What sort of things should I take down as notes during class?  The key words and key ideas  Examples that the lecturer gives of the key ideas – just key words from the examples that will help you remember them  Anything that the lecturer puts up on the board or OHP  Any diagrams and graphs  References made to any textbooks or other resources  Any announcements of changes to the course e.g. due dates, lecture topics etc. These must go in your diary.

How should I do the layout for my notes?  Refer to the note taking strategies link on our eMIT pages  Make sure that your notes are nicely spaced so that they are easier to read  Include any pictures, symbols, mnemonics or mind maps to emphasise important ideas/points

What’s the best way to keep my notes? In a book, folder or box?  It is best to use a FOLDER and A4 refill pad paper. This allows you to file your notes in order and add any handouts easily to your notes for particular classes.  Filing boxes can be useful for resources if you’re a student teacher. Make sure that you have clearly marked manila folders within the box for the different resources for different subjects you teach.

How should I do my filing?  Make sure that you put the date, lecturer’s name, name of the paper (e.g. DT 100, Comms 2 etc.) and page no. of those particular notes at the top right hand corner. Add any other information that would be useful for you to easily find your notes.  File your notes away in their correct folder at the end of each day. Don’t let the filing build up to where you need to sit down for three hours to do it!!  Make sure you have clear dividers in your folders for each section of your course paper.