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Study
Skills Handout
Suggestions
for Taking Better Notes
The
handout below is just one of the many study
skills handouts available through the Tutoring Center. If you
are having trouble with study skills of any kind, or if you have
questions about study skills that are not addressed here, stop in
the Student Commons Building, Room 1300, at the Normal campus and
talk to a tutor. He/she can provide additional handouts, help you
recognize your strengths and weaknesses and help you formulate a
plan to develop effective study strategies. Find out when tutors
for various courses are available in Pontiac
or Lincoln
by contacting the receptionist in Pontiac (815-842-6777) or Lincoln
(217-735-1731).
Suggestions
for Taking Better Notes:
-
Full-sized,
three-ringed notebooks are best for containing all lecture notes,
handouts, and notes from the text and readings. Why?
Pages can be arranged chronologically with pertinent handouts
and information inserted into lecture notes for easy reference.
If you miss a lecture, you can easily add the missing notes.
You can keep necessary course material together in one notebook.
-
Date
and number your notes and your handouts. It will help you
organize and locate information with ease.
-
Give
yourself plenty of blank space in your notes, as well as plenty
of blank space in your notes, as well as plenty of room to write.
This will allow you to make additional notes, sketch helpful,
or write textbook references. Your notes will be easier to read
if you write in pen and use only one side of the paper. The
improvements in your understanding will justify the slight increase
in paper cost.
-
Law-ruled
or summary margin paper is helpful with its three-margin of
the left side one up for using the Cornell format of note-talking.
Write your notes on the right side of the line. After the lecture
use the left side of the margin for key words or phrases, or
for sample questions when you review notes.
-
Take
as many notes as you can. If you miss something, leave a
space; you may be able to fill in the blanks later. Do not stop
talking notes if you are confused or if you want to ponder a
particular concept. You will have time for that later. Write
as much as you can! Abbreviations are very helpful.
-
It
may be difficult to make your notes look great or to have them
extremely organized as you write them. Work with your notes
as soon as you can after you write them—immediately after
class if possible, when your recall is at its best. You
may be able to fill in some blanks. Color-coding can bring some
organization to your notes. For example, identify concepts and
categories by highlighting items with a particular color. If
you still have problems organizing you notes, begin to formulate
a specific question for your professor or study group.
-
As
you review your notes, look at the information as answers to
questions. As these questions become more clear to you,
jot down the questions. You may also write key words or phrases
in the left-hand margin that cue your recall of definitions,
theories, models, or examples. Now you are ready to try and
recall the information in your notes. Cover the right side of
your notes, leaving only these cues (weather there are questions
or key words), to test yourself.
-
As
you begin to put the material of the course together, add a
somewhat generic question—Why?—to your answers. You
need to know why and any particular answer is correct, as well
as what the information is pertinent to the course. This will
also prepare you for essay exams, as well.
-
If
you briefly review your notes in this way on a daily basis,
you will avoid the need to cram for an exam.
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