10 secrets to taking great class notes

1. Write more, not less. You should be writing for most of the conference. Sure, it’s a matter of balance and emphasis – getting down low enough that you’ve captured most of the details, while also highlighting the main points so you can see how the lecture is structured. But in our experience, it is much more common that students have not written enough than they have written too much. Rule of thumb: Fifteen minutes of lecture should produce one page of notes (or, in other words, three to four pages of notes for a typical hour of lecture).

2. Use any advance information. If the professor has given each lecture in the syllabus a title or given study questions before each lecture, be sure to familiarize yourself with them before coming to class. The more you know about what the main points of the conference will be, the easier it will be to take notes. You will know what you are looking for. 3. Write down the teacher’s ideas, not yours. Some students enrich their notes with their own free questions, reflections, opinions, and associations. But the point of taking notes is to get a good interpretation of what the teacher is saying. That is what will be in the test. Save your own thoughts for later or for your journal.

4. Forget about complicated “systems” for taking notes. Contrary to what they tell you, you don’t need to use Cornell’s note-taking system, mind maps, or the “Five Rs of Good Note-Taking” (whatever they are). It’s more than enough to just number the teacher’s points (and maybe have a subnumber or two). Worrying about systems will only slow you down and can distort the actual shape of the conference. There is always time to come back later and structure your notes.

5. Don’t go in and out. You’re used to fast content delivered in bursts of twenty seconds. But the teacher is used to presenting his ideas in segments of fifteen to twenty minutes. Train yourself to focus and type for longer intervals. Above all, don’t be distracted by other activities that may be going on around you in the conference room, or on your iPhone, iPad, or Game Boy.

6. Pay special attention to the beginning and the end. Often the most important parts of the lecture are the first two minutes and the last two minutes, just as many students are moving in their seats or packing. Many professors begin their lectures by reviewing the key points from the last lecture and listing the main points that they are going to cover in this lecture. And they conclude the class with a summary of the main points they have covered and sometimes an indication of what they will do next time. Be sure to take careful notes during these valuable moments.

7. Look for verbal clues. Teachers often try to mark the most important points of the lecture with phrases such as “the key point is …”, “it is especially important to note that …” and “one should bear in mind that …” Look for these flagship cornerstones of the conference. And try to write word for word, if you can, the material that follows.

8. Focus on structure. Each conference has a plot: a central point with a series of steps that builds this point. Stay focused on the plot and its subplots and try to capture them in your notes. Continually ask yourself: What is the overall objective of the conference? How does each individual point contribute to the overall plot? Why did the teacher choose to make these points over others?

9. Be careful with PowerPoints. PowerPoints (and things written on the board) are usually pretty sketchy outlines, reminders for teachers of what to say. Be sure to write explanations of these schematics in your notes, not just the schematics themselves. When it’s time for the test, you will be behind the eight ball if all you have in your notes are these prompts the teacher uses.

10. Always do it yourself. Don’t outsource note-taking to a friend, professional “reading notes” (sold at the campus store), or your note-taking group. Taking notes for yourself is the best way to participate and remember the conference. Not to mention, it will really make you attend the conference, which is an achievement in itself.

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