5 Taking Lecture Notes
How did you capture information from high school classes? Did you fill out worksheets, complete readings during class or take notes during lessons?
You might find it hard imagining how to take notes in a lecture with 400 or more students. Hopefully, you aren’t planning to enter class at the last minute, find a seat in the back of the lecture hall and scramble to copy down every word the instructor says.
When it comes to note-taking, there are specific things you can do before, during and after class to maximize your learning.
What to do before class
Even before class starts, there are things you should do to prepare for learning new information.
- Find purpose in the lecture: With newfound independence, you can choose to sleep in, arrive late and be distracted by your tech. But finding a purpose in the lecture you can help make better choices. The instructor may be repeating information in your readings (this is a good clue of what may be on an exam), but you can learn new information to include in a paper and use the information to have great study notes.
- Review previous class notes: You can measure how much information you recall, quiz yourself and prepare to find connections between those concepts and the upcoming lecture.
- Complete your assigned readings: Do this before lectures so you can learn new vocabulary, identify overlapping information and make connections between lecture information.
- Ask questions: If you have questions from a previous lecture, then you can chat with a peer nearby. Or, if there’s time, try asking the instructor before class.
- Sit at the front of class: There is a correlation between a student’s GPA and their location in class.
What to do during class
- Actively pay attention to the instructor: Pay attention to how they emphasize important information. Notice pauses that can indicate transitions to new topics.
- Stay focused: Do some chair stretches, breathe deeply and sit up straight to refocus when you find yourself becoming distracted.
- Participate: Ask the instructor questions and join small chats when there are opportunities for group learning.
- Decide on a note-taking method that works for you.
Note-taking methods
There are three methods of taking notes that are really effective. You may find one works well in one course while another method works for the others. Give yourself some time to practice and identify what works well for you.
Create three sections on your page.
- The first one on the right side of the page is the notes section, which is the largest. Here, you include the most important details of the lecture. You can use lists, insert diagrams and supporting details.
- The left column, the cues section, includes your personal connection to the note. This can be important vocabulary, test date reminders, similar content from readings or questions that you have.
- The third section, the summary, is across the bottom of the page. This is a brief summary statement of the lecture. It can also include some quiz questions (that you don’t know the answer to!). The Cornell Method is our top method for students.
Using a circle in the middle of the page, add the main concept of the lecture. Add lines, colours and images, with new circles for new ideas or connections. Mind maps are good tools for courses where you discuss relationships between ideas. Mind maps are great for condensing learnings into one concept from all your course readings and lecture notes.
This method is similar to Cornell’s right column. Using numbers or symbols, identify the most important concepts and add supplementary information indented below each main concept. This can be a good method if your instructors use an agenda. However, beware that method can lead to copying down as much as you can, instead of really understanding the lecture information.
Try your note-taking skills
To type notes, or not to type notes?
Many students come to class on the first day and open up their devices, intending to type as much as they can, thinking that capturing every word the instructor shares is a must. This isn’t true, and we ask that you try to use pen and paper to take notes, unless for you use assistive technology for accessibility reasons.
Here are some benefits of writing your notes.
- You can’t write as fast as typing, so you need to really pay attention and summarize information in your own words.
- You may find it easier to recall notes on tests.
- You can process the concepts and engage with the material in a more detailed way.
- You’re synthesizing, applying and integrating information
- You aren’t distracted by devices.
What to do after class
Do you simply pack up, leave the lecture hall and open your notes again when you study right before the test? There are many ways you can use your notes to their maximum potential.
- Review notes as soon as you can after class.
- Identify gaps in your knowledge.
- Share notes and use them to quiz and teach friends and study group members.
- Create study questions focused on applying and analyzing key concepts.
Learning a new skill like university note-taking can take time. If you find yourself getting frustrated, try these strategies.
- Do all your readings before class,
- Annotate slides that instructors post online. Use them to connect ideas from lecture notes and readings.
- Attend office hours with instructors and teaching assistants (TAs).
- Get permission to record a lecture and review it to note the important concepts.
- Use symbols and abbreviations to save time writing.
- Join a study group.
- Review your notes often.
