Note Taking Tips

It can seem like a daunting task to take notes during class or an impossible feat to read and take notes from your textbook. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming adventure if you have a few note taking skills to use in class or at home. This section will give you some ideas of how to effectively take notes during your classes and how to collect important information from your reading assignments.

Being able to take thorough, well organized notes will help you remember new information better. Good note taking requires that you are an active learner in class and are paying close attention to the new material being presented. Having an organized set of notes will also serve you well when it comes time to review for an upcoming quiz or test ,and it can be helpful when doing research for a paper or project.

It is important to note that there is not one correct way to take notes. One method that works well for you may not work well for your peers. You may also find that there is not one method for taking notes that works for all of your classes. You may find that you vary the way you take notes from one class to another.

Write vs. Type

Studies have shown that taking notes by hand is more effective for remember new information later on. While it may be true that typing on a laptop makes it possible to record more information verbatim, writing notes by hand has been shown to be more effective for people to recall new information. When taking notes by hand it is usually not possible to write all the information being presented. Your brain must summarize the new information into your own words in order to write down a paraphrased version in your notebook. This action of paraphrasing activates your working memory and helps you to remember and recall the new material. Students that take notes by hand generally outperform students that take notes on a laptop.

Cornell Notes

This method is good for identifying key ideas and to summarize what was presented in class. This method divides the paper into 4 sections – title, notes from in class or reading, main ideas and questions, and summary. Use the notes section during class to record the new information. Add your title with the date at the top of the page. Later that day you should add the main ideas and questions you have about the topics as well as a brief one to two sentence summary. You may have time to add the main ideas, questions and summary in class, but if not, be sure to complete these sections on the same day the notes were taken. Be sure to check the link and video below for more information about Cornell notes.

Mapping Method

The mapping method is a good note taking strategy for visual learners. It also helps to show connections between topics and ideas. This method works by writing the main topic of the class on the page. Some people like to write the main topic at the top of the page and others like to write it in the center. Branches are drawn from the main topic with other key ideas and details. It’s a good idea to add the date to the top of the page to keep your notes organized. Be sure to check the link and video below for more information about the mapping method.

Outlining Method

This method is one that students are usually most familiar. The main topic is written at the top of the page and other key ideas and details are written with numbers, letters or bulleted lists. This method is great for keeping new ideas organized and for showing the relationships between main ideas and supporting details. It can also be used as a guide when it comes time for studying for the next quiz or test. Even though this method looks like a list, you can experiment with adding diagrams and other visual aids. Be sure to check the link and video below for more information about the outline method.

Taking Notes from a Textbook

You can use the same techniques for taking notes during class when you have to read and take notes from your textbook, but there are a few other strategies to make this task a little more effective and manageable.

1. Preview the Reading

Make sure to scan the assigned section by looking at the headings and subheadings in the text. Be sure to notice the bold or italicized words as they may be new vocabulary. Do not skip over the pictures, charts and diagrams. The authors of the book included these to help you better understand the material and can be especially helpful for visual learners.

2. Check the Review Questions

Quickly read the review questions at the end of the section or chapter. These questions are usually selected to help identify the main ideas. Reading them ahead of time can help you find these main ideas when you are reading.

3. Read

Find a time and place that you can read without distractions. You should not have the television on and your cell phone should be turned off too. If the section is particularly long, you can set a timer and break up the reading into smaller chunks. Do your best not to read too quickly or to skim over the material. Remember this reading was assigned to you because your teacher knows it is important. When reading the text for the first time it is best not to take notes. Go back after you have finished reading to take notes of what you have read.

4. Taking Notes

Use a style of note taking that works for you. If you have an electronic textbook it may be possible to highlight sections or add notes directly to your textbook. You can also use sticky notes if you have a school issued book and are not allowed to write in it. Be sure to write what you found to be important without trying to write too much. The same goes for highlighting. Only highlight specific ideas that seem important. There are two videos below that show methods for taking notes from a textbook.

Other Helpful Tips

• Keep your notes organized. You can do this even if you have messy handwriting, but try to write as neatly as possible.

• Review your notes on the same day they were taking in school. Research shows that you can forget as much as 40% of the new material in the first 24 hours.

• Underline and highlight to make big ideas stand out.

• Do not go overboard with the highlighting. Paragraphs of highlighted text are not useful. Use the highlighter sparingly to bring your attention back to main ideas or important bits of information.

• Using more than one colored pen. This can be a good way to quickly identify main ideas from supporting details.

• Add pictures and diagrams to your notes.

• Remember not to write down every word from your teacher or textbook. This is usually not possible and is a good way to get overwhelmed with a class.

• If a teacher has a copy of notes available, only use them after you have completed your own set of notes. Writing the information on your own helps you to remember the information.