Tips for Effective Note Taking
Duration 5.21
Student 1:
When I first went to uni I didn’t realise how quickly the lecturers spoke or how long the lectures actually were.
Student 2:
At first I tried to take down everything but found out that that was impossible and that I needed some more effective note taking strategies so I went to my learning support advisor and she gave me some really great tips.
Student 1:
Yeah.
Student 2:
I also found the digital voice recorder really helpful. I started off by trying to record all my lectures and I thought that I would go back and that I’d write them up, but I soon found out that that wasn’t going to happen, so I became more selective in what I recorded and I would also bookmark bits of my lectures where I had got lost so I could go back and add them into my notes later.
Student 1:
That’s a good idea.
Student 3:
I think the key to successful note taking is preparation. If they are available download the lecture notes the night before and then I’d read over them this gives me an idea of what is coming up in the lecture and some of the technical words they would be using. This is particularly important as sometimes they are using words that I have never heard of before.
Student 2:
Yeah that’s really important.
Student 1:
I know it sounds really obvious but if you put the date and the module title on the notes that you are taking and file them away at the end of each lecture it saves you like sorting a massive pile out at the end. Even though it is a bit annoying it does say you time in the long run.
Lecture example:
Lecturer
Ok today we are going to be looking at research method and specifically looking at quantative and qualative research and the differences between the two……….
Very carefully controlling the conditions…….
A lot about cause and effect………
I hope you have all that now….
Just remember the key readings for the rest of this week are here on the screen now and I’ll see you this time next week………….
Note taking strategies
Learning Support Adviser 1:
It’s important to plan a strategy for note taking in lectures and seminars and not just leave it to chance. Remember there is a difference between note taking and note making. Note taking is taking notes from an auditory stimulus, such as a lecture a seminar or an auditory presentation, whereas note making is making notes from written materials such as text books or journal articles. You’ll find that note taking and note making complement each other. Here are some tips for effective note taking in lectures and seminars.
Preparation is really important. To get a bigger picture look at the module to see which topic outline you will be covering and think about how this fits in with the overall theme of the module. Do some background reading, wherever possible. This could involve note making. When you are in the lecture make sure that you date and number every page of A4 that you use, together with any corresponding handouts that you have been given. This will help you to file away your notes easily afterwards.
Use headings and sub- heading to capture the key points.
Use your own words and develop your own form of short hand.
It’s also useful to develop a strategy for where your might get lost, then you can go back and address this later. Also write down any references you are given and you can read up on these afterwards.
For effective note taking it might be beneficial to use the Cornell System or something similar. With this system of note taking in lectures or seminars you need to divide your paper into two columns. The note taking column usually on the right is about twice as big as the column on the left. Also leave five or six lines at the bottom of the page. When you are in the lecture write your notes in the larger column. Take care to paraphrase the key points, use abbreviations, and try not to write long sentences. If you can’t keep up, mark the point where you have got lost with something like a squiggly line or another symbol so that you can go back and add the information later in the correct place using the column on the left. You can do this by referring to textual material, electronic sources or by listening to the relevant part of the lecturer on your digital voice recorder if you have recorded it. You can also use the last five or six lines at the bottom of the page to summaries the key points. This will help you to review the topic and increase your understanding. You can use this method as well using a spiral notebook. Take a double page spread and write your notes on the right hand side and leave the left for adding anything you have missed out or for expanding on the key points later. Remember for effective note taking preparation is absolutely essential.
