Taking more effective notes while reading

- In this video, we're going to discuss an effective process for taking notes while reading business-oriented documents. This three-step process will help you read more efficiently by first getting you familiar with the material. This reading strategy is called The Multiple Reading Process. The first step in the process is called the Preview. During the step, you simply read the introduction and conclusion to the information you're reading. If you're reading a short article, this could simply be the first and last paragraph. If you're reading something longer like a book chapter or a detailed blog post, this could be a few paragraphs at the beginning, and a few at the end. Keep in mind that the introduction and conclusion might be labeled as objectives or summary. Once you're done with the step, you're now ready to take some basic notes based on what you just read. Write down the first things that come to mind. What was most memorable? What is the main point of what you're reading? Keep your notes concise. Just a word or short phrase should be enough to remind you of the concept. And don't worry if you don't have tons of things to write down. You've only read the introduction and conclusion, so your notes should initially be pretty basic. Now we move on to step number two in the process. The Overview. In this step, you'll want to read the headings, subheadings, and bold-faced words. Or if you don't have headings, just read the first sentence of each paragraph since first sentences tend to be main ideas. Once you're done with this, take some more notes. At this point, you'll be taking note of the big ideas that were present in the text. Rather than just copying each of the headings, I'd suggest initially writing things down on the top of your head. This is much better for your memory because you're forcing yourself to try and recall the information rather than just mindlessly copying headings. Once you run out of things to write down off the top of your head, then you'll want to flip through the material to see if there's anything else you'd like to add to your notes. And as usual, keep your notes concise. As soon as you're done with your notes, you're on step number three, which is simply Read. Read the rest of the material. Before you start reading, think about how these first two steps have helped. You've already previewed and overviewed the information. So you'll know what to expect. You'll now be able to read the information a little more quickly than if you didn't do these steps. And you'll also be able to comprehend the information more easily because you'll know what to expect. But most importantly, your retention of the material will be better because you've had two exposures to the material during the Preview and Overview, and you've taken notes on both occasions. What you remember is largely a function of repetition, and before even reading the material, you've had four repetitions of the information. One repetition was from the Preview. Repetition number two was from the Notes based on that Preview. Repetition number three was based on the Overview. And repetition number four was from the Notes of your Overview. With this process you should read more confidently. Why? Because you'll know what to expect. Even if the information is very technical, you've made the process easier by getting familiar with the information before you start reading the nitty gritty details. As you read through your text, take notes here and there as you come across essential information. As we discussed earlier, make sure you aren't notes excessively. And be sure to keep your notes concise so you can keep making progress through the material. If you approach the material in this kind of manner, I think you'll find that your memory of the material is much stronger because you've taken notes at strategic points during the reading process.