I find that taking notes is very helpful for building understanding and learning in the first place. My system is methodical and uniform, producing notes that are a more useful future reference tool than the original text (if need be). I find that I learn so much more, and get so much value out of the notes, that I no bother to read much for school/work purposes unless I can take notes as I go. I consider myself to not have really absorbed an idea at all unless I’ve taken notes on it; it’s my operationalization of what constitutes “learning.”
The exception is when I’m reading blog posts, where it’s a half reading/half conversational medium.
I find that taking notes is very helpful for building understanding and learning in the first place. My system is methodical and uniform, producing notes that are a more useful future reference tool than the original text (if need be). I find that I learn so much more, and get so much value out of the notes, that I no bother to read much for school/work purposes unless I can take notes as I go. I consider myself to not have really absorbed an idea at all unless I’ve taken notes on it; it’s my operationalization of what constitutes “learning.”
The exception is when I’m reading blog posts, where it’s a half reading/half conversational medium.