Pogojo knows that it is not always realistic to write study notes from all the information you have collected and written during the week. 
 
The Pogojo suggestions listed below are a good guide as to when you should actually make study notes, and also gives you enough reason and motivation to memorise the actual content:

• Test Time - if you have an upcoming test covering course content that has been learned to date, use the opportunity to summarise your lecture, tutorial and resource notes on all topics. By the end of the semester you will only need to get your highlighters out, read over your notes and add bits and pieces where necessary.
• Set Times - this is important if you do not have tests or exams throughout the semester. Ahead of time, you need to put periodic reminders in your calendar or diary to mark the day and times that you will dedicate to making notes on topics covered to date.   
• Mid-Semester Exams - this should be a build up on the notes you have made for tests throughout the semester to date. Reviewing notes you have already made, and making notes for mid-semester exams will serve as good revision for the upcoming examination. This should be a good incentive for you to read what you note down. Repetition exercises your memory and helps you retain information. Revise! Revise! Revise!
• Final Exams - by this stage you should have all your class handouts and notes filed.  You may only need to make notes on the recent weeks that have lead up to the final exam. It’s now time to revise and work on other study tools in preparation for your final exams.
  

Getting the hard task of note taking out of the way, will give you more time to read and summarize, ask questions and practice past papers during the study period for exams. As mentioned in Pogojo’s Preparing for Exams tips, this is the best mix of activities to prepare for any exam.

Go back to the Art of Notes Taking.