Name: Alvina Shabbir

Roll No: Huss 212101025

Class: Bs English

Subject: Study Skills

Assignment Topic: Notetaking Strategies(Before,during and After Class)

Department: Hmanities and Social Sciences

Submitted by: Alvina Shabbir

Submitted to: Prof.MIuhammad Faheem

Date: 16-04-2020
 NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES;
(Before, During and After Class)

What is note taking strategy?

 Note taking is the process or act of taking notes.
 Note taking (or notetaking) is the practice of writing down pieces of information in a
systematic way.
 Note-taking is the practice of recording information from different sources or platforms.

Before attempting to take notes, consider the following questions:

 What is effective note taking?
 How can I take good notes in class or from written texts?
 Is it different for each?
 What is the overall goal of my note taking?
 How do I study and what should I include in my notes to help this process?
 How the class that I am taking is taught and how should I take notes based on this?

Why do we take notes?

To summarize.

To highlight important information.

Most importantly, to review and study from later.

General tips and tricks:

1. Develop a personal form of abbreviations to allow you to take notes more quickly and allow you
to include more information effectively.

2. Skip lines to allow you to fill in more information later.

3. Always date material to know what material each test covers.

4. Leave marginal room for notes when reviewing or from reading text.

5. Re-write notes right after lecture for better retention.

6. Paraphrase! – It is easier to study from your own ideas than your lecturers’!

7. Stay ahead of reading assignments. This will help you understand lectures better and give you a
better indication of what notes are important to take.

8. Use labels, categories, and separate chapters/concepts to organize your notes.

9. Keep notes clear. Doodling is distracting when you go back to study and is an indication of
daydreaming during class. Use separate notebooks for each class.

10. Underline or star key points.

‘’Anything that is not Managed, will deteriorate’’

Strategies for taking good lecture notes:

 Take well-organized notes in outline form:

this will help you to identify the main ideas. Start large, work down to details.
 Take notes in complete thoughts, but abbreviate, reduce, and simplify:
Don’t try to write the profs lecture word for word. You will fall behind and miss something
important. Don’t copy overheads unless the professor gives you time to do so.
 Separate and label the notes for each class:
Start a new set of notes for each day, clearly separated from the day before; it makes your
notes easier to study.
 Make your notes easy to read:
it’s easier to study your notes if you can read them.
 Be an aggressive note taker:
Sit where you can hear and see the professor without straining. Stay alert.
 Start taking notes when the professor starts talking:
Don’t wait for a big thought to strike you. You could easily become distracted and miss the
big thought.
 Isolate and learn the specialized vocabulary:
Write down and highlight difficult or new words. Write definitions, or look them up later.
 Separate facts from opinion and add your own ideas:
Note what is fact and what is the professor’s opinion. Add your own thoughts; write notes
directly to yourself.
 Develop your own set of symbols. Use them to identify or emphasize various items in
your notes:
Use circles, underlines, or other symbols that will be meaningful to you.
 Include pictures, diagrams and other visual:

Copying diagrams or other visuals helps you to understand concepts later. We tend to think
in terms of pictures.

 Take notes on discussion:

Take notes when meeting with your tutor. Use notes you’ve taken in lecture to generate
discussion with your tutor group.
 Always attend lectures to develop a complete set of notes.
Think of your lecture notes as chapters in a book, and strive to have all the chapters.

‘’Before anything else, PREPARATION is the key to SUCCESS’’

 Before Class

Take visually clear, concise, organized and structured notes so that they are easy to read
and make sense to you later. See different formats of notes below for ideas. If you want your
notes to concise and brief, use abbreviations and symbols. Write in bullets and phrases
instead of complete sentences. Try to take notes in your own words. Structure your notes
with headings, sub headings and numbered lists. Code your notes, use color and symbols to
mark structure and emphasis. Use color to highlight major sections, main points and
diagrams. Actually you should take notes before each lecture, this means taking notes whilst
you’re doing preparatory reading, as well as when you are listening in class. And, you need
to review your lecture notes periodically after the lecture is finished. Make your notes easy to
read. Take notes in complete thought s, but abbreviate, reduce, and simplify.
1. Review the content
Prepare for note taking by reviewing the content before the week begins. It is important to
read or skim over the assigned material before you go to class.

2. Use a note taking system

Follow a note-taking system that is suitable for you. The Split-Page Method or Cornell
Method is the most recommended system of note-taking.
The Cornell note has three basic parts: Cues for keywords and questions (column on the
left), Notes for writing the content (column on the right), and Summary for generalizing ideas
(bottom part)

Diagram

3. Sit in front
Sit in front of the classroom. Sitting in front helps you avoid distractions and helps you to
become a better listener. Research has shown that students who sit towards the front of a
classroom achieve better results.

