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Colour-Coded Notes

Whatever system you use to take your notes, colour-coding them can help you identify different kinds of information more easily, which makes reviewing material easier too.

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Benefits of Colour-Coding Your Notes:

  • If you use one colour of ink to take notes when you are in class and another colour of ink to take notes on information from research done at home, you can remember what you learned from your teacher and what you learned independently. That way, if you have a question about something in your notes, you know which source to consult for more information. It also makes it easier to ask your teacher questions about what you read outside of class.
  • If you colour-code different types of information in your notes (e.g. vocabulary is in blue, examples are in green), you can more easily scan through your notes to find specific information that you are looking for. This is great for reviewing for a test or quiz, but also handy for writing assignments and research projects.
  • Colour-coding is compatible with all methods of note-taking and can be adapted for highlighting what you read in a textbook or handout. It basically enhances what you are already doing.

A Few Tips for Colour-Coded Notes:

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1. Keep It Simple:

Whatever colour-coding system you adopt, keep it simple. Swtiching constantly between colours wastes time, and it can be hard to remember which colour goes with what type of information. When you go to use your notes for studying later, too many colours can make your notes visually overwhelming and make it harder to focus.

2. Create a Colour-Coding Key:

There is no point in colour-coding your notes if you don't remember what the different colours mean. You may need to come up with a different key for each subject as the kind of information you write down can vary from class to class. The example in the photo on the left shows a colour-coding key for math notes.

3. Try Using a Four Colour Pen:

To save time switching between colours, base your system around the four colours of a four-colour pen.

YouTube Study Skills Sensation Jill Cimorelli Explains How She Uses Colour-Coding for Three Different Note Taking Formats:

You might want to check out her other study skills videos too.

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