Writing in Margins by Cassidy

Writing in Margins by Cassidy - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

The most effective study method I’ve learned to use is writing in the margins of textbooks. Before my third semester in college, I never used to mark in any of my books, especially textbooks, because I thought doing so would diminish their worth. But this past semester I had a professor who spent a whole class on how beneficial it is to mark in any kind of books, not just ones that have designated spaces for comments and questions. This was very surprising for me to hear because I hardly even highlighted in my textbooks, let alone actually write in them. I took my professor’s challenge, however, and forced myself to write in the margins of my textbooks.

Since I started actively writing down my thoughts about the assigned readings, I’ve seen a big improvement on how much material I can obtain and actively recall even after taking the exams. By writing down key points or summarizing a paragraph in my own words next to the text, I have to actively process and mentally comprehend what the author of the textbook is saying; I have to make sure I understand enough of the reading to completely rephrase and reword the main points in my own words.

Writing in the margins instead of on another sheet of paper is more beneficial because it helps mentally substitute my easy-to-understand words for the difficult- to-even-read writing of the textbook authors. Recording my thoughts and key points within the margins also makes studying a lot easier since I can just open the text and read my own notes instead of rereading the text. The last advantage of writing in the margins of my textbooks is that even if I decide to sell the book after the semester ends, whoever buys the textbook will have my additional notes to learn from and it may help them better understand the text as well.