How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen

Tips for Taking Math Notes
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Everybody knows that it's important to take good math notes, but do you really know how to take notes that really make a difference? The old rules may not work for modern students. For example, we've always heard that you should use a sharp pencil to take math notes. But these days it's much better to use a smartpen!

Using a Smartpen for Taking Math Notes

  1. A smartpen has the ability to record your teacher's lecture as you take notes. This is important because no matter how quickly you copy notes in class, you are likely to miss something. If you are able to record the lecture as you write, you can review the teacher's words as you work through the class problems--and you can do it over and over again! The best tool for recording math class is the Pulse Smartpen, by LiveScribe. This pen will enable you to tap on any space in your written notes and hear the lecture that took place while you were writing it. If you can't afford a smartpen, you may be able to use a recording feature on your laptop, iPad, or tablet. If these tools aren't accessible, you can use a digital recorder.
  2. If you can't use a smartpen, you should be sure to write down everything that might be useful as you do your homework. Be sure to copy every single step of every problem, and in the margins of your notes, jot down anything the teacher says that may give additional clues to the process.
  3. Science has shown that we all learn best through repetition over time. Rewrite each problem or process at night as you study. Also, try to re-listen to the lecture.
  4. Sometimes we struggle on exams because we haven't worked through enough problems. Before you leave a class, ask for extra sample problems that are similar to the problems your teacher works through. Try to work through the extra problems on your own, but seek advice online or from a tutoring center if you get stuck.
  5. Buy a used math textbook or two with more sample problems. Use these textbooks to supplement your lectures. It is possible that one book author will describe things in a more comprehensible manner than another.
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Fleming, Grace. "How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/taking-math-notes-1857214. Fleming, Grace. (2020, August 26). How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/taking-math-notes-1857214 Fleming, Grace. "How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/taking-math-notes-1857214 (accessed March 28, 2024).