Effective Note taking
Presented by:
ACCESS CENTER
Workshop Goals:
To help you evaluate your current note taking style
To offer guidelines for improving your note taking
Highlight styles and resources for additional information
Do you???

Understand your notes after 1 week?

Have a grasp of the key ideas?

Try to write every word spoken?
Why take notes?
• Improves concentration
• Increases retention
• Guidelines for test
preparation
• Organizes key ideas
Watch and Listen!
• Concentrate not only on
the words spoken but…
Look for emphasis!
• Translate and use clues!!
• Leave spaces for
supplemental information
• Review, reword,
Organize!
Top three techniques!!

Cornell
Works well with Visual
Learning style
 Outline

Works well with Auditory Learning Style
 Mapping

Works well with Kinesthetic learning style

The Cornell Note-taking System

2 1/2” left side Cue Column






6” Note taking
1. Record: During the lecture, use the note taking column to record the lecture using
telegraphic sentences.
2. Questions: As soon after class as possible, formulate questions based on the notes
in the right-hand column. Writing questions helps to clarify meanings, reveal
relationships, establish continuity, and strengthen memory. Also, the writing of
questions sets up a perfect stage for exam-studying later.
3. Recite: Cover the note taking column with a sheet of paper. Then, looking at the
questions or cue-words in the question and cue column only, say aloud, in your own
words, the answers to the questions, facts, or ideas indicated by the cue-words.
4. Reflect: Reflect on the material by asking yourself questions, for example: “What’s
the significance of these facts? What principle are they based on? How can I apply
them? How do they fit in with what I already know? What’s beyond them?
5. Review: Spend at least ten minutes every week reviewing all your previous notes.
If you do, you’ll retain a great deal for current use, as well as, for the exam.

2” Summary

After class, use this space at the bottom of each page to summarize the notes
on that page.

Adapted from How to Study in College 7/e by Walter Pauk, 2001 Houghton
Mifflin Company
OUTLINE
































Taking Lecture Notes
I. What is the purpose of lectures?
A. The instructor may draw on his/her background of reading and experience to present
material that students ordinarily would not get.
B. Important principles might be illustrated and explained in more detail by the lecturer.
C. Additional materials might be introduced to bring out important points
II. How might the lecturer present his/her material?
A. There maybe only a few major points covered, with much explanation to make them clear.
1. All material can not be presented; the discussion maybe condensed.
2. The student should pick out the major points
B. Sources of information or readings may be suggested or noted.
C. In introductory courses, a survey of the field is usually given.
1. Controversial issues are usually not brought out.
2. Limitations or shortcomings of the subject are usually noted, not debated.
3. If viewpoints are criticized or experimental methods are questioned in
introductory courses, the lecturer usually smoothes out difficulties or fills in
omissions.
4. In such courses, getting a body of knowledge is the aim, and representative
outlines of the lectures helps get this.
III. What is the purpose of lecture notes?
A. Help the student get the meaning and plan of the lecture.
1. Notes should represent students’ thinking, questioning and reaction to the
lecture.
2. Notes should encourage the student to take an active (thinking) part in the
lectures and do reference reading.
3. Notes should help the student to think more clearly on the organized points of
his/her outline lecture notes.
B. Help the student learn and remember the important ideas and facts.
1. Gives an accurate record of significant principles, facts and ideas.
2. Helps in remembering more accurately and for a longer period of time.
3. From the notes, s/he can organize the material for better learning and for
review.
Mapping
Resources
• http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au
• www.arc.sbc.edu/notes.html
• http://www.nlpmind.com/mind_mapping.
htm
• www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice