What You Hear May Be Worth Writing Down

1
What You Hear May Be Worth Writing Down
Effective Listening and Note Taking
2
Listening Closely

• Sit toward the front of the room
• Being close to the professor allows you to see
  and hear better.
• Students close to the teacher generally pay more
  attention and are less easily distracted.
• Proximity also has the added benefit of making
  your face familiar to the professor, and can
  create a favorable impression.

3
Possible Test Information

• Copy down everything on the board or overhead
• A few words may be a key clue to a test item.
• You may not be aware of the importance of certain
  information at the time it is presented, but its
  relevance may become apparent later.
• You can always ignore or discard extraneous
  information when you organize your notes later,
  but it will be difficult to add information you
  do not write down at the time it is presented.

4
The Organized Lecture

• Know the parts of the lecture
• Lectures have the same basic framework as a good
  essay.
• Introduction The instructor will set the tone
  for the presentation.
• Thesis The instructor will identify the central
  topic(s).
• Body The bulk of the lecture will present all
  relevant information related to the identified
  main topic(s). Transition between sections of the
  body are often accomplished by opportunities for
  questions.
• Summary The instructor will conclude their
  remarks, and often, check for overall student
  understanding.

5
Taking Great Notes!

• Start each lecture session with a new page
• A clean page a clean start.
• Utilize a notebook designated for that course.
• Loose-leaf paper works best because it allows for
  you to insert additional information such as
  handouts.
• Head each page with the date, course number and
  the lecture title if the professor gives one.

6
Taking Great Notes!

• Set up your page using the Cornell System or
  the 2-6 Method

Note Taking Area Record as much meaningful
information as possible. Cue Column Jot section
headings, reference text page numbers, note cue
words and phrases here. Summaries Sum up page or
section in a few phrases or sentences.
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Listen Up!

• Pay attention!
• Make eye contact with the lecturer. Professors
  love it when students exhibit interest and appear
  involved.
• Keep texts, charts, readings materials handy
• Professors often reference pages and/or sections
  from texts and readings, charts, and graphs
  during lectures. Have them readily available to
  follow along.

8
Listen Up!

• Do NOT try to write down every word said
• A key to taking good notes is choosing which
  information is important and uncovering the
  structure of the lecture this is active
  listening.
• Structured notes are more useful and easier to
  study. Similarly, structured information is
  easier to retain.

9
Listen Up!

• Listen carefully for the main ideas
• Make sure to write down the main ideas. Later,
  summarize the idea in a few words in the Cue
  Words column or margin of your notes.
• Main ideas are often stated outright. Other clues
  to identify main ideas include repetition, voice
  emphasis, and writing on the board or overhead.

• Buttress main points with supporting details
• Write supporting details beneath the main point
  in bulleted lists.
• Supporting information is most often given before
  the next main point is presented.

10
Listen Up!

• Be an active listenerThe key to good note-taking
  is being an excellent listener.
• Make sure to ask questions as they arise. Clarify
  anything that is unclear or ambiguous, and make
  sure to note the professors response to your
  question.
• Avoid the 3 Ds daydreaming, distractions, and
  doodling.
• Changes in the speakers tone of voice may signal
  important information.

11
Listen Up!

• Be an active listener (cont.)
• Pay attention to the speakers pace professors
  tend to slow down when emphasizing important
  information.
• If the professor repeats a point, write it down.
  
• Numbered lists provide an oral outline for
  organizing notes. Three causes of Five
  ways
• Be especially mindful of direct verbal cues. You
  will need to remember Keep in mind

12
Youve Got Great NotesNow What?

• Use it or lose it
• Research shows that most information gained in
  class will be lost unless it is actively reviewed
  within 24 hours.
• Add clarifying notations in a different color ink
  (red or green is eye-catching).

• Consider creating some Mnemonic devices
  (acronyms, rhymes) to help you memorize and
  recall information. Jot these devices in the
  Summaries box.

13
Abbreviations for Notetaking

• Use abbreviations for common terms to increase
  the speed of your note taking.
• use apostrophes to shorten long words (govt
  government)
• use the beginning syllable of a long word (adj
  adjective)
• add an s to the first syllable to form plurals
  (adjs adjectives)
• leave out unnecessary short words like a or
  the
• use common symbols for words ( and,
  greater than)
• after writing out a full name or place, use
  initials for subsequent references (GW George
  Washington, NY New York)

14
Hints Tips

• When taking notes in a discussion group session,
  be a little more flexible with the structure and
  grouping of ideas. Information flow during
  discussion groups often does not follow the
  normal structure of an instructor lecture.
• Using different colored inks and/or highlighters
  when reviewing notes can help group concepts,
  show relationships between points, and draw
  attention to important details.
• Think about what the lecturer is saying as you
  write it down. This will help you connect ideas
  and concepts.

15
Hints Tips

• It is better to take too many notes and have to
  eliminate unimportant ideas than to take too few
  notes and miss critical facts.
• Mark your notes with symbols ( ?) to make it
  easier to locate important information or
  indicate areas of uncertainty.
• Do not write your notes in paragraph form. It is
  too difficult to locate important information
  within the text. Bullets work best.
• Circle or highlight dates, names, formulas, etc.,
  to set them apart.

16
Hints Tips

• Use loose-leaf paper for note taking so you can
  easily add pages with additional information at
  later times.
• Try to answer the 5 Ws 1 H for any idea (Who,
  What, When, Where, Why and How).
• Write on only one side of the paper.
• Continually going over and organizing your notes
  after each class makes studying for a test merely
  reviewing instead of relearning (remember, you
  lose most unreviewed information after 24 hours).

17
Hints Tips

• Write legibly, allowing adequate space to add
  subsequent points to your notes. You are
  supposed to be creating sufficient study
  materials, not saving trees!
• Use a tape recorder only as a supplement to
  active listening and note taking NEVER as a
  substitute. Tape recordings are virtually useless
  in studying for a test.
• Avoid watching the clock pay as much attention
  at the end of the lecture as you do at the
  beginning. Remember, important information is
  often given at the very end of the lecture period.

18
Hints Tips

• Supplement your lecture notes with copies of
  overheads or PowerPoint slides from the
  professor.
• Dont be afraid to compare notes with classmates
  outside of the lecture, especially to clarify
  material, or fill in points you may have missed.
• Supplement your lecture notes with topical
  references to page numbers from your textbook,
  written in the Cue Column. This connects the
  lecture and text.

19
Final Thought

• Notes are only worth taking if you use them to
  study later.
• Try using the 5 Rs method of note taking and
  study
• Record get the notes down on paper
• Reduce eliminate unnecessary information
  organize important information
• Recite as you organize, say the material to
  yourself this is the memorization stage
• Review the final study phase prepares you for
  the exam this should merely be refreshing
  knowledge, NOT relearning unreviewed material or
  learning new material
• Reflect continue the memorization process by
  going over notes, making connections between
  specific points and broader concepts

Pauk, W. (1974). How to Study in College, 2nd ed.
New York Houghton Mifflin Co.