Note Taking Abbreviations and Symbols: A Comprehensive GuideEffective note taking is a vital skill that can significantly enhance your learning experience. Taking notes efficiently allows you to capture important information quickly and concisely, which can be especially beneficial during lectures, meetings, or when reading academic texts.
One way to make note-taking more efficient is to utilize abbreviations and symbols. In this article, we will explore common note-taking abbreviations and symbols, providing you with a comprehensive guide to enhance your note-taking skills.
Note Taking Abbreviations
Common abbreviations
Abbreviations can be incredibly valuable in note taking, allowing you to condense information into shorter, easily recognizable forms. Here are some commonly used abbreviations:
– approx.
(approximate)
– b/c (because)
– b/4 (before)
– bk. (book)
– C (centigrade)
– c.
(circa)
– cf. (compare)
– cp.
(compare)
– def. (definition)
– diff.
(difference)
– ea. (each)
– e.g. (for example)
– fr.
(from)
– etc. (et cetera)
– i.e. (that is)
– impt.
(important)
– NB (nota bene)
– nec. (necessary)
– re.
(regarding)
– sim. (similar)
– s/t (something)
– T.
(temperature)
– tho’ (though)
– thro’ (through)
– w/ (with)
– w/o (without)
– viz. (namely)
– v.
(versus)
– vv. (numerous verses)
– vs.
(against)
– ppl (people)
– res (regarding)
– natl (national)
– eqn (equation)
– ed (edition)
– dep (department)
– esp (especially)
– ustand (understand)
– Am. (American)
– Pm. (post meridiem)
– asap (as soon as possible)
– Wrt (with respect to)
– =ity (equality)
– evryt (everything)
– infl (influence)
– r. (right)
– devel (development)
– expl (explanation)
– trad (traditional)
– cult (culture)
– instit (institution)
– justific (justification)
– nt (note)
– lrg (large)
– soc.
(society)
– Stats (statistics)
– Am’t (amount)
– educat’l (educational)
– subj (subject)
– cons (consider)
– ind (individual)
– ckg (checking)
– estg (establishing)
– Expting (expecting)
– bkgd (background)
– ppd (prepaid)
– prblm (problem)
– C19 (nineteenth century)
– 1920s (roaring twenties)
– Ltd (limited)
– max. (maximum)
– min.
(minimum)
– G.B. (Great Britain)
– U.K (United Kingdom)
– Eng. (England)
– Brit.
(British)
– Sts (states)
Specific historical terms
In addition to common abbreviations, note-taking can also benefit from using specific historical terms to condense information. Here are some examples:
– 19thC (nineteenth century)
– WWI (World War I)
– WWII (World War II)
– Indust.
Rev. (Industrial Revolution)
– Fren.
Rev. (French Revolution)
– Rus.
Rev. (Russian Revolution)
– Nat Soc (National Socialism)
– Prus (Prussian)
– US (United States)
– Brit (British)
– Eng.
(England)
– Germ. (Germany)
– Fr. (France)
Note Taking Symbols
Common symbols
Alongside abbreviations, symbols are a powerful tool to streamline note-taking. Here are some commonly used symbols:
– 2, 4, 8 (denoting numbers)
– + (plus, addition)
– – (minus, subtraction)
– (multiplication)
– (division)
– = (equals)
– > (greater than)
– < (less than)
– (less than or equal to)
– (greater than or equal to)
– (therefore)
– (because)
– (square root)
– (multiply)
– ?
(question)
– ! (exclamation)
– @ (at)
– (copyright)
– (registered)
– (trademark)
– $ (dollar)
– (pound)
– % (percent)
– (degrees)
– # (number)
– / (slash)
– : (colon)
– ; (semicolon)
– . (period)
– , (comma)
– …
(ellipsis)
Less frequently used symbols
In addition to commonly used symbols, some less frequently utilized symbols can also strengthen your note-taking skills. Here are a few examples:
– A (ampere)
– adm.
(administration)
– adj. (adjective)
– abr.
(abbreviation)
– abbr. (abbreviation)
– acad.
(academic)
– aka. (also known as)
– app.
(application)
– assoc. (association)
– biol.
(biology)
– bibliog. (bibliography)
– bot.
(botany)
– cap. (capital)
– chap.
(chapter)
– chem. (chemistry)
– co.
(company)
– colloq. (colloquial)
– conf.
(conference)
– cont. (content)
– com.
(communication)
– cr. (credit)
– crit.
(critique)
– diag. (diagram)
– disc.
(discussion)
– dist. (district)
– div.
(division)
– distr. (distribution)
– econ.
(economics)
– esp. (especially)
– est.
(established)
– ex. (example)
– excl.
(exclude)
– f. (feminine)
– gen.
(general)
– govt. (government)
– hist.
(history)
– illus. (illustration)
– inc.
(including)
– info. (information)
– lang.
(language)
– m. (masculine)
– orig.
(original)
– p./pp. (page/pages)
– para.
(paragraph)
– poss. (possible)
– prin.
(principle)
– prob. (problem)
– probs (problems)
– prob.
(probably)
– pt./pts. (point/points)
– Q.
(question)
– ref. (reference)
– reg.
(regular)
– rev. (review)
– sci.
(science)
– sect. (section)
– sp.
(species)
– st. (state)
– univ.
(university)
– usu. (usually)
– vers.
(version)
– yr. (year)
Conclusion:
In conclusion, note-taking abbreviations and symbols can significantly improve your overall note-taking process.
By mastering common abbreviations and symbols, you will be able to capture and retain information more efficiently, saving time and energy. Remember, practicing these techniques and incorporating them into your note-taking routine can help you become a more effective learner.
So, take note of these valuable tools and enhance your note-taking experience today!
In conclusion, effective note taking plays a crucial role in enhancing the learning experience. By utilizing common abbreviations and symbols, you can condense information, making it easier to capture and retain key points.
The comprehensive guide provided in this article offers a wealth of commonly used abbreviations and symbols, as well as specific historical terms, serving as valuable resources to enhance your note-taking skills. By incorporating these techniques into your routine, you can save time and energy while ensuring that important information is captured accurately.
So, leverage the power of abbreviations and symbols in your note taking and unlock a more efficient and effective learning experience.