Effective notetaking is crucial for capturing, organising, and retaining information during lectures, when watching a webinar, while reading, or when studying. Remember that the most techniques vary depending on the subject, your personal preferences, and the context of your learning. Just go ahead and experiment with different methods and adapt them to what may suit you best for each specific situation. Ultimately, the goal of notetaking is to create a set of organised, clear, and usable notes that help you understand, retain, and review the material effectively. Let me give you seven proven notetaking techniques. 

1. The Cornell Method

I have already written an extensive article on the Cornell Notetaking Method. This technique seamlessly integrates with your summarisation process, enabling you to create organised and structured notes while actively engaging with the material. Where it divides your note paper into three sections: a narrow-left column for your cues, a wider right column for notetaking, and a bottom section for creating a summary. Read all about it in this article. For me this is my ‘go to’ way of notetaking to write my summaries. 

2. The Outline Method

The Outline Method involves structuring your notes hierarchically, using headings and subheadings to organise information. This method is especially useful when content follows a logical structure, such as when outlining chapters in a textbook or organising lecture content. To get yourself started this way, keep in mind to use the following cues: 

• Use Roman numerals, and letters, to denote different levels of hierarchy.
• Keep headings concise and use indentation to represent the relationships between main ideas and supporting details.
• Even highlight them with a different colour to let them stand out. 

3. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual technique used to organise and represent information in a hierarchical and interconnected way. Mind maps provide a visual representation of information, making it easier to grasp complex topics and their relationships. The visual and the hierarchical nature of sort maps can improve memory retention, as they engage both your visual and associative memory. It is an effective tool for organising thoughts, notes, and concepts while studying. It can also help with problem solving bigger projects or topics. 

• Start with a Central Topic (or idea) in the middle of a blank page; let’s take Rueda as a central topic.
• Branch outwards with main topics. Each branch represents a main key concept related to the central topic. Like Climate, Grape Varieties, Viticultural Practices, Vinification Techniques, Geography, Wine Law, etc. 
• Add Subtopics and details, you can create secondary branches extending from the main topics. Take as a Grape Variety for instance Verdejo. And for adding another level to Verdejo you can add the several qualities of this variety like; mid budding, mid ripening, moderate yields, does well in hot, dry summers, etc. 
• Use Keywords instead of writing long sentences.
• Connect concepts and ideas, with lines or arrows to related subjects and how they are interconnected. For instance, the climate that influences the wine style of that grape variety. 
• Keep it simple, don’t overdo it, this way it stays the most effective.
• Review your maps as often as needed to remember all concepts.

4. Charting Method

For organising and comparing information, the charting method is an ideal technique you can use. It involves creating tables or charts to categorise data, facts, or details quite neatly. 

• Divide your paper into columns and rows to create a grid.
• Label each column with a specific category or attribute and populate the rows with corresponding information.
• This method is especially useful for subjects like science, math, and history when you need to compare different elements. Great to remember timelines in wine history this way. Or charts to help you remember the hL per ha used in which appellation or production percentages.
• You can also use them to illustrate certain topics more visually, than just plain numbers, which can aid when giving presentations for instance. To help you remember the sugar levels of VND or VT for instance.

5. Sentence Method

The sentence method is quite straightforward and involves writing complete sentences that summarise key points or ideas during a lecture or reading. It is highly beneficial when you want to capture detailed information or explanations.

• Write sentences in a structured, coherent manner, ensuring they make sense on their own.
• Focus on clarity and accuracy when transcribing spoken words during lectures. TIP! Take your voice recorder to your classes (on your phone), so you can replay the audio when revising your notes if you need to. Or to replay the audio to study the lecture again. 

The Use of Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases, which serve several important purposes in written spoken languages, but above all they can make your writing even more efficient when you use them. When taking notes, it is highly recommended to use certain abbreviations, a. it makes sure you don’t have to write that much, and b. it’s much faster, so you will save time in the end. Don’t use abbreviations on your exam questions though, seen as not everyone understands the use of your personal abbreviations or it might not be allowed to do so. I think that the below list of short abbreviations is fine to use, seen as those are the most common abbreviations out there. But when you come up with your own, as I like to write “w/” for the word “with”, this might not be such a good idea to use on your exam paper. Here is a short list of abbreviations you can use while taking your notes.

Remember that while abbreviations can be a time-saving tool in notetaking, it's essential to ensure that your abbreviations are clear and understandable to you when you review your notes later. Avoid using overly complex or obscure abbreviations that may confuse you during your study sessions. 

6. Wine Mapping Tip

If you can get your hand on good regional wine maps, then you can use those to help you pinpoint the regions geographical features. This way you make it visible for yourself to help you remember on how the location of the mountains are seen from vineyard perspective or how the rivers and its tributaries. Where the vineyard plains lie facing the coast and its prevailing winds for instance. You can also use sticky notes to point out specific soil plots and its particular grape varieties that are grown there. You can point out the major wind flows over a certain region and so, so much more. This way it is almost like mind mapping, but still different, you have the visual representation of the location, and you start pointing out all the geographical, topographical, and climatological features onto the map. You can do this while you are reading your materials, to instantly help you identify the key features of the region. And you can always go back to the map to help you point out any specifics. 

• WSET provides some regional maps, but not that much to my opinion, and often I don’t find them that clarifying to my liking. 
• You can go to websites like Australianwine.com, nzwine.com, winesofargentina.com, visitnapavalley.com or vinsvaldeloire.fr or austrianwine.com. You can find a lot of these sources for great geographical maps and features. 
• Or you can hand draw the regional maps yourself, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but this way it works its wonders in your brain, because you drew them yourself, so you spend detail on those maps, which helps to retain the content in your memory. 

7. Fishbone Diagram

The diagram provides a visual representation of complex processes or topics, making it easier for you to understand and remembering the information. It encourages you to create a systematic and structured approach by breaking down the process into its component parts. I love to use this diagram when working out winemaking practices and techniques. This way, especially when there are regional differences, I can follow the process through the diagram in my mind, when I need to remember certain steps.

Now Go and Have Fun!

I hope all the above techniques give you a good insight in the things you can use to help you visualise the work of wine to your knowledge and understanding. This way you can uplevel your studying and making it more fun to study certain topics. Keep in mind that even though studying can feel like a lot of pressure, especially when you are studying for your D3 exam. It has to be fun and enjoyable; you have chosen this path of uplevelling your knowledge of wine by getting into Diploma. Don’t let the pressure get the better of you, if it doesn’t work out today, because your mind is somewhere else, deal with those things first and get at it the next day when you feel more energised and refreshed. Chose one or several techniques from the above list to help you motivate yourself again. You’ve got this!