We met with 5th graders to understand the top note taking tips for the future.

1. From Future Innovators to Modern Businesses
5 Note
Taking Tips

2. You’ve learned more life lessons than you can count
since the 5th grade. You’ve forgotten plenty, too.
When it comes to taking notes,
you probably hit your peak by
age ten. Unfortunately, our note
taking skills have only regressed—
especially since the dawn of the
digital age. But this task has
become critical now that you’re
responsible for remembering
so much more.
Take a few tips from a ten-year-old.
These future innovators know just
what you need to boost recall, ignite
creativity, and restore confidence in
your note taking abilities.

3. Tip #1: Keep Everything Collected
Kids are forced into organization.
Whether they use a stack of
multi-colored notebooks, a
fancy binder or just keep it
all shoved in their back packs,
you name the subject, and
they’ll quickly be able to
show you their notes.

4. Tip #2: Don’t Fear the Doodle
Did you know that every U.S.
president was a doodler?
Doodling sparks comprehension
by blending all your learning
methods. Doodling also creates
anchors to help link ideas together.
On paper, that’s just a spaceship
in the margin. To your brain,
it’s a trigger that evokes a vivid
memory of the concept next
to the spaceship.

5. Tip #3: Write it Out
Taking notes in longhand forces
you to keep it simple, capturing
only the most important ideas
and concepts. That means listening
closely which allows you to recall
information naturally and seizing
the most important points for later.

6. Tip #4: Mark it Up
Back in the day, you circled, starred,
and scribbled all over your papers.
While technology has made many
of today’s offices paperless, that
doesn’t mean you can’t underline
important words, throw in a few
asterisks, or use arrows to connect
ideas together.

7. Tip #5: Do it Your Way
There’s something inherently
satisfying about doing things your
own way. Especially if you have a
system that works. If meticulous, line
by line, outlines are your thing, go
for it. If you’re a doodler, doodle
without shame. You know how you
learn best, trust that experience.

8. You’ve never been more
free to create, collaborate,
and capitalize on ideas
whenever inspiration strikes.
Learn more about how to combine old school
techniques and modern technology in
The Innovator’s Guide to Modern Note Taking.
http://aka.ms/modernnotes