Arguments for writing notes:
* Active Recall: The act of summarizing and writing down key concepts forces you to actively engage with the material, improving retention compared to passive reading.
* Improved Understanding: Trying to distill complex ideas into your own words helps you to clarify your understanding and identify areas where you're struggling.
* Personalized Learning: Notes allow you to tailor the material to your specific needs and learning style. You can add your own examples, questions, and insights.
* Study Aid: Well-organized notes are invaluable when it comes to reviewing the material before exams or assignments.
Arguments against writing notes:
* Time Consuming: Note-taking can be slow, especially if you're meticulous. This might not be efficient if you're short on time.
* Potential for Inaccuracy: If you're rushing or not fully understanding the concept, your notes might be inaccurate or misleading.
* Over-Reliance: Some students become overly reliant on their notes and fail to develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Finding the right approach:
* Experiment: Try different note-taking methods (e.g., Cornell notes, mind maps, outlining) to see what works best for you.
* Focus on understanding: Don't just copy definitions; strive to understand the underlying principles and their implications.
* Selective note-taking: Don't try to write everything down. Focus on key concepts, definitions, formulas, and examples. Highlighting in the text can be a good complement to note-taking.
* Review regularly: The most important aspect is reviewing your notes regularly to reinforce learning.
In conclusion: For economics and finance, where complex concepts and formulas are common, well-structured note-taking is often beneficial. However, it's crucial to make it an active learning process, not just a passive transcription of the textbook. Experiment to find the balance that maximizes your learning and minimizes wasted time. If you find you're spending too much time writing notes and not enough time understanding the concepts, adjust your approach.