Well, to make a good summary depends on getting the key points.
This may be hard, but don’t worry, training is the way for it.
Try this algorithm.
Table of Contents
1- Classify any piece of information using just one of the following possibilities:
comment
useful knowledge
useless knowledge (relative to your need, purposes, context, etc.)
glue (that kind of information required by the human being interaction – must be short and concise)
imprecise (see comment at next step)
diversion (everything else, like when the speaker/writer loses his focus)
2- How do I find a piece of information?
Check each idea formed into your mind by the speaker/writer.
Make the question: What did he mean in that chunk of last related words?
Listen to making sure to close a conclusion for each step, chunk, time or any other way of dividing the information in real time.
Don’t let it to the end to get a final idea.
An idea is like a brick wall, made of smaller pieces. Classify each piece.
If you do not get a clear answer, or do not recognise the “bricks”, there two major possibilities:
You didn’t understand or the speaker/writer is not well connecting the points.
Classify as imprecise.
Everything else is easier to classify without too much effort.
3. Making the summary.
Get a note for every useful knowledge and discard everything else.
Set your notes into a precise and correlated sequence.
If necessary, enrich those points extending with additional information briefly.
4. Make a revision after sometime later.
Like wine, ideas must get some rest to mature.
A better vision of what was done comes after some time our mind got some rest working on something else.
5. Conclusion
All you get will make sense in very short pieces of ideas, the bricks of the wall.
Everything else was useless for you. Discard.
Do not worry – this is the best we can do.
6. Dealing with imprecision.
Sometimes our ego doesn’t let us make peace with ourselves.
If you feel like so, try a revision over the imprecise information if it is still available otherwise you’ve done your best.
Useful to keep some time between revisions to “mature the wine”.
Brazilian system analyst graduated by UNESA (University Estácio de Sá – Rio de Janeiro). Geek by heart.