Effective Note Taking Instructor(s) Date (s)

Learning Objectives Goal: To develop good note taking habits Observe Record Review

Assess your current habits (Handout)  Is the ability to take effective, meaningful notes a crucial learning skill?  Have you been taught a formal note taking method?  Do you take notes in class?  If yes, do you feel confident you’ve captured the most important information?  Do you review your notes before or after class?  Do you type your notes after class when you have time?  Are you able to take notes quickly and capture all the important aspects of the lecture?  Can you tell when the instructor is passionate about something in particular?  Do you share notes with other students?  Do you have a weekly review session with a study group of any kind?  Do you use abbreviations or symbols or pictures in your notes?  Do you use colors in your note taking?  Do you date your notes?  Do you outline your notes?  If there was one thing you could change about your note taking technique to make it more efficient, what would it be?

Observation is key Keen observers focus their attention on the details and make the most of their time during lectures by preparing and reviewing BEFORE THE LECTURE EVEN STARTS! – Complete outside assignments - The more familiar you are with a subject, the easier it will be to understand in class – Bring the right materials to the lecture

Be alert to repetition When an instructor repeats a specific point, make a note of it Watch the board or overhead projector If an instructor writes something down, the material is important Notice the instructor's interest level If the instructor is excited about something, it is likely to be on an exam Let go of judgments about lecture styles Don't let your attitude about an instructor's style get in the way of your education Key actions to note as you OBSERVE your instructor

SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU WHEN THIS HAPPENS… When you notice your attention slipping, pay attention to the ACT of writing. Ask questions - Chances are, the question you think is "dumb" is on the mind of several classmates Volunteer for demonstrations and discussions What happens when your instructor isn’t too interesting…

. What happens when your instructor isn’t too interesting… MORE TIPS TO HELP YOU WHEN THIS HAPPENS… Sit in the front of the room ***It has been proven that students who sit close to the front are more likely to do better on tests because: it is harder to fall asleep the board is easier to read the instructor can see you more easily Also, when you sit in front, you are declaring your willingness to take a risk and participate

When you hear something during a lecture that triggers a personal memory, make a note about that experience - It will help in understanding the concept when you go back to review your notes. Postpone debate (Note disagreement and let it go) Participate in class activities What happens when your instructor isn’t too interesting… MORE TIPS TO HELP YOU WHEN THIS HAPPENS…

Record Visually create a pattern for your notes that might help you remember the concepts later… such as: Determine the main concept of the lecture and write it at the center of page, then, record concepts related to main concept on lines radiating from the center – similar to a sunburst Use key words Use other pictures and diagrams

Record cont. Use a three-ring binder –  Pages can be removed and spread out  Allows you to insert handouts  You can insert your own "out-of-class" notes Use only one side of a piece of paper Use 3x5 cards Use colors to aid in organizing your mind map Add images and symbols

Record cont. Use an "I'm Lost!" signal in your notes that you personally invent, leave black space, and ask your instructor after class or before the next class or her Label, number, and date all notes Use standard abbreviations (Be consistent -- Write a key)

Review Edit notes Recite as much as you can about the point Review within 24 hours

Review cont. Exchange photocopies of notes with classmates Go back and ask instructor if you still don’t understand something

Review cont. Consider typing your notes Create mind map summaries Conduct short weekly review periods (A 20-minute weekly review period is valuable)

FAQ’s How do you cope with a lecturer who talks too fast? Try using a two-page system: Record as main ideas on the left side Immediately after the lecture, as well as during lulls in the lecture itself, record as many pertinent details as you can on the right-hand page Record the details opposite the main ideas which they support In effect you will have a fairly full lecture in brief form on the left, which will be easy to study for a review, and a full page of supporting details on the right Develop a shorthand system; use abbreviations Leave blanks and fill them in later Make sure that you grasp the key words Ask the instructor to slow down, or ask her to repeat what you missed

FAQ’s cont. Should I use digital recorders ? Although this practice sounds like a good idea, generally speaking, it isn’t. Why? When the lecture is recorded, you cannot review the lecture in five or ten minutes by glancing at your notes as other students can; you have to replay the entire recording – which is VERY time consuming. If you take notes later by replaying the lecture, you have wasted valuable time. You could have done the note-taking in class in the first place. Besides, if all you have are recordings, review will take as much time as the original series of lectures, and you have done no work of your own in organizing and really learning ideas.

FAQ’s cont. I can’t seem to figure out where to include some ideas – they don’t seem to fit anywhere? Record them in the margin or in parentheses within your notes for reassessment later during editing. OTHER HELPFUL HINTS: Don’t try and cram too much writing on a single page, or make your writing so small that it’s illegible Use as much paper as you need to express all the ideas from the lecture in a clear and readable form Draw diagrams or use flow charts or mind maps if they help you make sense of your ideas

In Conclusion Following these basics steps of: Observing, Recording and Reviewing can help make your notes more effective and help you to retain more information from each lecture. Helpful Hints Handout