Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

Online notetaking 87 
QUICK TIP:Try out Mendeley and Zotero and choose the one 
you like best.Then use it to store references for everything you 
read. 
One fnal point about keeping notes of your references and that 
is to avoid many of the websites that suggest they can help you 
create references. Some of these are inaccurate. Others are just 
crammed with advertising. And some I have seen appear rather 
fimsy, to say the least. Some are good and helpful for referencing 
in a hurry or when you do not have access to Zotero or Mende-
ley. However, if you want control over your references (and why 
wouldn’t you), then choose one of those two programs. 
PRACTICAL TIPS 
y
Experiment with notetaking systems.
There is a variety of sys-
tems available for taking notes. Try as many as you can to fnd 
out which one works best for you. You might fnd that different 
systems are more suited to particular situations. You might like 
guided notes for lectures and mind maps or SQ3R for textbooks, 
for example. 
y
Integrate handwritten notes.
Handwritten notes will help you 
learn more and understand things better. However, you need to 
integrate them with your digital materials to gain the most ben-
eft. To do this, you can use your own system, perhaps based on 
colour coding. Or you can invest in additional technology such as 
a digital pen and paper system. 
y
Select an annotation system.
You will need to annotate what 
you read online and make notes. With printed materials, this was 
easy. Online it can be cumbersome. You have various options for 
annotating things like PDFs and web pages. Choose the one that 
works best for you and the way you study. 
y
Consider how you will store and organise digital notes.
Will you 
create your own system of folders and upload materials yourself? 
Or will you use a digital notetaking ecosystem? It doesn’t matter 
much what you choose to do, but you need to choose some-
thing. Otherwise, your digital notes will be in a mess and fnding 
things will be time-consuming and stressful. 

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