Taking Notes during verbal?

Question

Hello,

I wanted to ask you what you think about taking notes during the verbal section of the exam?

I know that Manhattan prep and Kaplan advocate to take notes during CR and to even do a Passage Map of the RC passages. 
Veritas, however, say that note taking on the verbal section is a time wasting strategy.

I found for myself, that taking notes during the verbal section is sort of a time waster. This is especially true when I have to use the scratch pad with the marker. My writing speed is just so much slower with this thing, and in the end I'm not even able to read what I have written.

But unfortunately sometimes during CR when I finished reading an argument I don't remember anymore what I have read in the beginning. This is especially true for longer CR questions such as Bold face.

So guys what do you think? Is it worth to take notes?

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear rediforking , I'm happy to respond. :-)

Taking notes, for example to outline a GMAT RC passage, is one of those funny habits. At first, when you are just practicing it, it's a huge time sink. You have to practice using a system of abbreviations that will make the most sense to you and be easy for you to interpret. Once you are are well practiced in it, it can be a big time saver, but your facility and skill level with it makes all the difference, and these come only with practice. I will also say that note taking is recommended on GMAT RC, but I have never heard of folks needing to take notes on a GMAT CR passage in order to remember the whole prompt, which is typically less than 100 words. I am going to venture a guess, my friend, that you need to build your capacity for attention and focus. If you are fully paying attention, then it is not hard to read and retain an entire CR argument, but if you are distracted or reading with less than full attention or focus, then by the end, the beginning will be lost. I am going to recommend a couple blogs for you. 1) Curiosity: The “Secret Sauce” of GMAT Reading Comprehension Success 2) Zen Boot Camp for the GMAT My suspicion is that you will find the perspectives and recommendations in those articles unusual. Remember that sometimes the most profound growth comes from assimilating perspectives that are radically different from one's own. My friend, I wish you the very best in your GMAT preparation. Mike :-)

AjiteshArun · Answer

I start making notes  when I see a long RC passage , and stop if I feel that it's not particularly difficult. Even if I make full notes for a passage, I don't always go back to those notes (I make them just to understand the passage). I don't make notes for anything else. However, at the end of the day, you'll have to see what works best for  you . Your approach could even change over time, and that's perfectly normal.

It's also normal to have to go back and read the stimulus again (CR). You should become more comfortable with the whole process as you work through more and more questions. Do you feel that you're stuck somewhere? That even after doing 150-200 CR questions you're not making any progress (in terms of speed and accuracy)?

ccooley · Answer

I think that note-taking on Verbal is only useful when you use it as a tool to aid understanding, instead of memory. The passage or argument stays on the screen, so why bother taking notes to aid your memory? You can always look back at the relevant parts of the passage instead of looking at your notes, and it'll probably be quicker, too.

But the reason I and many of my students take notes at least sometimes on Verbal, is because good note-taking can help you wrap your head around a passage. Try taking notes in the form of a flowchart, diagram, or table. Try taking notes on what you figure out about the passage as you read it, as opposed to the actual content of the passage. Take notes that are structured in the same way you want to structure your thinking.

For example, maybe you're reading the argument that goes with a 'find the assumption' CR question. You might jot down the conclusion in shorthand, or possibly just the abbreviation 'concl', in the middle of your paper. Then, use arrows and bubbles to show how each piece of evidence leads to the conclusion. Some pieces of evidence may help directly prove the conclusion, while others might have to be combined together, or might help support each other. You'll end up with something that looks a bit like a spiderweb on your paper. And when you're looking for the answer, you'll remember that the right answer (the assumption) could go 'in the gap' between any of the premises, and the conclusion.

In short: take notes, but not how you did it in high school! If you're writing down what the passage says, or key terms/etc., you may very well be wasting your time. But in the end, try multiple note-taking approaches (including this one), and use what works for you

VerbalBot · Answer

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Taking Notes during verbal?

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