Brian Brausch

Taking Notes
 Involves 3 major tasks:
Effective listening
Effective observation
Effective note taking
Effective Listening
 Humans are poor listeners
 FOCUS
 Be alert, be aware
 Active process which

begins before class

Effective Listening: In Class
 Find a good seat, comfortable
 Pay attention purposefully
 Listen for cues
 Resist distractions
 Don’t let your mind wander
 Take notes while you listen
 Be in the moment
 Awareness Test
Are you easily distracted?
 Arrive at each class prepared
 Arrive on time
 Sit near the front
 Do not doodle
 Stop daydreaming
 Look at the teacher
Before Note Taking
B
 Be positive – Attitude is everything
 Find a style that fits you E


Read
Prepare a list of questions
F
 BE PREPARED!!! O
R
E
During Note Taking
 Important ideas only
 Listen and Look for cues (In other
words…, Most importantly…)
 Leave open spaces if you get behind
 Use abbreviations
 Record Questions
After Note Taking
 Verbalize your understanding to A
another student
 Compare with classmates F
Revise notes as appropriate
T

 Review your notes, clarify


Rehearse aloud
Highlight
E
R
Note Taking
 Many methods, 5 outlined here:
The Cornell Method
The Outline Method
The Mapping Method
The Charting or PEPPS Method
The Sentence Method
The Outlining Method
 Main points on farthest left side,
subsequent points follow indents
 Example:
Note Taking
○ 2 skills needed
 Effective listening
 Effective note taking
○ 5 methods
 Cornell Met., Outlining Met., Mapping Met., Outlining
Met., Sentence Met.
The Mapping Method
 A graphic representation of the lecture content
The Cornell Method
 Draw a line down the page vertically 2 ½
inches from left hand side
 Take notes on right side, leave few lines
between each point
 After class, write cues or questions in left
margin
 Review and test yourself by covering notes
and leaving cues
 Saves you having to rewrite your notes to
study for exams
 The Charting Method (PEPPS)
 Good for history lectures
 Draw columns/ categories and insert
notes as necessary

PERIOD EVENT PLACE PEOPLE SIGNIFICANCE

1939- WWII Europe, Hitler, Tojo Atom Bomb,
1945 West Pacific FDR, Cold War,
Churchill, Holocaust
Mussolini
The Sentence Method
 Write every new thought on separate
line
 Thought 2
 Thought 3
 Thought 4
 Thought 5

 Phrases are quicker than sentence form

Common Abbreviations
 w/ - with
 w/o – without
 + or & - and
 ppl.- people
 @ - at
 Q - question
 A – answer
 ? – I’m lost
 Ex – example
 Imp- important
 -> - leads to
 Etc – and other things
 Con’t- continued
 Gov’t- government
Live Scribe Pen
Reading
To
Remember
Retaining Information
 Short term vs. Long term
 Ability to hold on to information.
 SQ4R method
Survey
Question
Read
Recite
Review
Reflect
SQ4R: Step One
 Survey and Question
Improve reading speed and comprehension
Skim or survey chapter (turning subtitles into
questions) 5-minutes or less
Warm up for the brain
Creates advanced organizers
Improves comprehension and concentration.
Questioning is important – keeps you active
and awake
SQ4R: Step 2
 Read and Recite
Read a section at a time
Turn subheadings into questions and find the
answers
Underline the main idea (if important)
When finished with section, look at subheading
and see if you can recite or re-say the main
point.
Important for storing in long term memory
SQ4R: Step 3
 Review and Reflect
IMMEDIATELY after reading chapter, do
quick review of what you learned. 5-minutes
or less.
Look at subheadings – recall main points
Re-read points you highlighted.
Reflect on how you can use the info, how
does it relate?
Review and Reflection Points
 What is important?
 What is the significance?
 How can I use the information?
 What does it mean to me?
 What do I think about the information?
 How does this relate to what I already
know?
 Can I think of a good example for this?
More Useful Ideas
 Unfamiliar word? Look up the definition, it
will be on the exam!
 You may need to re-read
 Speed and comprehension improves with
practice
 Take notes – active involvement
 Don’t understand? Talk with your teacher
 Read or skim material before class
 Review periodically throughout semester
 Learning disability?
Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
 Match learning style to reading style
Auditory – read aloud
Active – move around
Introvert – quiet place
Extrovert – group study
Additional Online Resources
 www.how-to-study.com
 www.studyhall.com
 www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/
acad/strat
 http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl
 www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/study
Questions?