Academic Reading & Writing

Note Taking Skills

Retaining Information
Studies show that people may forget:
• 50% of a lecture within 24 hours
• 80% in two weeks
• 95% within one month
If they do not take notes.
What is note taking?
• Note-taking is the practice of writing down or otherwise recording key
points of information during :
• any discussion
• listening lectures or
• reading some material on a specific topic.
Phases of Note-Taking
Before Class /Reading
• Read assigned material
• Review notes from previous session (previous lecture or previous
reading)
• Date each page of your notebook as well as date and number each
handout
• Identify the chapter/ topic being covered
Cont...
• During Class
• Listen carefully at the beginning of the lecture for an overview of the
main topics of the lecture
• Maintain focus to identify important information
• Your goal is NOT to write every word of the lecture in your notes. Write
down supporting information such as key points, background information,
dates, key terms, definitions, examples, formulas
• Listen carefully at the end of the lecture for a summary of the main points
from the lecture
Cont...
• After Class
• Review, revise, or edit your notes as soon as possible
• Rewrite notes if necessary
• In your notes summarize the main points of the lecture
Note-Taking Methods
• Cornell Note Taking Method
• The Cornell method, where you divide the paper into three sections: a
space on the left for writing the main topics, a larger space on the
right to write your notes, and a space at the bottom to summarize
your notes; review and clarify your notes a soon as possible after
class; summarize what you've written on the bottom of the page; and
finally, study your notes.
Summary
Cont…
Outline Method
• Organizational technique which allows you to show main points, sub-
points and details. You are able to present your information in a more
organized way.
• Effective note-taking techniques help you to:
• Create an outline of a class lecture or textbook reading
• Summarize and retain important information
• Practice critical thinking skills to connect with information
Cont…
• It lets you organize your notes in a structured form, helping you save a
lot of time for further reviewing and editing. As the name suggests,
this method requires you to structure your notes in form of an outline
by using bullet points to represent different topics and their
subtopics.
Cont…
• Mind Mapping Method
• Creating a mind map, a visual diagram that lets you organize your
notes in a two-dimensional structure, says Focus. You create a mind
map by writing the subject or headline in the center of the page then
add your notes in the form of branches that radiate outward from the
center.
Cont…
Cont…
• THE CHARTING METHOD
• Charting note taking method uses columns to organize information.
This method is useful for lessons that cover a lot of facts or
relationships between topics.
• Facts are organized and easy to review.
• Highlights key pieces of information for each topic.
Cont…
Why it is important?
Note-taking is one of the most important activities for students. There
are a variety of reasons for it :
• Taking notes will help you recall information that would otherwise be
lost.
• And we all know how crucial that can be when we’re preparing for an
exam. What’s the essence of this figure again? Note-taking to the
rescue.
• It helps to summarize core concepts as precisely as possible in our
own words.