Information about Taking Notes

Content

Prior to Attending Class
During Class
Your Notebook and Good Grades
Listening for Key Words
Reviewing Your Notes
Daydreaming
Summary: The Five R's of Note Taking
Note Taking Practice

Prior to Attending Class

Being prepared for class includes completing assignments as well as looking ahead at what will be covered in the next class. The following are some tips for what to do to prepare for class and what to do during class:

1. Preview your text or reading assignments prior to lecture--use active reading skills. Previewing allows you to identify main ideas and concepts that will most likely be presented during the lecture. Try to determine what is and is not important.
2. Read over your notes from the previous class.
3. Look at the course outline to see where you've been, where you're going, and how it all fits together.
4. Meet with your instructor/TA to clarify concepts from the last lecture.
5. Obtain notes from any class session you've missed.
6. List unfamiliar terms and concepts prior to the lecture. Compose a simple definition for unfamiliar terms prior to the lecture. This gives you a general understanding of the material that will be presented in class.
7. Compose precise and concise questions you can ask about terms or concepts you don't understand. You might request clarification from fellow students prior to the lecture. If you are still uncertain, ask for clarification during the lecture. If a term or concept has not been clarified during the lecture, ask the instructor before the class period ends. Remember, if you are confused, other students probably are also.
8. Note portions of the text or reading assignment that you do not understand, as you did with terms and definitions. Listen for explanations during class. Prepare a question to ask during class if you are still confused.

During Class

1. Mark each set of notes with a date and title and keep notes from different classes separate.
2. Sit where you can hear and see clearly without distractions.
3. Don't crowd your notes! Leave blanks to fill in missed items and to expand upon your notes later.
4. Ask your instructor, TA, or classmate to help you fill in the gaps if you think you missed one or two important points.
5. Stay involved in the class and ask questions. Volunteer for demonstrations. Join in class discussions.
6. Take too many notes, rather than not enough. You can always omit unnecessary information later.
7. Think to yourself, "Why is this important?"
8. Focus on the point the professor is making, rather than scrambling to copy the entire overhead without listening to what the professor is saying.
9. Write down notes in your own words when possible and think about what the professor is saying. However, definitions of technical terms should be recorded exactly as given.
10. Use abbreviations and symbols to save time. Make sure you understand your abbreviations!
11. Take notes in different colors to highlight important points.
12. Use underlining or symbols, such as an asterisk or star, to identify points your instructor emphasizes.
13. Stay alert for and highlight points your instructor emphasizes through his or her verbal cues. Watch for lists such as "the following 5 steps" or "the 4 major causes" and for summaries signaled by words such as "consequently" or "therefore."
14. Add examples your professor provides in order to clarify abstract ideas and to jog your memory when studying later.
15. Make eye contact with the lecturer.
16. Don't be a clock-watcher. Instructors do not always pace themselves accurately and may cram half of the lecture into the last 15 minutes.
17. Learn as much as you can in class because this will help you to better understand and complete outside assignments. For example, if your instructor pauses during lecture, use that time to review the notes you've taken so far.
18. Use a tape recorder only to clarify lecture points--use the counter to make referencing the tape easier.
19. Meet a conscientious and success-oriented student in each class at the beginning of every semester and share notes.

Your Notebook & "Good" Notes

Structure and organization are key to maintaining accurate notes. The following is a list of guidelines and tips for setting up a notebook and keeping your notes intelligible.

Setting up your notebook

1. Keep a separate notebook or separate section of a notebook for each course. This will help you stay organized and avoid misplacing your notes.
2. If the course requires different types of notes (i.e., lecture notes, notes on outside reading, lab notes, computation notes) arrange them on opposite pages for cross-referencing.
3. Notes for each lecture should begin on a new page, with the date and page number.
4. Make your notes brief, a key phrase for a sentence; a word to represent a phrase.
5. Abbr.(abbreviate!) whenever possible.
6. Put notes into your own words.
7. A formula, a definition, and specific facts demand exact wording.
8. Number items or use indentations to distinguish between major and minor points.
9. Highlight unfamiliar vocabulary and unclear areas. Take notes as completely as you can and check your text(s) for clarification.
10. Develop questions to ask your friends or instructor to help clarify information or concepts.
11. If you miss something completely, leave a blank space and locate the information later.
12. Develop a coding system or scheme to mark your notes. For example:

• ? not understood
• * important point
• $ question asked by the instructor
• ! assignment
• # personal comment

13. Use technical abbreviations instead of writing out the whole word.

Typical Technical Abbreviations:

anlys	analysis
asmg	assuming
cald	called
cnst	constant
dfnd	defined
dstrbg	disturbing
eftvns	effectiveness
frdm	freedom
gvs	gives
isltn	isolation
reman	remain
rltnshp	relationship
smpl	simple
systm	system
sgnft	significant
valu	value

