Think note taking is over rated? Are you a good listener? That should be enough, right? Wrong! Research shows that students can typically only remember 50% of what they hear, and of that about 20-30% is correct! That means by just listening, no matter how intently, you might be missing 70-80% of your class! Obviously sites like sharenotes.com were created to combat this sad statistic. And it’s no wonder that it’s become so popular so quickly.
If you think about it, even if you take strong notes on your own, note sharing is integral in getting the most out of lectures. Taking what we know from just listening above, even if we take great notes, you still may only be getting 65-75% of your class’ content. Missing 25% of class is not a good thing. sharenotes.com allows you to fill in the gaps in your own notes or help others to do it. When I read that stat above I took my note taking way more seriously. I try to get at least a couple other peoples notes, especially in classes that are particularly tough.
I know it’s saved me on more than a couple of exams. Getting an alternative perspective is a good thing because it allows you to bolster what you already know, verify what you took down and perhaps fill the gaps on anything you missed.
