Writing a good summary can be a daunting task, yet it is one of the most popular ways to learn. A summary is therefore an important tool to formulate the main points of a text in your own words and leave out side-issues. The purpose of a summary is simple: you want to write a summary that is nice and easier to read, without having to grab your book and flip back to the correct text (which you probably won't be able to find in one go anyway).
But what is a summary and how to write a good summary? In this article, we will tell you more about the meaning of a summary and give you a 10-step plan on how to whip up a good summary.
What is a summary?
A summary is a condensed, simplified version of an original book or document. It answers the question: what does it actually say? A summary is therefore a tool often used in learning (or cramming) during your studies. But why write your own summary? Writing your own summary helps you understand the core of what a book is about. This makes it easier to distinguish main points from side issues and get to the core of a book in a short time. So, writing a summary not only helps you understand and learn the material, but also saves you time! What more could you want?
Now that you know more about the meaning of a summary and why you should write one yourself, you can start writing your summary. Below are some steps you can follow to write a good summary yourself. What are you waiting for?
10-Step Plan: Summary writing
Curious about the actions per step? Then read on!
1: Find out what material you need to learn
Before you even start writing anything, it is important to find out exactly what material you need to know for your exam and thus need to summarise. You can usually find this information in a module manual, course guide, or study plan. Definitely do this before you start. In fact, some paragraphs (or even chapters) from a book may be redundant for passing your exam. And I think we can unanimously agree that it's a waste to spend your time on material you didn't need to learn in the first place. Write down for yourself which chapters you do need to learn and which ones specifically need your attention in the summary. Listed everything you need to know for your exam, midterm, or test? Then move on to the next step!
2: Carefully read the text once
After you have figured out what material you are going to learn, it is important that you carefully read through the text of the material you have to learn once. This ensures that you understand the text and know exactly what it says. It can help to read the text out loud so that you remember it better. If you have done this, you already know the outlines of what the text is about, which only makes it easier to extract the most important points from the text.
When you read the text, try to distinguish sharply between the main and secondary issues. To find out the main points, you can use the method of coming up with your own exam questions about the material. This way, you will gain insight into what could possibly be asked, and you can filter out unnecessary information. If you do decide to start summarising straight away, this is a much more difficult process. By reading the text carefully first, you avoid including wrong or incomplete information in your summary.
3: Highlight what is most important
Highlight the most important words and phrases from the text. Especially look for sentences that summarise a paragraph. These sentences are often at the beginning or end of a piece of text and therefore clearly indicate what the paragraph is about. Also look for bold, italicized, and underlined words in the text. These words are often concepts that you will be expected to know during your exam. Make sure that you really only mark the main points that you need to know: after all, this is the most important information you need to pass your exam.
4: Structure your summary
To make the learning afterward as easy as possible, structure in your summary is essential. Indicate in your summary to which paragraph or chapter the text you are writing about refers by using headings. This helps you keep an overview and makes it easier to find the right page if you want to read the text in the book again more quickly. It is also advisable to use bullet points. These are often easier to remember. For example, by numbering your enumeration from 1 to 5, you will more quickly remember that the enumeration consists of 5 things. If the text contains models or figures that are important, you may choose to include them in your summary as well. A visual image accompanying the text can often help you remember the material better, and it is often also easier to learn.
You can also choose to use a mnemonic in your summary. This involves using the first letters to come up with an abbreviation or phrase. Usually, a crazy word will come out but knowing the first letter of the word will make you come up with it faster. If you are describing something that has a picture of a model, table or diagram et cetera, refer to it, or stick the figure in the text. That way you make it clear and you can immediately see what you are talking about.
5: Make clever use of Word or Google Docs
To ensure structure, there are several features in Word or Google Docs that can help you make writing your summary easier and more structured. Just click on the 'View' tab and then check the 'Navigation pane' or 'Navigation pane' checkbox. If you want to find chapters, paragraphs, or even terms easily, give them the 'Heading 1', 'Heading 2' formatting. These words will then appear automatically in your navigation pane, making it super easy to jump to a particular chapter or paragraph! If you are looking for a particular word or subject, you can use command+f or control+f and type the word in the search box. When you have typed the word and your document contains this exact word, Word or Google Docs will automatically take you there. So this makes it super easy to navigate through your document!
6: Write in your own words
When summarising a text from the book, try not to use the same words as given, but translate a piece of text into your own words. This way, not only can you learn it better after writing it, but you also remember it a lot easier. This is because you are more used to your own language, and this way you don't spend time thinking about difficult words all the time. It is also good to read a piece of text in a different way than normal, this way you can remember it better for your exam.
7: Summarise per chapter
Once you have read the whole text globally, you can start re-reading the text. Try to write down the highlighted text in your own words so that it becomes a logical story. So do not copy the highlighted text verbatim. The best way to proceed is to do this per chapter, this way you keep an overview of your text and you can easily find things again. When your summary is clear, you can also learn more easily, since your brain is visual. Also try to take a short break after writing a chapter, especially if the next chapter is on another subject. This way, your brain can process the information and two topics are less likely to be mixed up.
8: Make a glossary of terms for each chapter
With a little luck, there will be a glossary for each chapter in your book and you will be able to copy these terms in no time. If this glossary is not in there, you can make it yourself by listing the bold, italicized, and underlined words that you have already marked before, and you can give each term a definition. This way, you have an overview of the most important terms and can also learn and remember them well. When you make a glossary and learn it, you actually are already halfway through preparing for your exam.
9: Add additional information
It may happen that not all the material for your test or examination is in the book, but that a teacher uses additional information from other textbooks or pdf. So it is always useful to check the PowerPoint again and complete your summary where necessary. For this, you can of course also use the notes you took yourself in class. PowerPoints from lecturers, but also cases and articles can often be found online on the course site of the course you are taking.
10: Check the summary
Check that the most important information is in the summary. You could have a fellow student read through your summary to check. Also look critically at the summary yourself. Is the story clear and logical, and do you understand what it says? Make notes and write down points of improvement while reading through the summary and adjust them later. Rewrite the summary according to the points of improvement you identified. Then read through it again. No points of improvement? Then your summary is done. You now have a good story that can bring all the material back to the surface.
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