10 Best Tips for Taking Lecture Notes
Struggling with taking lecture notes? Don’t worry I’ve been there before. I know the feeling of having to sit through the lecture but get nothing for later revision because you didn’t take any notes as a result of not knowing how to.
Well lucky for you. Today, I’m going to give you ten little tips to ace your note-taking.
Paying attention
Paying attention can be hard, especially during boring lectures, but you MUST do it. Listen carefully and attentively. This is the ONLY way that you can absorb all the information from your professors. You might miss the important details, like the details of your upcoming exams, if you keep on dozing off during the lecture.
Don’t write down every single word
Everyone tends to write Everything that the lecturers say. I get it. You don’t want to miss a single bit of information, but that’s not the way you should do it. You might actually miss the main concepts of the lecture if you try to do that.
You should write or type down the main important things, e.g., dates, names, exam dates, or what your professor keeps on emphasizing.
Find a note-taking method that works for you
There are some useful note-taking techniques, such as the Cornell or Brainstorming method, can help organize your notes. I, personally, like to combine the linear and bullet methods. I think they work best for me but use whatever approach that floats your boat.
Study Beforehand
Have a run through what you’re going to learn. Usually, your teacher would tell you what he/she is going to teach you in the class so do cover those topics in advance to get familiar with the key concepts and that way you’ll know which parts to concentrate more on and the lecture better.
Review
What’s the point of taking notes if you’re not going to use them later, right? So review, review, and review. Do more research if you’re not clear or write down some questions to ask your professor or friends later.
Get Rid of Distractions
Turn off the WiFi or notifications or anything that can distract you from focusing on the lecture. I bet, you’ll feel the urge to check your phone or laptop once you see your screen lights up.
Use Abbreviation
Nobody is going to read the notes except you so don’t bother writing full sentences or words. Use a shorthand method that you CAN understand and believe me you can save a ton of time by using it.
E.g. replace “seriously” with “srsl” or “already” with “alr”. EZ PZ, right?
Note: you can use symbols too!
Type Notes Up
My notes are always messy so after every lecture, I’ll sit down typing them on my computer. It becomes more organized and I could actually understand what I wrote when I revisit it later.
Copy down what is written on the board
Usually, whatever the professor writes on the board is important, so jot down everything that he/she writes.
Leave Some Space
It’s always a good idea to leave some gaps for the information that you missed or are not so clear about. You can add on more details later and it’s also a good way to draw your attention to the missing points.
Everything is hard for the first timers, but it gets easier once you get the hang of it and remember that, there are no correct ways of taking lecture notes. You should stick with the one you find comfortable and effective.
