How to prepare short notes for competitive exams
Hyderabad: When marking the answers of a candidate in TSPSC exams, the examiners look at the aspirant’s analytical, critical and communicative abilities. Since there is a time constraint, candidates need to make their choice for the answer quickly and effectively. Preparing short notes helps candidates in going through the entire syllabus in an organised manner and revising the material easily before the exam.
Merely rewriting what’s written in the textbook is not going to help. It’s important to write what you understood about the topic in your own words. This way, you will have clarity in your thoughts. Here are some helpful tips to prepare short notes that are perfect for quick revision.
Colour-coded method
Once you pick the topic, go through the previous exams question papers carefully and figure out which areas are commonly covered in the papers. Instead of recording every line, write down the main points of a topic in a bold colour.
Use abbreviations
In case you have difficulty remembering information, shorten the words by leaving out the small connecting words. Use capitals, boxes and asterisks, underline and highlight to differentiate the most important points.
Use sticky notes
With current affairs, there are often new developments, so instead of rewriting the notes, add sticky notes summarising the developments.
Structure is important
Jot down the definitions and summaries in crisp, short sentences. Don’t write long, winded sentences, they are harder to remember. Your notes should answer the What-When-Why-How of the topic, key highlights, principles, concept, supporting information and theories.
Branching method
The topic should be written in the centre of the page with different sub-heads branching out from it, like a flow-chart. This way, a candidate can jot down all points in all the spheres.
Linear method
This is the most common approach for taking down notes. These are notes taken while listening to a lecture in class, discussions or organising thoughts. Use a wide margin between different topics so that can you add new information later.
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