How Toppers Make Notes Differently - Secrets Students Don't Know

Every student makes notes…
But toppers create notes that boost their memory, save time, and help them revise the entire syllabus in days - not months.

So what’s the difference?

Below are the note-making secrets used by toppers in CBSE, ICSE, UP Board, JEE, NEET, SSC, Banking, and other competitive exams.

1. Toppers Write Notes After Understanding, Not While Reading

Average students write notes while reading - which leads to mindless copying.
Toppers do the opposite.

✔ First understand
✔ Then summarise
✔ Then write

This activates active recall, which improves retention by 60-80%.

2. They Use the 30-20-10 Rule

Toppers divide their notes into:

• 30% theory

• 20% formulas/key points

• 10% mind maps

This balance helps them revise quickly without reading long paragraphs.

3. Toppers Notes Are Always Short and Point-Based

Toppers never write long notes.

They follow one rule:
“Notes should be revision-friendly, not textbook-friendly.”

Their notes look like this:

• Bullet points

• Small phrases

• Diagrams

• Arrows

• Keywords highlighted

This improves scanning and revision.

4. They Use Color Coding - But Smartly

Toppers don't use 10 types of highlighters.

They use only three colors:

• Yellow → Important

• Pink → Very important

• Blue → Formulas/definitions

This creates a systematic visual pattern the brain remembers easily.

5. Toppers Create Mind Maps

Mind maps help in:

• Quick revision

• Connecting concepts

• Better memory

• Faster understanding

Subjects like Biology, History, Polity, Physics become super easy.

6. They Use Dedicated Note Styles for Each Subject

Toppers don’t follow the same style for all subjects.

Science / Biology

→ Diagrams, flowcharts, labeled structures

Maths

→ Step-by-step solved examples + formula list

History / Polity

→ Timeline charts + causes & effects

English / Literature

→ Character map + theme summary + quotes

7. Toppers Update Their Notes After Solving PYQs

This is their biggest secret!
After solving previous year papers, toppers:

✔ Add frequently asked questions
✔ Add missed concepts
✔ Highlight common mistakes
✔ Add short tricks

This makes their notes exam-oriented.

8. They Keep a “One-Page Revision Sheet”

Before exams, toppers use a 1-page cheat sheet containing:

• Formulas

• Important dates

• Repeated definitions

• Quick diagrams

This helps with last-day revision.

9. Toppers Never Make Their Notes Beautiful — They Make Them Useful

You’ll never see a topper wasting time on:

Fancy handwriting
Too many colors
Aesthetic decoration

They focus on clarity, speed, and revision utility.

10. Toppers Rewrite Notes Only Once

They create:

1. Draft notes
2. Final notes
3. One-page revision sheet

And that's it.

No rewriting again and again.

Final Tip: Toppers Make Notes to Remember - Not to Impress

Toppers don’t aim for pretty notes - they aim for high retention and fast revision.

If you want to study like a topper, follow this rule:

“Notes should be short, smart, and revision-friendly.”