Visual learners are great at Memory recall, organizing information and remembering images. Visual learners prefer using pictures, diagrams, colors, maps and more to interpret and comprehend new information. The best note taking methods for visual learners are those that involve the high use of images, diagrams and colors. For this reason, Mind Mapping appeals to visual learners. Follow this link to learn even more on Mind Mapping.

Quick Tip:

A great way for visual learners to keep their notes organized is to use color. Different colored pens or highlighters can help you organize information and separate topics.

Watch: a basic YouTube video on Mind Mapping.

Auditory learners learn best when they have a chance to listen and hear new information. Auditory learners are good at explaining ideas verbally, solving problems by talking them out and following verbal instructions. If you’re an auditory learner and are watching a video in an online class, you are already a step ahead; you can listen/watch videos from online classes more than one time, which helps you. Regardless of whatever notetaking strategy auditory learners use, they work best when they can watch a few minutes of the video, stop, take notes or summarize main ideas from what you just watched, then continue. Another good example of effective notetaking for auditory learners is speaking aloud and recording. Record YOURSELF explaining topics then use the recording to listen to the material again.

Quick Tip:

Many auditory learners benefit from listening to music while they study written material. This sounds counterintuitive, but music can reduce background noise and help auditory learners focus. Usually, music without lyrics is the best choice for this, as you may otherwise distract yourself by singing along.

Read/Write learners like to read to learn. These learners prefer to write and read printed words to understand and convey information. Read/Write learners are good at: Organizing information into lists; remembering information they write down; conveying information through writing. Read/Write learners like to write out complete thoughts and use headings to organize information. A good notetaking strategy for Read/Write learners is the Sentence Method of notetaking. This includes: Writing down information in full sentence form; Using Headings to organize your notes by topic; Writing Down only the most important points, to keep pace with your instructor. Since Read/Write learners prefer to see printed words, this method works well when returning to your notes for study time.

Quick Tip:

A great tip for Read/Write learners is writing information in the margins of handouts or PowerPoint slides, if your instructor uses either of those, rather than just highlighting the content you think is important. This Read then Write approach helps you retain information better. It's also a great way to manage other reading assignments - even your textbooks!

Kinesthetic or tactile learners learn best by moving and doing. Essentially, kinesthetic learners prefer a more hands-on approach when understanding new information. The best notetaking method for kinesthetic learners involves using flashcards or note cards or simply taking active breaks in between notetaking in general. Many kinesthetic learners enjoy typing their notes or using digital notetaking tools as it involves more movement with both hands rather than handwriting notes with one. Because of the digital notetaking aspect, tactile learners enjoy using the Boxing Method for notes.

Lucky you! PowerPoint slides are printable, or can be looked at repeatedly but you’ll remember more material if you actively engage with the slides. Using PowerPoint slides, from most passive to most active:

· Simply reading the slides, even repeatedly, is a passive activity resulting in relatively little retention.

· You could print them out, then read and highlighter; that’s slightly more interactive, but not much and you still won’t recall/remember a lot of information.

· Pick up a pencil and start writing; paraphrase key points in the margins of your printout, and that’s even more interactive; but still not a lot better.

· Convert the slides to flash cards and quiz yourself, or better yet, set up an online study session with a fellow classmate – then quiz each other. You’re learning more actively and doing engaging with a classmate motivates you!

· But go even further: write summaries in your own words, relating what you're studying to other topics and even trying to connect it to your real-world experience. Organize the summaries into your notes and study them.

1. Evernote allows you to easily gather and present a variety of material into one place including web articles, handwritten notes, and photos. Users can share their notes with others and sync their account across multiple devices.

Pricing: Basic (Free), Plus ($24.99/year), Premium ($49.99/year)

2. OneNote by Microsoft can be used on any device and allows you to capture thoughts, ideas and to-do’s in one place by clipping web articles, sending yourself emails, and taking snapshots of documents or whiteboards. Your saved content can be shared with others for viewing or editing. If you subscribe to Office 365, you also get cloud-based access to other Office files, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Pricing: Free download (doesn’t include additional features offered with Office 365)

3. Fetchnotes is an easy way to keep track of anything and collaborate instantly. Notes can be grouped and tracked with hashtags (#), and synced across all your devices. Users are able to easily share their notes with others using the “@” symbol and receive notifications whenever someone shares or edits a note with you.

Pricing: Free

4. Google Keep is a note taking application developed by Google which allows you to capture notes, photos and audio as well as create interactive to-do lists. You can access Google Keep using your existing Google account sign-in via the web, Android or Chrome.

Pricing: Free

There are many different types of notetaking systems! You may have heard of some of them, like Cornell Notetaking and we've talked about two other systems above, but not every system works well for every student, so it's well worth experimenting.

College Info Geek has a great list of "The 6 Best Note-Taking Systems".