The Do's and Don't's of Note Taking

Taking proper notes to use as a resource and memory aid is very hard to do.


Follow these Do's and Don't's to guide your student on how to properly take notes:

*Avoid overgeneralized titles when titling notes (ex: "History Notes"). *Avoid taking verbatim notes. *Avoid taking down tangential information. Teachers tend to rant or veer off topic. Constantly be thinking: "does this relate to what was just said?", "is this a minor detail?", "does this veer away from the reading I did?", or "is this too much information?".
*Avoid a massive list of bullet points without categorizing or grouping.




*Be specific when titling and organizing note pages digitally or physically. Always put the date and a detailed title even if it isn't clear what exactly the lecture will include (ex: "World War II Notes Day 2" is great!).
*Notice when the teacher has added verbal information to a visual PowerPoint slide. Just getting down the information on the slide may not be enough of a memory aid for studying later on. *Develop and stick to shortcuts to help cut down on how long it takes to write things down (ex: "WWII", "b/w", w/", and not using pronouns and punctuation).
*Listen for cues from the teacher as to important information (increased or decreased tone of voice, and phrases/words such as "importantly...", "the main point is...", "what you need to know is...", etc.)
*Always re-write notes to ensure proper organization and increase retention of facts.