Are you struggling to take and organise earth science study notes to complete your PhD assignments and prepare for your exams later? You are not alone in facing this problem. Taking and organising notes always remains a strenuous task for students of any level.
According to the University of Illinois Chicago, students at the bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD level need to improve their note-taking skills. When a professor is giving a lecture, the common word count they speak in a minute ranges between 120 and 180. However, students can only type 33 words when taking notes on the system and write 22 in a diary, meaning they need to focus on note-taking expertise.
In this article, we will provide PhD students with a detailed list of nine tips to help them take and organise earth science study notes even when a professor explains a complex topic. Let’s learn how to organise notes successfully!
9 Practical Tips to Organise Earth Science Study Notes for PhD Students
Earth science encompasses various complex subfields, from geophysics to glaciology, making studying and note-taking during lectures or workshops particularly challenging. Whether you are a PhD student building foundational knowledge or simply need reliable notes, having well-organised references is crucial for crafting accurate assignments and articles. When essential material is lacking or time is limited, contacting assignment writing services can help ensure your work is completed accurately and on time.
However, if you want to take and organise notes to understand complex topics and ensure your success in professional life, here are nine effcetive tips that must be followed every time you attend a lecture.
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Understand First and Then Write
Listening and writing at the same time for earth science notes isn’t recommended, especially when you are in the final stage of your academic career. Understanding the topic is key before noting down anything, even a minor detail. Please remember that every word your professor speaks isn’t necessarily to be penned down. You can focus on better understanding the topic instead of instantly writing.
For example, you can start preparing the process of taking notes before the lecture begins. These are some ideas that can help streamline your process:
- Prepare in Advance: You can ask your teacher about the next lecture and the topic to be discussed. Getting knowledge about a specific subject has never been so easy with countless research journals, web resources, and online libraries. Explore all these databases and prepare the topic. If you are not interested in knowing everything, you can get a general idea about it. This preparation will be helpful during class when noting key concepts will be essential.
- Choose Your Way Wisely: Many students prefer taking notes by using a laptop or tablet. They argue to avoid the hassle of carrying diaries and the risk of their loss. Taking notes on Google Drive while using a laptop or tablet automatically saves your data. However, some students struggle to note down concepts because they get distracted by electronic devices. You can choose a diary or a laptop that helps you take notes quickly.
- Make a Summary: Don’t try to write every word or sentence your professor speaks during class. Instead, you can write a comprehensive summary of the topic. This approach will keep your note-taking strategy streamlined. Use as simple as possible words to remember things later.
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Be Adaptable to Different Subjects
Following a one-for-all strategy to take earth science lecture notes will not benefit your PhD journey. There can be multiple subjects or topics you will be studying, especially when going through the theoretical knowledge. Some subjects will need to note only text, while others will require making a diagram. Therefore, it’s a tried-and-tested formula to be adaptable when taking notes for numerous subjects.
Here are some subfields of earth science that need customised strategies for writing notes:
- Geology: It deals with the earth’s physical structure and requires taking notes in visuals and diagrams, easy to recall later.
- Paleontology: It is concerned with animal and plant fossils and noting down key dates may be enough to write assignments efficiently.
- Geophysics: It studies the physical processes that shape the earth. You may need to draw maps during the lecture for later purposes.
- Geochemistry: Applying chemical principles to understand the earth system, requiring you to make plots or maps.
- Oceanography: The scientific study of the ocean. You can note down important information related to oceans, such as their length and location.
These branches of earth sciences say loudly that a student must adapt their strategy when noting key concepts. This approach will be beneficial in avoiding the similarities between notes and help you recall them easily.
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Always Use Headings and Subheadings
Ever read an essay or research paper without headings and subheadings? Reading paragraphs after paragraphs without headings can irritate you. You may leave reading such as paper immediately. That’s the case with your notes without headings. Good earth and environmental science notes will always have multiple headings and subheadings. Their utilisation will increase in that case, and you will remember everything clearly.
Here is a key strategy that you can follow in taking notes during the class:
- Title: Usually, there will be different topics for PhD. You will discuss these topics one by one in numerous classes. Make sure you write a clear and effective title against every topic.
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- Brief Description: After writing the title, you can briefly describe it in a few lines so that the idea of the topic sticks in your mind.
- Main Headings: You can write some main headings clearly defining your topic or concept being discussed in the class.
- Divide Notes in Subheadings: Diving main headings into subheadings is also necessary if you want good notes to write a successful thesis, research paper, or assignment.
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Visualise with Diagrams
“A picture is worth a thousand words”. Pursuing a PhD in earth sciences, you will be aware of this quote. This can’t be truer for your notes. No matter which specific subject is being discussed in your class, it will include diagrams, maps, graphs, and pictures.
