The Sentence Method: Note-Taking, Line by Line
Imagine you're in a fast-paced lecture, and the professor is throwing tons of information at you. Feeling overwhelmed? The "Sentence Method" is a simple way to catch it all without getting totally lost.
How it Works:
It's super easy! Just follow these steps:
- New Thought, New Line: Whenever your professor says something new – a new idea, a fact, a detail, or starts talking about a different topic – start a new line in your notes.
- Number as You Go: As you write each new line, put a number in front of it. This helps you keep track of everything.
Think of it like this: Each line in your notes is like a little sentence capturing one piece of information.
Example: Let's say your professor is talking about the American Revolution:
Instead of writing a big messy paragraph, you'd write:
- American Revolution - big change in history
- Happened in late 1700s
- Colonists fought against Britain
- Main reason - wanted to be independent
- Led to the United States being formed
See how each line is short and sweet, focusing on one point?
Why Use This Method? (The Good Stuff)
- A Little More Organized: It's a step up from just writing big paragraphs of notes that can be hard to read later. Each point is separate and easier to spot.
- Catches More Info: Because you're focused on writing down every new thing, you're less likely to miss important details compared to if you were just trying to write paragraphs.
- Good for Fast Lectures: When information is coming at you quickly, this method lets you just jot things down line by line without worrying too much about how it all fits together right now.
What to Watch Out For (The Not-So-Good Stuff)
- Hard to See What's Most Important: Because everything is just numbered lines, it's tough to quickly see which points are the main points and which are just details. Everything kind of looks the same in a numbered list.
- Editing Can Be a Pain: If you want to organize your notes later – like grouping related ideas together – it can be tricky. You might have to rewrite parts of your notes to make sense of how things connect. Imagine trying to cut and paste lines to group them – it can get messy!
- Reviewing Can Be Tricky at First: Just reading through a long list of numbered lines might not give you a great sense of how all the ideas connect. You might need to do some extra work (like editing!) to really understand the bigger picture when you review.
When is This Method Your Best Friend?
Use the Sentence Method when:
- The Lecture is Somewhat Organized, But Packed with Info: The professor is presenting things in a logical order, but they're covering a LOT of material really fast.
- Points Feel Like They're Coming at You Rapid-Fire: You can hear distinct points being made, but you can't always tell how those points relate to each other right away.
- Instructor Presents Point-by-Point, Not in Big Groups: The professor is giving you a list of points, but not necessarily saying "Okay, now here are three points that are all related to this main idea."
Basically, if you feel like you're in a lecture where information is coming at you like a firehose, and you just need to grab as much as you can, the Sentence Method is a good way to do it. It helps you capture the individual pieces, even if you have to figure out how they fit together later.
Examples in Action (Just Like Your Professor Might Talk):
Example 1: What is a Revolution?
Professor: "Okay, so let's talk about revolutions. A revolution, in its simplest form, is really just any event or change that has a ripple effect. It affects other parts of how we live. Think about things like our economy, our social lives, even our daily routines. So, bottom line, revolutions are all about causing change." (You can read more about this in your textbook on pages 29 to 30.)
Your Sample Notes (Using the Sentence Method):
- Revolution – event/change affects other aspects of life
- Examples: economy, social life, etc.
- Revolutions = cause change
- See textbook, pages 29-30 for more
Example 2: How Freud Tried to Treat People
Professor: "Now, let's look at how Freud initially approached treatment. In the beginning, he actually used very traditional, physical methods. Things like giving patients baths, massages, rest cures – you know, pretty standard medical stuff for the time. But, guess what? These methods didn't really work for what he was trying to treat. So, he shifted gears. He learned about hypnosis from Jean-Martin Charcot and tried that technique. And then, finally, he borrowed an idea from Jean Breuer. He started using direct talking – just having patients talk without being hypnotized – to help them uncover their unconscious thoughts."
Your Sample Notes (Using the Sentence Method):
- Freud 1st – used physical treatments (e.g., baths, massages)
- These failed
- 2nd – used hypnosis (learned from Charcot)
- Finally – used verbal communication (from Breuer)
- Verbal communication – got unhypnotized patients to reveal unconscious thoughts
Give it a try! The Sentence Method is a solid tool to have in your note-taking toolbox, especially when lectures are fast and packed. You'll get the hang of it quickly!
