Note Taking Skills

Topics on Student Success

It’s said that good things come to those who wait.  I believe that good things come to those who work.

-Wilt Chamberlain,
basketball star

Every class has more material than the professor can ever finish. Distinguishing between volumes of chatter and the actual questions that will end up on the exam is the key. This takes familiarity with the material and requires effective note taking.

Effective Note Taking

Before Class:

• Read the day’s assigned pages.  It’s easier to take notes if you are familiar with the material.  Pay attention to the summaries and bold print.
  
  
• Get to class in time to get a seat on the first three rows.
  
  
• Re-read your notes from the last lecture which you have already organized.

 During Class:

• Start by dating your notes and writing the general topic as a header.
  
  
• Not only listen and watch your professor, but pay attention to how they say things.  Carter, Bishop, and Kravits (2000) recommend writing down anything your professor:
  • Writes on a board or displays on a screen
    
    
  • Uses as an example to support an idea
    
    
  • Introduces as an important question
    
    
  • Emphasizes with their voice tone
    
    
  • Repeats more than once

• Try the Cornell Note-Taking System, a popular note-taking method developed by Walter Pauk of Cornell University (Valerie-Gold & Pintozzi, 2000)
  
  
• Also, use abbreviations in your notes where possible to save time and allow you to write more.  Examples:  Use psy for psychology, intro. for introduction, = for equals.
  
  
• Be sure and take careful notes on boring or complicated material.

After Class:

• Later that same day, rewrite and organize your notes.  Fill in blank spaces and be sure they make sense.
  
  
• Write down any questions you have from the notes to ask the professor.
  
  
• Each week, use your notes to begin making note cards.  Try to put the questions (from the left column of the Cornell note-taking system above) on one side of the note card and answers/ideas on the other.

And remember, class notes are only valuable to you when you study them!  Don’t wait until the week of the exam to read them.  Make time each week to review your notes and note cards in preparation for the exam.

The Cornell Note-Taking System

To use the Cornell system, begin by drawing a vertical line down your page about 2 inches from the left side of the paper.  Your notes will be written to the right of the line.  To the left of the line, you will go back and write potential questions and key words.  Later, revise and organize your notes.  Then, when studying, you can just cover the notes on the right side and try to answer the questions to the left or define the words.  Below is a sample from Taking Charge of Your Reading: Reading and Study Strategies for College Success (Valeri-Gold & Pintozzi, 2000).

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