Note-taking

As parents of students at ESF, HKIS, CIS, YCIS, CKY, Harrow, Kellett, and other leading international schools in Hong Kong, you know the intense pressure of the IGCSE and IB programmes. Your child is bright and hardworking — yet many students fall short not because of ability, but because they have never been taught how to capture, organise, and apply information effectively.

At Alumni G, The Art of Note-Taking and Application has been our most popular course for the past five years, helping dozens of international school students gain a real edge through an often-overlooked skill. Past students have shown significant improvements in academic progress—results that even academic tutoring alone often cannot achieve.

Our instructor experienced this transformation firsthand. She raised her own IB score from 28 to 41 out of 45 by applying these exact techniques to her studies.

We know summer can be hectic, with travel plans and other commitments filling up fast. That’s why this course is fully self-paced, giving students the freedom to learn on their own schedule and complete it in the way that works best for them.

Apply here

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Module 1: Foundations of Note-Taking

This module introduces the fundamental skills needed to capture information effectively and efficiently.

1.1 Intro to Passive Note-Taking: Understanding the types of passive note-taking methods and recognizing its strengths and limitations in long-term retention.
1.2 Intro to Active Note-Taking: Learn Active note-taking techniques to process, summarize, and question the material as you write, which drastically improves comprehension. Simultaneously learning of its strengths and weaknesses.
1.3 Practice 1: A hands-on exercise applying active note-taking strategies to a sample text or lecture.

Module 2: Cognitivism and Memory Retention

This module explores the science behind learning so students can study smarter, not harder.

2.1 What is cognitivism?: A foundational look into the psychological framework of how the mind processes, stores, and retrieves information.
2.2 How does memory work?: Breaking down short-term, working, and long-term memory, and exploring how to transfer knowledge effectively between them.
2.3 & 2.4 Practice 2 (i & ii): More note-taking exercises designed to test memory recall and apply cognitive strategies, such as spaced repetition or active AND passive recall abilities.

Module 3: The Mechanics of Writing

Please note that the costs for this optional step will be provided in a separate quotation if parents choose to pursue it.

This section focuses on the physical act of writing and its direct impact on the brain's ability to learn.

3.1 Why does handwriting matter?: Exploring the neurological benefits of consistency and why it often leads to better conceptual understanding
3.2 - 3.4 Practices: A series of practical activities prompting students to synthesize complex information into concise, handwritten study materials.

Module 4: Modern Tools & Research

This module bridges traditional study methods with modern technology and academic requirements.

4.1 How to better use AI for revision?: Strategies for using artificial intelligence as a study partner—such as generating practice questions, summarizing difficult concepts, or creating flashcards — without relying on it to do the thinking for you.
4.2 What makes a good research essay?: A breakdown of the structural, analytical, and formatting elements that elevate a standard essay into a rigorous, well-supported research paper.

Module 5: Psychology of Learning

The final module addresses the mental and emotional hurdles of being a student.

5.1 Mindset: Exploring how your perspective and mindset on learning, challenges, and failure dictate your academic success.
5.2 Procrastination and Laziness: Understanding the core differences between the two. This section highlights that laziness is apathy and an unwillingness to put in effort because you don't see the value , whereas procrastination is actively delaying a task you know you should do simply because you don't want to do it right now.

Note-taking

This module introduces the fundamental skills needed to capture information effectively and efficiently.

1.1 Intro to Passive Note-Taking: Understanding the types of passive note-taking methods and recognizing its strengths and limitations in long-term retention.

1.2 Intro to Active Note-Taking: Learn Active note-taking techniques to process, summarize, and question the material as you write, which drastically improves comprehension. Simultaneously learning of its strengths and weaknesses.

1.3 Practice 1: A hands-on exercise applying active note-taking strategies to a sample text or lecture.

This module explores the science behind learning so students can study smarter, not harder.

2.1 What is cognitivism?: A foundational look into the psychological framework of how the mind processes, stores, and retrieves information.

2.2 How does memory work?: Breaking down short-term, working, and long-term memory, and exploring how to transfer knowledge effectively between them.

2.3 & 2.4 Practice 2 (i & ii): More note-taking exercises designed to test memory recall and apply cognitive strategies, such as spaced repetition or active AND passive recall abilities.

Please note that the costs for this optional step will be provided in a separate quotation if parents choose to pursue it.

This section focuses on the physical act of writing and its direct impact on the brain's ability to learn.

3.1 Why does handwriting matter?: Exploring the neurological benefits of consistency and why it often leads to better conceptual understanding

3.2 - 3.4 Practices: A series of practical activities prompting students to synthesize complex information into concise, handwritten study materials.

This module bridges traditional study methods with modern technology and academic requirements.

4.1 How to better use AI for revision?: Strategies for using artificial intelligence as a study partner—such as generating practice questions, summarizing difficult concepts, or creating flashcards — without relying on it to do the thinking for you.

4.2 What makes a good research essay?: A breakdown of the structural, analytical, and formatting elements that elevate a standard essay into a rigorous, well-supported research paper.

The final module addresses the mental and emotional hurdles of being a student.

5.1 Mindset: Exploring how your perspective and mindset on learning, challenges, and failure dictate your academic success.