Use the SQ4R method to improve your ability to understand, retain, and concentrate on what you read. summarizing information (e.g., in a list, a short paragraph, a mind map).keeping the big picture in mind as you learn new details.making connections to what you already know, to other classes, or to other content within the same class.keeping a running conversation going in your head between you and the author as you read a text.

You can ensure you are actively engaged by Ultimately, taking notes online or on paper is up to you because what’s important is what you are doing when you’re taking notes, not how you’re writing them. Taking notes by computer encourages students to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than thinking about, processing, and putting the information in their own words–that is, engaging actively with the lecture. Studies suggest that students who take notes on laptops perform worse on tests than students who take notes by hand (even after laptop-related distractions were accounted for). You may have heard that taking notes by hand is better for learning.

To make a note