1. Study Skills and Taking Notes: Tips and Tools
Academic Success Seminar/Workshop
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
Deb Wingert, Ph.D.
Director of Educational Development

2. Before we start....... All study differently! No magic bullet
Techniques to gain a good edge
Action needed

3. A word to the wise.... Practice does not make perfect;
Perfect practice makes perfect.
Bob Kizlik, 1997

4. Schedule....develop one! Weekly Best time to study Check:
____________ chunks
Revisions ok
Best time to study
Rested
______________
Check:
course objectives
_____________________

5. Location, Location, Location...
Libraries
Unused classrooms
Lounges/private rooms
Distraction-free
Good lighting
Comfortable, but......
Veer away from:
Dorms

6. Strategies: Effective Thinking Skills
Ask yourself questions as you ______
Think about what the prof says _________ writing down notes in ________________

7. Strategies: The SQ3R Method
Survey
Before you study, get the overall picture (read summaries, headings, etc.)
Q_______________
Ask ‘what’ ‘where’ ‘when’ ‘how’ and especially, ‘why’ as you read/study
Write in margins of text and notes.
Read to answer questions
Hunt for _________________
Recite
Try to say ____________, important concepts in your own words
Connect info to what you already know
Review
Re-read to see what you have remembered
Review (fine-tune) notes and check any questions at the end of your study time (NOT just before exams!)

8. Strategies: Study Habits
List what you need to study and do it!
Begin studying __________ after a meal
Stop studying ____________ before sleeping
After studying_______ minutes, take a short break (5 minutes), and a 15 minute break after _________.
Prepare for exam by studying questions not in order.
Study in ____-hour blocks with ______ minute breaks.

9. Strategies: Tips
Use ____________
Take concise (NOT copious) notes!
Take notes on what you don’t know!
An hour of studying during the _____ is worth ________ at night! Study as early as possible in the day.
Study your most challenging content daily....early in the day.
Study ______.....ask yourself question, review notes regularly, discuss key concepts with peers, etc.

10. Strategies for Group Study
_______ each other
Compare notes
Meet regularly
Delegate group assignments

11. Taking Notes and Listening: Tips and Tools

12. How’s Your Listening?? Quiz:
Call the class boring?
Criticize the speaker?
Over-stimulated by speaker’s words
Listen mainly for facts
Try to outline everything?
Fake attention to speaker?
Allow distractions?
Avoid difficult material?
Antagonized by emotion-laden words?
Any daydreaming?
Usually/sometimes=1
Seldom/Almost never=5
Cuesta College, 2008

13. Habits of Good Listeners:
Listen between the lines
(anticipate what’s next!)
Take good notes
Sees lecture like a ________
Avoid __________
Judge content, not delivery
“There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject; there are only uninterested people.”
G.K. Chesterton
Kishwaukee College, 2008

14. Good Listeners Do NOT: Avoid difficult explanations
Find fault ___________
___________________
Dismiss content as not interesting
Show impatience
Utah State University, 2008
Interrupt (with a question, etc.) in the middle of an explanation.
Share worthless info
Believe that ___________________
___________________

15. Listening skills: Screen out distractions Organize info into ______
Prune significant from insignificant
Maintain alertness (eye contact with speaker)
Ask _____________________
______________________
Listen for central ideas (not facts)
Write only important info
Exercise mind with difficult material
Utah State University, 2008
College of Saint Benedict, 2008
Screen out distractions
Background noise
Language mistakes/accents
Speaker habits
Irrelevant info
Daydreaming
Organize info into ______
_____________________
Avoid hasty judgments
Remain neutral (not emotional)

16. Listen Actively
The more you think about what you hear, the more you will understand and remember

17. Listen Actively (c’d):
____________
_____________
Mentally review what has been previously said
Compare lecture to text
Apply to your own experience
Select most important
Ignore the not important

18. Taking Notes: Quiz Do you take notes, using complete sentences?
Are your notes clear?
Do you capture all main points and all sub-points?
Do you use shortcuts/abbreviations?

19. Using Laptops: A few considerations....
Tempting source of distraction
Potentially cumbersome
Pros
Can connect to WebVista
Less paper!

20. Tips to Finding Major Points....
Pauses before or after an idea
Uses ______________________________
Uses introductory phrases to precede important info
W__________________________________
arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008

21. Remember......
The average speaker covers words per minute and the average note-taker writes less than 25 words per minute.

22. A few specifics.... Complete readings before class
Attend specifically to lecture info not covered in text
Ask questions
Review notes right after lecture....fill in examples etc. Immediate review increases retention
Underline key statements
Use margins for coordinating text notes
Virgina Tech, 2008

23. A few specifics.... Use margins to:
coordinate lecture notes with text notes
J_____________________________
Jot down short summary of page
Virgina Tech, 2008

24. A few specifics.... Use key words & phrases, not sentences
If you miss something, leave a space and check with peer later
I________________________________________
T________________________________________
arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008

25. Shortcuts..... arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008 Abbreviate: lrg large
Use symbols:
+ plus
& and
- minus
# number
> greater than
< less than
W/ with
W/I within
W/o without
/ per
--> leads to
<-- comes from
Abbreviate:
approp appropriate
lrg large
arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008

26. Formats..... arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008 Outlining:
I. Topic/Main idea
A. Major points
1. Details
a. supporting details
II. Topic/Main idea
arc.sbc.edu/notes.html, 2008

27. Formats.....Concept Mapping
A visual way to organize information
Candy
Chips
Junk Foods
Cookies
Pop

28. The Cornell System:
Step One:
Write notes during class in a

29. The Cornell System: Step Two: _________ Column
After class, reduce ideas into a few words and place them in a __________

30. The Cornell System: Step Three: Review and connect
Review notes after lecture. Connect main concepts in left (recall) column with details in the right (record) column.

31. The Cornell System: Step Four: Summarize
In the bottom summary section, jot a few sentences , summarizing all main points and why this is important. Students are _____% more likely to remember content by doing this step!

32. Questions? Thank you!! Deborah A. Wingert, Ph.D.
Director of Educational Development
College of Veterinary Medicine (108 Pomeroy)
Preparing Future Faculty Program Coordinator
Early Career Program Facilitator
Center for Teaching and Learning
University of Minnesota
315 Science Classroom Building
222 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612/ at Pomeroy) or (612/ at CTL)