The Art of Taking Notes

Bad Note Taking Habits• Some initial habits include:• Writing down everything the instructors says• Poor organizational structure within notes (hierarchy of

ideas)• Failing to recognize “importance” cues

• Students view notes as “recording” rather than notes as a method of learning

• Notes become a series of fragmented pieces of information

Recall Without Processing• Studies have shown that people lose their

information retention at the following rates:

Time Percentage Lost

20 minutes 47%

1 day 62%

2 days 68%

2 months 75%

3 months 80%

Further Stats• In surveys and polls, note-taking ranks within the

top three skills students say they most needed to learn in their first year of college

• A 2009 study from University of Maryland showed that students who were taught note-taking skills were able to capture 55-60% of “critical points” in a lecture while untaught students averaged 37%

Two Time Frames

• “Real-time” habits•Organization, abbreviation, attention to key concepts, instructor cues

• Review habits•Reviewing your notes after class or before a test

General Note Taking Tips• Don’t use complete sentences!• Never use a sentence where you can use a phrase. Never

use a phrase where you can use a word.• Remember that the average lecturer speaks approximately

125-140 words per minute, and the average note-taker writes at a rate of about 25 words per minute.

• Come up with easily recognizable abbreviations• For this to work, you must be CONSISTENT

• If you miss a statement, write key words, skip a few spaces, and get the information later.

• Pretend that you are taking notes for someone else• Listen for “cues” that tell you what information is

important

Lecture Cues• Material written on the board or items in bullet points• Repetition• Emphasis• Emphasis can be judged by tone of voice and gesture.• Emphasis can be judged by the amount of time the instructor

spends on points and the number of examples he or she uses.

• Word signals (e.g. "There are two points of view on . . . " "The third reason is . . . " " In conclusion . . . ")

• Summaries given at the end of class.• Overviews given at the beginning of class.

Tips for Active Listening•  Determine why what the speaker is saying is

important. If you can figure out the main idea, it will be easier for you to spot important details.

• Look for the speaker's pattern of organization. In a lecture, a speaker is generally referring to notes or some other source of information. You can understand much better if you are able to recognize what the speaker's driving at and how the speaker's getting there.

• Filter out trivial details • Don't let your mind wander. Your thoughts move far

more rapidly than the fastest talker, and the urge to stray is tempting.

• Take notes while you listen, don’t wait for the end.

The Case for Cursive • Students who write in cursive write MUCH faster

than those who print• Learning to write in cursive is shown to improve

brain development in the areas of thinking, language and working memory.

• Cursive handwriting stimulates brain synapses and synchronicity between the left and right hemispheres

• The College Board found that students who wrote in cursive for the essay portion of the SAT scored slightly higher than those who printed

Cornell Notes or “Guided Question” Notes• Create a two inch margin on the left side of your

paper.• Write the main ideas/concepts on the right side

Date / Topic

4 Main Causes of C.W.

1– Econ con-- -- -- - - -- -- - - - - --- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - -

- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - --- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - --- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - ’’

- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - --- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - -

2 - - - Soc Iss- - - - - - -- -- - - -- -- - --

N - - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - - - - -- -- - -- - -

Left Column

• Questions• Questions which are answered in the notes on the right• Questions you still need the answer to--ask a friend or the teacher after class• Questions the teacher might ask on a test

• Key terms, vocabulary words, or dates• Diagrams or figures• Reference pages in a text• Steps in a solution process

Date / Topic

4 Main Causes of Civil War

1– Economic concerns-- - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - --

- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- ’’

- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -

2 - - - Social Issues--- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - -

N orth-- - - - - - - -- - - --- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - -- -- - - -

What were the Economic Concerns?

What were the social issues?

North

Outlining Method• The information which is most general begins at

the left with each more specific group of facts indented with spaces to the right.

• The relationships between the different parts is carried out through indenting - no numbers, letters, or Roman numerals are needed.

• Levels of importance will be indicated by distance away from the major point

Example• Extrasensory perception• definition: means of perceiving without use of sense

organs.• three kinds • telepathy: sending messages • clairvoyance: forecasting the future • psychokinesis: perceiving events external to situation

• current status • no current research to support or refute• few psychologists say impossible• door open to future

Charting Method• If the lecture format is distinct (such as

chronological like in Social Studies), you may set up your paper by drawing columns and labeling appropriate headings in a table.

• Determine the categories to be covered in the lecture. Set up your paper in advance by columns headed by these categories. As you listen to the lecture, record information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) into the appropriate category.