Taking notes is key to being successful in college. But many students struggle to figure out what to write down, how to organize their notes and how to study them.
2. Things to Consider
Power Point Slides: reliable or unreliable?
Can you survive on PowerPoints alone? Why
or Why not?
Listening skills: do I write down key facts?
How do you know what to write down?
Attendance: mandatory?
How much do you miss if you don’t go to
class?
3. Being Prepared for Lecture
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Do all readings for the class ahead of time.
Review your notes from the previous class
Write down questions for the professor
Pack and double check
Give yourself enough time to get to class
Set up your notes with a clear heading
4. Active Listening
• Pay attention
• Mentally restate
• Ask clarifying questions
• Moving beyond just hearing
5. 3 Steps: Step 1
• Don’t Write Facts, Write Down Conclusions
• What questions are being posed in lecture?
• Set Up Your Page Like This:
–Question
• Answer
–Evidence
6. 3 Steps: Step 2
• Use Color
– Create a system
– Use a Visual Method
7. 3 Steps: Step 3
• Review Your Notes
– Organize them
– Highlight
– Write Down Questions
8. Five Ws and H
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Who – People
What - Definitions
When – Dates
Where – Places
Why and How – Theories, Arguments, Illustrations
• Any and all of the 5 Ws is what you should write
down.
9. Tips
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Keep your notes organized
Don’t take notes on random pieces of paper
Leave lots of white space
Don’t write down everything you see or hear
Ask questions
10. Reading for Class
• Preview
– skim the text
• Read
– Thoroughly
– Pause and check for understanding
• Review
– look over you highlights
– make notes
– answer questions at the end of the chapter
11. Cornell Method of
Note Taking
Header: Date, Class, Topic
In this section write down key
words, and main ideas
• These should be short, not
detailed
• You can look over this list to
check for understanding, or
knowledge
In this section take all of your class
notes
• Leave white space and write neatly
• You don’t have to write every
word, just what you think is
important
In this section write a summary of the
main ideas of that chapter or lecture
12. Other Methods of
Note Taking
Outlining
Note Taking
4 Methods of Note Taking
• Outlining
• Mapping
• Charting
• Cornell
Mapping
Extrasensory perceptions
3 Types
Telepathy
Sending
messages
Clairvoyance Psychokinetic
forecasting
the Future
Perceiving events
external to
situation
Charting
Period
1941-45
Important People
FDR
Events
WWII
Significance
USA involvement
13. Note Taking in the Digital Age
• Do you use a computer or not?
– Personal preference
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Typing uses a different part of the brain
Reviewing your notes is even more critical
Type an outline as you read and fill it in during lecture
Don’t organize as you go, save this until after class
Take paper to class just in case
Ask yourself is my computer a distraction?
Download PowerPoints before getting to class
14. Digital Note Taking Tools
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There are many apps
Test out different apps
Some are free, some are not
Find one you like
Many will sync from your phone to your
computer.
• Not sure where to start Try EverNote
Notas del editor
Have students take quiz just using powerpointsHave students Watch video and take notesHave students take quiz againGive students answers to quizzes and ask what they have learned
If the question is What is the central them for romeo and juliet? Then the answer might be love vs. family and you might support it with evidence such as a specific event or quote.
Good for visual learnersIf you can’t do this in class you can try using multiple highlighter colors such as blue for main ideas and green for key terms.
You always have to come back to your notes. Spend 10 minutes after class and then each week review that weeks notes long term learningTalk more about this is Learning 101: Test - Taking
