0. Overview
Note taking is an essential skill that is often under-appreciated by those who are setting out on their cybersecurity journeys. This blog post offers practical advice for students looking for better ways to absorb and retain information they learn in our Academy. It will also help those who are dissatisfied with their existing note taking strategies. Ready to get started? Let’s review some standard note taking strategies and learn how you can apply them to improve your note taking over time.
1. Why Note Taking?
The primary purpose of note taking is to record information for later use, but there are other benefits. Taking notes can help students process information more quickly. In the context of our Academy platform, greater engagement with the course materials enhances understanding and retention, providing a better learning experience. Outside of learning, note taking keeps individuals more engaged during lectures or meetings, ensuring they get more value out of these interactions.
2. Choosing an Initial Note Taking System
When choosing a note taking system, it’s important to consider your workflow. I recommend choosing a system that reduces obstacles and aligns with your preferences.
For example, I found that I struggled to use digital note taking software because of the extra steps involved- launching the software, positioning it on the screen, and dealing with formatting challenges for tables and diagrams. What works best for me is having a writing pad directly on my desk with a pen or pencil nearby. If I need to share my notes, I transfer them from paper to make them legible in a word processor.
In terms of note taking, consider the following when selecting a system for yourself:
- The note taking medium (e.g. Digital, Analog)
- A note taking system (e.g. Outlines, Cornell Notes, SQ3R, sketchnotes)
- The use case (e.g. videos, meetings, lectures)
- Your own habits
You may need to experiment with a few options to determine what works best for you.
2.1 Note Taking Mediums
First, we will review various note taking mediums and their pros and cons:
-Can use any kind of note taking framework with enough effort
-Relatively cheap, low barrier of entry
-No struggles with applications or device bootups
-May be better for memory and learning
-No screen real estate taken
-Text editing tools
-Screenshots
-Backups can be set up relatively trivially
-Some apps have features to allow handwriting to text for searching
-Can use note taking apps
-Cannot copy/paste or do text searches without scanning
-Reliant on you to implement organization
-Reliant on your handwriting
-Difficult to screenshot and share with others without effort
-May require a subscription or setup
-Takes up screen real estate
-May use proprietary features causing vendor lock
-Handwritten notes in this format can take up lots of space as they’re essentially pictures
-Some types of graphics tablets require additional drivers and setup
-Graphics tablets with screens generate additional heat, making it more uncomfortable to take notes
2.2 Note Taking Systems
In terms of note taking systems, I would recommend starting out with something like basic outline style notes if using digital notes, or Cornell style notes. While there are various other systems like mind mapping that cater to different needs, starting with these options provides a solid foundation.
Outline style notes look as such:
1. Main Topic 1
a. Subtopic 1
b. Subtopic 2
i. Point A
ii. Point B
2. Data Structures
a. What is a Data Structure
i. Collection of data in a logical format with various use cases
1. Storage
2. Efficient Data Access
b. Types of Data Structures
i. Heaps
ii. Graphs
These types of notes are best suited for digital systems because they are designed for linearly structured information and often require adjustments for spacing and organization.
Cornell Type Notes look like the following:
2. Types of desserts: candy, cakes, cookies, custards.
2. Examples: Toffee, candy corn, lollipops
2. Candy is made of sugar and flavorings. Examples are things like toffee.
Visual learners who find conventional note taking strategies challenging could look into systems such as sketch noting. Sketch noting limits the use of words and instead emphasizes diagrams, icons, and images to convey information effectively. This approach can benefit those who tend to jot down excessive information as well.
2.3 Use Cases to Consider
Different note taking strategies may be preferred based on the scenario.If you are taking notes on video courses such as the ones provided in our Academy platform, an outlining system may work well since the information is structured and presented in a linear format. However, in live settings, where discussions may jump between topics frequently, a less structured approach like Cornell notes may be more suitable.
2.4 Your Own Habits
At the end of the day, a note taking system is a system for yourself and you know yourself best. If you are just starting out, trying to adopt someone else’s more rigorous and disciplined system may not work for you.
Note-taking systems require an adjustment period, so it’s beneficial to stick with something for a couple weeks to see if it works for you. Keep in mind that note-taking systems are meant to augment your learning. It’s okay to have something that’s not the most optimal system as long as it’s a system that you’re able to stick with. Something is better than nothing.
3. How Do We Get Better Notes?
In order to define what would be a better note taking strategy, we can characterize what makes notes “good.”
Characteristics of Good Notes:
- Notes make sense for the notetaker’s personal understanding.
- There is a consistent structure to allow for easier lookup and recall.
- Little to no “noise.”
- Helps engage the notetaker with the material without being too much of an overhead.
In order to get better notes, here’s a few things that you may want to try.
3.1 Use the Syllabus
If you are receiving structured content, like from a lecture where the instructor has planned content in advance, it may be a good idea to check the syllabus or provided material ahead of time just to get a sense of the big picture. A syllabus can be used to structure your notes ahead of time so that less time is needed during the note taking process to organize your thoughts.
Reviewing the syllabus ahead of time can also help you generate questions you want answered during the course. This may help you engage with the material further.
3.2 Go Back and Watch Recordings
With pre-recorded content, or recordable content, it’s advisable to listen first and take down cue notes. Then listen a second or even third time, as you may not understand something initially without the full context.
Another strategy is to take notes after listening to each section. Start by writing down what you recall from memory, and then re-listen to fill in any gaps.
3.3 Review Your Notes
Review your notes and consider rewriting your notes afterwards to further filter out what is important. On a second look through, you may find areas that are missing important information and should be expanded. Likewise, you may find places that can be condensed or deleted.
In order to improve a note taking strategy, we can follow a process such as the following:
- Reflect on our current note taking strategy.
- Consider areas of improvement, and what we can do differently going forward with lessons learned.
- Make changes, stick with the changes for a few weeks.
- Repeat from the start.
It’s important to remember that note taking is a practice meant to augment learning or productivity, and spending too much time searching for the best strategy is counterproductive. The aim should be to establish a process that is good enough for you to consistently use and then refine it over time as you figure out what works best for you.
4. Conclusion
Better note taking starts with a solid starting point and evolves through gradual refinement of the note taking processes. Most importantly, there’s no objective one way that works for everyone. Note taking should take into account an individual notetaker’s preferences and workflow styles in order to be effective.
About TCM Security
TCM Security is a veteran-owned, cybersecurity services and education company founded in Charlotte, NC. Our services division has the mission of protecting people, sensitive data, and systems. With decades of combined experience, thousands of hours of practice, and core values from our time in service, we use our skill set to secure your environment. The TCM Security Academy is an educational platform dedicated to providing affordable, top-notch cybersecurity training to our individual students and corporate clients including both self-paced and instructor-led online courses as well as custom training solutions. We also provide several vendor-agnostic, practical hands-on certification exams to ensure proven job-ready skills to prospective employers.
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