In the age of slides, why note-taking still matters

“No notes or slides will be shared; you have to note down the concepts taught,” I make it clear in the first class of all batches. It is usually met with angry, accusatory looks. 

In an age when lecture slides are shared online, recordings are available on demand, and information is just a click away, many students have lost the ability to make notes, to understand what is important, what might help in the future, and what need not be written.  Taking notes is not copying what is being said in class; it is about thinking, processing, and learning in real time. This is an important, practical academic skill a student must develop.

“Taking notes during lecture hours, especially writing by hand on paper, shows a strong correlation to deeper, reinforced learning,” says Dr Hongray, Dean of Student Affairs at RV University, Bengaluru. “This allows students to be engaged in the class and keeps their focus,” he opines.

Actively engaging the brain: It’s very easy to listen passively. After a few minutes, the mind lulls and learning takes a back seat. When students take notes during a class, they are forced to make quick decisions: What is essential? How does this idea connect to what I already know? How should I phrase this in my own words? These decisions activate higher-order thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Improving understanding, not just memory: Note-taking is a skill; it doesn’t contain just the teacher’s words. When students summarise ideas, draw diagrams, write examples, or underline keywords, they are reorganising information in a way that makes sense to them personally. This process deepens understanding.

Classroom notes: No textbook or slide deck can fully capture the richness of a live classroom. Teachers emphasise specific points, give real-world examples, share exam hints, repeat ideas for emphasis, or explain common mistakes. Students who rely solely on shared notes or recordings often miss context. 

Building focus and reducing distraction: Classrooms today compete with smartphones, notifications, and wandering attention spans. Note-taking provides an anchor. When students are writing, they are less likely to drift mentally or reach for their phones. The act of taking notes creates a rhythm that keeps the mind engaged with the lecture.

Powerful tools for revision: When exams approach, students face an overwhelming amount of material. Well-organised class notes act as a roadmap. They highlight key ideas, link topics together, and reduce the need to reread entire textbooks.

Importantly, notes taken during class feel familiar. Students remember the moment they wrote them, the explanation they heard, and sometimes even the question that triggered that note. This familiarity accelerates revision and increases confidence.

Students who skip note-taking often discover — too late — that recordings are time-consuming, slides are incomplete, and textbooks are dense. Notes save time when it matters most.

Ownership of learning: “Taking notes sends a subtle but important message: This learning belongs to me,” says Tara Jain, who is a councillor at a city university. Over time, they develop a personal system — headings, symbols, abbreviations, diagrams — that reflects how they think. This sense of ownership increases responsibility and independence. 

Development of a lifeong skill: The importance of note-taking does not end with school or college. Professionals take notes during meetings, training sessions, conferences, and discussions. Doctors, engineers, managers, researchers, and artists all rely on note-taking to process complex information and make decisions.

A skill, not a talent: Many students believe they are “bad” at note-taking. The truth is more straightforward: note-taking improves with practice. Students do not need to write everything — just the right things. Learning to identify main ideas, use bullet points, create simple diagrams, and leave space for later additions makes notes far more effective. Notes need not be elegant; they may consist only of points or even of lettering in the student’s language.

Thus, note-taking is a powerful learning strategy that improves focus, deepens understanding, strengthens memory, and supports long-term success. In a world overflowing with information, the ability to capture, organise, and make sense of ideas is more valuable than ever.

(The writer is an academic)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.