Taking Lecture Notes (Sean Perry)

Taking Lecture Notes

Miramar College English Lab

presented by Sean Perry (FourTongues@gmail.com)

Why Take Notes?

— Often, you will be tested on the lectures as well as the book

— As you write, it helps you remember

— The more you remember, the better your GPA will be!

Be Prepared before Class Starts

— Make sure you have plenty of paper and extra pens and pencils

— Look at the syllabus to know what the lecture will be about

— Do the assigned reading and come with questions

Organize Your Notes

— Arrange your notes by class and keep them all together.  Use page numbers

— Write the date before each lecture

— Keep the notes in order by date

Once the Lecture Starts

— DO NOT WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THE PROFESSOR SAYS!!!

— Be brief and only write down the main points

— Use content words (mostly nouns and verbs)

— Skip lines or use indentation to separate information

Use Symbols to Save Time

— Use = for “same as” or “is”

— Not the same as  =   ¹

— And = &  or  +

— Therefore =  \

— Becomes =  à

— For example =  e.g.

— With   =   w/

— Without =   w/o

Look and Listen for clues

— Copy down whatever the professor writes on the board (copy formulas and equations carefully!)

— Listen for emphasis and repetitions to know what is important

— Listen for verbal clues (there are 2 points of view, this happens in 3 stages, etc.)

After Class

— Read over your notes to makes everything makes sense

— Ask the professor if anything is unclear

— Get together with other classmates to review your notes