by Kathryn Bell
Does either of the following describe your notetaking style?
“I don’t know what’s important, so I just write everything down.”
“I don’t know what’s important, so sometimes I just sit there and don’t write anything.”
If you don’t know what’s important in a lecture, then you’re not
making the most of your hard-spent tuition dollars. Efficient note-taking
skills will maximize classroom time, which leads to more effective study
time, too. And both pay off with dividends of high marks.
Ready to start unlocking treasure from a lecture? Then use these four
simple keys to note-taking success.
Key #1. Pre-read and brainstorm.
Like any type of exercise, listening requires warm-up. Don’t let your
brain receive information “cold.” Instead, use the few minutes before
class to review the previous day’s notes and handouts, and preview any
readings for that day’s class. This allows you to become familiar with new
vocabulary and concepts, and gives you a chance to figure out any charts,
diagrams or maps the professor will use.
Also, use this time to brainstorm and note any questions you may have at this point. Remember that if you listen “for” something, you will be
more attentive. Then, if your questions are not addressed, put up your hand and ask, or raise them in the discussion period.
Key #2. Know thy professor.
If you’ve taken five courses, chances are you’ve experienced five different
teaching styles. Some lecturers distribute outlines; others give lengthy
introductions. This information allows you to organize your note paper
right from the beginning of the lecture. Listen for the verbal clues:
“First we’ll cover. . . . .Then we’ll do. . . .” Later, as the professor
speaks, just fill in the details under the categories mentioned.
Lecturers may emphasize different kinds of details, too. Some may use
anecdotes to illustrate points, or relay real-life examples. While the principles are “key,” so are the anecdotes, so don’t snooze through the stories! Instead, ask yourself, “What does that story teach me?” and jot down its main point beside the principle.
Some professors make extensive use of chalkboards or overheads. Write down what they do, including strange arrows, dots and underlinings! Wild
scribblings may seem unintelligible at the time, but may come clear later
on. Arrows and lines often indicate key points or conceptual connections.
Key #3. Recognize conceptual structures.
Although it may seem so in an early morning or late night class,
information is rarely tossed out in disjointed chunks. There are usually
conceptual connections, and these can be represented visually in diagram
form in your notepaper. Here are some common examples:
a) Comparison /Contrast: Two theories, principles, styles, people
etc. are juxtaposed to show similarity or difference. Divide your paper
into two columns, with related aspects side by side for easy visual
reference.
b) Historical Development: A time line can show progress of an idea or
theory, or mark the steps in the development of a country or institution.
Use dots on a line to indicate the key time points, and draw arrows from
them to descriptive details.
c) Supported Principles: Write down the principle, leaving lots of room for arrows joining the principle to anecdotes, examples and/or details that
support it. Leave extra room to add your own examples, too. These will be useful to prepare for essay exams, where marks are often given for the quality of support you give.
Key #4. Take time to re-organize the mess.
By the end of class, you may be discouraged to see a confusion of
squiggles, circles, boxes and underlinings among the words on your
notepaper. While guzzling your post-lecture beverage of choice, take the opportunity to re-organize this jumble while the information is relatively fresh in your mind. When doing so:
—Make sure principles are underlined or highlighted. Use a different
color for each one, or use alternate underlinings (double, squiggly, etc.)
to visually distinguish them from each other. Connect supporting details
to each principle with arrows or by grouping them around the key word.
—Expand potentially forgotten abbreviations into longer words. If you
wrote down “JW invented the gzmtrnin 58,” then rewrite it as “Jane Woo
invented the gizmotron in 1958” while the details are fresh. A few weeks
from now, you may forget if the “J” was Jane or her husband John, or if a
gzmotron was a 19th or 20th century invention.
—Note where blanks exist in the information. For example, if point #1 is
clear to you but point #2 is still mysterious, flag it some way to remind
you to ask questions during discussion time, or during the instructor’s office hours.
Make this note-taking process a habit. During exam week, you’ll thank
yourself!
Further Reference:
Notetaking at University.
About the Author
Kathryn Bell has 13 years of experience teaching undergraduates at Douglas College, the University of British Columbia, and other postsecondary institutions.
