Taking Effective Notes

WHY DO WE TAKE NOTES?


    Students often taking notes in class but have you ever think why ? How by taking notes from lectures can improve the students grade and make them easier to study and what are the purpose of it?
     Note-taking is writing down ideas from lectures and reading in our words. It can also be use as an external storage and putting the words into codes. The function of external function is actually what is on the students mind when taking notes : to make sure they won't forget crucial information and create archives that can be use when the examination is near. However, the process of taking notes can also be facilitate encoding or learning the course material in the first place, by encouraging increase attention during class. The challenge is to take notes that ease learning and can assist as a useful resource in the future.

  • Help us to pay attention in class
  • Help us study for quiz, test and final examination 
  • Help us improve our memory 
  • Help us take ownership of ideas 
  • Help us engage our sense

                                         HOW DO WE TAKE NOTES? 

There are a few things we need to do when we are taking notes and one of it is by writing the date and label of the notes. Why do we need these items ? It is because the students would not be confused on which topic the lecturer was teaching and they can make the students' note more organized. Secondly, is using abbreviations and symbols.


Use an outline it makes students notes easy to write. An outline must have three things such as main ideas, support and examples. The main idea must tell the readers what is it all about and gain the reader's interest. For the support, we can support by using quotes and making the reader understand more about the main idea. Lastly, examples can make reader have a better vision on the main idea. We also can use paraphrasing that means is when we borrow ideas, language or phrases from another person's text we can write these by using our own words and sentence pattern. That way we can jot down the notes faster and we also can understand them in the same time.

BEFORE CLASS

Some of the students might wonder what should they do before class ? Well here are some tips that might be useful for us all. 
  • Review the notes from the day before 
  • Review your reading assignments 
  • Make sure you have paper, text, pens or pencils and handout.
  • Write the date at the top of your paper for notes.
  • Leave spaces between the lines so that you can add information later 

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR CLASS?

  • Do pre-reading and some homework. The meaning of homework is we review what we have learn after class.
  • Review syllabus
  • Look up key words prior to class
  • Plan on listening 80% of the time
  • Write the date at the top of your paper for notes
  • Leave spaces between the lines so that so that you can add information later.

KEY ACTION TO NOTE AS YOU OBSERVE YOUR INSTRUCTOR 

 - Be alert to repetition
           When an instructor repeats a specific point, make a note of it 

 - Watch the board or overheard projector 
           If an instructor writes something down, the materials is important 

 - Notice the instructor's interest level 
            If an instructor is excited about something, it is likely to be an exam 

 - Let go of judgments about lecture styles
             Don't let your attitude about an instructor's style get in the way of your education 

NOTE TAKING METHODS 

There are numerous methods. The most widely acclaims technique is "CORNELL".
  • Can be variety of formats : e.g. outlines, narrative, concept maps

Concept maps



Sentence method


Outlines method


Cornell method



HOW DO WE REVIEW AFTER CLASS?

- Review notes along with the book
     We lose 80% of what we hear if it is not reviewed a few hours in the same day.
-Create your own examples 
      It will help us understand better 
- Discuss and compare notes with others
      If we compare we will get different opinion 
- Re-write notes 
      To make us remember more
- Practice those skills you wish to develop 
- Ask professor for clarification 


Well that's for now I see you when I see you in the next blog !

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