Note Taking
Department of Lifelong Learning: Study Skills Series
Note taking skills - from lectures and readings
Introduction
When you are at university, the sheer amount of information that is delivered to you can be daunting and confusing. You may even think that you have to copy down everything you hear or read. When you are at a face-to -face lecture it is sometimes difficult to tell what is important and what is not. Distance learning students might feel the need to copy out fact after fact from readings and textbooks. When preparing for an exam or assignment, it is tempting to produce extensive notes on page after page of
A4 paper. These methods of note taking are generally time consuming and ineffective and there is an easier way!
Effective note taking should have a purpose, should be well organised, and can be a time saving skill. This information sheet outlines the basic lecture and written source note taking skills. Firstly, we will try to understand why notes are an important part of studying. Then we will learn how to take, organise and store notes. At the end of this information sheet you will find an activity that can be used to test yourself. Your tutor or the Student
Support Officer can provide feedback on this activity.
When you’ve finished this study skills package, you should be able to: l l l l l List the reasons why students should take notes
Evaluate which information is useful and important and which is not
Organise lecture or reading notes using a mind -mapping tool
Demonstrate good note taking practice in the context of your subject area
Understand how to effectively store and review your notes
Notes as a study tool
While most students anticipate that they will have to take notes at university, not many students take the time to discover how to take effective notes. In fact, some students even try to avoid taking notes by using tape recorders or by sharing notes with other students. Initially, these strategies may
Note taking skills - from lectures and readings
Introduction
When you are at university, the sheer amount of information that is delivered to you can be daunting and confusing. You may even think that you have to copy down everything you hear or read. When you are at a face-to -face lecture it is sometimes difficult to tell what is important and what is not. Distance learning students might feel the need to copy out fact after fact from readings and textbooks. When preparing for an exam or assignment, it is tempting to produce extensive notes on page after page of
A4 paper. These methods of note taking are generally time consuming and ineffective and there is an easier way!
Effective note taking should have a purpose, should be well organised, and can be a time saving skill. This information sheet outlines the basic lecture and written source note taking skills. Firstly, we will try to understand why notes are an important part of studying. Then we will learn how to take, organise and store notes. At the end of this information sheet you will find an activity that can be used to test yourself. Your tutor or the Student
Support Officer can provide feedback on this activity.
When you’ve finished this study skills package, you should be able to: l l l l l List the reasons why students should take notes
Evaluate which information is useful and important and which is not
Organise lecture or reading notes using a mind -mapping tool
Demonstrate good note taking practice in the context of your subject area
Understand how to effectively store and review your notes
Notes as a study tool
While most students anticipate that they will have to take notes at university, not many students take the time to discover how to take effective notes. In fact, some students even try to avoid taking notes by using tape recorders or by sharing notes with other students. Initially, these strategies may