How do you take good notes in class?

Answer 1

Taking Good Notes

One major thing is being prepared. Having something to write with and some paper to write on. Being prepared also means that you have read the material in advance. Reading the material helps you determine what information is more important.

Make sure you pay attention! You cannot take good notes if you cannot focus on what you are taking notes on. Your teacher will be emphasizing different information, and you really want to notice that. Usually the teacher will emphasize what they think is important. What they think is important is more likely to be on the test.

If you are having a hard time paying attention, you need to do something about it. Are you sitting in the front, middle, or back? Students in the back are more likely to be distracted or to daydream. If you want to focus, you should probably sit in the first few rows. So if you want to move, then ask your teacher (before or after class) if you can be moved up. If you explain that you are having trouble focusing and think that sitting close will help, most teachers will be glad to help you with that.

Here are some tips to taking good notes that will help you understand your classes better.

• Make your notebook an outline of the material - you can even use the textbook as a guide and write down major topics ahead of time
• Write down anything the teacher puts onto the board. If they think it is important, it probably will be on a quiz or test.
• Write down anything the teacher says more than once. If they repeat something, they think it is important also.
• Write down any words that the teacher explains - give definitions, examples, and any diagrams or drawings that the teacher uses to explain the terms.
• Ask the teacher to explain again if you do not understand anything, or ask they they write it down so you can copy it into your notes
• Copy any drawings, diagrams, maps, or images the teacher draws (if it is very complicated, make sure it is in your textbook so you can study it later, or see if the teacher can make you a copy)

You can also record the lecture (ask the teacher if it is OK first) and copy notes after class if you can't write quickly enough to keep up. In this case, you should listen carefully to the lecture and see how much you can understand before you write the notes. Organized Note-Taking Systems

There are a variety of different systems for taking notes - here's some information on how to do each one! Click on the Link at the end for more complete examples of each

• The Charting Method - this is a way of taking notes for a confusing lecture which involves a lot of relationships, dialogue, comparisons and other connections between a lot of different areas. Make you paper into a set of columns with the main topics to be covered in your lecture written at the top of the sheet. As the teacher covers each fact, write it into the correct column. This is a good method if you have a lot of information and not a lot of time to write, but you have to know what topics are going to be covered ahead of time, so that you can make your columns.
• The Cornell Method - this is a way of adding extra information and "clues" to your notes without recopying the whole thing. Basically, you just leave a huge blank margin on the left or right side of your page, then add cues, hints, and extra information in the blank spaces. When you study, you can cover up your notes and just look at the cues in the margin to see if you know the material.
• The Outline Method - this is the one I usually recommend; it is a way of showing main facts and how they are related to one another. You can do a formal outline - the kind with numbers, letters, etc. - or just use the indented areas to show what goes underneath what category. The major points or most important facts will be listed further toward the left-hand side of the page. Information which explains these facts, defines terms, or otherwise supports the main points will be listed underneath them and indented toward the right. This is a good way to make your notebook because all you have to do to study is read each point as a question. The only problem with using an outline would be if you have a teacher who covers a lot of information very quickly so that it's hard for you to keep up; in that case, use another method during their class or ask for a written outline to keep in your notes.
• The Mapping Method - this is a visual method of taking notes, and involves making a map or diagram showing how all the information is connected. It is a good way to keep up with a teacher who covers lots of information, or when you don't know exactly what the lecture will be about (such as a guest speaker). Instead of taking detailed notes, you just jot down the main points. Then, you draw lines connecting facts or details; show connections with arrows; circle important information; or any other visual way you want to remind yourself of the lecture and the information you learned. This method works best if you use it as a rough-draft, then recopy the information into an outline or list afterword for easier studying.
• The Sentence Method - this is another way of handling a lecture with a lot of information. You just copy down the important information as the teacher speaks, writing each fact on a new line - you do not actually have to write complete sentences so long as you get the important information down. The best way to use this method is as a rough draft, because you have trouble reading through the mass of sentences later on when studying - use this method to get the information, then recopy it into an outline so that it makes more sense and is easier to study.

More from our Wiki Contributors:

• I have 17 notebooks, and if you were to read them over, you would read about my day, what the cafeteria food tasted like, what I wish would happen the next day, etc. You can write generally anything in your notebook. I doubt you'll run out of room anytime soon! Ha! The above is called JOURNALING. It is a good writing tool, but it won't help you study for your classes.

You take good notes in every class by answering these three major things.

How

Who

Where

Why

Research into note taking says use these three steps:

1. Takes notes in your own words (don't write them down verbatim)

2. Reviewing notes is a must. Try summarizing key points when reviewing.

3. Organizing and Reorganizing notes aides in recall.

Answer 2

By listening for words that the speaker puts an emphasis on. Try to find ways to group different subjects together.

Use a digital micro recorder, you won't miss anything and you will have a digital copy for review any time you need to go back to it. Panasonic makes some that come with the software to convert the speech to text on your computer (hard copy lecture).

Answer 3

If I am correct, you want to listen to what the speaker is going to talk about and then use key points or words the speaker has to say to fully listen to a lecture. Following along with presentations is also a good way to actually listen to a lecture

Answer 4

Just keep a notebook with you so you can take the notes you need for the subject.

Answer 5

Make a note of the main idea.