How I make handwritten notes that actually help in BDS exams

My handwritten notes have helped me through BDS, and they’ve helped my batchmates and juniors too.

Making them wasn’t quick. For some subjects, I would spend a whole day, especially on Sundays, on just one question. I never really had free time, and whatever free time I did get went into taking notes.

That effort paid off when I needed it most. Due to a personal reason, I couldn’t attend college classes for two months in my final year, and the university exam schedule was short. The notes I had already taken are what helped me prepare in such a short time.

It’s easy to think that making notes means copying the textbook in neater handwriting. But good notes are not a copy of the book. They are a map of the book that only you need to read. Dentico Diary started because of these notes: I struggled to find reliable study material as a student, so I began writing my own. In this post I’ll share how I make them, so you can build a system that works for you.

Why handwritten notes still work

Typing is faster, but writing by hand forces you to slow down and decide what actually matters. You can’t write down every line, so your brain has to summarise, and that summarising is where a lot of real learning happens.

Handwritten notes also make it easy to mix words with quick sketches: a labelled tooth section, an arrow showing the spread of an infection, a little table comparing two cysts. In a subject like dentistry, where so much is visual, that matters.

For me, it started simply. While reading, I couldn’t tell which were the key points, so I started writing them down. Picking out what matters and putting it on paper is what made things clear.

Step 1: Read first, write later

One of the most common mistakes is writing while reading a topic for the first time. Everything looks important on the first read, so you end up with pages of notes and no clarity.

Instead, try this:

1. Read the topic once fully, without writing anything.
2. Close the book and ask yourself: what are the 4 or 5 main points here?
3. Only then open your notebook and start writing.

It feels slower, but your notes come out shorter and much clearer.

Step 2: Use the same structure for every topic

Exams in BDS reward structured answers. If your notes already follow that structure, writing a good answer becomes almost automatic. For most theory topics, a skeleton like this works well:

• Definition (one or two lines you can reproduce word for word)
• Aetiology / causes
• Classification, if there is one
• Clinical features
• Investigations (radiographic, histopathological, lab)
• Differential diagnosis
• Management / treatment
• Complications or prognosis

Not every heading fits every topic, and that’s fine. The point is that when you revise, your eyes already know where to look.

Step 3: Make diagrams and flowcharts do the heavy lifting

A diagram that you have drawn yourself is worth pages of text. Some ideas that work well:

• Flowcharts for processes, such as the steps of a procedure or the sequence of inflammation.
• Labelled diagrams for anatomy, tooth morphology and instruments.
• Comparison tables for similar-looking conditions or materials, so the differences jump out.

Keep diagrams simple. Examiners appreciate a clean, well-labelled sketch far more than an artistic one.

Step 4 (optional): Use colour, but keep it consistent

I don’t follow a specific colour system myself, but some students find colour helpful for revision. If you’d like to try it, make sure each colour means something, and stick to the same small set across every subject. For example:

• One colour for headings
• One colour for definitions and key terms
• One colour for “important for exams” points
• Pencil or a light colour for extra details you can skip in a quick revision

Step 5: Leave space for later

It helps to leave a margin or some blank space on each page. When you revise, attend a lecture or find a good point in another book, add it there. Over time, the notes grow with you, instead of becoming outdated the moment you finish writing them.

This is also the place to add your own mnemonics and “don’t forget” reminders.

Step 6: Revise from your notes, not the textbook

Notes only help if you actually use them. A simple revision pattern:

• Same week: go through the new notes once, quickly.
• Before internals: revise the topic from your notes and try writing one answer from memory.
• Before university exams: use your notes as the main source, and go back to the textbook only for gaps.

Testing yourself (writing an answer or explaining a topic aloud) is far more effective than simply re-reading pages.

A few honest tips

• Don’t chase pretty notes. Neat is nice, but useful is the goal.
• Write in your own words. If you can’t rephrase something, you probably haven’t understood it yet.
• Keep one notebook (or one section) per subject. Loose sheets disappear right before exams, every time.
• Check against your syllabus. Your university syllabus and previous question papers tell you what to focus on.
• Other people’s notes are a starting point. Use them to save time, but add your own understanding on top.

Find my handwritten notes

If you’d like to see how this looks in practice, my handwritten notes for BDS subjects are collected in the Notes Library. Use them alongside your textbooks and lectures, and add your own points as you go.

Have a question about making notes, or a subject you’d like me to cover next? Send me a message, I’m always happy to help.

These notes and tips are for study support only. Always follow your prescribed textbooks, your university syllabus and your faculty’s guidance.