While it is expected that students come to university with the ability to take a good set of notes, this is not always the case. High school may not have demanded it, so good listening and note-taking skills may need to be developed.
| TRY |
Being a positive, active listener. |
| HOW? |
Sit near the front and do not read or talk. Pay particular attention during the second 20 minutes (when you tend to lose it) and to the last minutes when a summary might be given or conclusions drawn. |
| TRY |
Being a positive, active learner. |
| HOW? |
Come to class with an interest in the material and with questions to be answered. You can develop these by thinking about and anticipating the lecture and by pre-reading the text. The latter is especially helpful if you find yourself having difficulty keeping up with the material. |
| TRY |
Getting accurate notes, with special attention to the main ideas. |
| WHY? |
There may be an overhead; if so, get that material down. In addition, look for points of emphasis by reading course notes carefully and by observing the prof's verbal and body language. If you still feel you're missing the main points, try showing your notes to a classmate or to the prof. |
| TRY |
Leaving lots of space between ideas. |
| WHY? |
Because you want lots of room to continue to add notes in your own words; this will help you learn the material on a deeper level by integrating it with what you already know. Also, the extra space will make it easier for you to find material when you are studying. |
| TRY |
Going over new notes - 10 minutes for each class - within 24 hours. |
| WHY? |
Because you lose 50 - 80% of the material if you don't. For a further explanation of this idea, see Learning and Remembering. |
| TRY |
Setting your notes up so you can study effectively from them. |
| HOW? |
Leave wide left margins; here you will write questions from which to study your notes. Leave the back of the page blank, so you can fold the page, cover the notes and answer the questions when studying. |
