A Student Guide to
Note Taking
Good notes are essential for studying. If your notes are complete, you often will find clues about what questions will be on tests, and you will have the answers, too. Plus, taking good notes and reviewing them helps you gain comprehension of what you are learning. Some students, however, have a hard time deciding what they should include in their notes, so they have a disadvantage when they are studying for tests or trying to apply the material to their lives. Here are some tips for taking good notes.
- Read assigned readings before class. You will have a foundation on which to build. You also might have fewer notes to write during class, so you can spend more time focusing on comprehension.
- Listen closely and write quickly, but do not write everything.
- Listen for key points and jot them down. Leave space to add other ideas later.
- Do not just listen. Ask questions.
- Write questions in the margins of your notes.
- Ask for examples if they will help you understand new ideas.
- Try to translate what the teacher says into your own words.
- Relate ideas to other concepts presented at the same time and to ideas from other lectures.
- What is familiar? What is new? Give more focus to new materials. Write examples of new ideas in your notes.
- Compare notes with other classmates. You can fill in gaps and discuss key ideas.
- Some teachers are difficult to understand. Here are some tips for dealing with common problems. If your teacher:
- Talks too fast: Listen for and write only the main ideas. Fill in examples and other ideas, later. Completing reading before class and comparing notes with classmates after class really can help.
- Skips around: Look for connections between ideas. They might not be obvious. Rewrite your notes later and group similar ideas or topics.
- Entertains: Stories may be examples of ideas, so try to relate them to the lecture topic. Compare your interpretation of stories to that of a classmate.
- Speaks softly: Ask the teacher to speak up and repeat points. Look for clues on the board.
- Nonverbal clues can help you identify key points.
- Pause in speech: often proceeds or follows an important point
- Index finger pointing up: first point, or this is important
- Learn your teachers other clues.
- Use abbreviations when you are writing to speed note taking.
- Most effective note takers have discovered a method that works well for them because it allows them to add to their notes, later. Here are two examples that work well for many people:
w/ = with w/out = without e.g., or ex = example
"=" = equal * = important & = and
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- At the end of the lecture, summarize the lecture in one or two sentences to test your comprehension.
- Review your notes within 24 hours. Otherwise, you might forget details and examples you want to add.
- Highlight key ideas and/or rewrite them in your own words.
- After your first test, adapt your note taking style to match the teacher's testing style. Remember to include ideas that interest you, however, even if they probably will not be on the test. Doing so will keep you interested in the material.
Sebranek, Patrick, Verne Meyer, and Dave Kemper. Writers INC. Washington, D.C.:
Heath, 1996.
Developed by Jessie Moore
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