Education Articles from College Matching Service

College life is often viewed as a critical turning point in the lives of students. Students across the world look forward to this time in their lives with a lot of excitement coupled with apprehension. Though the life of the students in one country may be in stark contrast to those in another country, there is one aspect that is common to students in all countries and at all times. Here is raised the indispensable issue of note-taking.

For most students, taking down lecture notes is an uninteresting activity; something to be avoided at all costs. However, class notes are indispensable when preparing for exams. Diligent class notes are a great help for distilling key concepts and in last-minute reviews before the exams. They help build the mind for reflection as well. Therefore it becomes necessary to acquire the art of taking down effective notes. Some key points that will help you take good notes are:

1. Record the date, topic/ title and the speaker’s name. Also number your pages

2. Sit in a place from where you can see and hear the speaker clearly. Avoid noisy partners and distractions

3. As an introduction, provide general information about the topic in discussion. State the speaker’s purpose

4. Mark important ideas, terms, concepts and critical information. Underline them or highlight them using asterisk or boxes

5. Write down anything written on the board by the speaker. These are obviously significant ideas, ones that are emphasized and bound to be repeated. Make a note of new words and ideas

6. When the speaker alludes to the text, make a mention of the page numbers in your notes

7. If you are unable to keep up with the speaker, jot down key words and phrases. Leave space for the information that you have missed. You can always check later with the speaker or your classmates to help fill in the gaps

8. Build an attitude of participation. Listen attentively and take careful notes. Keep a record of your ideas relating to the topic in discussion and also make of note of any queries. Ask questions and get your doubts clarified. The speaker will always be ready to help you out

To make effective use of the notes, students must review the notes regularly, read them aloud repeating the key concepts and reflect. These combined will help connect class ideas to the notes and other readings and aid the learning process.

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