Students

What is the point of taking notes in Math class?

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 15th, 2018 3:54 pm
Newbie
Jan 8, 2010
44 posts
1 upvote

What is the point of taking notes in Math class?

The course usually follows the course textbook, therefore, I can just get all of my information by reading the textbook instead of taking notes and reading them. In high school, I never copied a note once in calculus class but still managed to ace it. Now that I am in university, I find that the professors still just regurgitate what is in the textbook. What is the point of taking notes in math class? Am I missing something?
17 replies
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 16, 2010
5200 posts
167 upvotes
yeayaknow wrote: The course usually follows the course textbook, therefore, I can just get all of my information by reading the textbook instead of taking notes and reading them. In high school, I never copied a note once in calculus class but still managed to ace it. Now that I am in university, I find that the professors still just regurgitate what is in the textbook. What is the point of taking notes in math class? Am I missing something?

Try doing it using only textbook and let us know what you get in the course


p.s Highschool =/= University, I also aced my high school math with flying colours, and i skipped majority of the classes.

p.s.s this is gonna happen to you:

Beginning of semester: Screw the professors, I am gonna study on my own and not go to class!!

Middle of semester: Okey, I didnt really study and I ended up partying :< I bombed the midterm :< BUT I'll study hard and get the HIGHEST MARK IN THE CLASS FOR THE FINAL!!!!!!!!

End of semester: Mark 60, "I should have went to class, most of the questions werent even covered in the textbook QQ"
ᕦ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ᕤ
Sr. Member
User avatar
May 16, 2007
731 posts
8 upvotes
Do whatever works for you, in upper year you won't be able to understand just through the book alone. If you don't believe me, do what ^ he said, try it and see what you get.
Deal Addict
Dec 27, 2007
4867 posts
2067 upvotes
Edmonton
because I was too cheap in buying textbooks and decided to buy cars and tools, so i had to take notes. worked out well, the textbooks are useless as it is anyway (unless you can't understand your prof)
warming up the earth 1 gas fill-up at a time...
You only live once, get a v8
Sr. Member
User avatar
May 27, 2005
859 posts
Toronto
HTTP04 wrote:
p.s.s this is gonna happen to you:

Beginning of semester: Screw the professors, I am gonna study on my own and not go to class!!

Middle of semester: Okey, I didnt really study and I ended up partying :< I bombed the midterm :< BUT I'll study hard and get the HIGHEST MARK IN THE CLASS FOR THE FINAL!!!!!!!!

End of semester: Mark 60, "I should have went to class, most of the questions werent even covered in the textbook QQ"

wow, did you watch me during my first year calc?
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 16, 2010
5200 posts
167 upvotes
tmkf_patryk wrote: because I was too cheap in buying textbooks and decided to buy cars and tools, so i had to take notes. worked out well, the textbooks are useless as it is anyway (unless you can't understand your prof)

Honestly if I had a choice between textbook and class notes, I would choose class notes.

Class notes + past midterms is good enough for most, if not all, classes imo
ᕦ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ᕤ
Deal Addict
Dec 27, 2007
4867 posts
2067 upvotes
Edmonton
HTTP04 wrote: Honestly if I had a choice between textbook and class notes, I would choose class notes.

Class notes + past midterms is good enough for most, if not all, classes imo

class notes + past exams is good for ALL classes :)

i finished university with like 3or 4 textbooks, and only reason I got those is there were problem questions I had to answer from them and they were cheap enough (like 30 bucks)
warming up the earth 1 gas fill-up at a time...
You only live once, get a v8
Newbie
Jan 8, 2010
44 posts
1 upvote
Where do you guys get past mid terms from?
Sr. Member
User avatar
Aug 23, 2010
990 posts
90 upvotes
cause university math is all about memorizing problem forms

unless you take 4th year algebra, there's no real "analyzing" in university math :/

most of the time if you memorize all the sample problems from lectures + past tests, you're set for the exams

it's so sad, high school math was more fun imo :/
Contests Won: None :mad:
Moderator
User avatar
May 27, 2007
16088 posts
4769 upvotes
Toronto
you take notes because the prof will screw you over during midterms and final by adding lecture examples/problems...
RedFlagDeals.com
See an inappropriate post? Use the "Report Post" function to alert Moderators!
Deal Addict
Dec 27, 2007
4867 posts
2067 upvotes
Edmonton
heyjoe wrote: cause university math is all about memorizing problem forms

