Key Terms: How to Study and Take Notes Generated with AI assistance — review for accuracy and compare against your course materials. --- ABSTRACT A short summary at the beginning of an academic article describing the research question, methods, and findings. Reading the abstract first helps you decide whether the full article is worth your time before reading it in depth. ACTIVE RECALL A study technique where you test yourself on material rather than re-reading it. Retrieving information from memory strengthens the memory trace more than passive review does. AUDIO NOTES Notes captured as recordings — either of a lecture (with permission) or of yourself talking through material. Useful for people who process information better through listening than reading or writing. BODY DOUBLING Working in the presence of another person to maintain focus and accountability, even if neither person is studying the same material. Does not require the other person to be in the same field or class. INDEX An alphabetical list at the back of a book listing topics and their page numbers. Faster than skimming chapters when you are looking for a specific concept or term. OUTLINE NOTES A hierarchical note format using headings, indentation, and nested points to show relationships between ideas. Works well for structured content such as lectures or textbook chapters. RETENTION How much of learned material you can recall or apply after a period of time. Spacing out review sessions and using active recall both improve long-term retention compared to cramming. SCANNING Moving quickly through text looking for specific keywords, names, or numbers without reading every word. Used to locate relevant sections before reading for comprehension. SKETCHNOTES A visual note-taking method combining words, simple drawings, symbols, and layout to capture ideas. Especially useful for visual learners or for content that involves processes, relationships, or comparisons. SKIMMING Reading quickly to get a general sense of content by checking headings, first sentences of paragraphs, and summaries — without reading for full comprehension. SPACED REPETITION A study method where material is reviewed at increasing intervals over time rather than all at once. Takes advantage of the spacing effect: distributed practice leads to better long-term retention than massed practice. STUDY GROUP A structured or informal gathering where students review material together, share notes, quiz each other, and explain concepts. Most effective when all participants come prepared and are at a similar level of understanding. ZETTELKASTEN A note-taking method that builds a network of linked individual notes, each focused on a single idea, rather than organizing notes by topic or course. Used to develop long-term connections between concepts across subjects.