when taking notes for a non lecture course

by Prof. Jarred Gorczany III 10 min read

Collect notes for each course in one place, in a separate notebook or section of a notebook. Write notes on one side of the page only. Use a loose-leaf notebook rather than a notebook with a permanent binding.

When taking notes for a nonlecture course, it usually makes good sense to begin with the list of issues or topics of the discussion. What should you do if an instructor says something that is somewhat important, but not very important, during a lecture? A. Write it down in your notes and then highlight or underline it.

Full Answer

When taking notes for a non-lecture course it usually makes good sense?

When taking notes for a non-lecture course, it's usually makes good sense to bring the list of issues or topics of discussion. (5)1. Engagement in learning requires your full and active participation in the learning process. 6. A syllabus is a (n) __________. 21.

Do you turn up to your lectures and take notes?

We hate to break it to you, but turning up to your lectures is only half the battle – listening up and really nailing your note-taking skills is key to getting the degree grade you're aiming for.

How long should I read my lecture notes before studying?

Space out the time between studying each set of lecture notes. For example, read over your notes within 24 hours of taking them. If you do this, you will retain approximately 50% of the material. If you wait longer than 24 hours, however, you will only retain about 20% of the material.

What are some common mistakes students make when taking lecture notes?

This is an easy mistake that most of us have made at some point when taking lecture notes. Not only is attempting to get everything down on paper pretty much impossible, but it also means you won't really be listening to what's being said or giving it time to sink in.

Which note taking method is most appropriate for taking notes while reading?

The Outline method is one of the best and most popular note-taking methods for college students. It lets you organize your notes in a structured form, helping you save a lot of time for further reviewing and editing.

What is the first principle of effective note taking?

What is the first principle of effective note taking? Identify and write down the most important ideas around which the lecture is built.

What are the three parts of effective note taking SLS?

Effective note taking consists of three parts: observing, recording, and reviewing.Observe an event. This part can be a statement by an instructor, a lab experiment, a slide show of an artist's works, or a chapter of required reading.Record your observations of that event. ... Review what you have recorded.

What three things should be done to revise these notes to the outline method?

What three things should be done to revise these notes to the outline method? Write key ideas on the left of the page. Indent subordinate ideas. Use an outline numbering scheme.

What are the 5 R's of note taking?

This format provides the perfect opportunity for following through with the 5 R's of note-taking:Record. During the lecture, record in the main column as many meaningful facts and ideas as you can. ... Reduce. As soon after as possible, summarize these facts and ideas concisely in the Cue Column. ... Recite. ... Reflect. ... Review.

What are the 5 steps of note taking?

The Five Phases of Focused Note-TakingI. Taking Notes. Select a note-taking format, set up the note page, record the Essential Question, and take notes. ... II. Processing Notes. Revise notes by underlining, highlighting, circling, chunking, adding, or deleting. ... III. Connecting Thinking. ... IV. Summarizing and Reflecting.

How do you structure notes?

How do I take better notes?Repetition, repetition, repetition. ... Pictures are easier to remember than words so if you're short on time, draw an image.If you like to colour code, don't do it during initial note-taking.Write short, succinct sentences.Save time and use abbreviations and symbols.More items...•

How do you organize your study notes?

Organising your notesTry using coloured paper so that all related notes are made on sheets of the same colour. ... You could use a concertina file, a folders, or a file with dividers to organise your notes according to topic, module or as part of an assignment. ... Devise an index to your notes and keep it up to date.More items...

What is the most effective strategy for note taking?

Strategies for taking good lecture notesTake well-organized notes in outline form. ... Take notes in complete thoughts, but abbreviate, reduce, and simplify. ... Separate and label the notes for each class. ... Make your notes easy to read. ... Be an aggressive note taker. ... Start taking notes when the professor starts talking.More items...

What are the 4 methods of note-taking?

Use the four primary methods of note taking: lists, outlines, concept maps, and the Cornell method.

What are the note-taking techniques?

Techniques and Tips for Listening and Note TakingWrite phrases, not full sentences. ... Take notes in your own words. ... Structure your notes with headings, subheadings and numbered lists. ... Code your notes—use colour and symbols to mark structure and emphasis.Use colour to highlight major sections, main points and diagrams.More items...•

What are the methods of note-taking?

The Cornell Method.The Outlining Method.The Mapping Method.The Charting Method.The Sentence Method.

How to review a note?

To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it.

What are the disadvantages of using a note card?

Disadvantages: You may not hear changes in content from major points to facts. When to Use: Use when the lecture content is heavy and well-organized.

