COLLEGE TRANSITION

WHY
TAKE
GOOD
NOTES?
 • Improved active listening, comprehension and
retention during lectures. Helps us pay attention.
• Increases our learning and understanding especially
when we are expected to learn college level
WHY content.
• Taking good notes helps us, along with correct
TAKE citation of our work, to avoid plagiarism.

GOOD
NOTES?
GETTING PREPARED

• Decide on best note-taking format that best suits

your purpose.

• Have a system for storing notes.

• Be prepared to take notes over lectures, class

discussions, videos or slides, and assigned reading
material.

• LOOK OVER CLASS MATERIAL BEFORE GOING TO

CLASS!
 Have the supplies needed:
notebooks, good pens and high
lighters, Post-It notes, make
computer folders.
WHAT NOTETAKING TECHNIQUE WORKS BEST FOR YOU?

THE OUTLINE METHOD

INITIAL NOTE-TAKING TECHNIQUES AND TIPS -
WHAT TECHNIQUE WORKS BEST FOR YOU?

POWER POINT/PARALLEL
NOTE-TAKING
INITIAL NOTE-TAKING TECHNIQUES AND TIPS -
WHAT TECHNIQUE WORKS BEST FOR YOU?

CORNELL NOTES/SPLIT PAGE

NOTES/QUESTION & ANSWER
WHAT NOTE STORAGE SYSTEM
WILL YOU USE?
BEGIN
TAKING
NOTES
OVER
LECTURES,
DISCUSSION
S AND
READING
 BUT
TAKING
NOTES
IS
MORE
THAN
JUST
RECORDI
NG WHAT
PEOPLE
SAY
 NOTETAKING IS ALSO...

• RECORDING INFORMATION USING

YOUR OWN WORDS OR
PARAPHRASING

• LEAVING SPACE AS YOU WRITE so you

can add notes as your learning and
understanding evolves.

• REVIEWING YOUR NOTES OFTEN by

answering questions about them, rewriting
them, recite definitions, seek out further
information to increase your understanding.
TAKING NOTES IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTING & ANNOTATING!
 RULES OF ANNOTATING ALSO KNOWN AS MARKING THE TEXT

•Summarize key points in your own words.

•Circle key concepts and phrases.
•Write brief comments and questions in the margins.
•Use abbreviations and symbols.
•Highlight/underline.
•Use comment and highlight features built into pdfs,
online/digital textbooks, or other apps and browser add-ons.
 WITHIN 24 HOURS
OF TAKING NOTES
REVISIT YOUR
NOTES:

Go over notes highlighting key
terms, ideas, names, places,
dates, formulas, etc.

Add small drawings or graphics to
help explain your notes.

Annotate your notes by writing in
the margins with review
questions, connections to other
classes, or unanswered questions.

Write a 2-4 sentence summary at
the end of your notes.
WHY SHOULD
YOU REVISIT
YOUR NOTES
DAILY?
HOW TO REVISIT OR REVIEW NOTES:
SHOULD BE DONE AT THE END OF EVERY DAY

READ YOUR NOTES EVERY DAY OR TWO.

ADD TO YOUR NOTES, THINGS LIKE DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS.

CLARIFY AND EXPAND KEY FACTS AND CONCEPTS. TRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT MIGHT ON A TEST.

ADD DRAWINGS AND CHARTS TO HELP FURTHER UNDERSTANDING.

PRACTICE CHUNKING! ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES INTO SECTIONS THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU.

COMPARE YOUR NOTES WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OR WITH THE MEMBERS OF YOUR STUDY GROUP TO FIND
WHAT YOU MISSED.
EXPLAIN THE MATERIAL TO YOURSELF OR IN A STUDY GROUP. WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND OR WHAT DOESN’T MAKE
SENSE?
SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED IN EACH SESSION OF NOTE-TAKING. CAN YOU SIFT THROUGH THE INFORMATION TO
SUCCINCTLY COMMUNICATE THE BIG IDEA?
 EXAMPLES OF REVISITING
NOTES

• Notice that this student

used highlighting and
underlining sparingly an
only to draw attention to
important facts and
concepts.
• They added new or
clarifying information.
• Include sketches and
diagrams to help illustrate
concepts.
 EXAMPLES OF REVISITING
NOTES

• This student used similar

techniques of minimal
highlighting.
• They used colored pens to
make information stand
out.
• They also added
information as they
revisited their notes.
MATH EXAMPLES

This student wrote out step

by step example of a calculus
problem both mathematically
and with a description of the
process in her own words.

The Calculus Rules were

extracted from the student’s
notes so they could be
memorized and applied to
other problems.
REVISITING NOTES - EXAMPLES

These notes show how

the student revisited the
notes by highlighting
important subjects,
asking questions, and
adding examples.

CHEMISTRY ECONOMICS
REVISITING NOTES
 REVISITING NOTES -
EXAMPLES
This is a good example of how a
student took notes over the book
Northanger Abbey.
If you look at her notes she wrote
things mentioned in the class
discussion by her teacher but also by
other classmates.
She highlights sparingly. And adds page
numbers as the discussion progresses
through the book.
What we can’t see is that her book is
annotated by writing her thoughts and
questions in the margins. She used
minimal highlighting and post it notes.
REVISITING NOTES –
ANNOTATION EXAMPLE
REVISITING NOTES – OTHER EXAMPLES

This student took

notes on a study
guide as the were
preparing for the
test.
This is a great way
to prepare for a
test, especially if
you use previously
taken notes to help
you fill out the
study guide.
 Study Strategies & Techniques
• Reciprocal Questioning where YOU ask the
questions of the material being studied and
provide the answers.
• Column/Cornell Notes are a form of question and
answer. Most study guides are set up like this.
• Charting: Making summary tables comparing or
contrasting information. See the example below.
• The Talk Through: Verbally rehearse the
concepts being studied either to an imaginary
audience or a study group. It helps to improve
your understanding of key terms because you
are using your own words. Doing this helps
store the information in your long-term
memory.
• Concept Cards or Flash Cards: Write the ideas
on cards and use the cards for studying.
• Timelines: Order events and then study them
in sequence.
CT TEKS
 The
Brain
Dump

RCHS student
studying for a test
by writing out
everything he can
remember about
the subject.
 THE GOAL:
APPLICATION

•What was the purpose for taking notes in the first place?
•Can you demonstrate what you have learned?
•How can you apply what you have learned to a new situation?