Find a Note Taking Style for You*

  • Cornell Method
  • Clustering/Mapping
  • Outlining

*Your style could vary from course to course

Taking Notes in Class

  • Listen for instructors’ clues of important items to note
    • Time periods
    • PowerPoint information
    • Summary statements
    • Visual cues
    • Repeated/Emphasized information
    • Summaries and reviews
  • Leave space in your notebook to add more notes
  • Write on one side of your paper
  • Date notes
  • Create a timeline, especially for historical information
  • Number pages
  • Abbreviate
  • Leave underlined spaces if you miss information in order to add it later
  • Compare notes with another student
  • Try to review your notes ASAP after you take them
  • Make a list of questions from your notes and meet with your instructor to discuss

Taking Notes from Texts

SQ4R

  • Survey
    • Leaf through the chapter
    • Pay attention to the introduction, titles, subtitles, charts, graphs, and illustrations
    • Look at the review questions at the end of the chapter
  • Question
    • Formulate a question for each heading or subheading
    • Ask yourself: Who, what, where, when, why, how?
    • Read to find the answers to these questions
  • Read
    • Read one paragraph or section at a time
    • Look for the main idea of each paragraph
    • Take note of words that are italicized or bolded
  • Record
    • Write down important ideas in each paragraph/section
    • Use the note taking style that works for you and the content
    • Note items in lists, definitions, and answers to review questions
  • Recall
    • Take a minute to see how much you can remember
    • Rehearse your notes out loud
  • Review
    • See if you can answer the review questions at the end of the chapter
    • Review your notes from the chapter before you begin working on a new chapter
    • Review your notes each day to avoid cramming
    • Schedule weekly reviews of entire subjects

Marking Texts

  • Mark after each paragraph or section, not as you go
  • Mark words and phrases instead of whole sentences
  • Number parts or items (parts of a definition, causes of something, etc.)

Organizing Notes

  • Keep a separate notebook or document for notes from each class
  • Keep all papers together for each class
  • Organize a binder
    • Keep old papers in a separate file
    • Keep related content from other classes
  • Retype/rewrite notes from class
  • Highlight related ideas/time periods in the same color
  • Use sticky tabs in your book or notes
  • Write in the margins of your book
  • Use a pen with multi-colored ink and color code information
  • Use highlighters
  • Use a lap top, iPad, or other technology to review and edit as you go

Other Tips

  • Anticipate what the instructor will cover in class
  • Survey any material that will be covered before class
  • Read the text more carefully following the lecture while taking notes
  • Review your lecture and reading notes and formulate possible test questions
  • Study often for short durations of time
  • Make flash cards
  • Study connections between ideas in order to understand the big picture
  • Prepare practice questions
    • Use information from a review if your instructor provided one
    • Anticipate possible questions and practice answers