The Basics of Note Taking

A Key to
Academic
Success
What do you
know about
note taking?
Why is it
important to
take good
notes?
  Promotes Active Listening
 Provides Accurate Record of
Info
Note  Makes You Restructure
Information
Taking:  Interpret (give meaning)
 Condense

Why?  Organize
 Provides Repetition
 Helps you learn more quickly
 Note taking is an important
part of academic life.

To be successful at note taking, you need to:

 Improve your listening skills.
 Develop your note taking skills.
 Be able to use your notes to study.
 Like All Skills

•Listening and note taking improves

with practice.
•Practice everyday.
 Characteristics of Good
Notes
Good Notes:
• Are Organized

• Distinguish Main Points from Details

• Include Examples

• Indicate Lecture Patterns

• Allow for Self Testing

• Stand the Test of Time

• Use Abbreviations
Note taking does not = Dictation
 Note taking is writing complete ideas

 Dictation is writing complete sentences.

 Example
Dictation:
History 1002 meets 2 days a
week, from 10:00 am to 10:50.
Notes:
Hist 1002
• 2d/wk
• 10 – 10:50 am
 Helpful Strategies for
Taking Notes:
 Listen for Key Words/Points
 Abbreviate
 Focus
 Find Main Ideas and Concepts
 Use Your Words
 Cues and Clues
 Review
 Key Words and Points

 Do not write everything

 Even if you could write everything, it

would result in wasted words and time.

 Make point from notes which look for the

key ideas.
 Abbreviate
 Develop a set of abbreviations that make
sense to you - it saves valuable writing time.
Some common general abbreviations

e.g. For example

w/ with
w/o without
etc. and so on
vs against
m a million
mkt market
 Focus
Try to focus on getting
terms, quotes and
examples (things that
will likely be important
later).
 Ideas & Concepts
Perhaps most important
of all, look for the central
ideas and concepts of
the lecture, not just facts.
 Use Your Words
 Tryto put things in your own words when
you can.
 However, this may not always be possible
or even a good thing because the
presenter's words may be more precise
and meaningful than your own way of
expressing things
 Cues & Clues
 Listen for presenter's cues that inform you
that important material is coming.

 Three examples of cue phrases:

 “In conclusion …”
 “The most important thing …”
 “We could summarize by …”
 Review
 As soon as you can after the class,
review your notes.
 Share with other students since they
may have picked up something you
missed.
 A great way to learn the material is
to teach it to someone else.
Use headings to
organize ideas.
 To create headings use:

• CAPITAL LETTERS
• BOXES

• underline
• - - indent below the
heading
 Take notes on this
sentence

Studies on worldwide literacy rates show that almost 80

percent of the world’s population over the age of 15 is
now literate. This includes more women than ever before.
 One way to write this
info
• ww literacy rt = almost 80 % world pop over 15 yrs
now literate

• grtr # of women than bef

 Take notes on this
sentence

UNESCO’s study shows a drop in illiteracy from twenty-

two percent of the world population in 1995 to twenty
percent in 2000.

illiteracy ww pop
1995 2000
22% 20%
 Take notes on this
sentence
The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill,
was fought between Union Army and Confederate States Army
forces on May 12–13, 1865 near Brownsville, Texas. It was the last
land battle of any size or significance of the American Civil War.

Battle of Palmito Ranch/Hill

• Union vs Confd.
• May, 1865
• Brownsville, TX
• Last battle Civil War
 Take notes on this
sentence
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks
of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change.
Geology can also refer generally to the study of the solid features of
any celestial body (such as the geology of the Moon or Mars).

Geology
• Study of
• Sld Earth,
• Rocks
• Processes of change
• Sld features of any celestial
body i.e. the moon/Mars
 Take notes on this
sentence
The three keys to creating a green environment
initiative are educating the public, improving
technology, and increasing the demand for recycling.
 Remember
•Get the big picture!

•Rewrite your notes.

•Develop your own

style and…

Practice, practice, practice.