Sometimes young people fall behind in class because they have trouble taking useful notes. Some think they have to copy down everything the teacher says verbatim. They write like crazy during lectures but still end up falling behind. Others miss the big picture of what's being said and focus on the wrong details. Still others take terrific detailed notes that are right-on but fail to think about how the information applies to them. They might ace the next test but the only thing they'll take away from the experience is a bunch of lifeless facts.
Note-taking is a lot like studying; everybody's expected to do it, but nobody's ever taught how. Young people often develop a negative attitude about note-taking because it's boring. But it doesn't have to be. Somewhere along the line, they got in the habit of thinking that the purpose of note-taking was just to record the information that was being handed to them. But notes can also be a place to work out what they think about the content being taught.
At Quantum U, students going into college can develop their note-taking skills with a method we call Notes: TM, which stands for Taking and Making. With Notes: TM, they make a column two-thirds of the way across the page. The left-hand column is for Taking notes, the right is for Making them. On the left, they can record the information. On the right, they record how they think, feel, and relate to what they've just been taught. We encourage them to use colors, symbols, whatever they can think of to make it fun and personal.
This kind of note-taking works because it's interactive. People generally learn things best when they see themselves or make an emotional connection to the material. Their education counts the most when they find ways to be active learners instead of passive recipients.
Our programs offer campers a unique and fun outlook on note-taking as well as other learning and life skills that contribute to academic success and last a lifetime.
