Notetaking

Tips for Academic Success

Complete assignments before class; bring all your materials; get to class early enough to look over your previous notes; these things will help you know what is important to record!
Force yourself to concentrate when your mind wanders.
Watch for clues: repetition of words or topics, anything written on the board, handouts with key phrases or terms.
During a lecture, just write down the main ideas and keypoints and use abbreviations.
After the lecture, go back through your notes and rewrite them with as much detail as possible.
If you do not wish to rewrite your notes, try to leave spaces for details and write legibly, using key phrases, not whole sentences.
Develop a system of "highlighting," using underlining, checkmarks or indentations to signify important areas.
Make sure you seperate your own thoughts from the lecture's. If you are unsure of your understanding, make a note to ask the instructor for clarification.
Always record examples the instructor gives - these will often clarify an abstract idea, or it may show up on a test!
Try to get to know someone in your class, just in case you need notes, or want to study with someone!
If you are having difficulty keeping up with the instructor, you might want to tape record the lecture and review it later.