Note-Taking Strategies
strategies
- Cornell two-column note-taking - Outlining - Mapping - Charting
cornell two-column note-taking
- Divide the paper into 3 sections - Draw a dark horizontal line about 5 or 6 lines from the bottom. - Draw a dark vertical line about 2 inches from the left side of the paper from the top to the horizontal line. - Write course name, date, and topic at the top of each page - The Large box to the right is for writing notes. - Skip a line between ideas and topics. - Don't use complete sentences. Use abbreviations, whenever possible. - Review the notes as soon as possible after class. - Pull out main ideas, key points, dates, and people, and write these in the left column. - Write a summary of the main ideas in the bottom section. - Re-read your notes in the right column. - Spend most of your time studying the ideas in the left column and the summary at the bottom. These are the most important ideas & will probably include most of the information that you will be tested on.
abbreviations
- Does not equal ≠ - Change ∆ - Department = Dept - New York City = NYC - Example = Ex - Politics = Pol - Liberals = Lib - Democracy = Dem - Capitalism = Cap
why is it important to take notes?
- Helps you to concentrate in class and remember important information. - Helps you prepare for tests and other assignments. - Helps you to understand material. - Provides valuable clues for what information, themes, and processes are most important
charting
- If the lecture format is distinct (such as chronological), you may set up your paper by drawing columns and labeling appropriate headings in a table.
mapping
- Mapping is a visual system of condensing material to show relationships and importance. A map is a diagram of the major points, with their significant sub-points, that support a topic. The purpose of mapping as an organizing strategy is to improve memory by grouping material in a highly visual way.
outlining
- Start main points at the margin. - Indent secondary and supporting details. - Further indent major subgroups. - Definitions, for example, should always start at the margin. - When a list of terms is presented, the heading should also start at the margin. - Each item in the series should be set in slightly from the margin. - Examples, too, should be indented under the point they illustrate. - When the lecturer moves from one idea to another, show this shift with white space by skipping a line or two.
