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NOTE TAKING

Note-taking is the practice of writing down or otherwise recording key points of

information. It's an important part of the research process. Notes taken on class
lectures or discussions may serve as study aids, while notes taken during
an interview may provide material for an essay, article, or book.

Taking notes involves active listening, as well as connecting and relating information
to ideas you already know. It also involves seeking answers to questions that arise from
the material."

Taking notes forces you to actively engage your brain as you identify what's
important in terms of what the speaker is saying and begin to organize that
information into a comprehensible format to decipher later. That process, which is
far more than simply scribbling what you hear, involves some heavy brainwork.

Tips

 Write phrases, not full sentences. Only record the key words that you need to get the
idea of the point. Skip words like “the” and “a” that don’t add additional meaning to the
lecture content. Retain key technical or discipline-specific terms.
 Take notes in your own words. Paraphrase what you hear so it makes sense to you—it
helps you to understand and remember what you hear. Try to paraphrase everything except
where information needs to be noted exactly.
 Structure your notes with headings, subheadings and numbered lists. Use headings to
indicate topic areas or to include bibliographic details of the sources of information. Use
outline form and/or a numbering system and indenting to help you distinguish major from
minor points and as a clear way of indicating the structure of lecture information.
 Code your notes—use colour and symbols to mark structure and emphasis.
 Use colour to highlight major sections, main points and diagrams. You can also use
different colours to classify and link concepts or information by topic. However, don’t
focus too much on colour coding when you’re in the lecture. It requires time and
concentration, so it’s more useful to do most of the highlighting and underlining when
you’re revising your notes later.
 Underline, circle, star, etc. to identify key information, examples, definitions, or other
important materials. Devise your own marking code to indicate each type.
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 If you miss something, write key words, skip a few spaces, and get the information later.
Leave a space on the page for your own notes and comments.

NOTE TAKING METHODS

One of the most effective ways to remember (and understand) what you are learning in class

is to take effective notes in the classroom.

Importance of EFFECTIVE NOTE TAKING SKILLS

Better notes will help you remember concepts, develop meaningful learning skills, and gain a

better understanding of a topic. Effective notes will even lead to less stress when test time

comes around!

Learning how to take better study notes in class helps improve recall and understanding

of what you are learning because it:

 Ensures you are actively listening to what the teacher is saying

 Requires you to think about what you are writing

 Helps you make connections between topics

 Serves as quality review material for after class

METHODS OF NOTE TAKING

Using different note taking strategies is important, especially as you progress through high

school and transition to college or university. There are several note taking methods you can

use to start taking better notes in class.

1. THE CORNELL METHOD

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The Cornell note taking method helps organize class notes into easily digestible summaries.

This method is effective because the main points, details, study cues, and summary are all

written in one place.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The paper is divided into 3 sections: a 2.5” margin to the left, a 2” summary section on the

bottom, and a main 6” in-class note section.

1. Use the main notes section to take notes during class.

2. Use the cues section to review your notes. After class, write down things you’ll need
to remember and a prompt for each. You can also use this section for vocabulary
words and study questions.
3. In the summary segment at the bottom, write a summary of your notes. This is where
you will highlight the main points.

The Cornell Method has been and remains one of the most popular note-taking strategies among
students today. The technique can be seen above and in the accompanying diagram. You
simply divide up your notes into 3 sections. The right column is home to the general area. This
is where you keep your most important ideas that the teacher has covered during class. It is
important that you try to summarize as much as possible and to be smart when note-taking (see
#4). The left area serves to compliment the general area. Writing notes in the margins helps us
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understand and relate each part of our notes. This section may develop during the class itself, or
at the end of it. The last section labelled ‘summary’ should be left blank during class. It is intended
for use when you are reviewing/ studying the class notes. This lessens the need to keep up with
the teacher’s delivery and write fast. You should try to develop a short summary of key points in
this section for greater reflection of the class notes.

ADVANTAGES:

 Notes are neatly organized, summarized, and easy to review

 Allows you to pull out major ideas and concepts

2. THE MAPPING METHOD

The Mapping note taking method is a more visual way to organize your class notes. This

method is useful when learning about relationships between topics.

ADVANTAGES:

 Useful for visual learners who struggle with studying from notes.

 Helps you remember and connect relationships between topics.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The page is organized by topic. The main topics branch out into subtopics with detailed

information about each.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

1. While in class, begin the map with the main topic.

2. Branching off the main topic, write a heading for each of the subtopics.
3. Write any important notes underneath each subtopic.
4. Continue the pattern.
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3. THE OUTLINING METHOD

The Outlining note taking method uses headings and bullet points to organize topics. This

method is most useful when learning about topics that include a lot of detail.

