Taking Class Notes

1
Taking Class Notes

• A Key Ingredient
• to Student Success

2
Use Appropriate Notebook

• Wide-ruled pages
• 8.5 by 11 inch pages
• Large enough to organize notes
• Spiral notebooks or loose leaf
• Never legal or steno pads
• Separate notes for each course
• Easier to review for tests.

3
Prepare to Take Notes

• Read material before class.
• Helps students to understand difficult material.
• Attend to physical needs
• Rest room
• Snack
• Beverage

4
Take Well-Organized Notes

• Write on 8.5 by 11 -inch paper.
• Large enough for most info.
• Begin each day with heading
• Date
• Name of course
• Instructors name
• Topic of lecture

5
Take Well-Organized Notes

• Make major thoughts stand out.
• Place major topic in left margin.
• Underline key phrases.
• List details under major thoughts.
• Use numbers or asterisks ()
• Summarize instructors words
• use your own words

6
Listen for Major Thoughts

• Learn to identify major thoughts in lectures.
• Some professors announce major thoughts.
• Now Im going to discuss . . .
• My next point is . . .

7
Listen for Major Thoughts

• Some instructors pause during major point.
• A pause is often a clue to write what was said
  before the pause
• A pause is often a clue to write what will be
  said.
• Some instructors repeat major points.
• Definite clue that something is important.
• Instructor wants students to learn point.

8
Listen for Details

• Some lecturers announce how many details to list
  under major points.
• Examples
• Sociologists identify four types of families.
• The selling process has five steps.
• Lets examine three tragic effects of the Civil
  War.
• The English language has eight parts of speech.

9
Listen for Details

• Some professors make make it clear to list
  details without stating the number of details to
  list.
• Examples
• Im going to talk about some of the problems of
  starting a small business.
• Student should write Problems of starting a
  small business.

10
Listen for Details

• Details are often lists of the following
  information
• advantages disadvantages
• causes effects
• types kinds
• differences similarities
• stages steps
• benefits characteristics

11
Watch the Chalkboard/Screen

• Information displayed on screen or chalkboard
  often appears on tests.
• Learn anything written on chalkboard.
• Types of information written on chalkboard
  include
• tables, charts, diagrams
• math formulas
• important terms
• names and dates

12
Watch the Chalkboard/Screen

• Copy diagrams.
• Leave plenty of space in notes before and after.
• Copy everything written on chalkboard or
  displayed on screen.
• Mark notes to remind you to give information
  special attention when you study.

13
Listen for Study Hints

• Instructors often inform students what
  information is important to learn.
• Examples
• This is important.
• Ill probably ask a test question about this.
• This confuses some students--dont let it
  confuse you.

14
Take Complete Notes

• Leave a blank space marked with question mark for
  information you miss during a lecture.
• Ask instructor or classmate about information
  after class.
• Study required reading material.

15
Review Notes After Class

• Notes taken in August may contain information
  youll need in October.
• If you dont understand notes in August, you
  wont understand them in October.
• Check notes while professor is available to
  answer any questions.

16
Study Notes Before Tests

• Start studying the evening of the class.
• The more you review notes, the less time you will
  need to review.
• Students who cram the night before a test seldom
  get good grades.

17
Study Notes Before Tests

• Review information copied from chalkboard or
  screen.
• Review information the instructor said was
  important or difficult.
• Review information about topics discussed in
  required reading.

18
Build Note-taking Speed

• Lecturers speak fives times faster than students
  write.
• Good class notes are summaries of instructors
  statements.
• Learn to speed write
• modify writing style
• use abbreviations
• use symbols.

19
Modify Writing Style

• Long-hand, cursive handwriting takes more time.
• Modified printing is quicker.

20
Use Abbreviations and Symbols

• Examples of abbreviations
• chem instead of chemistry
• eq instead of equation
• ID instead of identify
• psy or Y instead of psychology
• Examples of symbols
• or instead of and or more
• 2 instead of to, too or two
• etc. Instead of and so on

21
Use Abbreviations and Symbols

• Examples of symbols
• instead of number
• instead of dollars or money
• w/o instead of without

22
Other important skills

• In addition to taking lecture notes, college
  students spend many hours reading.
• Reading for college courses differs from reading
  for personal enjoyment.
• To learn about reading in college, click on the
  back button of your web browser and click on the
  link to College Reading.