Is indention a simple or complex process?

Indention can be as simple as or as complex as labeling the indentions with Roman numerals or decimals. Markings are not necessary as space relationships will indicate the major/minor points. Advantages: Well-organized system if done right. Outlining records content as well as relationships.

What is the key point that the professor is making? Write that down?

Jan Yager, a professor and author who is writing a book on how students can make their time in college more efficient. “Make sure that for each and every class or lecture that you attend, you have one overriding concept that is behind that class.” Key points will not only make your review time much easier, they will also help you actively understand the point of each lecture.

What is the main point of a presentation?

She says that following the method of cadence in any speaker’s presentation will teach you what the speaker feels is the most important . It will be emphasized in their voice. Anything your professor thinks is most important should probably be prioritized in your notes and your study.

Who said there is no shame in drawing charts or shapes?

Practice management advisor, Joyce Brafford says “there’s no shame in drawing charts or shapes if it aids your understanding.” Whether you are writing or typing, find ways to add visual interest to your notes. Yager also emphasizes the impact of visual aids and suggests diagrams, illustrations, color highlighters, or any other kind of visual that helps you emphasize what is most important to remember.

How to make out key points in lecture notes?

By underlining and using CAPITALS, it's easier to make out key points in your lecture notes. If your lecturer is stressing something important, drawing attention to certain words or phrases in whatever way will best help you remember it – but don't get too distracted with your artistic creations.

How to stay focused in lectures?

By staying focused in lectures, you'll feel better knowing that you don't have so much to catch up on later. A coffee before class might work for some, but you should always make sure you're feeding yourself the right brain fuel to keep you going.

What does 100% lecture attendance mean?

100% lecture attendance means nothing if you spend the duration deciding what to have for dinner.

Why is it important to read through notes?

Reading through your notes helps to solidify your knowledge, and typing them up is the perfect way to make sure you understand everything. This method also makes it a lot easier to read through your notes when you come back to revise, and reduces the chance of you losing them among a pile of magazines somewhere.

Is listening intently useful?

And while listening intently is definitely useful for getting a first, taking decent notes that you can refer back to when writing essays and revising is even more crucial. We've put together a few tips on how to take the best possible lecture notes.

Is it true that everyone works differently when it comes to learning?

Although the above advice is all top-notch, it's also true that everyone works differently when it comes to learning – it's just a matter of seeing what works best for you.

Can you use a dictaphone to record lectures?

If you're a slow writer or struggle a bit with taking notes, using a dictaphone to record lectures is a good back-up in case you're worried about missing anything. You can re-live the fun and listen to your lecturer's dulcet tones later on, making more notes in your own time instead of trying to multitask during class.

Why is it important to take notes while reading?

The importance of good notes. Taking good notes while reading is an important part of academic success in college. Most courses require significant reading, and it can be difficult to understand and master the material and do well in class without solid note taking and reading skills.

What is a good note?

Good notes can take different forms and may vary from person to person—or even from text to text. One of the key ideas of good note taking is that it is not necessary to copy down loads of information from the text. Copying down information does not engage your brain and is not a strong strategy for learning and remembering content.

What is Evernote app?

EverNote is a popular notetaking app that can sync notes on all your devices. You can organize notes into individual “notebooks” relevant to different classes or topics. Its fans find it useful for general note-taking and class notes as well as for daily tasks and organization.

How to organize your ideas and information from the text?

organize your ideas and information from the text. keep focused and stay engaged while reading. keep a record of what you read so you can more easily locate it in the future. think critically about what you read while you read. draw conclusions and identify main ideas of the text. be prepared for class and build a foundation for lecture.

Why do students miss the opportunity to digest information from their texts?

Students often miss the opportunity to digest the information from their texts because they’re too busy worrying about taking good notes—instead of actually comprehending the content, they’re thinking more about what they should write down. Try reading short sections of your reading (likely a paragraph or two or up to a page) ...

How to write Cornell style notes?

Cornell style notes. Divide a piece of paper into three sections—approximately two inches blank at the bottom, and the top portion divided into a one-third section on the left and a two-third section on the right. Take notes on the right two-thirds of the page. List key words or questions in the left column.

Is it ok to take notes while reading?

Different formats/strategies for notes. There is no one right way to take notes while reading. The important thing is that you experiment with a few effective strategies, find some that work for you, and use them. You may find that different formats or strategies work better for different types of texts, too, and you may want to use different ones ...

Why is taking notes important?

