I disagree with the derision toward (1). It’s true they are often useless, especially if copied without understanding, but the process of taking notes, I find, helps with 3 things unrelated to later reference:
Because I write slower than I think, writing an idea down forces me to engage with it more deeply.
Writing things down is a recall task, and recall tasks are required for forming lasting memories.
Writing down specific details forces you to double check that you correctly understood the detail.
So I don’t think the only value of notes is later reference, but I agree with and appreciate what you say about (2) and (3).
Fair point. I meant specifically the case of copying without understanding/without “turning the ideas over in your head”, though. Like, literally writing down a lecturer’s speech, or copying down what’s written on some slides, without engaging in any “conceptual rephrasing”, without comparing it to your other knowledge and trying to see how it connects, what background shapes it allows you to see, etc. That latter stuff is very important, but I’d classify it as (2a) types of notes.
Oh, I see. Yeah, (2a) is good, but “to not lose track of its different branches and to be able to re-enter the flow state the next day or if interrupted” makes me think it doesn’t apply to things written down not for the sake of the written down thing but because of how the act of writing something down changes how you are thinking and retaining knowledge.
I disagree with the derision toward (1). It’s true they are often useless, especially if copied without understanding, but the process of taking notes, I find, helps with 3 things unrelated to later reference:
Because I write slower than I think, writing an idea down forces me to engage with it more deeply.
Writing things down is a recall task, and recall tasks are required for forming lasting memories.
Writing down specific details forces you to double check that you correctly understood the detail.
So I don’t think the only value of notes is later reference, but I agree with and appreciate what you say about (2) and (3).
Fair point. I meant specifically the case of copying without understanding/without “turning the ideas over in your head”, though. Like, literally writing down a lecturer’s speech, or copying down what’s written on some slides, without engaging in any “conceptual rephrasing”, without comparing it to your other knowledge and trying to see how it connects, what background shapes it allows you to see, etc. That latter stuff is very important, but I’d classify it as (2a) types of notes.
Oh, I see. Yeah, (2a) is good, but “to not lose track of its different branches and to be able to re-enter the flow state the next day or if interrupted” makes me think it doesn’t apply to things written down not for the sake of the written down thing but because of how the act of writing something down changes how you are thinking and retaining knowledge.