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#1
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Here are some notetaking survival tips for college students.
1) Active listening. "Passive" listening is what you do when you watch a sitcom or have a casual conversation. In contrast, active listening is when you listen carefully to make sure you understand and learn the information that is being conveyed. Here are some things you should do to listen actively.
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#2
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Before the Lecture Begins
During the Lecture
After the Lecture
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#3
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What I like to do...
Well, I have diagnosed learning disabilities, so I have some academic accommodations through my university. Like, for instance, I'm *supposed* to have a notetaker, because it's hard for me to listen to my prof, read notes projected on PowerPoint, and copy all of this down at the same time!! So if a volunteer in the class can be found, I can get some notes so I don't have to completely freak out about missing information. Anyways... I haven't always had that accomodation. Also, notetakers get sick too, since they're students like me. ![]() So it's always good to have decent notetaking skills. First... 1. Obtain lots of paper and lots of pretty coloured pens. Yes, more than one colour ink! Go nuts - as long as you can read it, it's good!! 2. Write the date/course code on the top. Also page numbers, esp. if it's looseleaf paper! 3. If the prof provides PowerPoint slides, especially before class, make sure you print those off and bring them along - this is so you don't have to rewrite everything that's put up on display!! 4. Write the title of the lecture at the top of the page (or the topic being discussed). Develop your own system of abbreviations for some words and develop a way of organizing info. Leave space for added notes afterwards!! (Don't cram it all onto one page!). Use indenting, bullets, arrows... anything that makes sense to you. 5. Any subsection "titles" write in another coloured ink. Important terms, dates, people - anything that the prof defines - write in another colour, or underline or box it off - anything so you know its important when you go back! 6. Put stars beside things that the prof seems to hint at or says is important - that generally means more likely testable on exams and stuff!! 7. If the prof mentions specific pages in a textbook, write those down beside whatever is discussed - in another colour ink from your regular notes! Its good to go back to. 8. If the prof mentions a project/essay/assignment in the future or deadlines - WRITE THOSE DOWN LIKE THIS and in another colour - and put it in your agenda/planner/PDA whatever. Organization is key. 9. Question marks are your friend. You don't understand something? Put a ? beside it. Or put your hand up and ask. If you ask a question, the prof stops rambling about stuff which means there's less stuff to write down. ![]() 10. Profs are NOT there to be mean. Some are, yes. But use their office hours to ask them stuff. Most of them sit bored in their offices by themselves during their office hours because students are afraid of them... make friends with your profs, that helps you out a lot in the long run (for academic references, and better grades if you argue one!) 11. After the lecture, even if you hate it... take some time to review. Definitely within 24 hours of the lecture. THEN, add clarifications if you need to, to your original notes. 12. If you're like me, your handwriting can get pretty hazardous during class... so I type up my notes on my computer. This also helps if you want a "note buddy" in your class and they happen to miss one - then you can give them a nice typed copy of the class notes. They'll be grateful and you'll have help as you need it!!
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#4
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I have started using Microsofts Office OneNote program to take my notes for all my classes on my laptop
this way, I have lessoned the amount of paper i need to use and keep track of. I have different tabs for each subject and new tabs on the right hand side for each set of notes when I have a mass omount of notes, like for my astronomy class, there is a search system that I can you that will locate and highlight for me it also autosaves so the worie over remembering to hit the save button is gone my hand writing, especially when in a hurry can be hard to read, now i can write fast and use spell check for words I spell wrong this is just my digital extra to the amazing topic you have posted |
![]() Christina86
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#5
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These are all such great tips!
One thing I do is skip a line every time I make a note. So there's skipped lines everywhere. That way if I need to go back and add something, I have room, or can write extra thoughts while I'm reviewing later. And even if I don't add anything, it's much easier on my brain to look at a line at a time, instead of one huge block of writing. It was suggested to us by a professor my freshman year of college - he MADE us do it. I was annoyed, but it actually worked! Another thing I like to do too is compare notes with someone else. I always try to make friends in my classes to do this - often, we'll both have something the other doesn't, or a different way of taking notes, or a different way of understanding things, so it's really helpful to compare notes. Like for a class this semester, I have a friend who took it a semester ago, and she gave me her notes - so I always compare when I'm studying for the exams. ![]() |
![]() Christina86
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#6
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Those are some really good ideas! I always look for different ways to help me with my studying. I wish I still had some of my goalsetting stuff because it gave some very good studying tips unfortunately; I turned in all my stuff thinking I was going to get it back.
A really good website that gives some good tips on studying and strategies to use is http://www.studygs.net/index.htm My dean that taught my Freshmen seminar class used this website to help us and give us ideas. |
![]() Christina86
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#7
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If it's a lecture on information in one of your texts, read the textbook first. Make your own list of questions regarding what you read. This will help you find those answers during the lecture, and if not, you will have cogent questions to ask.
Listen to classical music before any heavy duty study or intensive lecture. This will help you remember and perform better. When wishing to instantly remember something, visualize the information (question, answer) and look up to the left in your visual field. "Place" the information you will want later into that area (upper left) and "see" it there. When you later wish to find the information, look again up to the left and your brain will have it ready for you. Learn shorthand. (You probably already use some abbr. for many words.) Use a recorder if you are allowed. Transcribe soon after (or have someone else do so.) Ask the lecturer for a copy of her/his notes, after the class. (Hey, it works sometimes. If not, you receive an A for effort in my book!) Tell them that the lecture was so terrific, you didn't want to lose a single word of it. ![]() Pick notepaper that suits you. I do horrible notetaking on standard lined paper... but if those same wide lines are on a yellow legal pad...I do better. I do great with college ruled papers. I do even better with half sheets, long wise. (I tend to keep filling in words and end up with quite a mess if I utilize the entire large sheets of paper.) I also do better if the paper is a pastel, such as pink, which has a natural calming effect for me.
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![]() Christina86
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#8
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I actually have found that taking notes during class just distracts me. My theory for the past two years has just been to attend all of my lectures, listen/watch the prof, sit near the front, try and minimize distractions, and just BE there. Now, the only time that this hasn't worked is when my prof's don't post their notes, but for the ones who do - I just go and listen! It makes class MUCH more enjoyable, and I find I remember things better that way!
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The unexamined life is not worth living. -Socrates |
![]() (JD), Christina86
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#9
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Usually I use some short script (i.e. my own abbreviations, which some others can figure out but most of it is rather cryptic) and sit right in the first few front rows. I read the material before class then I write right on the lecture notes I've printed off, so I only add on what is important.
During a break (i.e. courses with 3 hour lectures) or after the lecture, I compare notes with my friends. Sometimes I miscopied or just missed something entirely. I handwrite it as I'm not a very fast typer. When I write, usually I look where on the paper I put my pen/pencil then listen to the prof and write without looking, and yes, it is very legible and relatively neat. I don't skip lines between notes as I don't like to, so I tend to draw little arrows around the page, although they're not too bad, still legible. |
![]() Christina86
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