unless you take 4th year algebra, there's no real "analyzing" in university math :/

most of the time if you memorize all the sample problems from lectures + past tests, you're set for the exams

it's so sad, high school math was more fun imo :/

I actually majored in math. I didnt take algebra past 2nd year, but I did take alot of theoretical courses, like:
number theory, ring theory, graph theory, and then the courses after that
i also took math in economics

atleast half if not more of the math courses involve proofs, analyzing and overall something you can't memorize for. The exams would be like 50% simple answer, for those who do bad on proofs, and 50% proofs, as sometimes it just doesn't come to you.
warming up the earth 1 gas fill-up at a time...
You only live once, get a v8
Newbie
Jun 19, 2010
28 posts
1 upvote
heyjoe wrote: cause university math is all about memorizing problem forms

unless you take 4th year algebra, there's no real "analyzing" in university math :/

most of the time if you memorize all the sample problems from lectures + past tests, you're set for the exams

it's so sad, high school math was more fun imo :/
You probably took courses which did not cover theory. In theory based courses, its nearly impossible to memorize all the proofs that could show up. Usually they take a little bit of critical thinking and experience to solve. Computational math courses are rather useless anyway, that's why we have matlab/mathematica.
Deal Fanatic
Apr 23, 2007
5156 posts
1315 upvotes
London
I kind of agree with you. I've only taken 3 math courses so far in University and I've never really looked back at my class notes when preparing for an exam. As you said, the lessons are all in your textbook. I've gotten As in all the classes as well. Most of the learning for me comes from doing homework problems. The only thing helpful from the notes are the example questions that the profs put up during the lesson. But then again, these were just 1st year math courses that were required for my business program. Might be different in more advanced math courses, but from my experience, class notes are not that useful as a study tool.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 26, 2009
1031 posts
4 upvotes
Surrey, BC
yeayaknow wrote: The course usually follows the course textbook, therefore, I can just get all of my information by reading the textbook instead of taking notes and reading them. In high school, I never copied a note once in calculus class but still managed to ace it. Now that I am in university, I find that the professors still just regurgitate what is in the textbook. What is the point of taking notes in math class? Am I missing something?

If the professor truly follows the textbook then you're fine. If you do miss something, you can just go to his office hours.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
- Socrates
Sr. Member
Mar 27, 2009
543 posts
67 upvotes
I never once took notes in high school or college (ok maybe once in grade 9, just to see how worthless it was). that includes advanced Math.

aced high school and got 4.0 average in college...

so do whatever it takes YOU to succeed.. I had friends that needed to take detailed notes and then re-write them at home to understand what was going on in class. It just depends on how you learn. Experiment what works for YOU! good luck!
Member
User avatar
Oct 11, 2009
208 posts
2 upvotes
i just copy the sample problems the prof does on blackboard

its kinda pointless to copy the theory because i can only understand or copy but not both
there's no point in copying the theory because you can find it all over the internet
Newbie
Jan 8, 2010
44 posts
1 upvote
zibzer wrote: I never once took notes in high school or college (ok maybe once in grade 9, just to see how worthless it was). that includes advanced Math.

aced high school and got 4.0 average in college...

so do whatever it takes YOU to succeed.. I had friends that needed to take detailed notes and then re-write them at home to understand what was going on in class. It just depends on how you learn. Experiment what works for YOU! good luck!
Yes I agree with you. Do whatever works! Thanks for the advice.
lessthanthree wrote: i just copy the sample problems the prof does on blackboard

its kinda pointless to copy the theory because i can only understand or copy but not both
there's no point in copying the theory because you can find it all over the internet

Lol, I learned a lot of math from the internet. Great resource! I can't copy and understand at the same time too. Maybe that is why I am better off learning from the textbook.
Deal Addict
Mar 6, 2015
1836 posts
279 upvotes
After reading the whole thread, what else a new learner -- high school, undergraduate or mature students -- can learn math effectively. If you are a people person -- you learn by conversation and teamwork, get into or create a student group by informal socializing but be sure that the members within your student group are studying most of the time.

May anyway share us more tips?
If the post or comment helps or delights you, please CLICK that LIKE BUTTON!
Meiji: Ambassador Swanbeck, I have concluded that your treaty is NOT in the best interests of my people. So sorry, but you may not.
Swanbeck: This is an outrage!

Top