Note Taking

Background on Notetaking

Verbatim note taking is the least effective way to take notes

Notes should be considered a work in progress

• Revise & add to notes AFTER lecture during study periods…NOT just prior to a test

Notes should be used as study guides for tests

Why Take Notes?

If you do not write anything down,

– 42% of the information will be forgotten after 20 minutes

– 56% after 1 hour – 66% after 1 day – 75% after 1 week – 80% after 1 month

How to write?

If something is confusing, put a big ? In the margin

BOX or CIRCLE vocabulary words Draw pictures of important ideas Write key words or phrases Use symbols and abbreviations to save

time SPREAD OUT your writing – fill in

important information LATER One fact per line Paraphrase when possible – get the

GIST

Note taking is an important part of academic life. To be successful at note taking,

you need to: Improve your listening skills. Develop your note taking skills. Be able to use your notes to

study.

What to write?

If it’s on the board, write it down Listen for words that signal important

information (i.e. “pay attention,” “I want to emphasis this…”).

Listen for clues that tell you how many details will be listed (i.e. “there are three major themes in this story…”).

Practice.

•Develop your own style.

•After the lecture, rewrite your notes and fill in any

missing info ASAP

Note taking = Dictation

Note taking is writing complete ideas; dictation is writing complete sentences.

Dictation:

Examples

History 1002 meets 2 days a week, from 10:00 am to

10:50.

Hist 1002 - 2 d/wk 10 – 10:50 am

Notes:

Successful Note taking:

3 keys to green environ

1- educate public

2- improve techn.

3-help demand for rcylng

Three keys to green

environment –

educate public,

improve techno., and help increase

demand for recycling.

Use space. Indent.

Use space to show relationships.

3 keys to green environ

1- educate public

2- improve tech.

3-help incr. demand for recy.ing

Use vertical space. Use horizontal space.

Classes to Take

9th 10th 11th 12th

Use headings to organize ideas. To create headings, use -

• CAPITAL LETTERS

• BOXES

• underline

• - - indent below the heading

Bad Example:

Stimulants are drugs that increase energy and alertness. They include cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines.

DON’T rewrite what’s already there. Waste of time.

Good Example:

STIMULANTS– energy/alertness

• Cocaine: • Meth.• Amphtamines:

Use symbols and abbreviations.

Mr = ! Mrs %

w/ ‹

pop ›

& # w/o x

Example If you’re taking notes on statistics, use symbols. Example for the following: Methamphetamine

use increased from 1990 to 1998, while Amphetamine use dropped from 2000 to 2008.

Use: Meth fr. 1990-98. Amph. fr. 2000-08

Get the BIG PICTURE!

What’s the speaker’s main point?

What does he want you to learn?

One More Point

Quantity is important!Sj

kjdfoweui

voifofwerow pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

Asddadere

egghhjyjhyt

yuty

uyuty

jskdfjfi

jeirje

ww

Dfjfjie

fjwek

glhkglh

kgporty

olweo

jwe

Ehuwehfw

eweo

i

w

eorSjkjdfoweui voifofwerow

pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

Asddadere

egghhjyjhyt

yuty

uyuty

js

kdfjfijei

rjeww

Dfjfjie

fjwek

glhkglh

kgpor

ojwe

ehuweh

fwew

eoirw

eor

Sjkjdfoweui voifof

wero

w pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

D

fjfjie

fjwek

glhkglh

kgporty

olweo

jwe

ehuweh

fwew

eoirw

eor

Sjkjdfoweui v oifofwerow

pskfpkfdfghh jrttrrtyry

Asddadere

egghhjyjhyt

yuty

uyuty

jskdfjfi

jeirje

ww

Dfjfjie

fjwek

glhkglh

kgporty

olweo

jwe

ehuweh

fwew

eoirw

eor

Sjkjdfoweui voifofwerow pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

Asddadereegghhjyjhytyutyuyutyjskdfjfijeirjeww jkjdfoweu voifofwerow

Dfjfjiefjwekglhkglhkgportyo lweojwe ehuwehfweweoirweor

fjfjiefjwekglhkglhkgportyolweojwe

ehuwehfweweoirweorSjkjdfoweui

voifofwerow pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

Asddadereegghhjyjhytyutyuyutyjskdfjfijeirjeww

Dfjfjiefjwekglhkglhkgportyolweojwe ehuwehfweweoirweorSjkjdfoweui voifofwerow pskfpk

Fdfghhjr• ttrrtyry•Asddadereegghhjyjhytyutyuyutyjs•kdfjfijeirjewwSjkjdfoweui

voifofwerow pskfpkfdfghhjrttrrtyry

Asddadereegghhjyjhytyutyuyutyjskdfjfijeirjeww

Dfjfjiefjwekglhkglhkgportyolweojwe ehuwehfweweoirweorDfjfjiefjwekglhkglhkgportyolweojwe

ehuwehfweweoirweor

Now let’s change sentences to ideas . . .

Change dictation into notes:

Studies on worldwide literacy* rates show that almost 80 percent of the world’s population over the age of 15 is now

literate. This includes more women than ever before.

*Literacy = ability to read

One way to write this info

Studies ww literacy rt = almost 80 % world pop over 15 yrs now literate

+ grtr # of women than bef

Change dictation into notes:

UNESCO’s study shows a drop in illiteracy from twenty-two and four-tenths percent of the world population in 1995 to

twenty and three tenths in 2000.

One way to write this info

UNESCO’s st shows fr 22.4% ww pop in ’95 to 20.3% in 2000

What important information is missing? What is the decrease in?

The LITERACY rate INCREASED – the drop was in the number of people who CANNOT read – the

ILLITERACY rate dropped.

Another way to write it.

WW literacy rates

- almost 80% of ww pop 15+ yrs - literate

- more women than bef

- illiteracy 1995 2000 22.4% (ww pop) 20.3%

Remember

Use•Key words

•Space•Headings

•Abbreviations and

symbols•Complete ideas

•Quantity!

Remember

•Get the big picture!

•Rewrite your notes.

•Develop your own style and

Practice, practice, practice.

Notes from Listening and Reading

Practice We will listen to a few clips and you will

practice taking notes Much easier to take notes off of a PPT

than a verbal presentation

PPT dev by Debra A. Wilson 27