Note Taking Skills
Basics and Methods
Why should I take notes?
II. It allows you to review the material later so that you can remember it.
III. You can use notes in the future (at Enlightium you can use your notes on quizzes and tests)
What do you need to know?
Sometimes teachers will tell you what types of things to write down.
In history, you may be advised to remember names and dates. In English, it could be helpful to remember spelling and grammar rules. In math, you might want to jot down some useful formulas.
What do you need to write?
1. Main points
2. Definitions
3. Anything in bold or italics
4. Examples
Why do you need to take notes?
1. Remember important information.
2. Be an engaged listener.
3. Learn to identify what is important.
4. Retain information that may not be in course books.
Pro Tip: Read the questions first.
If you are really stuck, you can use Ctrl+F on your computer. This will open a search box in the top right corner that can help you find key words!
How do you do it?
Cornell Notes
The Cornell note taking system is designed to be highly organized and help you identify key topics. It is divided into three main sections:
1. Notes - the bulk of your paper is designated for your actual notes. Include anything that seems important. This section does not need to be as organized because you will use the other sections to help make sense of it.
2. Questions/Main Ideas - the left-hand column is designed for you to reflect on your notes. This way you can jot down highlights or pose questions that you'd like to ask in class. This helps you stay engaged in the material you are listening to or reading about, as well as know what you really need to review when test time comes.
3. Summary - the bottom section is devoted to summarizing your notes. It is meant to be a 1-3 sentence/bullet-point summary of your notes from that session.
If you'd like to give it a shot, choose a template from the web!
Changing the method: When I used this method in college, I would rarely use the summary section. The most important sections of this method are the notes and questions/main points sections.
The Mapping Method
1. Main Topic - At the top of your paper, write the main idea of that class period. If you are unsure what the material or teacher will cover, you can write the class name.
2. Sub-topic and/or supporting ideas - Underneath the main topic, draw a shape and add the sub-topic or supporting ideas. Sometimes, it works well to jot down your notes and then draw a shape around it.
3. Examples - Below the sub-topic and supporting ideas, you can write out examples or expand your notes further.
There are many ways that this can look.
Outlining
1. Main point/topic - This would go along the left margin of your paper.
2. Sub-point - You would slightly indent this text and write some more.
3. Supporting details - These would be indented even further. This would be the most fleshed out section of your notes.
Charting
Your notes might look a little like the image below.
The Sentence Method
Rather than separating the information several times, the only thing that separates sections is a new main topic.