Better Notes for Better Grades

1. Better Notes for Better Grades

2. Questions • How many of you take notes in class? • When do you take notes? • Has someone ever taught you to take notes?

3. Why take notes? • Encodes information – writing down helps you remember • Promotes active listening • Allows you to store info for tests and essays (what you use to study) • Maintains a record of what your instructor thinks is important • Helps you find important info quickly and easily—if your notes are organized!

4. When should you take notes?

5. When instructor lectures, even when using PowerPoints or handouts

6. During labs & Class Discussions

7. When you watch a film in class

8. When the instructor writes, diagrams, or draws

9. While reading a textbook

10. When given assignments and deadlines

11. 3 Components of Good Notes • Be Concise • Be Organized • Be Yourself Be COY

12. Be Concise • Include only necessary words • Use abbreviations • Use symbols like “&” instead of writing out “and” • Don’t concern yourself with spelling and grammar

13. Be Organized • Review your notes after class to better organize the information while it is fresh. • Refine your first draft of notes (yes, notes have drafts). • See your professor if you think you missed an important point!

14. Be Organized • Group concepts into categories • Make connections between concepts • Leave blank space • Emphasize certain items

15. Group concepts together & make connections: use arrows, diagrams

16. Leave blank space • For things you don’t understand…yet • Connections b/w textbook and lecture Use the blank space to add additional information like definitions, examples, etc. as you review your notes.

17. Emphasize certain items by underlining, circling, highlighting

18. Be Organized • Date and put them in the correct place – have a folder or notebook for each class. • Keep your notes in order to better understand them later. • Don’t lose important dates by including them within your class notes—have a separate place to note due dates or test dates. • Be flexible—don’t try to treat every class the same. Try different types of note-taking for different classes to determine what is most effective.

19. Be Yourself • Use your OWN WORDS • Make up your own abbreviations, etc. • Find your style • Outlines • Mapping • Columns

20. Outlines

21. Mapping

22. Columns

23. Got notes… What do I do now?

24. Review ASAP after class to organize • Write a summary of what that class was about at the end of your notes • Review notes once a week • Use them! • when you study • when you self-test for an exam

25. Evaluating Today’s Notes • Did you try to write down everything I said? • Did you write down everything that was in the PowerPoint? • Did you write down good ideas that your fellow students had?

26. Review: Let’s see how good your notes are. • When should you take notes? • What are the 3 components of good notes? • How can you be concise? • How can you be organized? • How can you be yourself?

27. Summing it Up • Look over your notes quickly, and let’s summarize what we’ve learned today!

28. Room A350214-860-2133 Drop by the El Centro College Learning Center for additional help with Note-Taking