Note taking isn't always that straightforward. There is a certain level of skill and technique to it. Your top priority should be recording the key ideas, concepts, and details. However, it takes more than copying every single piece of information the professor says word for word to really understand the material.
Your teacher will give you clues on what topics are important to take notes on. Here are just some of the clues that you should be be watching for:
You should adapt your note taking to reflect your learning style, so how exactly you record your notes will be up to you. But there are frameworks that you can use to get started. |
Cornell Note Taking Technique
An education professor at Cornell University, Walter Pauk, designed what is called the Cornell Note Taking Technique in the 1950s. It's a formulaic strategy for organizing notes that will improve both retention and comprehension.
Generally, a page of Cornell notes consists of three sections. The upper portion of the page is divided into two sections. The wide column contains the actual notes from the lecture. The thin column is the Cue Column. The lower portion of the page is for summaries.
An education professor at Cornell University, Walter Pauk, designed what is called the Cornell Note Taking Technique in the 1950s. It's a formulaic strategy for organizing notes that will improve both retention and comprehension.
Generally, a page of Cornell notes consists of three sections. The upper portion of the page is divided into two sections. The wide column contains the actual notes from the lecture. The thin column is the Cue Column. The lower portion of the page is for summaries.
- Record: Takes notes during your lecture making sure to follow good note taking strategies.
- Reduce/Questions: As soon after the lecture as possible, spend some time to create questions and key words that encapsulate the ideas in your notes. These should also be good exam prep questions.
- Recite: Cover your notes, leaving the cue column unobstructed. Then recite out loud the answers to the questions, and explain the key concepts you have written.
- Reflect and Review: You should regularly review your notes on a weekly basis as well as in preparation for an exam. Reflect on the material by asking questions about it like "Why is this important?" or "How can I apply this?"