Taking Notes in Lectures In the field of observation,
chance favors
only the prepared mind.
Louis Pasteur, French 1822 - 1895 | | | You can develop your own note taking system and study strategy: Record * Reduce * Recite * Reflect * Review Get a good loose-leaf notebook:
This will enable you to add, delete, and re-sequence pages and materials. Begin each session's notes with a cover page for later summaries and test preparation. A typical notes page: | Heading - Date
- Class/subject or title or number (e.g. 3/34)
| Heading, continued- Guest speakers' names,
including your fellow students' contributions
| 2. Reduce; after class note:- key/cue words
- phrases
- questions
Link information from the text or other sources | 1. Record/take notes here: identify the main points
capture the main ideas Use outlines or concept maps Use words and pictures and graphs or whatever it takes to get the information down quickly. Avoid quoting unless it is very necessary. | Place for notes when reviewing/studying
(see 5 below) | 3. Recite: Talk aloud! - Review from memory what you have learned
- Using the left hand margin's key words and questions, talk through, or illustrate definitions, concepts, etc.
- Create your own examples
4. Reflect: Think over! - How does this relate to what you knew before?
- Note the essay terms and find the best ones that refer to your studies: Apply, Compare, Diagram, Evaluate, etc...
5. Review the notes you took - At your next study session
- Before reading new material
- When studying for tests
Make notes on your "notes page"
Multiple pages of notes for one lecture: - summarize each page at its bottom,
- summarize the lecture on a cover or end page
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