Keys to Effective Note Taking
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Some students have the tendency to want to write down everything that comes out of the professor’s mouth during class. First of all, this is nearly impossible even with a laptop instead of a pen and paper. Secondly, if you are trying to capture every word, you are going to miss out on the essence of what they’re trying to impart upon you and your classmates. A crucial part of a lecture in a college classroom is the delivery a professor uses throughout. Changes in tone will alert you when an important point is being made. When a professor reaches a vital part of the lecture, they will likely rephrase the main points to be sure that students are getting it. If you are busy writing down every single word, you may miss the crux of what they’re trying to tell you.
This is not to say that you should not be taking notes. Use bullet points that capture broad points. After class, you can go back and fill in information from your textbooks or from other students’ notes. Jot down keywords that will help you remember what your professor used to support these major points. It has been proven that you will absorb information better by listening intently, instead of feverishly copying each word down. When you are sitting in the classroom and listening to your professor, your mind can begin to make connections to various readings you’ve had or to prior lectures.
As much as you want to attend every class, it is inevitable that circumstances will arise that will make this impossible. Therefore, it is crucial that you make a friend in each class so that they can fill you in on anything you may have missed during one of your absences. Make sure they are reliable and conscientious as you don’t want to receive bad information. Some professors will provide copies of lectures for students who missed class due to a viable absence.
Lastly, organization is crucial to keeping helpful notes. Remember that you will need to refer to these notes at the end of the semester as the exam nears. You want to be sure that a set of class notes you took in September will make sense to you in December. Organize your notes for each class by major units of study. Review your notes from a given class later on in the day and highlight the major points your professor stressed repeatedly during class. It is probable that these themes will appear throughout the semester.
