| Here are my best tips for
taking good notes: 1. This might seem obvious, but my best tip is to attend the lecture and take notes. Be prepared with the materials for taking notes. Remember that the physical act of writing helps to reinforce memory. If you don't write it down, you won't remember the information for very long. 2. You cannot write down everything the instructor says (and who would want to!) Be selective and listen for the main points and write them down. Write examples or minor points as you have time. 3. In order to be selective, pre-read the chapter before coming to class. In this way you will know what are the main points and you will be able to ask about what you do not understand. You will also know what is in the book and what is new in the lecture. If you do not have time to pre-read, at least skim the chapter to get an idea of major topics. 4. Start writing main points to the left of your paper. Indent for minor points. Don't bother with outline format, just leave a space between the main points. 5. If the instructor talks too fast, remember the part about being selective? Just write major points and leave spaces to fill in the details later. Asking a relevant question will slow the instructor down and clarify major points. 6. Use abbreviations as long as you can read them. For example, just write the first syllable of the word, leave out vowels, use symbols, or acronyms. For example: politics=pol, checking=ckg, without=wo, the Uniform Resource Locator becomes URL. When using acronyms, write the word out the first time so you can remember what is URL. Take care to write legibly to avoid later frustration. 7. Stay awake during lectures by asking yourself questions and writing. What is the main point? How does this relate to my own experience? How does this connect with what I have learned before? 8. As soon as you finish taking notes, review them. Remember that half of the forgetting takes place in 20 minutes after learning. Review you notes quickly and use a highlighter to underline key ideas. If you review your notes periodically, the information will be stored in long term memory and you will be ready for the final. As a quick exercise in review, see how fast you can review this page by looking at the words that are in bold type. |