Note Taking Tips


Evalute Your Present Note-Taking System 

Ask yourself:

 

    1. Did I use complete sentences? They are generally a waste of time.

                2.  Did I use any form at all? Are my notes clear or confusing?

                3.  Did I capture main points and all subpoints?

                4.  Did I streamline using abbreviations and shortcuts?

 

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to develop some new note-taking skills! 

Five Important Reasons to Take Notes

 

               1.  It triggers basic lecturing processes and helps you to remember information.

               2.  It helps you to concentrate in class.

               3.  It helps you prepare for tests.

               4.  Your notes are often a source of valuable clues for what information the instructor thinks   most important (i.e., what will show up on the next test)

               5.  Your notes often contain information that cannot be found elsewhere (i.e., in your textbook).

 

Guidelines for Note-Taking

 

    1. Concentrate on the lecture or on the reading material.
    2. Take notes consistently.
    3. Take notes selectively. Do NOT try to write down every word. Remember that the average lecturer speaks approximately 125-140 words per minute, and the average note-taker writes at a rate of about 25 words per minute.
    4. Translate ideas into your own words.
    5. Organize notes into some sort of logical form.
    6. Be brief. Write down only the major points and important information.
    7. Write legibly. Notes are useless if you cannot read them later!
    8. Don't be concerned with spelling and grammar.

 

Tips for Finding Major Points in Lectures 

The speaker is usually making an important point if he or she:

 

    1. Pauses before or after an idea.
    2. Uses repetition to emphasize a point.
    3. Uses introductory phrases to precede an important idea.
    4. Writes an idea on the board. 

 

Forms of Note-Taking

 

    1. Outlining 

      I. Topic sentence or main idea 
      A. Major points providing information about topic 
      1. Subpoint that describes the major point 
      a. Supporting detail for the subpoint

 

                2. Patterning: flowcharts, diagrams

 

                3.  Listing, margin notes, highlighting

 

Ways to Reduce and Streamline Notes

 

    1. Eliminate small connecting words such as: is, are, was, were, a, an, the, would, this, of. Eliminate pronouns such as: they, these, his, that, them. However, be careful NOT to elimate these three words: and, in, on.

                2.  Use symbols to abbreviate, such as: 

                     +, & for and, plus 
                     = for equals 
                     - for minus 
                     # for number 
                     x for times 
                     > for greater than, more, larger 
                     < for less than, smaller, fewer than 
                     w/ for with 
                     w/o for without 
                     w/in for within 
                     ----> for leads to, produces, results in 
                    <---- for comes from 
                    / for per 

For example: 
"The diameter of the Earth is four times greater than the diameter of the Moon." 
Becomes: 
"Earth = 4x > diameter of Moon.

                3.  Substitute numerals with symbols, for instance: 

                     Substitute "one" with 1 
                     Substitute "third" with 3rd

                 4.  Abbreviate: 

 Drop the last several letters of a word. For example, substitute "appropriate" with "approp." 


 Drop some of the internal vowels of a word. For example, substitute "large" with "lrg."

 

Academic Resource Center
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA 24595

 

 

http://www.arc.sbc.edu
Phone: (434) 381-6278
Fax: (434) 381-6215

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Note-Taking Strategies

 

How to Get Your Class Notes into Shape

 

Getting the most out of high school and college means studying hard and using your time in class wisely. Make the most of your time in class and out with an effective note-taking strategy.

 

Stay Organized

 

It may seem obvious, but your class notes can only help you if you can find them. When you're taking notes be sure to:

 

  • Keep all your notes for one class in one place.

 

  • Date and number pages to keep them in order and make it easier to refer back to them.

 

Before Class

 

Review the materials assigned for that class period thoroughly. Bring a list of questions you may have from the reading and be sure to get answers.

 

During Class

 

Make the best use of your class time by having a note-taking method. The Cornell Note-Taking System is one that has been proven effective by countless high school and college students.

 

Start by using the main section of your notebook page to take down your notes during class. Be sure to leave space on the left side of the page and the bottom. Things to keep in mind:

 

  • Get the speaker's main points. Don't write down every word you hear.

 

  • Leave blanks in your notes to add explanations later.

 

  • Organize as you write. Pay attention to cues such as repetition and emphasis.

 

  • Indicate main points and supporting points as you go.

 

  • Jot down key vocabulary, important facts, and formulas.

 

  • Ask questions. If you're confused, it's better to ask while the material is fresh in your mind.

 

After Class

 

As soon as you can after class, review your notes and fill in any blanks. Underline, highlight, and use symbols to sort through the information. If you don't understand something, get help from your teacher or classmates.

 

After you've reviewed all your notes from class, in the left-hand area of the page write down key words and questions your teacher might ask on a test.

 

At the bottom of each page, write a summary of the notes on the page. This helps you digest what you've learned, and will improve your memory of the notes in the long term, for tests down the road.

 

For Review

 

Once you've done all of the above, you'll find you've created your own personalized study guide. Cover the main section of the page and use the key words and questions in the left margin as a quiz.

 

Stick to It

 

Review your notes the day you take them, and all your notes once a week, and you'll hardly need to study when tests come around. You've been doing the work all along.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE MAKING

 

Learning to make notes effectively will help you to improve your study and work habits and to remember important information.  Often, students are deceived into thinking that because they understand everything that is said in class they will therefore remember it.  This is dead wrong!  Write it down.

 

As you make notes, you will develop skill in selecting important material and in discarding unimportant material.  The secret to developing this skill is practice.  Check your results constantly.  Strive to improve.  Notes enable you to retain important facts and data and to develop an accurate means of arranging necessary information.

 

Here are some hints on note making.

 

  1. Don't write down everything that you read or hear.  Be alert and attentive to the main points.  Concentrate on the "meat" of the subject and forget the trimmings.

 

  1. Notes should consist of key words or very short sentences.  If a speaker gets sidetracked it is often possible to go back and add further information.

 

 

 

  1. Take accurate notes.  You should usually use your own words, but try not to change the meaning.  If you quote directly from an author, quote correctly.

 

  1. Think a minute about your material before you start making notes.  Don't take notes just to be taking notes!  Take notes that will be of real value to you when you look over them at a later date.

 

 

 

  1. Have a uniform system of punctuation and abbreviation that will make sense to you.  Use a skeleton outline and show importance by indenting.  Leave lots of white space for later additions.

 

 

 

  1. Omit descriptions and full explanations.  Keep your notes short and to the point.  Condense your material so you can grasp it rapidly.

 

  1. Don't worry about missing a point.

 

  1. Don't keep notes on oddly shaped pieces of paper.  Keep notes in order and in one place.

 

  1. Shortly after making your notes, go back and rework (not redo) your notes by adding extra points and spelling out unclear items. Remember, we forget rapidly.  Budget time for this vital step just as you do for the class itself.

 

 

 

  1. Review your notes regularly.  This is the only way to achieve lasting memory.

 

 

©Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001