Tips And Tactics For Note Taking

1. Use a large loose-leaf binder and write only on one side
2. Write in short, telegraphic sentences
3. Use modified printing style (clear letters, not scribbles)
4. Use lecturer’s words
5. Use your own words when summarising notes
6. Identify your own thoughts in the notes (what’s mine, what’s the lecturer’s)
7. Strive to detect main headings
8. Don’t doodle (it breaks concentration) or sit near disinterested friends (apathy can be contagious)
9. If the lecture is too fast, capture fragments, leave blank spaces and put it all together later
10. Pay close attention to end of lecture - some lecturers cover a lot of material in the last 5-10 minutes
11. Don’t give up if the lecturer is too fast
12. After each lecture fill in any gaps in your notes (ice cold notes can be frustrating)
13. Every evening before you settle down to study, pick up some notes and recite them aloud (when possible).Short, fast and frequent reviews stick in your brain.

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