1. Succeed in school … by improving note-taking skills

2. Importance of good note-taking Notes help trigger recall of essential points from lecture Notes offer valuable cues as to what information may appear on upcoming test Taking notes helps you concentrate better during lectures Notes create a resource for test preparation Notes often presents information not offered with other sources Succeed in school… by improving note-taking skills

3. Methods of good note-taking Outline format using bullet notation to identify main points followed by sub-points Heading followed by summary of heading Sub-points followed by supporting information Column format where columns separate main points from sub- points using vertical lines Left side column of notebook page for key points of lecture Center column of notebook for sub-points Right side column of notebook page for supporting data This method allows for inconsistent data flow Succeed in school… by improving note-taking skills

4. Elements of good note-taking Good notes have headings or titles (i.e. textbook, chapter 5) Note-taking should be brief but offer highlights of top-line info. Remember the average speaker talks at 25 words per minute; whereas the average note-taker does about 125 words per minute Note-taking should avoid being too cryptic as this may lead to confusion later on when reviewing lectures It is recommended that you leave space near each point to allow for post-event notation (clarify, substantiate or embellish…) Succeed in school… by improving note-taking skills

5. Other aspects of good note-taking Be sure to keep your focus on the speaker rather than lose out on keeping pace with key points being presented Take the time necessary to get the notes accurate the first time so that you save valuable time later on fixing confusing notes Write legibly otherwise notes will become useless Translate notes into your own words ASAP for getting a better understanding of ideas Organize/synthesize your notes for short-term and long-term recall Succeed in school… by improving note-taking skills presented It is re

6. If you want to succeed in school you need to review your notes early and often