ADVANTAGES:

 Allows notes to be neatly organized.

 It is easy to see the relationship between topics and subtopics.

 It is easy to turn points into study questions.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Each section starts with a heading of the main topic. Each subtopic and supporting fact is

written underneath the proper heading.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

1. During a lesson, begin your notes with a single bullet point and write the main topic.
2. Place the first subtopic below and indented slightly to the right.
3. List any details below your heading and slightly to the right.
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4. THE CHARTING METHOD

Charting note taking method uses columns to organize information. This method is useful for

lessons that cover a lot of facts or relationships between topics.

ADVANTAGES:

 Facts are organized and easy to review.

 Highlights key pieces of information for each topic.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The page is divided into columns labeled by category. The details of each category are filled

out in the rows below.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

1. When information about a category is mentioned, jot it down underneath the proper
column.
2. When the next topic begins move down one row and begin again.
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5. THE SENTENCE METHOD

The Sentence note taking method is simply writing down each topic as a jot note sentence.

This method works well for fast paced lessons where a lot of information is being covered.

ADVANTAGES:

 Jotting main points helps you determine which information is important and which is

not.

 You are able to cover a lot of details and information quickly.

 Notes are simplified for study and review.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Each line on the page is a new and separate topic. To organize your notes even more, you can

use headings for each main topic.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

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1. Write down important information the teacher has emphasized. This can be in
sentence form or point form.
2. Start a new sentence or point for each new detail.
3. Use headings to organize points by main topics.

Taking organized and thoughtful notes can help improve your understanding and recall of

what you have learned in class.

Techniques of taking notes

1. Abbreviations

No matter which Note Taking Methods you use to take notes, there will be times when you cannot
keep pace with the class and your wrist will begin to hurt you from writing. Therefore, it is important
that you develop your own language of symbols so that you can write more with little effort. Once
the class is over, you can always “translate” your notes that you took during class. This will leave
you with your own ‘language’ of notes.

Symbols and abbreviations for frequently used words, phrases or names are useful for note
taking in lectures when speed is essential. It’s important to be consistent so you remember what
they represent and can use them easily. Keep a ‘key list’ of frequently used
symbols/abbreviations and their meanings so that you can refer to them in the future.

Abbreviations and acronyms for note taking

1. Common etc. (etcetera) = and the rest para = paragraph

e.g. = for example ch. = chapter

info = information no. = number

i.e. = that is diff = different

n.b. =note well, important C19 = nineteenth century

p = page (pp = pages)

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2. Discipline-Specific These should be whatever is frequently used in your field of

study.

In chemistry: Au for gold, Mg for magnesium.

In the case of quantities and concepts, these are represented by

Greek letters in many fields.

A or a (alpha) B or b (beta)
3. Personal Develop your own set so that you don’t have to write every word
in full. You can shorten any word that is commonly used in your
lectures.

 Gov = government
 nec = necessary

Work out a system you’ll remember and use it consistently.

Introduce a few symbols and abbreviations at a time to help you
remember them.
4. Acronyms Some abbreviations are so well known and widely used that they
have become acronyms—abbreviations pronounced as words. For
example:

Laser = Light Amplification by Stimulation Emission of Radiation

ABC = Australian Broadcasting Corporation

2. Symbols for note taking

equals/is equal to/is the same as

is not equal to/is not the same as
is equivalent to
therefore, thus, so
because
and, more, plus
more than, greater than
less than
less, minus
gives, causes, produces, leads to, results in, is given by, is produced by, results from,
comes from
rises, increases by

falls, decreases by
proportional to
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not proportional to

3. Use concept maps and diagrams

Information can also be recorded using a concept map or diagram. Try drawing diagrams or
pictures for concepts that are hard to note quickly.

Examples

4. Underline Key Points

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It’s advisable to underline the most important learning concepts of the lesson, as they
will stand out more clearly and you’ll be more inclined to memorize them. In addition, the
notes will be less monotonous and you can review them more quickly, since you can use the
underline parts as a guide and won’t need to read the entire text every time you go to study.
These note making techniques are designed to help you take more effective notes at home, in
lecture halls or anywhere you have access to. However, it is important that you adapt to your
own style and stick with the ones that will bring you success. What other techniques do you
use to take notes?