Note taking

cornell Method

The lecture note page is divided into three sections. Section one on the left of the page is labelled "Before the lecture." This section includes "cues" such as: main ideas and themes, questions, and prompts to help you study. Section two on the right of the page is labelled "During the lecture." This section includes "notes" such as: key ideas from the lecture and relevant examples. Section three at the bottom of the page is labelled "After the lecture." This section includes a "summary" of top level main ideas and quick reference. 

concept mapping

The top node is labelled with the lecture topic. The lecture topic node is connected by lines to three other nodes that are labelled with lecture subtopics. Each lecture subtopic is connected by lines to three additional nodes for subtopic details.

OUtline Method

Notes are organized by headings using numbers and letters on each subheading. "Main Topic 1" is a heading with 2 subheadings: "a. Sub-Topic 1" and "b. Sub-Topic 2." Each sub-topic heading has a bullet point underneath labelled by the roman numeral "i" for details about the sub-topic. "Main Topic 2" is a separate heading that also has 2 sub-headings for sub-topics organized in the same structure.

ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS

To help you write more quickly in class, check out the handout below for common abbreviations and short forms!

Study SKills Presentation

This Slideshow contains study tips from Sheridan College you can find more helpful videos and tips on by clicking on the link!

making a to do list/setting goals

Use the document below to help prioritize your homework. Use sticky notes to write down assignments/tests/homework with due dates; Move them along the page from 'to-do' to done!

making study NOtes

There are many different strategies for making study notes:

1. Mind Maps:

Mind Maps are diagrammatic ways of organizing key ideas from lectures and texts which emphasize the interconnection of concepts and illustrate the relative hierarchy of ideas from titles, to main concepts, to supporting details. Because they are diagrammatic, they have the potential to capture a lot of information on a single page. They help show the conceptual links between ideas and allows for additional material to be added without the need to crowd the page. 

2.  Study Notes:

A common practical approach to lengthy notes undertaken by students is to rewrite the notes into "study notes", notes typically composed of briefly written statements which captured only the main ideas necessary to recall your course information. And usually these notes were helpful in bringing together a whole term's work, especially because as you made them, you consolidated your information.

Constructing an outline is not all that different from making those good old study notes. If you have been using the Cornell notes system, then you already have the raw materials for building an outline. Simply collect up all the key words and phrases and then structure them in a formal outline. A formal outline contains headings, sub-headings, detail points, examples, and so on arranged on a page with varying degrees of indentation to illustrate the relative position of the idea in the overall hierarchy of ideas in your course.

3.  Generating Questions:

What do you mean generate questions? See, you've got the hang of it already! Generating questions is a great way to test yourself before a test and to prepare before your reading and note-taking. You can use past test or quiz questions you have had in the course, or prepare your own based on lectures and readings. Pay careful attention to the overall course themes and how they intersect with supporting details.

You are probably well accustomed to asking the most fundamental questions -- definition or summary questions. They begin with "What is the meaning of ...?" or "The basic idea of ... is...". These question frames are easily filled with content words from your courses and can serve very easily to get you started asking yourself questions.

In addition to definition and summary questions are analytical questions such as "What are the key aspects of ...?" and "How does ... relate or compare to ...?". Finally, there are evaluation questions such as "What are the strengths and weaknesses of ...?' and "Do I agree or disagree with ... when he or she says ...? Why or why not?". These evaluation questions prompt you to think at the level of putting the ideas of your course into real life applications and then determining their effects, good or bad.

4. Making Personal Examples:

By creating your own unique example, you will be able to retain the information better. This is a form of the study strategy elaboration, where you take the information you are given one step further to apply it and make it your own. This is key to your long-term understanding of concepts and if you can create your own example or put the information into your own words, it is a good indicator that you understand the material.

5. Writing a Summary:

Another very helpful review strategy that you can engage in is to write a summary paragraph based on your notes. Ideally, you would write a summary paragraph from memory using the key words and phrases you chose from your notes. You would do this in such a way as defines the terms, relates them together, and links them to the rest of the course material. As well, you could consider how the ideas might be applied in either a "real world" context or in your discipline. Summary paragraphs work well as practice for short answer and essay style exams and can go a long way to getting you started writing towards an essay or report. 

6. Reviewing your notes:

Treat your notes like a draft and use spaced practice to review a little bit at a time for a long period of time to help your long-term understanding. Each time you review your notes, try to apply the information in a new way. For example, put the information into a map mind, draw images that represent concepts, test yourself, or write down the information you can recall from memory with your book closed. 

7. Practice Recalling Information (great AFTER option 6)

After you have finished reading through your notes or the textbook, put it aside. Without looking at those materials, try to remember what you have just learned, either mentally or by writing it down. In effect, you are giving yourself a practice test. After you have recalled as much as you can remember, go back and check the course materials. Determine if the information that you recalled was correct and examine those portions that you did not fully recall or did not fully understand. Then, repeat the process. 

Methods:

• Use practice tests: make your own questions, work with a friend to make up questions for each other, go through old homework questions/practice sheets. Check out Quizlet for online quizzes

• Make Flashcards: use index card and write a word or question on one side and the answer on the other. Then you can quiz yourself or have a family member or friend quiz you. After a while you will notice some are easier to recall, put them to the side and practice with the remaining ones that were harder to recall

• Use a copy-and-cover-and-check method: cover your review notes and attempt to remember, then uncover and check

strategies for a good study environment

1. Minimize Distractions:

Log off social media sites or turn off notifications; move your phone to another room; only use your laptop/chromebook/tablet/etc for school work while studying

2. Organize you study space:

De-clutter the space, make it comfortable and engaging. Make it a space you want to be but where you won't get interrupted.

3. Schedule breaks:

We aren't meant to study for hours on end. Schedule breaks so you can get a snack, take a computer screen break or re-energize!

Multiple Choice Test tips

Multiple Choice Test tips

1. Read very Carefully- highlight important words or watch for  words like not, sometimes, always, except and never

2. Cover the answers and try and answer in your head 1st. This can help you feel more confident .

3. Read every answer option- there is always a best answer so read through options carefully to ensure you see key words that help identify the best answer.

4. Eliminate  answers in two rounds-  First eliminate anything that is flat out wrong- there is usually at least one obvious one.  Re-read the question and then choose the best answer from the remaining two options.

5. Do not obsess over choices- this us usually a waste of time. If you get to two choices- compare how they are alike and how they are different and then make a choice

6. Manage your time- Skim over the test/exam and find a question you are confident in answering and answer it first. You can do the test/exam in any order you want. Sometimes you can find 'clues' to other questions throughout the exam. If an exam is made up of different types of questions, start with longer questions first that might be worth more.

7. Answer every question- If you have not completed all of the questions when there are only a couple of minutes left, pick a lucky letter and guess on all remaining questions. Depending on how many options there are for each question, you have a 20-25% of guessing correctly! 

8. Check your answers- reread each question and answer to ensure that you interpreted everything correctly and didn't misread something

Study Skills Handout 

Sources:

1. Note Taking: https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/resources   

2. Study notes: https://www.yorku.ca/scld/learning-skills/reading-and-notes/note-taking/ 

3. Strategies for a good study environment: https://online.csp.edu/resources/article/5-strategies-for-creating-a-good-study-environment/ 

4. Retrieval Practice: https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/effective-studying/retrieval-practice.html 

5. How to ace multiple choice tests: https://education.macleans.ca/study-tips/how-to-ace-multiple-choice-tests/ 

6. Heather Johanson, Learning Specialist Academic Coach. You can connect with her on Facebook or on her  website  if you would like to learn more about her (paid) services!