How do I take better notes?

Short answer

Take notes in your own words rather than copying everything. Capture key ideas, questions, and action items, leave space, and review within a day. One well-known set of studies found students who typed tended to transcribe lectures word for word and did worse on conceptual questions than those writing by hand. Whatever tool you use, summarizing matters.

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Many people take notes as a way to keep up, scribbling or typing as fast as possible. Then they look back later and find pages they cannot use. Good notes are less about volume and more about thinking while you write.

What a well-known study found

This is one set of lab studies with students watching lectures, and a correction to the paper was later published, so treat it as a useful hint rather than a firm rule. The takeaway most people draw is not 'never type'. It is 'do not transcribe'. Summarizing forces you to process what you hear.

A simple note-taking method

These are general strategies, not treatment.

Write the date, the meeting or class, and the main topic at the top.
Listen for a full idea, then write it in a few of your own words.
Mark questions with a '?' and action items with a box you can check later.
Leave white space. Crowded notes are hard to reread.
Within a day, spend five minutes reviewing: fix unclear bits, move action items to your calendar.

Formats people like

Split page

Draw a line down the page. Notes go on the right; on the left, add key words or questions afterward. Covering the right side and answering the left is a quick way to review.

Action-first meeting notes

Start a box at the top labeled "Actions" and fill it during the meeting. At the end, read the box aloud to check who is doing what.

Mind maps

Put the topic in the center and branch out. Some people find this easier to follow than lines of text, especially for brainstorming.

Paper or screen?

Both can work. Paper keeps you away from notifications and makes copying every word harder, which nudges you to summarize. Typing is faster, searchable, and easier to share. If you type, try writing in short phrases and pausing every few minutes to sum up the last point in a single line.

If your attention drifts while taking notes

Sit near the front or turn your camera on in video calls.
Write one word whenever you notice yourself drifting, then pick back up.
Ask for slides or an agenda in advance, so you can follow the structure.
Record only if allowed, and still take light notes so you know what to replay.
Close extra tabs and silence notifications while typing.

ADHDFalcon has free focus tools that can help you review and turn notes into a short task list afterward.

When notes are a symptom of something bigger

If you frequently lose the thread in lectures and meetings, miss instructions, and have struggled with this since school, it may be worth bringing up with a clinician. The free ADHDFalcon screener asks six questions about the past six months and gives you a free result to take with you.

A starting point for your next step.

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Do I tend to copy everything, or summarize?
When do I look at my notes again, if ever?
What format would make my notes easier to use?

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to take notes by hand or on a laptop?

One well-known set of studies found handwriting helped with conceptual questions, mainly because typists copied word for word. Summarizing in your own words is what matters most.

How can I take notes faster?

Write less. Capture key ideas in a few words, use abbreviations, and fill gaps right after the session.

How soon should I review my notes?

Within a day is a good habit, while you still remember what the shorthand means.

Sources

Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.

Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.