Effective Note Taking
How to get the most from notes!
What is in it for me?
Here are a few ways that mastering the skill of effective note taking can be valuable to you.
- Productive studying: Good notes will help you understand what material is important and what material is only secondary. This way you can focus more of your time on studying what is important and spend less time on what is not.
- Staying Focused:Taking notes improves listening and comprehension in class. Our minds tend to wonder but note taking can enhance your focus while in class thus leading to a better understanding of the material covered.
- Gets you organized: Taking notes helps students organize the material covered and points out areas of weakness. This information provides students with the information needed to organize their study time more effectively.
How do I take Effective notes?
Taking Effective notes can seem challenging but it is a skill that can be learned. Listed below are a few ways to help develop your note taking skills.
- Read before class: be sure to read through the material that will be covered in class before class. This will help you better understand the lecture and give you more time to take notes.
- Come prepared : Bring books, pencils, pens, and paper. Be sure that the paper is large enough. If the paper is too small this will make it more difficult to comprehend later and makes developing a good, organized, system difficult.
- Develop a system: Try to develop the best system that works for you. There are great tools and resources on systems that have been proven to work. Click here to find out more!
Key Points & Tips
Get the best seat in the house!
Be sure to get a good seat in the front. This will help avoid distraction and make listening easier.
Mark each page with the date and time
This will make your notes more organized and easier to reference.
Do not write down every word
Try to focus on the main points. Only write down enough information to help you remember what the class was about. If you get confused or have questions, ASK!
Now What?
Simply knowing how to write notes is not what makes notes effective. In order to make the most of your notes you must know what to do with them after you take them.
Here are a few tips :
- Review: Try to spend at least 45- 60 minutes reviewing your notes after each class . This is the best time to absorb the information as it is still fresh.
- Compare: Look through the book or learning materials provided regarding the lecture and compare it to your notes. If you find something important that was not covered in class make a note of it and/or ask about it in the next class.
- Organized: Make sure to keep your notes organized.