Taking good notes and learning to make good use of them , therefore, is an essential skill for academic success, which will help tremendously in an increasingly competitive job market. In fact, research shows that students who take notes and thoroughly study those notes score higher on tests.

How to reduce notes?

The same day as you take your notes, or shortly thereafter, summarize your notes. Identifying the key points, concepts, dates, names and examples provided in the lecture, write a summary of that lecture’s notes in your own words.

How to get the most benefit from reviewing your notes?

There are two ways to get the most benefit from reviewing your notes: spacing the time between studying and mixing up study topics. Space out the time between studying each set of lecture notes. For example, read over your notes within 24 hours of taking them.

Why do we ask questions in lectures?

During lectures, ask questions early on to stimulate interest and gauge students’ level of knowledge; in the middle, to break the pace of the lecture; and/or at the end, to review main ideas and gather ideas for future classes.

How to group students according to points of view?

Physically group the class according to points of view: either assign students a point of view depending on where they sit, or ask people who want to argue each point of view to move to sit together. Invite someone from one side to begin the debate by stating his/her point of view.

What is an ungraded quiz?

Special features: An ungraded quiz encourages students to pay attention during lectures by presenting them with a short-term, non-threatening learning objective. It can be done very quickly, and also provides you with a source of candid feedback on students’ knowledge level.

Is lecturing a dominant teaching method in university classes?

As long as class sizes continue to increase, it is likely that lecturing will be a dominant teaching method in university class rooms. However, there are many different activities that can be integrated into a lecture-based course to encourage the students to engage with the subject material, to facilitate interaction among ...

Is a debate formal or informal?

Special features: Debates can be formal or informal: what follows is about informal debates (i.e., debating as a method of class discussion). See Bean (1996) for instructions for holding a formal debate – a much more complicated and lengthy process that can be a focal point for an entire segment of course material.

Is it just me or does college feel like a waiting room?

I know what I want to do in life. I know where I want to be. I know what to do to get there. College a lot of the time feels like jumping through hoops for the sake of hoops. Do you agree? and if so how have you combated this feeling? If you don't agree what makes college the best use of your time?

Online Classes are doing way too much in trying to prevent cheating

I generally enjoy online classes, even prefer them. However, over the past few semesters I've noticed the evolution of anti-cheat measures and they're just getting ridiculous.

Accidentally fell asleep way earlier than my bedtime and holy moly, I woke up feeling amazing

Usually I fall asleep at around 11:30 and wake up at 7; thought that was a decent night's sleep compared to other college students😂 but I always woke up kinda tired/groggy. Anyways, yesterday I went to sleep at 10, and my goodness I feel so energetic right now, definitely sleeping at that time lol

I've been doing all my homework at the library for the past week and it has greatly reduced my stress

Hey all, so everyday for the past week I've been staying after my classes are over and getting work done in my school's library. For my freshman year (last year), I wasn't able to do that and did all my work at home since the library was closed at the time.

Super irritated

I am starting college later than the usual 17/18 year olds so I may be wrong here, but college feels more like high school THAN HIGH SCHOOL! I am constantly in communication with professors because they practically baby sit our work by requiring notes as a grade...

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The Importance of Good Notes

  • Taking good notes while reading is an important part of academic success in college. Most courses require significant reading, and it can be difficult to understand and master the material and do well in class without solid note taking and reading skills. Good notes from your reading can help you: 1. organize your ideas and information from the tex...
See more on learningcenter.unc.edu

How to Take Good Notes While Reading

  • Good notes can take different forms and may vary from person to person—or even from text to text. One of the key ideas of good note taking is that it is not necessary to copy down loads of information from the text. Copying down information does not engage your brain and is not a strong strategy for learning and remembering content. It also takes a lot of time and energy. In c…
See more on learningcenter.unc.edu

Other Resources

  • While taking good notes when reading is important and will go a long way, it’s also helpful to utilize other UNC resources—not just for note taking and reading, but also for any academic area. Check out some of these resources to provide supplemental support: Academic Coaching: Make an appointment with an academic coach to talk one-on-one about note-taking—and any other ac…
See more on learningcenter.unc.edu

Works Consulted

  • “Concept Mapping.” Cornell University. Retrieved from http://lsc.cornell.edu/concept-maps/. “The Cornell Note-taking System.” Cornell University. Retrieved from http://lsc.cornell.edu/notes.html. “Effective Reading and Note Taking.” MIT. Retrieved from http://uaap.mit.edu/tutoring-support/study-tips/tooling-and-studying/tooling-and-studying-effective-reading-and-note-taking. “…
See more on learningcenter.unc.edu