Before Note Making

Lecture Notetaking

• Read or survey the material that will be covered in the upcoming lecture.
•  Read over your notes from the previous class.
•  Look at the course outline to see where you’ve been, where you’re going, and how it all fits together.
• Meet with your instructor/TA to clarify concepts from the last lecture.
• Get the notes from any class session you’ve missed.

• Date and title each set of notes and keep notes from different classes separate.
• Sit where you can hear and see clearly without distractions.
• Don’t crowd your notes!  Leave blanks to fill in missed items and to expand your notes later on.
• Ask your instructor, TA, or classmate to help you fill in the gaps if you think you missed one or more important points.
• Stay involved in the class and ask questions.  Volunteer for demonstrations.  Join in class discussions.
• Take too many notes, rather than not enough.  You can always omit unnecessary information later.
• Think to yourself, “Why is this important?”
•  Focus on what point the professor is on, rather than scrambling to write down the whole overhead or PowerPoint page without listening to what the professor is saying.
• Write down notes in your own words when possible and think about what the professor is saying.  However, definitions of technical terms should be recorded exactly as given.
• Use abbreviations and symbols to save time.  Make sure you understand your abbreviations!
• Take notes in different colors to highlight important points.
• Use underlining, highlighting or symbols, such as an asterisk or star, to identify points your instructor emphasizes.
•  Keep alert for and highlight points your instructor emphasizes by means of verbal cues.  Watch for lists such as “the following 5 steps” or “the 4 major causes” and for summaries signaled by words such as “consequently” or “therefore.”
• Add examples your professor provides in order to clarify abstract ideas and to jog your memory when studying later.
• Make eye contact with the lecturer.
• Don’t be a clock-watcher.  Instructors do not always pace themselves accurately and may cram half of the lecture into the last 15 minutes
• Learn as much as you can in class because this will better help you understand and complete outside assignments. For example, if your instructor pauses during lecture, use that time to review the notes you’ve taken so far.
• Use a tape recorder only to clarify lecture points-- use the counter.
• Meet a conscientious and success-oriented student in each class at the beginning of every semester and share notes.

• Review notes within 24 hours of class, or else you are relearning.
• Should you recopy your notes?  Some people benefit from rewriting or recopying their lecture notes.  However, be sure to leave time to think about your notes.  Experiment and find out what works best for you.
• Use margin space to fill in abbreviations, add omitted points, correct errors, and write key words.  Read notes to be sure you can clarify confusing or illegible material.
• As you read your notes, underline, highlight, or mark main points or important points you will want to give special attention to when you study the material again for the exam.
• Elaborate your notes.  Compare the information to what you already know.  Write additional information from the text into notes.
• Connect concepts to see their meaning in the larger picture- think of a summary in your head or write it at the end of your notes.
• Practice reciting the information using only key words.
• Talk with other students about the lecture.
• Conduct short weekly review periods.  Once a week, go through all your notes again.  Put reviews on your calendar and make it a habit.