How to Use Abbreviations When Taking Notes

The word abbreviation comes from the Latin word brevis, which means short. An abbreviation is simply a shortened form of a long word or phrase (for example, instead of "human immunodeficiency virus," we say "HIV"). So is there an efficient way to abbreviate words in general?

In my opinion, you should develop your own style of abbreviating long words when taking notes. After all, you are the one reading the notes, right? It doesn't really matter how you abbreviate words as long as you understand your notes later.

That said, a few guidelines help:

• Be consistent: always abbreviate the same word the same way.
• Only abbreviate words you use often, so you don't have to puzzle over your notes later.
• Many university learning centers publish lists of common note-taking abbreviations. Some of their tips are worth borrowing, even if you adapt them to your own style.

For more ways to take better notes, browse our note-taking articles, such as our guide to Cornell notes.