The Ultimate IB Note-Taking Guide: Methods & Apps
In the IB, your notes aren't just for remembering what the teacher said. They are your personal textbook, your revision guide, and your secret weapon for exam success. Simply transcribing lectures won't cut it. You need a system that forces you to think, connect ideas, and actively engage with the material. Let's break down the best methods and digital tools to make your notes work for you.
Part 1: Master the Core Methods
Before you even open a laptop or an app, you need a strategy. Think of these as the operating systems for your brain. Different subjects and learning styles call for different approaches, so don't be afraid to mix and match.
The Cornell Method
Best for: Content-heavy subjects like History, Biology, and Economics, where you need to review and recall specific information.
This is the gold standard for a reason. Divide your page into three sections: a main area for notes (right), a smaller "cue" column (left), and a summary section at the bottom. During class, you take notes in the main section. Afterwards, you pull out key questions, vocabulary, or syllabus points into the cue column. Finally, you write a 2-3 sentence summary at the bottom. The magic is in the post-class processing; it forces you to revisit and synthesise the information.
The IB Advantage: The cue column is perfect for jotting down TOK links, potential IA ideas, or questions for your teacher.
Mind Mapping
Best for: Visual learners and subjects that require you to see connections, like TOK, Literature, or Economics.
Start with a central concept (e.g., a character in a novel or a macroeconomic policy) and branch out with related ideas, themes, quotes, and diagrams. Use colours, symbols, and images to make connections memorable. Mind mapping is less about capturing every detail and more about understanding the structure of a topic.
The IB Advantage: It's an incredible tool for planning essays, IAs, or your Extended Essay. You can visualise your entire argument before you write a single paragraph.
The Outline Method
Best for: Taking structured notes from a textbook or a well-organised lecture.
This is probably the most traditional method you've used. It uses a hierarchy of bullet points and indentation to show the relationship between main topics, sub-topics, and supporting details. It's clean, logical, and easy to follow. To make it IB-effective, be sure to actively decide what's important rather than just copying the textbook's structure.
The IB Advantage: Great for creating concise revision guides that align directly with the IB syllabus points.
The Charting Method
Best for: Subjects with lots of information that needs to be compared and contrasted, like History (comparing wars), Chemistry (properties of elements), or Language B (verb tenses).
Create a table or a chart with columns for different categories. As you learn, you fill in the relevant information in the corresponding cells. This makes it incredibly easy to see patterns, similarities, and differences at a glance, which is a high-level skill the IB rewards.
The IB Advantage: Perfect for Paper 2 style questions that require you to compare and contrast case studies or literary works.
The Lanterna Tip: Don't marry one method! You might use the Outline Method for textbook reading, the Cornell Method in class, and then create a Mind Map to consolidate the entire topic for revision. The goal is active learning, not rigid adherence to one system.
Part 2: The IB Student's Digital Toolkit
Your note-taking method is the 'how,' these apps are the 'where.' The right app can supercharge your organization, allow for collaboration, and make your notes accessible anywhere. Here’s a breakdown of the top contenders for IB students.
| App | Best For... | Key IB Feature | Platform |
|---|
| Notion | The 'All-in-One' Workspace. Creating a personal dashboard for all your subjects, IAs, EE, and CAS. | Databases and templates. You can track IA progress, create revision timetables, and link your notes between subjects. | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| OneNote | The Digital Binder. Mimics a physical folder with sections and pages for each subject. | Excellent drawing tools and the ability to insert PDF 'printouts' to annotate directly on lecture slides or past papers. | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Notability / GoodNotes | The Handwriting Pro. Best for students with a tablet and stylus who want to replicate the pen-and-paper experience. | Audio-syncing (Notability) lets you record lectures while you write, linking your notes to the exact moment in the audio. Both are amazing for PDF annotation. | iOS, iPadOS, macOS |
| Evernote | The Search Master. Great for capturing everything from web clippings and PDFs to handwritten notes. | Its powerful search can find text inside PDFs and even in your handwritten notes, making it easy to find information quickly. | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Google Keep | Quick Capture. For jotting down quick thoughts, making to-do lists, and setting reminders. | Its simplicity. Perfect for managing daily homework, short-term checklists, and quick brainstorming without getting bogged down. | Web, iOS, Android |
Part 3: From Good Notes to Great Grades
Having the right method and app is only half the battle. The real difference-maker is your habits. Here are the strategies our top tutors swear by:
- Engage, Don't Just Transcribe: Your goal is to understand, not to have a perfect script of the lesson. Listen for main ideas, ask questions (even in your own head), and write things in your own words. If you're just typing what you hear, you're a stenographer, not a student.
- The 24-Hour Rule: This is a non-negotiable. Review your notes within 24 hours of making them. This is when you fill in gaps, create your Cornell cues, or add colour to your mind map. It shifts information from your short-term to your long-term memory.
- Practice Your Handwriting: All your final IB exams are handwritten. Regularly taking notes by hand (even on a tablet) builds writing stamina and ensures your hand doesn't cramp up 30 minutes into Paper 1.
- Condense to Revise: Before a test, your goal should be to transform your 20 pages of notes on a topic into a single, one-page summary or mind map. This process of condensing is one of the most powerful forms of revision there is.
- Adapt to the Subject: Your Math notes should look different from your Language & Literature notes. For Math, focus on worked examples and processes. For Lit, use mind maps for characters and themes. Don't use a one-size-fits-all approach.
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