For the UPSC CSE exam, why is it advised to make notes only after reading a book atleast 2-3 times? Why shouldn’t I make them in the first read itself?

The very crucial part of UPSC is multiple revisions, and it is possible only after making your self-notes in succinct manner after reading books and mandatory of making notes should be mains oriented. Most UPSC toppers recommend about making notes, after 2-3 times of reading books before preparing your notes. Why it is essential?

Tendency of human is to loose almost 40% of new information within the first 24 hours of reading or hearing it. If we take notes effectively, however, we can retain and retrieve almost 100% of the information we receive”

Notes making is an important prospects of UPSC IAS to crack it. One cannot dream to crack UPSC without making proper notes. Aspirants always ask to themselves how toppers made their hand notes to reach at the top of the sky? Notes-making is just like an art of weaving your knowledge in your words to enhance your brilliancy. It is being an excellent only after 2-3 times of reading. It benefits you more than your expectation in preparation as follows:

1. It is good for making notes in concise for quick revision and gives you bird eye view to accomplish your goal.
2. it also aid you to understand the things with much clarity.
3. after multiple readings, you can able to relate it in each and every aspects, you can able to relate it with current aspects.

Most of the aspirants have tendency to make notes after its first reading, but in that case, we find almost each and every line important, as it is the mindset of common people that UPSC can ask everything from everywhere and anywhere, which make their notes bulky. This happens:

– Due to lack of idea of questions asked in exams.

– Due to lack of complete knowledge of particular  topic.

– Due to lack of tendency of filtering out the relevant stuff.

And so, we begin to rewrite the same context. With that done, we produce another copy of the book/source they are making notes out of. That is absolutely worthless, meaningless and wastage of labour and time. After then, when they begin revision of that notes, it taking lots of time with no profit means, quantity rather than quality. And after that they think, it is easy to read book again rather than notes and at that point, making that lengthy notes serve no purpose.

The idea of making notes is to capture the gist of a matter in minimum words commanding maximum grasp. That comes only after second or third reading where eventually you learn what is to be chalked out and what you wish to retain for the exam, best done when previous year questions from the topic are visited atleast once.

Purpose of multiple readings: a) “clue” in first reading; b) “understanding” in second reading; c) “whole scenario of topic” in third reading.

It is just like “practice makes a man perfect“, similarly your good habit prepares you to achieve your goal. Likewise, your first reading boost your reading habit. If you read the same thing in second time, that reading converted your habit into learning, it develops your understanding into particular subject. And your third time reading makes you legend of that topic, means, you are able to  create new taste and sense on that topic. Then only you are able to say yourself a matured person of that topic. And UPSC needs the same thing, maturity level of your mind. And, can able to make better notes for UPSC level.

So, most of the aspirants prescribe to read books more than once before making notes. It has following benefits:

1. Multiple readings give much clarity on a particular subject.
2. Definitely this takes much time, but it is absolutely worth spending on this activity.
3. If you’re able to decipher the underlying story in a book in just 2nd reading, it’s good. Though, it advisable to read atleast 3 times. An extra reading does more good than harm!
4. in one reading you will understand the context, in second reading you can able to co-relate the topics in each and every aspects and in third reading you will get understanding and able to segregate crucial and non-crucial part. Now, if you make notes, you will be able to make a precise one. Because always remeber you will get only one night before mains to refer to all your short notes, so it should be such a great way to make relevant stuffs.
5. Reading the original text multiple times helps you connect the dots and the notes made after multiple reading will be of far better quality and insights. So we could summarise a page in just 4–5 short lines.

Because of the time we waste in copying the whole book for the first time, we have to be patient and read a thing, again and again, to get something beneficial for UPSC purpose from the content.

What should be the good strategy to read:

1) first, you read the chapters and try to link it with previous question of that chapter. Do not dig too deep.

2) Read second time and highlight the all relevent points of that chapter. Now you can start dwelling into details step by step as you carry on.

3) Now, read it third time and extract the brief information and then start making notes of that chapter in each and every aspects.

This is the brief why reading books 2-3 times is need before making notes.

Source: Quora