How do you study lessons? (Topic about taking lesson notes)
1yr
ni
Do you just watch a video and get to work? What about more complicated and longer lessons, such as demos and feedbacks? Do you take any notes? If not, why?
If you do take notes, how do you approach it?
— Do you prefer to write down text summary or draw visual notes?
— If you do text notes, do you try to keep it really brief or write down every detail possible?
— If you do visual notes, what do you usually try to capture?
My approach was to write text summaries (usually after watching a lesson once without taking any) with my own words — it forces me to think lesson through and sometimes come up with ideas and conclusions that weren't said directly by the teacher, which is obviously a good thing. Also, helps remember (although simply rewatching a lesson would help with that too, i guess)
On the flips side, it takes so, so much time, and makes me wonder whether this is some form of procrastination i should get rid of. Like maybe doing another homework attempt instead would be more fruitful, perhaps?
also while seemingly useful it's really boring to do lmao
So yup, im really interested how other students approach note-taking.
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1yr
Hey, @ni I think this is a public utility matter. :) I’d love to share some thoughts.
Over time, I’ve tried various ways, and I’ve found each one lead to a different experience and different effects in my learning process. Here’s a quick summary of what I remember having done:
- DILIGENT STUDYING - to me, this means taking plenty of notes and making diagrams of my own, often combining visuals and texts as I feel works best, and also watching the video lessons as many times as I feel I need. I used to do this a lot a few years ago when I had more time to dedicate exclusively to study, especially when I was studying intricate topics for the first time, such as anatomy or perspective. Studying in this way, of course, required A LOT of time and brain effort, but it helped me learn much more effectively and retain a lot more, too. I’m attaching a few examples of notes I’ve taken in different courses. I’ve also found myself going back to my own notes several times as a material from which I could review the lessons without having to re-watch the videos.
- QUICK NOTES ON THE GO - In some courses I’ve taken, I was already somewhat familiar with the subject, so I didn’t feel I needed to put as much time and effort as when I was attempting to learn something new. In those cases, I’d just watch the lessons once and take quick written notes as reminders and reinforcements of the information, sometimes pausing the video while writing. Often, I’d also combine note-taking with grabbing screenshots, especially when I was interested in learning more about an instructor’s particular point of view or visual examples over the subject being taught.
- JUST WATCH - This is what I do more often nowadays - not because I prefer, though, sadly! 😅 My wife and I are both working full time while raising a 2-year old son without a nanny amidst a bloated economy, so there’s hardly any time left in our week for anything else. Luckily for me, I believe that what I’ve learned up to now in terms of art fundamentals and techniques is enough for me to make the kind of art I like, so I spend most of my art time focusing on creating personal projects rather than studying. But, even though I can’t currently have as much dedicated study time in my schedule, I do my best to keep a minimal effort in “absorbing” new information, in listening to different instructors talk about topics I already know of or in reviewing lessons I haven’t seen in a while. I might stop to grab a screenshot here or there, but I practically never take notes now because this is often a multitasking moment, as I watch/re-watch videos or listen to podcasts while commuting, doing the dishes or working on something light that doesn’t require too much attention. It works for me right now, given the current status of my life! But it's certainly not the ideal scenario for learning, so I don’t recommend it for anyone who has the possibility of giving thoughtful and dedicated attention to their study time.
Thanks for bringing up this useful topic! Hope my comments can provide help in some way.
Best regards!
That was super helpful, thank you!
I'm a fan of what you called diligent studying. But recently I became somewhat dissatisfied with it — it became really tedious and tiresome, and also ate away my limited time I could spend drawing. Which in turn resulted in less real practice and results, which also lowered my overall motivation.
Your reply though, it opened my eyes. It's not because I study "wrong" or diligent studying equals "procrastinating". It is simply because in current reality I have not enough time AND not enough mental energy to study this way. Instead of adapting and studying differently I tried to study subject with notes and diagrams etc. as much as possible despite not having resources to do so, which lead me to exhaustion.
Thank you again! Currently want to get back on course and gonna reevaluate how I approach studying. Your experience is going to make that much easier <3
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1yr
If you do a short text summary it shouldn’t take too long. It should help you consolidate your memory and be able to recall easier in the future. But if it takes you a long time, you should evaluate why it takes you so long and what can be omitted.
I don’t take notes for the most part, but it depends on the class. For anatomy, I just watched it, did homework, and while doing homework I watched the video a few times looking for clues. Then later I’ll forget something when I’m drawing and I’ll go back to watch a lesson or a part of a lesson.
For other more conceptual classes, I only write something down if it’s something I’ve never heard of and easy to forget, which is not much.
Hi ni,
I like to watch the videos and give them my full attention, usually with a cup of coffee. I treat it like a weekly episode of a show or something. I absorb more that way. Then I'm able to think about it throughout the week/ have it the back of my mind while I'm working on personal projects. I do the assignments and then move on to whatever I want to do. Whenever I'm working on a personal project, I try to take what I've learned and begin to apply it in small areas. I also try to build on what we've already learned and not isolate to the one lesson.
The lesson notes tabs are great to reference. Stan and his team take the notes and present them with graphics and everything. So with the notes tab, and the fact that the lesson is a video, I don't find the need to take my own notes. I personally think the time is better spent drawing and experimenting. You could always make small notes around your drawing. I see a lot of people doing that.
Ultimately everyone is going to have their own way that works best for them. I commend you for taking notes. It's hard to do but there is certainly a benefit in doing so.
