Having good class notes will help you to be better prepared for tests and you Instructors discussion. Caution: don't use the online availability of information as an excuse to skip class! You need the "full story" and the examples given in class if you are going to understand the notes well enough to answer test questions. There are many types of note taking strategies to choose from, you can go online or go to the local library to research the best way for your learning style.
During Lecture:• Come early and sit in front. You're less likely to "zone out" or fall asleep when you are closer to the Instructor.
• Bring your Course book to class it will give you another source of information being given in class. This can also help you stay focused because it gives you more to do (you can consult the text as the lecture proceeds).
• Keep your attention focused on what your teacher is saying. Do not let your fellow students take your attention away from what the instructor is saying.• Listen for cues that tell you that what your teacher is about to say is important to write in your notes. Ask reflective questions when youre not sure of what was being discussed.
Examples of cue statements are “The most important
Point…” and “Remember that . . . “Be sure to include in your notes,
Information your Instructor repeats and also has you repeat. Also note any additional things he writes on the whiteboard. Write quickly so that you can include all the important information in your notes. Do this by writing abbreviated words such as med for medicine, using symbols such as % for percent, and writing short sentences. Place a “?” Next to information whose meaning you are not sure.
• Think about how to write your notes so that when you study for an exam you will be able to quiz yourself off your notes.
• Write the date at the top.
• Use abbreviations and omit unnecessary words.
• Listen for cues, such as organizing statements “the first step” and transition words like “This can be applied to”.
• Record legibly, including both what the Instructor says and what are written on the board.
• Dont rely on recording a lecture or reading someone else's notes.
• If you miss something because the lecture is moving too quickly or because you've "zoned out," skip a few lines and make a note that you missed something. After class, get the info from a classmate, the book, or the Instructor. (Ask instructor to slow down. Try not interrupting the class because you fell behind)
• At the end of the lecture, if not before, ask questions. Also, linger and listen in to the questions asked by other students. The Instructors answer is often extremely helpful!After Lecture:
• As soon as possible after class, spend 10 to 20 minutes going over your notes. Clarify, summarize, and if you used shorthand rewrite the notes out in long hand before you forget what your abbreviations and shorthand characters where. Think about the major concepts you learned. Retention improves significantly with immediate reinforcement. Put your new knowledge to work as soon as possible to help move it from your shortterm memory to your long-term memory.
Learning LogOne method to put the new knowledge to work is whats called a Learning Log. A learning log is nothing more than a log of what you learned that day. The student after a lesson writing down in a log what they have learned, what they feel was easy or hard in that days lesson and how they can apply this new information in there day to day work environment.
• Review your notes and Log frequently, both alone and with a study group.• Compare your notes to another student's in order to pick up ideas about how to make your notes more useful to you.
• You might want to add notes from your text book so that you will have a single source to study from when the test approaches. Use a different color of ink so that you will know what came from lecture and what came from the book.
• If you don't understand the course material, don't just re -read it. Try something else! Consult with the Instructor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, and or a study group.