Tips for Better Note taking

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Tips for Better Note taking
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Tools for better note taking

• Use a three-ring binder, if possible
• If possible have two different colors of pens or
  pencils so you can highlight or circle important
  terms with a different colored pen or pencil.
• Hole puncher for handouts

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Tips for better note taking

• Start with a clean sheet of paper
• Make sure you title and date each page of notes
• example
• Biology
• March 26, 2009
• Page 1

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• Make sure you have some written record of what
  went on in each class

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• Example
• Biology
• March 26, 2009
• Page 1
• Watched movie on shark feeding habits!

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• Try using only 2/3 of your paper for recording
  your notes and the other 1/3 can be used if you
  need to insert additional information or
  clarifications.
• Soon after you have recorded your notes, review
  them to see if you can expand on them or insert
  information that you werent able to get during
  the lecture.

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• Reviewing your notes as soon as possible helps
  store new information into long-term memory.
• When reviewing notes, use a different color pen
  or pencil to circle or underline key terms.
• Remember it is hard to record everything the
  teacher says get as much as you can then review
  them with a friend to find out what youre
  missing.
• Not necessary to write in full sentences
• Develop your own shorthand

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Clues to listen and watch for when taking
notes

• Listen to the instructors voice
• does it get louder?
• does it slow down?
• 2. Did the instructor repeat information?
• 3. Watch body language.
• 4. Anything written on the board should be
  included in your notes

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• 5. Keep on taking notes during classroom
  discussions and question and answer sessions.
• 6. When an instructor begins to speak, get in
  the habit of taking notes right away. Dont wait
  until they tell you to.

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Notetaking Techniques

• Outline format
• T-notes
• Matrix Notes
• Cornell Note-taking System

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Outline Technique

• Most common method

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T-notes

• Selecting lecture material and recording details,
  definitions, labeling and general information in
  the right column
• Main Ideas, Vocabulary, Visuals/Illustrations in
  the left column

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Matrix Notes

• Great for visual and tactile learners.
• Easier to do outside of class
• Helps to organize and review material

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Cornell Note-taking format

• Follows the 5-Rs
• Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect and Review
• Divide loose-leaf notebook paper by drawing a
  vertical line down the page 2 ½ from the left
  side of the paper
• The record side will be on the right
• The reduce side on the left

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Cornell System

• On the right side Record meaningful facts and
  ideas Record
• On the left side, after lecture, summarize the
  ideas and facts that have been recorded in
  lecture. This helps with clarification of the
  meaning, indicate key terms and concepts
  Reduce

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Cornell System

• While covering up the right side of your notes,
  Recite information orally as you review the
  reduction side
• Reflect as you are reciting, think about the
  context to the notes
• Review notes periodically