18 Take Effective Notes

Why take notes?

During the first semester, many of us keep doing what we did in our previous schools.  However, because the university environment is different, a change is needed.  An important reality is that creating good notes means that you will have a record for later review.  Reviewing a set of well-organized notes is more efficient than re-reading your longer texts.

You’ve got the textbook and you listened to the instructor.  Do you need to take notes as well? Despite the vast amount of information available in electronic formats, taking notes is an important learning strategy. In addition, the way that you take notes matters, and not all notetaking strategies lead to equal results.  By considering your notetaking strategies carefully, you will be able to create a set of notes that will help you retain the most important concepts from lectures and tests, and that will assist you in your exam preparation.

Two Purposes for Taking Notes

You will take notes for two main reasons:

1. To keep a record of the information they heard. This is also called the external storage function of notetaking.
2. To facilitate learning the material you are currently studying by encoding the information.

How Note Taking Supports Learning

Taking notes during class supports your learning in several important ways:

1. Taking notes helps you to focus your attention and avoid distractions.
2. As you take notes in class, you will be engaging your mind in identifying and organizing the main ideas. Rather than passively listening, you will be doing the work of active learning while in class, making the most of your time.
3. By creating good notes, you will have a record for later review. Reviewing a set of condensed and well-organized notes is more efficient than re-reading longer texts and articles.

Effective Note Taking Strategies

Many students try to write down everything the instructor is saying; however, this strategy does not help you to identify important ideas. It is more effective to focus on writing down key concepts, rather than recording all of the instructor’s words. Consider writing an outline of the lecture’s most important points and how they fit together. Additionally, watch for other information that your instructor emphasizes, either verbally or with gestures, and add these key concepts to your notes. Leave a wide margin on one side of the page to write down key words and questions after the lecture. At the bottom of each page of notes, leave room to write a short summary of the information on that page. Spend time after class reviewing your notes and filling in any missing information.

By using effective note taking strategies, you will think and learn more effectively in class. In addition, you will have created a tool to help you review for tests and exams.