Study Skills: Taking Notes

This method has a specific format and layout to your notes to condense and organize the information. This method focuses on using "cues" to mark specific notes and keep everything neat and in order.

Method: Rule your paper with a 2 _ inch margin on the left leaving a six-inch area on the right in which to make notes. During class, take down information in the six-inch area. When the instructor moves to a new point, skip a few lines. After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as possible. For every significant bit of information, write a cue in the left margin. To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it.

This method is simply writing your notes as if they were an outline to a paper. You have your seperate headings, followed by bullet points of concepts and important information. This can also help keep everything organized, but it does not leave much room for note taking and can take a lot of resources. It doesn't need to be perfect or visually appealing and doesn't require preparation before hand, all you need is pen and paper.

method: Listening and then write in points in an organized pattern based on space indention. Place major points farthest to the left. Indent each more specific point to the right. Levels of importance will be indicated by distance away from the major point. Indention can be as simple as or as complex as labeling the indentions with Roman numerals or decimals. Markings are not necessary as space relationships will indicate the major/minor points.

This method uses a more visual approach to writing out your notes. It provides a way to create connections between information points, while maximizes active learning and participation. It functions in a similar way to "Mind Mapping" where you create the central topic and then create "branches" of information and notes, each with their own coressponding heading.

This method focuses on a more chronological formation of notes. It is especially helpful if your course (such as a history course), focuses primarily on information that happens in a specific chronological way.

Method: Determine the categories to be covered in lecture. Set up your paper in advance by columns headed by these categories. As you listen to the lecture, record information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) into the appropriate category.

This is the most common and simplest method of note taking. Simply write out each new thought or important piece of informantion as a new sentence.

Method: Write every new thought, fact or topic on a separate line, numbering as you progress.