You may need to draw them all when writing an assignment or working on your dissertation. If you draw all these things now while taking the notes, drawing them the second time will not be an issue for you. It will also help you remember the concept without any hassle, even after months.
Follow these tips when creating any type of visuals for your notes:
- Use good stationery and multiple colours to draw a map, etc.
- Always buy a diary with good paper quality.
- Try to explain your diagrams with a short and effective description.
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Keep Notes Organised by Mentioning Dates
Whether taking astronomy notes or penning down details of geology, it’s a good idea you write a date before starting. This approach helps in tracking topics that were discussed months ago. There will be multiple diaries containing hundreds of notes because you will cover a lot of issues in your PhD. Organising them with dates keeps your academic journey smooth.
One more tip for you as a PhD student: You can dedicate a diary page for the table of contents. This table will contain all the topics you have taken notes for. The titles for different topics with page numbers in this table will allow you to navigate quickly. Follow this technique and make your notes more effective for academic purposes.
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Revise Your Notes Often
Earth science study notes need your regular attention. This field involves countless complex concepts, which you can easily forget if you do not repeat them often. We know revision after some days or weeks may seem an uphill task for you. But we have a solution for students like you pursuing their PhDs. You can revise these notes in chunks.
According to the Slay School, our short-term memory isn’t designed to remember things for a long time. Therefore, it’s best to divide your notes into chunks and start reading them. Going through them repetitively can help you remember topics more clearly.
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Discuss Your Notes
Discussing your notes can be another effective way for PhD students to get a better idea of a complicated topic, especially when all the aspects are unclear. First, try to discuss that idea with your professor, preferably while taking notes during the class. It will engage your fellow students in a discussion that will be beneficial for you, too.
You can make it your routine to discuss things. Earth science climate notes require your regular attention in terms of discussion. You may forget the nitty-gritty if you do not hear or speak about them long. Preferably, you can make a group of students or decide on a place, where you will discuss an earth science climate topic.
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Dedicate a Space
As mentioned earlier, earth science includes intricate concepts that will require a number of pages to be explained in an efficient way. It means you will end multiple diaries for a single course or subject during your PhD. Keeping all these diarises and other things secure and safe should be your priority. You can dedicate a space in your room to place all these diarises in sequence.
Going outside of the way for extra precautionary measures, you can make a copy of these notes in case you lose them. These small steps to organise your notes will enable you to complete your assignments or papers quickly when earning a PhD degree.
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Verify Every Sentence You Write
You need to verify and authenticate every concept you write while taking notes. PhD is an academic step where you can’t afford to make false claims or commit mistakes. Online research journals & libraries, NASA, Fiveable, and Study.com, are good sources to verify the credibility of your written notes. Getting help from your fellow students can help you complete this process of verification in no time.
How to Make Effective Notes for Earth Science?
Following some steps can make your earth science notes more effective. Before writing down even a sentence about a topic, ensure that you completely understand it. And always remember the rule of not writing while listening.
Listening and writing simultaneously can mix things up, leading to a higher chance of mistakes in your papers or assignments. You can utilise online databases to check the credibility of your earth science study notes. Succeeding in following these guidelines will help you make your notes more effective.
What Are the 7 Rules of Notes Taking?
The 7 rules are subjective to each topic and can vary according to your academic level. The first rule is that you can’t mix different concepts. You will need to dedicate different pages for distinct topics.
The second rule focuses on organising your notes, like writing dates on the pages to track activities. The third rule is you will not take notes when you do not have a clear idea about a topic. Additionally, the fourth rule is that you will revise your notes often, and the fifth rule is about making a summary of notes about a topic. The 6th and 7th rules are about maps and charts, you can draw figures to explain your notes.
How Can I Memorise Science Notes Fast?
Memorising science notes can include various approaches. For instance, you can engage in a discussion with your professor during the class. It will help you gain in-depth knowledge; such discussions become essential for earth science study notes.
Moreover, making groups with your colleagues will also serve the purpose. These groups can be online communities, or you can select a dedicated place to make this discussion happen. The key to enhancing memory is only meaningful and long discussions.
Conclusion
Taking and organising your earth science study notes requires complete attention, from writing the date on pages to drawing maps and charts. These notes can help complete assignments, research papers, and dissertations without spending much time on research.
However, if you’ve lost your notes or they aren’t detailed enough to support your assignments, seeking help from British assignment writing agencies can be a reliable solution. It will help you keep your PhD academic journey on track while completing your assignment without compromising quality. Get yourself one step closer to earning your PhD with error-free and high-quality assignments.
