TAKING NOTES

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Prepare to take notes. Listen, think, write. Select a method.

PREPARE TO TAKE NOTES

People forget almost half of what they hear or read within an hour. One way to capture and keep information is to take notes. Then, new information can be reviewed and remembered, not forgotten.

Before the lecture

Read the textbook assignment. Keep notes from different classes in separate notebooks. Review your notes from the last lecture to refresh your memory.

During the lecture Your brain loves color.

When taking notes, try alternating between two different colored pens. Change pens whenever you start taking notes on a new idea. This method helps your brain separate ideas visually.

Select the notetaking method that works best for you. Date each page of your notes. Pay attention. Look for the clues that tell how the lecture is organized and what points are important. Write in short phrases. For example, instead of Jean will be home at 3:00 p.m. write Jean home 3 p.m. Include major ideas, details and examples. Use abbreviations, but only those youll remember easily. Cross out mistakes. Skip lines between ideas. Ask questions if you dont understand the information.

After the lecture What is a lecture?

A lecture is an informative talk given by your teacher to the whole class. A teacher usually prepares the talk beforehand, and may use visuals, such as the chalkboard or overhead, to emphasize certain points.

Review the lecture in your head as you walk to your next class, during lunch or right after school. Write down your questions, and ask the teacher to answer them before the next class. Read your notes as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the less your notes will mean to you later. Fill in any gaps in your notes. Compare your notes with a friends. Check to see if your notes are complete and accurate.

Listen Up
A guaranteed way to improve your notetaking skills is to improve your listening skills. Becoming an active listener takes more than just hearing what the teacher says. Active listening means youre involved concentrating on the lecture, thinking about the material, asking questions and connecting the information to what you already know. We all automatically hear whats being said, but sometimes we need to be reminded to listen.

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Copyright 2000 by the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center.

LISTEN, THINK, WRITE

Here are some ways you can improve your listening skills. Prepare to listen. Filter out the distractions yesterdays exam, tomorrows homework, the game on Saturday or a good daydream and think about what youre about to hear. Keep a positive attitude and an open mind about the speaker and the topic. Think to write. Take notes, but dont try to write down every word the speaker says. Listen for the clue words and phrases (see explanation on this page), and write down the information in your own words. Look to listen. Listen to what the speaker says, but also look at what the speaker does. Often, teachers will show you whats important by spelling out a word or writing information on the chalkboard or overhead. Facial expressions, gestures and changes in the speakers voice can also signal important information. Write to think. Ask questions and draw conclusions. What is the speakers message? How might this information be helpful to you later? How does this information relate to your life and what you already know?

Know the clues

Your teacher will drop hints to indicate important points. Look for these phrases and signals: Lists: the five main clauses or the three most important dates. Summaries: in a nutshell, in conclusion or to sum up. Examples: for example or for instance. Different points of view: on the other hand or however. Superlatives: most, least, best or worst. Repetition: again or in other words. Change in the speakers voice. Spelling out words and giving directions.

SELECT A METHOD
There is no one best way to take notes. You want to select a method that works for you and that helps you remember the most information. You also want an organized method, so your ideas are easy to read later. Below are three examples of notetaking: the Cornell Notetaking System, outlining and mapping.

Writing on the chalkboard.

The Cornell Notetaking System

A photocopy-ready sample is included in the back of this booklet for you to photocopy and use in your classes. Step 1: Write notes On the right, write your lecture or textbook notes. As you take notes, be sure to look for the signals and to write clearly and in short sentences. Step 2: Replay After the class, replay the lecture in your head. Ask yourself questions. What point was the teacher trying to make? How does this information fit in with what I already know? What did I learn? Later, reread your notes and think about the lecture. Step 3: Reduce When you reread your notes, reduce each idea to a key word or phrase. Write these words or phrases on the left. When you study your notes, these will trigger your memory and help you remember details.

Copyright 2000 by the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center.

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Step 4: Recite Say each fact or idea aloud. Then, cover the right side (where you took the notes) with a sheet of paper, and read each key word, phrase or question from the left side aloud. What fact or idea does the key word relate to? Recite the answer in your own words. Then, check your notes to make sure your answer is complete and correct. If you dont know the right answer, study your notes and recite them aloud again. Recite until you get all the answers correct. Go through all your notes this way. Step 5: Think and reflect Think about the information you have in your notes. Ask questions. What are the most important ideas? Why is this information important? How does this relate to what I already know? Step 6: Review Look at your notes again and often. Reciting and reviewing your notes every day is the best way to prepare for a test. Short, fast, daily reviews will help you remember much more than long cramming sessions. Step 7: Summarize At the bottom of the page, summarize that page of notes in your own words. Then, summarize the entire lecture on the last page of your notes.

Outlining
Outlining your reading even your class notes and essays can help you order information and organize your thoughts. Using that outline with your class notes will help build on the knowledge you gained from the textbook. Below are some steps that will help you create an outline. Write down the title of the lecture or reading assignment. For example, your biology teacher might be lecturing on Cells. If youre taking notes from your teachers lecture, listen for the main objectives of the lecture. If youre taking notes from your textbook, find the main idea of each paragraph. You should be able to write the main idea of the lecture or your reading in one word or a short phrase. This will be the roman numeral (I., II., III.) of your outline. For example, the lecture on Cells might focus on these areas: I. Cell theory II. Cell components III. Subcellular structures IV.Protein synthesis For each discussion point in the lecture or paragraph in your reading, find the subtopics that make up the main idea. These will be the capital letters of your outline (A., B., C., etc.). For example, a partial outline for Cell components might look like this: II. Cell components A. Cell membrane B. Cytoplasm C. Membrane-bound organelles

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Copyright 2000 by the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center.

 Often, writers provide supporting details for those examples. These are your Arabic numerals (1., 2., 3., etc.). For example, Membrane-bound organelles would include the following supporting details: C. Membrane-bound organelles 1. Nucleus 2. Endoplasmic reticulum 3. Mitochondria 4. Chloroplast 5. Vacuole To use your reading notes as you take lecture notes, simply leave space for lecture notes on the same page. Use the left half of your paper for reading notes. Use the right half of your paper for class notes. Combining your reading and lecture notes gives you one set of study notes rather than two.

Mapping
Instead of the Cornell Notetaking system or outlining, you may choose to map your class notes, test answers or reading material. When you use this strategy, you actually draw a map of the material youre reading or writing. Mapping works especially well for visual learners. Draw a small circle in the center of your paper. Place the topic or main idea in this circle. Draw lines, like the spokes of a wheel, from the center topic. Write your subtopics on the spokes. From each spoke, draw as many lines as you need to record supporting details and examples.

Heres an example of how a lecture on Cells might look as a map:

cell theory

protein synthesis

CELLS
subcellular structures cell components

cell membrane

cytoplasm

membranebound organelles nucleus chloroplast

mitochondria vacuole endoplasmic reticulum

Copyright 2000 by the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center.

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