4. Reduce distractions

Turn off your cell phone to reduce distractions.

5. Prepare the materials

Prepare the materials you need while taking notes such as pens, highlighters, papers, and
books.

Diagram;
 6. Use your own words

Take notes in your own words. It will help you to learn the topic easily.

7. Write it right

It means write or compose correct or righteous material which is just or legal.

8. Don’t write everything

Don’t write down everything, always paraphrase.

9. Use headings and subheadings
Label your notes with headings and subheadings.

 During Class
There’s a lot going on during class, so you may not be able to capture every main concept
perfectly, and that’s okay. Part of good note-taking may include going back to your notes
after class (ideally within a day or two) to check for clarity and fill in any missing pieces. In
fact, doing so can help you better organize your thoughts and determine what’s most
important. With that in mind, it’s important to have good source material

1. Write the date and main topic

Write down the date and main topic or title on each page. It helps you to look for that
specific detail when reviewing and keeps your notes organized.

2. Create an outline
The teacher may provide the lesson outline for the day, be sure to take note of it. If not,
create your own outline of the lesson by identifying the main points and knowing how the
lesson is structured. Use it to guide you to understand the topic better.

3. Don't write down every word that the teacher says

Do not attempt to write every word that the teacher says. Pay attention to key points. Trying
to write down every word results in missing important details and getting behind the lesson.
The whole point of note taking is to be able to summarize information in a different, shorter
form to use later.

4. Be an active listener
Record when the instructor emphasizes the main ideas or details. There is a high chance
that you should start writing when the teacher says, “This is important”, “You need to know
this” or “This will be included in the test”. Listen carefully when the teacher starts to speak
loudly or with emphasis. It implies that you should write down that important part.
.
5. Know what is important
Write down everything that the teacher writes on the board. It indicates that such details are
important in the discussion. Be sure to copy examples the teacher provided, draw graphs or
diagrams the teacher used to illustrate a certain detail and write all relevant questions asked
during the lesson.

6. Write legibly
You should be able to read your own writing. In addition to that, it would take too much time
to review notes when its scribbled down. If you always practice writing, your handwriting will
eventually improve.

7. Highlight keywords or phrases

Use colored pens and highlighters to emphasize the main parts of the lesson. If you don’t
have the materials, mark an important word or phrase with a star.

8. Use symbols and abbreviations

There are times that the information comes too fast that you cannot write the full words.
Increase the speed of your writing by using symbols and abbreviations. Examples are w/ for
with, w/out for without, # for number and vs. for versus. You may also make your own
symbols and abbreviations but be sure to be consistent, so you would understand it when
you review your notes again.

9. Ask when you don't understand

If there’s a part of the lesson that you don’t understand, be sure to clarify it by asking
questions in the class or after the discussion with the teacher.

‘’The weakest ink is stronger than the strongest memory’’

After Class

Part of good note-taking includes revisiting your notes a day or so after class. During this
time check for clarity, fill in definitions of key terms, organize and figure out any concepts
you may have missed or not fully understood in class. Figure out what may be missing and
what you may need to add or even ask about. If your lecture is recorded, you may be able to
take advantage of the captions to review. Write a summary of your notes in your own words,
fill in areas, and chunk them into categories or sections. Use your notes to make a study
guide and self-test to prepare for exams.

1. Compare notes
Compare your notes with your classmates to know if you have written the correct
information.

2. Rewrite notes
Write down the lesson summary. Check if you have written all relevant details and fill in any
missing details. Ensure a well-organized note for active learning.

3. Review notes
Review your notes while the information is still fresh in your mind. Avoid reviewing your
notes before the exam day, instead review regularly to avoid cramming.

4. Compare notes with Text book

Check your notes against textbook. Review your notes with 24 hours and before the next
class.

5. Identify potential test questions

Summarize your notes with marginal phrases and identify potential test question which are
useful for exam preparation.

6. Use notes for summaries

Use your notes to write summaries and other guides for active learning.

7. Keep your notes in a secure place

Good notes should be accurate, clear and concise. They should show the organization of
the content and the relationship between ideas. Research has shown that students who do a
good job of taking notes could see a one or two letter grade improvement in most of their
classes.

Importance:

Whenever you prepare your notes, remember that you must still engage in actively learning
those notes as soon as possible. Collecting even excellent notes for several weeks and
expecting to learn them right before exam is a recipe for failure.

‘’He listens well who takes Notes’’