Contemporaneous notes are used to account for activities taken during an event or inquiry. They are most useful when you want to keep track of details over a period of time. For example, if you're making a documentary about the Beatles, you could use contemporaneous notes to remember what songs they played at which shows. Contemporaneous notes are also good for recording ideas as they come to you. If you're thinking of writing an article on songwriting techniques, you could jot down some notes about what genres and musicians influence them before putting your thoughts into words. Contemporaneous notes should not be confused with diary entries, which are written with more frequency and detail than contemporaneous notes. Diary entries are usually kept daily while contemporaneous notes may only be done occasionally but in greater depth than a diary entry. Contemporaneous notes are a very useful tool for students who like to remember facts and events that happened during lectures and seminars. Writing things down helps us retain information better because we think about it more often. Also, students can refer to their notes when trying to recall something that was said during class or lecture. This is especially helpful when trying to understand new concepts or ideas presented by their teacher.