Notetaking 101: Lesson Two: How to take Good Notes

  





Lesson Two: 5 more suggestions to help you succeed.
 

1. Use a highlighter. Highlight important notes so they stand out when you study for a test. You can check your notes later and highlight the important parts, too. Just highlighting your notes will be a review of them, because you will be looking at them for a second time. Thanks for this tip, TRR!

2. If you do not use a free-flowing pen, have a mechanical pencil with a thicker than usual lead. Thanks again, TRR!

3. If you are taking notes from a PowerPoint presentation, label each section of notes with the same number as each slide you see. Only write extra things on each section that are NOT on the slide. Usually, you will be able to see these slides again online, because they are posted there.
Print out the PowerPoint presentation and keep these for studying too. You can write on the printouts in class. If your teacher has not posted the slides online, ask them to do that, and they probably will, because it will help the students and be worth their time. This suggestion is from Nicki - thanks, Nicki!
 
4. Sit in the front of the class, if possible. This helps you take good notes because you can see the black or whiteboard or presentation better, plus you can hear what the teacher is saying better. You will have fewer distractions because the students who are talking to each other are probably located closer to the back of the room. The teacher also will notice you more, which is usually a good thing.

5. Keep your notes for each class separate, without fail. You will appreciate this most right before a test. You will not have to sort through and organize your notes then, it will already be done. Plus they will be in correct order.

Also, make sure to put your notes inside your class folder each day after class. That way if you are using lined paper or paper without 3-ring holes, you can punch the notes and put them where they go without losing them in the bottom of your backpack or having them waft out of your book pile.

Have more suggestions? List them after this so I can share them with everyone. Thanks!

Here are some more links you may like:

The one right before this one:

How to Take Good Notes - Lesson One

And here are some other useful blog postings:

The Divided Page - using a 2-column note page

11 Tips for Student Success 

10 Tips for Doing Well on Finals

Forming a Nontraditional (Student) Study Group

Got some more great note-taking ideas? List them below and I will repost this later with all of your ideas added. Thanks!

 


Some Nontrad links:
The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo
Nontrads on Twitter

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Notetaking 101: how to take good notes

  





Lesson One: 5 suggestions to help you succeed.

1. Take notes, but have a backup. In other words, have somebody else also taking notes you can check with later OR have the lecture or classroom session recorded, using a pocket recorder. That way, if you miss something, you will still have the information.

2. Divide your notepaper into two columns. One column, at the left, will be smaller than the main section. This note method will allow you to easily go to what is important later. If the teacher says, "remember this!" all you will have to do is make a notation in the left column, such as a star, and you can go there later to check it out. (Find out more about this kind of note-taking here.)

3. Don't try to take down every word. Try to squeeze what the teacher is saying into chunks of information. For example, you don't have to try to write, "Now, study everything in Chapter Two, because it will be on the test tomorrow." Your note-speak should be more like this: "Only Chap. 2 on test tomorrow."

4. Use a free-flowing pen that you have tested out. Nothing is harder on your hand than trying to print with a pencil. If you have never used a pen, try them out until you can find one that cursive works on and that feels right to you. Most of you that are reading this know cursive. If you don't, you are missing out. It's a lot faster.

5. Share your notes with a study group after typing them out. The simple act of typing them will engrave them into your mind better. And sharing them will help you see what others think is important.
More advice: Keep track of the notes from each class. You may want to invest in a separate section or notebook for each.

More: Notetaking 101: Lesson Two - click for more Notetaking hints!

And here are some more links you may like:

The Divided Page - using a 2-column note page
11 Tips for Student Success 
10 Tips for Doing Well on Finals
Forming a Nontraditional (Student) Study Group
Got some more great note-taking ideas? List them below and I will repost this later with all of your ideas added. Thanks!
-Betsyanne
Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter

Related articles by Zemanta

• Notetaking as a way to stay smart (peterc.org)
• On note taking (downes.ca)
• 10732 week six_learning_styles_wi2010 (slideshare.net)

The Divided Page – The 2-column note page

I got this technique from a Western Kentucky University professor, Dr. Wininger.

Dr. W. suggests taking your notepaper and drawing a vertical line down it – coming in an inch or two at the left side. Draw the line all the way down the paper.

You may use lined or unlined paper.

Your paper will then have two columns, a smaller column at the left, and a much wider main notes section on the right.

You take notes as usual. Then, when your teacher says “remember this,” all you have to do is put a star on the left column next to the important material.

You can also draw an arrow or a line towards this important information.

When test or quiz time comes, you can put notes in the left column to help you study. You can abbreviate the information or use mnemotics making words out of longer information to help you remember what your teacher wants.

You will find the important places on your notes much easier this way, too.

Your 2-column note page should look like this:

Explore!

Taking Notes in Lectures
Learn more about Mnemotics
Western Kentucky University's site
Join the Yahoo Nontrads Group