I just re read class notes or the revision guide.
As I've currently just finished GCSEs I don't think I'll be opening a book until September, but I might do a bit of light research on my subjects.


Ah nice! I agree about making information stick if you make the notes yourself :smile:

What subjects will you be doing in September?

Do you think you'd ever use anyone else's notes? :h:
Reply 8
Avatar for 0zzu
0zzu
15
Original post by brainzistheword
That's pretty cool! How long did it take you to get the hang of shorthand and remember each symbol/phrase?

And do you ever use anyone else's notes when you're studying? :smile:


Honestly, it didn't take very long. The system I use is very simple. There are only 9 different shapes, 5 for each vowel, and depending on the orientation of the shape the consonant changes. That means I only have to remember 16 orientations and 9 shapes and I can make essentially any word. I started by just replacing one word at a time and I got the hang of it really quickly. If you'd like more info about it it's called Boyd's Syllabic Shorthand.

And no, I don't use anyone else's revision notes. Basically none of my friends revise (even though they are definitely smart enough for high grades) so I just rely on specifications, revision guides and my teachers.
Original post by 0zzu
Honestly, it didn't take very long. The system I use is very simple. There are only 9 different shapes, 5 for each vowel, and depending on the orientation of the shape the consonant changes. That means I only have to remember 16 orientations and 9 shapes and I can make essentially any word. I started by just replacing one word at a time and I got the hang of it really quickly. If you'd like more info about it it's called Boyd's Syllabic Shorthand.

And no, I don't use anyone else's revision notes. Basically none of my friends revise (even though they are definitely smart enough for high grades) so I just rely on specifications, revision guides and my teachers.


That's really interesting. I'd heard of the idea before but always thought it sounded pretty complicated. I'll definitely look into it more :h: thanks for sharing!

It's a bit of a shame none of your friends revise but at least you have a method that works for you. One last question - Would you ever consider using notes off the internet that have been made by someone else? :h:
Reply 10
Avatar for 0zzu
0zzu
15
Original post by brainzistheword
That's really interesting. I'd heard of the idea before but always thought it sounded pretty complicated. I'll definitely look into it more :h: thanks for sharing!

It's a bit of a shame none of your friends revise but at least you have a method that works for you. One last question - Would you ever consider using notes off the internet that have been made by someone else? :h:


Ah, I'm not sure. If I'm gonna spend hours and hours revising something I want to make sure it's accurate information that is relevant to my exams. That's why I don't really like CGP revision guides - they're too colloquial. If the notes were really well made, then sure.
I can never think my own notes up until after I have used other peoples notes, if they can make me understand something I will use that to develop my own ideas.

Also with evaluation points, I like reading other peoples judgment.

Also use other people's resources for exam cramming haha

Honestly I need to learn how to write my own notes. That's one things I want to be able able do when I start uni in September.

I wouldn't pay because I'm a broke student lmao
Original post by 0zzu
Ah, I'm not sure. If I'm gonna spend hours and hours revising something I want to make sure it's accurate information that is relevant to my exams. That's why I don't really like CGP revision guides - they're too colloquial. If the notes were really well made, then sure.


Yes that's a fair point, and I agree with you. I can be skeptical of using other people's notes in case they are factually correct, but at the same time they can be good as an alternative way of explaining things. :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Ah nice! I agree about making information stick if you make the notes yourself :smile:

What subjects will you be doing in September?

Do you think you'd ever use anyone else's notes? :h:


I'm doing maths, history, chemistry, biology and Arabic :smile:
And I find it really difficult using other peoples notes either because of their handwriting (if its handwritten), the layout or because I never truly trust that the information is 100% accurate so I'll have to verify EVERYTHING and so its just faster using my own notes. That being said, I did have to use someones notes an hour before an exam because I hadn't revised a certain topic and I forgot my notes at home. Needless to say the information didn't stick and I probably lost quite a lot of marks on the question in the exam.
Original post by physicsamor
I can never think my own notes up until after I have used other peoples notes, if they can make me understand something I will use that to develop my own ideas.

Also with evaluation points, I like reading other peoples judgment.

Also use other people's resources for exam cramming haha

Honestly I need to learn how to write my own notes. That's one things I want to be able able do when I start uni in September.

I wouldn't pay because I'm a broke student lmao


There's nothing wrong with using other people's view to generate your own ideas and like I've said before, if it helps to explain it to you, then that's always a good thing! And for cramming of course :biggrin:

What are you studying at university in September? :smile:

Oh dear, I bet it's tough trying to find spare cash as a student. As you're going to uni, would you ever buy notes from someone who's done the course and attended a lecture you might have missed for whatever reason? :h:
Original post by dania.abdalla
I'm doing maths, history, chemistry, biology and Arabic :smile:
And I find it really difficult using other peoples notes either because of their handwriting (if its handwritten), the layout or because I never truly trust that the information is 100% accurate so I'll have to verify EVERYTHING and so its just faster using my own notes. That being said, I did have to use someones notes an hour before an exam because I hadn't revised a certain topic and I forgot my notes at home. Needless to say the information didn't stick and I probably lost quite a lot of marks on the question in the exam.


Nice subjects! Yes i'm the same when it comes to checking the accuracy of information but they can be good for subjects where you might need an alternative explanation.

That sounds pretty annoying! Though, I guess you haven't had the results yet so you might have done quite well! :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Nice subjects! Yes i'm the same when it comes to checking the accuracy of information but they can be good for subjects where you might need an alternative explanation.

That sounds pretty annoying! Though, I guess you haven't had the results yet so you might have done quite well! :smile:


At my school, the classes are really small, so we frequently have class discussions and debates which is useful for subjects like English were alternative interpretations as I just copy down what is said in the discussions. But I agree, other peoples notes are quite useful for different explanations.
And hopefully it didn't affect my grade too much. Fingers crossed :smile:

Do you like using other people's notes?
Original post by dania.abdalla
At my school, the classes are really small, so we frequently have class discussions and debates which is useful for subjects like English were alternative interpretations as I just copy down what is said in the discussions. But I agree, other peoples notes are quite useful for different explanations.
And hopefully it didn't affect my grade too much. Fingers crossed :smile:

Do you like using other people's notes?


That's a good way of doing things.
Fingers crossed :h:

At the minute, they are pretty helpful for me because I am trying to self teach some A-levels and therefore I don't have a teacher to rely upon. However, I am wary of using notes because of their accuracy because it is key for me that I don't learn the wrong things or misinterpret anything as I have no teacher to correct me :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Ah that's good, using other's to make something you understand whilst getting additional info.

That's a great idea - what sort of things are you studying? :h:


I'm studying Mandarin Chinese and International Relations at Uni, but I studied Maths, Further Maths, History, Biology, Physics and German for A levels.
Original post by Valyrian
I'm studying Mandarin Chinese and International Relations at Uni, but I studied Maths, Further Maths, History, Biology, Physics and German for A levels.


That sounds like an AMAZING course! And how on earth did you do 6 A-levels? (And what grades did you get, if you don't mind sharing?) :smile:

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