14. Use technical symbols instead of writing out words.

Examples of Technical Symbols:

+	plus, positive, and
-	minus, negative
x	algebraic x, or multiplied by
÷	divided by
>	greater than, greatly, increased, increasing
<	less than, reduced, decreasing
vs	versus or against

 

15. A good place to locate your coding scheme is in the margin of the notebook.

 

 

Sample Page Set Up

Here are two examples of how you might want to set up pages for taking notes.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Listening for Key Words

One of the habits to develop when taking notes is to listen for key words, clues, hints, patterns and other techniques instructors use when presenting or lecturing. Some of these tips for finding clues and patterns in a lecture include:

• Previews and summaries
• Written material on the board
• Highlighted areas on overheads
• Visual aids
• Repetition of points
• Vocal emphasis
• Questions asked during class
• Cause-effect relationships
• Word clues such as:
  • Four causes of
  • Five aspects of
  • Therefore
  • In conclusion
  • And so we see
  • Hence
  • In a like manner
  • On the other hand
  • However
  
  

Tips for Effective Listening

• Sit near the front of the room.
• Find a reason to listen to the speaker. Ask yourself, "Why is this important?"
• Listen for more than just facts; try to understand the big picture.
• Recite key ideas to yourself.
• Take more notes than necessary.
• Pay attention.
• Avoid outside distractions and internal noise.
• Anticipate what the speaker is going to say next.
• Try to select main ideas and supporting details (mentally organize).
• Prepare for lectures beforehand.
• Listen first, then write; leave spaces to fill in gaps in your information.
• Formulate questions to look up later or ask the instructor.
• Put aside personal bias and listen to the content of the speaker's message.

Write it Down if the Speaker:

• Repeats an item.
• Writes an item on the board or overhead.
• Points or gestures.
• Changes tone or volume of voice.
• Makes a direct reference to the book.
• Asks if everyone understands.
• Gives an example.
• Slows down.

Reviewing Your Notes

Another note taking "best practice" is to review your notes as soon as possible.

1. Unless you review within 24 hours after a lecture, or at the very least before the next lecture, your retention will drop sharply. You will be relearning rather than reviewing.
2. Should you recopy your notes? Some people benefit from rewriting or recopying their lecture notes. However, be sure to allow time to think about your notes. Experiment and find out what works best for you. Copying without thinking about (or revising) notes does not necessarily aid retention. This is similar to hearing, but not actively listening. Manipulating the material by reorganizing and putting it into your own words, however, does lead to better retention.
3. Use margin space to fill in abbreviations, add omitted points, correct errors, and write key words. Read notes to be sure you can clarify confusing or illegible material.
4. Fill in further facts and examples while the lecture is still fresh in your mind.
5. Clear up misunderstandings and fill in missing information by consulting the lecturer, classmates, the text(s), or other reference materials.
6. As you read your notes, underline, highlight, or mark main points or important points you will want to give special attention to when you study the material again for the exam.
7. Elaborate on your notes. Compare the information to what you already know. Write additional information from the text into notes.
8. Connect concepts to see the "big picture"--think of a summary in your head or write it at the end of your notes (Cornell Method).
9. Practice reciting the information using only key words.
10. Talk with other students about the lecture.
11. Conduct short weekly review periods. Once a week, go through all your notes again. Put reviews on your calendar and make it a habit.

**Don't miss class! If you have to miss a lecture, ask someone to tape the lecture for you or borrow a classmate's notes.

Daydreaming: Be in Class in Body and Mind

Daydreaming rather than being focused on the instructor often result in poor, unintelligable notes. Here are some tips to help you stay focused while in class:

• Notice your writing. When you discover that your mind is wandering, focus on how your pen feels in your hand. Notice how your notes look. Paying attention to the act of writing can bring you back to the here and now.
• Write your thoughts down. If you are distracted by errands you have to run or other things you have to do, write them on a 3X5 card and put it in your pocket. Mark your notes so you know where your mind started to wander.
• Stay with the instructor. In your mind, put yourself right up front with the instructor. Imagine that you and the instructor are the only ones in the room and the lecture is a personal talk with you. Pay attention to the instructor's body language and facial expressions. Look the instructor in the eye.
• Notice your environment. When your mind starts to wander, bring yourself back to class by paying attention to the temperature in the room, the feel of your chair, or the quality of the light in the room. Run your hand along the surface of your desk. Listen to the fan running or the sound of the teacher's voice.

Summary: The Five R's of Note Taking

Here's an easy way to remember the most important points of notetaking:

Notetaking Practice

Sample notes from other students are included below. Review your notes while referring to other students' notes. Embellish and revise your original notes as necessary. It's okay if your notes look different than these examples as long as you accurately recorded the main ideas and supporting details.

Example 1:

Example 2:

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