HOW TO TAKE GOOD LECTURE NOTES
Better nail down this skill right away, if you don't already have it, because you're going to need it soon. Picture this: You're studying for a test, anxious and kind of mad at yourself because you waited until the night before—again—after you vowed to change your procrastinating ways. You open your notebook and, for the first time, really look at your lecture notes. Something awful begins to dawn on you: "My God," you say out loud, "these are pitiful!" A split-second later, the grim realization hits: "Oh, no, I'm going to flunk!"
Fact: Good note-taking is essential to good academic progress
Of course, there's no one perfect system for taking good lecture notes, and nearly everybody develops some personal code of abbreviations, patterns, and outline forms. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that can help you get the most out of those long lectures and make your note-taking more productive.
Do your assigned reading
Do your assigned reading beforehand. Even if you don't have time to study the material, at least try to read over it the night before class. Otherwise, you may have no clue as to what the professor's talking about and your notes could make absolutely no sense whatsoever. If, for example, tomorrow's lecture in biology will deal with the circulatory system, do the reading assignment and become familiar with the terms and concepts your lecturer will be using, so you don't just sit there, stupefied and obviously lost by words such as "capillaries." (Note: When you and your teacher are on grossly different wavelengths, it's bad for everybody, including your professor, who may become frustrated if it's clear you're just not getting it.)
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- Taking Lecture and Class Notes
- Information presented in class often contains the central concepts of the course and the material most likely to be included on exams. Yet, students frequently do not realize the importance of notetaking and listening. The following handouts provide tips on how to recall more information from your lectures through active listening and purposeful notetaking. In addition, lecture notes can be a critical tool for preparing for exams. Suggestions are provided for how to use your notes regularly to review.
Get to class on time.
Get to class on time. Often, the professor will tell you the objectives and even outline the lecture at the beginning of the hour. The professor may also start out by offering to answer questions and clear up any loose ends from last time. This is your big opportunity to clarify any points you didn't understand earlier. Make the most of it.
Look for significance -- throughout the lecture
Look for significance. Throughout the lecture, try to figure out the bigger picture. Keep asking yourself: Why is my professor making this point? What makes this important? Realize that a lecture is not just an explanation of a subject; it's the professor's interpretation of why that subject is important. You may not always agree with this interpretation, but you need to know what it is (for your next exam, if nothing else), and you need to get it into your notes.
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Organizational cues
Listen for organizational cues. Some professors write out their lectures word for word; others don't write anything but speak totally off the cuff. Most, however, speak from outline notes. With a little practice, you can quickly pick up how the professor has organized the lecture material. Listen for such phrases as "the second reason for the change is," or "a third important factor is," or "still another consideration is." These lead-in lines reveal something about the professor's own thought patterns and attitudes
Study Tips
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Be sure you understand terminology. Each subject has its own jargon. In economics, for example, some essential terms include GNP, cartel, marginal productivity, and equilibrium; it's almost a whole new language. Make sure these terms are properly defined in your notes. If the professor uses an unfamiliar term during the lecture, ask a question early for clarification.
Don't let your notes cool off
Don't let your notes cool off. This may be the most important tip of all. When the lecture is over, take a couple minutes to look over what you've written to be sure it makes sense. Fill in the blank spaces, complete the fragmented ideas, and-this could be key-write a one- or two-sentence summary of the main points. The piddly amount of time this takes will pay off in a major way when you're studying for the next exam. Cold notes-notes with isolated words or figures that mean absolutely nothing to you weeks later-aren't much help at all at exam time. You think you'll remember, four weeks from now, what you heard today? Trust us: You won't. Take the time today and save the torment tomorrow.
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