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But isn't it good enough just to listen to these wonderful people without writing down what they say?
Studies have shown that after two weeks you'll forget 80% of it. And you didn't come to the lecture room
just to be entertained. You came to learn. The only way to keep the material in your head is to get it down in
permanent form — in the form of lecture notes.
There are three steps to mastering the art of taking good lecture notes: the preparation, the note-taking
process itself, and the post-lecture review.
Preparation.
First, mentally prepare yourself to take good notes. Examine your attitude. Remember, you're not going to
the lecture room to be bored, tortured, or entertained; you're going there to learn. Also, examine the material
the lecture will cover. Read the textbook chapter in advance.
Second, prepare yourself physically. Get a good night's sleep, and get to class — on time. Even better, get
to class early, so you can get a good seat near the front of the room. You'll hear better there and be less
tempted to let your mind wander. You'll also have time to open your notebook to a new page, find your pen,
and write the date and topic of the lecture at the top. This way, you won't still be groping under your chair or
flipping through pages when the lecturer begins to speak.
Process.
Be prepared to do a good deal of writing in class. A good role of thumb for taking notes is, "when in
doubt, write it down". After class, you will have time to go over your notes and make decisions about what
is important enough to study and what is not. But in the midst of a lecture, you don't always have time to
decide what is really important and what is quite secondary. You don't want to miss getting down a valuable
idea.
Be sure to always write down what the lecturer puts on the board. If he or she takes the time to write
something on the board, it is generally safe to assume that such material is important. And don't fall into the
trap that some students make. They write down
what is on the board but nothing more. They just sit and
listen while the instructor explains all the connections between those words that have been chalked on the
board. Everything may be perfectly clear to a student then, but several days later, chances are that all the
connecting materials will be forgotten. If you write down the explanations in class, it will be much easier for
you to make sense of the material and to study it later.
Here are some other hints for taking good classroom notes:
If you miss something, don't panic. Leave space for it in your notes and keep going. Later, get the missing
information from a classmate or your textbook
Don't ignore the very beginning and end of class, often lecturers devote the first five minutes of their
lectures to a review of material already covered or a preview of the next day's lecture. The last five minutes
of a lecture can contain a clear summary of the class. Don't spend the first five minutes of class getting your
materials out and the last five minutes putting them away. If you do, you'll probably miss something
important.
Post-Lecture Review.
The real learning takes place after class. As soon as you have time, sit down and reread your notes. Fill in
anything unclear or missing while it's still fresh in your mind. Then write a few key words and phrases that
summarise the points of the lecture.
Cover your notes, and, using only these key words, try to reconstruct as much of the lecture as you can.
This review will cement the major points in your memory and will save significant time when you study for
the exam.
To sum all this up, be prepared to go into class and be not just an active listener but an active notetaker as
well. Being in class and taking good notes while you are there are the most valuable steps you can take to
succeed in college.
Answer the questions.
1. What do you do during a classroom lecture?
2. Do you sit and stare at the lecturer, wondering if he or she will ever stop?
3. Do you try to write everything which is said, but can't keep up?
4. Why take lecture notes? Isn't it good enough just to listen to the lecturer without writing down what he
or she says?
5. What are the three steps to mastering the art of taking good lecture notes? Discuss in class each step.
6. Could you think of some more hints for taking good classroom notes?
7. Have you got your own tips on how to make the best use of class time?