₦airaland Forum

The first person to introduce me to the art of note-taking was Mrs. Amina Ibrahim, my sister-in-law, when she was our teacher and my school bursar.

It was a little hard for us to write down every word she dictated since we were only in JSS1, but she was kind enough to write most of it on the board. Even then, I knew it was a good thing, and I always worked hard just to earn her commendation.

Unashamedly, some of us only grow well under commendation. I love validation, and I work hard to earn it. Tell me “well done” before you tell me “do more”. I am intolerant of needless condemnation. I love excellence, but I also appreciate progress.

So from junior secondary through university, I was always among the first three in note-taking. I am not the fastest, but I am certainly one of the best at writing down the right thing and understanding it.

Most certainly, my training in Linguistics also helped sharpen that ability. Today, that early training in note-taking has become useful in my work, especially when I serve as secretary and have to take minutes. I can listen, process, pick the important points, and put them down without losing the substance of the discussion.

Till date and I suspect forever, note-taking remains part and parcel of me. As the saying goes, the shortest pen is better than the longest memory.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.