Academic Survival at JSU

Effective Note-Taking
Presenter: LaTonya Robinson
October 10, 2007
 5 C’s of Note-Taking
 Take Charge of Your Lectures

 Concentrate and Focus on the

Material

 Listen Critically

 Connect and Capture Key Ideas

Take Charge of Your Lectures
 Commit to Class

 Pre-read material to be
covered before class

 Identify areas that are

difficult to understand

 Arrive to class early and

review notes from the
previous class period
 CONCENTRATE
and focus on the material!!!

Beware of Distractions
 Talking
 Daydreaming & Doodling
 Worrying
Listen Critically
 Be Ready for the Message

 Listen to Main Concepts

 Listen for New Ideas

 Ask Questions
Connect and Capture Key Ideas
 Identify key words, themes and main points
 Relate Details to the Main Point
 Listen for Clues
 Note when a topic comes up more than once
 Transition words signal the change in topics or new key
points
“In contrast to”
“Let’s move on”
“This will be on the next exam” This one for sure!
“You will see this again”
Choose the Note-Taking Style that’s
Just Right for You!

Use any strategy that

will help the key
ideas stand out to
you!!
 Note-Taking Styles
 Outline Method

 The Cornell Method

 Paragraph (Summarizing) Method

 Fishbone Diagram (Listing) Method