Taking Lecture Notes

Taking Effective Notes

What is note taking ?

• Writing down ideas from lectures and readings in our own words.

Why take notes ?

• Helps us to pay attention in class
• Helps us study for quiz, test or final exam
• Helps us improve our memory
• Helps us take ownership of ideas
• Helps us engage our senses
• Helps us organize and process data and information
• Helps the lecturers test students on how well to captured given information

Why review notes ?

• We lose 80% of what we hear if it is not reviewed within a few hours
• Identify any questions for peers, the next class, or ask the professor
• There is not enough time to absorb all the information given in class if it's not reviewed on a regular basis
• Think: "If I were tested on this lecture tomorrow, would I ace it?" Make it so!

TAKE TIME EVERYDAY TO REVIEW NOTES !

What materials do we need ? ✏📏📃📄📎📙

• Loose-leaf paper 
• Binder
• Folders with pockets
• Pens, pencils, erasers, etc

📢 BEFORE CLASS 📢

• Review  the notes from the day before
• Review your reading assignment 
• Make sure you have paper, text, pens or pencils, handout
• Write the date at the top of your paper for notes
• Leave spaces between the lines so that you can add information later

🙆 Physical Factors 🙆

→ Seating

↣ Near the front and center

• Better vision
• Better hearing

↣ Avoid distraction

• Doorways, window glare, etc 
• Peers

📃 How do we take notes ? 📃

→ Date and label notes

→ Give ourselves space to write

→ Use abbreviations and symbols

• What are some examples of symbols and abbreviations

→ Use an outline to show:

• Main ideas
• Supports
• Examples

→ Use our own language

📢 How do we prepare for class ? 📢

• Do pre-reading and homework
• Review syllabus
• Preview previous notes
• Look up key words prior to class
• Plan on listening 80% of the time
• Write the date at the top of your paper for notes
• Leave spaces between the lines so that you can add information later

✏ While taking notes .... ✏

→ Be an aggressive, not a passive, listener 

↣ Ask questions and discuss if its permitted

• If not, jot questions in your notes
• Seek out meaning

🔑 KEY ACTIONS TO NOTE AS YOU OBSERVE YOUR INSTRUCTOR 🔑

→ 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

What happens when your instructor isn't too interesting ... ❓❓❓❗❗

SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU WHEN THIS HAPPENS ...

• When you notice your attention slipping, pay attention to the act of writing
• Ask question ↣ Chances are, the question you think is dumb is on the mind of several classmates
• Volunteer for demostrations and discussions 

What happens when your lecturer isn't too interesting ... ❓❓❓❗❗

→ 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 ❗❗

CORNELL NOTE TAKING 📃

TWO COLUMN METHOD 📃

OUTLINING 📃

MAPPING METHOD 📃

SENTENCE METHOD 📃

📜 How do we review after a class ? 📜

• Review notes along with the book
• Create our own examples
• Discuss and compare notes with others
• Re-write notes
• Practice those skills you wish to develop
• Ask professor for clarification

❗❗❗ REMEMBER SQ4R ❗❗❗

• SURVEY ↣ overview: quickly scan 
• QUESTION ↣ establish a purpose
• READ ↣ to answer questions
• RITE ↣ takes notes
• REVIEW ↣ at the short intervals
• RECITE ↣ answer to questions with the book closed

✅ NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES ✅

Activity 5.1 - Van Blerkom

Take a few minutes to answer yes or no to the following questions.   1. Do you edit your notes within twenty-four hours after each of your classes? 2. Do you try to write down exactly what your professor says in class? 3. Do you separate the main points from supporting information in your notes? 4. Are you able to read and understand your notes when you study for your exam? 5. Do you sometimes find that your notes don’t make sense when you review them before an exam? 6. Do you tend to write down only key words when you take notes? 7. Do you review your notes by reciting them out loud? 8. Do you tend to miss a lot of information when you take notes? 9. Are you actively involved in the lecture? 10.Do you read your textbook assignment before you go to your lecture class? Give yourself 1 point for each yes answer to questions 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10, and 1 point for each no answer to questions 2, 5, 6, and 8. Now total up your points. A low score indicates that you need some help in note taking. A high score indicates that you are already using many good note-taking strategies.

NO NO YES YES NO YES YES YES YES NO Total points: 6

Reference: Van Blerkom, D. L. (2009). College Study Skills: Becomming a strategic learner (6th ed.) MA: Wadworth Cengage Learning