How to Take Notes from a Physics Textbook – Study Methods for Algebra and Calculus-Based Physics

How to take notes from the textbook

1. Stop writing hand please. It is the 21st century. Pencil/pen and paper will not exist when you are traveling on a spaceship! But more importantly, don’t spend 4-6 years of your life training yourself to be amateur and write with pencil/pen (this includes tablets and digital pen). You will need to create professional documents in the workforce. You will want this on your resume and the skills to go with. It is not that hard to get the hang of it. Stick with Microsoft Word as it is the monopoly. LaTeX is for writing a professional textbook, not for everyday use as it is extremely tedious whereas Microsoft Word is fluent. This book is written in Microsoft Word and recorded—that is, you can watch me type the equations and format via YouTube.com/@authorjond—it is simple! Don’t use other programs; stick with software that will be good for the resume and employment. Microsoft Word is 100% free for every student and university student (from my experience and in the USA). Otherwise pay for it and learn it as it is a vital skill for any job!
2. Firstly, this is my personal approach to a streamlined notetaking data absorbing process. Before you read anything, go through the chapter (or section) and find all the bold words and itemize them with a description describing the definition in your own words. I will show this in detail in chapter 1 of the book.
   1. This means you read what the author wrote until you comprehend it and then you reword it in shorthand to reinforce your memory and understanding as well as to simplify the review.
3. After collecting all bold words, you go through and collect all theorems, definitions, equations, and formulae (symbols, measurements, …). Neatly organize and do this in the word doc with headings. This way, in future courses and during this course, you can simply reference all your notes quickly, efficiently and with articulated clarity. No more perforated cut lined paper scribbled chicken scratch garbage that will end up in the garbage. Organize the data in Microsoft Word so you have it for the rest of your degree. You are going to want all the information you learned for future courses!
4. Next, you start at paragraph 1, and you read it until you understand perfectly. Then, move to paragraph 2 and repeat. Do the same with “worked examples.”
   1. Make sure you can solve all worked examples without referencing the book, internet or notes—that is, an exam situation. You must be able to solve each example problem from start to finish without error in less than ten minutes.
   2. If you cannot solve the example questions and the questions solved during lecture from memory alone in less than ten minutes per question, you are not even remotely close to be ready for an exam!
   3. If you cannot do part b. today, what in the F**K makes you think, you will be able to do it tomorrow let alone a month from now when you take the exam and forgotten everything.
5. PRACTICE EXAMS are your only salvation to redemption!

“Words are for telling stories. Actions are for telling truths.”—Author Jonathan David