14 Nov 2013

revising my lecture notes

So, I know that not everyone is a fan of washi tape but I'm going to try and illustrate how useful washi tape has been for my revision notes.

On my course, we basically do a clinical case each week. The case can be something as simple as hearing loss to something more meaty such as puberty disorders. At the end of each week, we are given an 'official' list of learning objectives that the tutorials, lectures, anatomy sessions, clinical skills sessions and communication skills sessions should have covered. When I get this list, I try and go through it while writing out my revision notes to ensure that each learning objective is covered.

With so much to learn and so little time to make these notes, I could have made them quick and messy... but instead (and being the perfectionist that I am), there was no way I was going to let that happen and my notes have ended up looking like this instead:


I use thicker washi tape (10mm) for the titles and then the thinner 5mm washi tapes for the subtitles. There is no colour coding and I usually just pick whichever colour takes my fancy at that moment in time. In addition to this, I also use a lot of colour in the form of my Muji gel pens.

I try and make the notes as condensed as possible and to do this, I abbreviate things, write in note-form rather than in proper sentences and use tables or pictures whenever I can.


However, the notes can get a little messy as I go back to them and add in some annotations... This is especially true for my anatomy notes. Quite often, I will make the revision notes and then find out something new in the dissection room during the anatomy sessions. This will result in me returning to my notes and adding in new things!


For my anatomy notes, I cheat a little and tend to print out images as there is no way I will be able to draw a pelvis (as above) and make it look as good as those pictures!

Overall, my tips for good revision notes would be:

- keep it as condensed as possible and write in 'note-form';
- use pictures and COLOUR whenever you can!;
and...
- if you make them look a bit nicer, you'll find yourself 'enjoying' revision a little bit more.

I've actually ended up being quite proud of my revision notes and I have had a lot of compliments about them from fellow students and also lecturers and teaching staff!

5 comments

  1. I used to make my notes look pretty as well, and agree that having nice neat notes makes revision more enjoyable! But you completely take the cake with your notes, they are BEAUTIFUL! No wonder you get compliments!
    xx
    Em

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your notes are just so impeccably neat and perfect! I definitely think that pretty notes make revision so much better!

    ReplyDelete
  3. your notes are absolutely beautiful! i did my notes the same way when i was in nursing school. do you also scan them so that you can save them on your computer in case of a (knock on wood with fingers crossed) coffee spill or loss?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Leslie,

      Nope, I don't scan them as that would take up too much of my time. Also, I don't lose things (touch wood it doesn't start now!) and I don't drink near my notes :) x

      Delete
  4. Your revision notes look so pretty! They must make it a lot easier to study for exams. I'll try using washi tape in my notes too (:

    ReplyDelete