Is Taking Notes a Waste of Time?

Taking notes hits the jackpot because it includes three of the most USELESS studying methods: Highlighting, summarization and rereading. Frankly, this is a complete waste of time. You don't have to take my word for it; see the results of this paper yourself.

Is making notes waste of time?

For most people, no, it is not a waste of time. Among other things, if you are talking about taking notes during a lecture, you are already in the lecture. You might as well be taking notes as not. It can keep your mind from wandering, or at least from wandering quite so much.

Does taking notes actually help?

Note taking forces you to pay attention and helps you focus in class (or while reading a textbook). It helps you learn. Studies on learning have shown that actively engaging with the topic by listening and then summarizing what you hear helps you understand and remember the information later.