TOPIC 6 : Taking Lecture Notes

About lecture notes

Lecture notes should represent a concise and complete outline of the most important points and ideas,especially those considered most important by your professor. 

Benefits of taking lecture notes

- Take lecture notes helps you understand.When taking notes,students have to restate the information in their own words.This sort of active learning boosts comprehension.Also,if students take notes in an organized way,such as three-column or bulleted notes,they are engaged in identifying main ideas and details.

- Take lecture notes helps you remember.The best way to remember something is to create a memory of it.By taking notes actively,you are creating a deeper memory and are more likely to remember what you learned because of it.

- Take lecture notes gives you a study tool.When it comes time to study for a test,your notes are one of your best study tools.Since you created them yourself,your notes will make more sense to you than the textbook.Also,by reviewing your notes and adding to them in different colors,you can prioritize important information for review,identify areas of ongoing confusion,and even add memory strategies to help you remember difficult information when taking a test.

How to take notes effectively

Taking notes is not just write what you see in front of the class.There are some ways on how you can take notes effectively to make sure you can gain 100% knowledge when you read your notes.Here are some of the ways on how you can take notes effectively:

- Taking notes by using Mapping Method.

                                     The example of Mapping Method

Mapping Method of note-taking provides a graphical representation of information,ideas,facts and concepts.The format involves writing the main topic into the center of document and connecting related subtopics,ideas and concepts through branches,images and colors.

- Taking notes by using Cornell Method.

                                                                  

                                                   The example of Cornell Method

The Cornell note taking method helps organize class notes into easily digestible summaries.This method is effective because the main points,details,study cues and summary are all written in one place.

- Taking notes by using Outlining Method.

                                The example of outlining method

The Outlining note taking method uses headings and bullet points to organize topics.This method is most useful when learning about topics that inclide a lot of detail.Outlining method allows notes to be neatly organized,make it easy to see the relationship between topics and subtopics.

- Taking notes by using Charting Method.

The example of Charting Method

Charting note taking method uses columns to organize information.This method is useful for lessons that cover a lot of facts or relationships between topics.Charting Method will make facts are organized and easy to review.

- Taking notes by using Sentence Method.

                                       The example of sentence method

The Sentence note taking method is simply writing down each topic as a jot note sentence.This method works well for fast paced lessons where a lot of information is being covered.The Sentence Method helps to jotting main points that determine which information is important and which is not.We are able to cover a lot of details and information quickly.