Powerpoint of college-level note-taking tips for incoming first-year students at UIC Honors College's Orientation.

1. Orientation:
University of Illinois at Chicago Honors
College
Gwyn Garrison
Intern, UIC Honors College
ggarrison@luc.edu
Note-Taking Tips

2. Note takers can typically only jot down 25 of the 125 words
the average college professor speaks in a minute.
Overall …
 Class formats are mostly large lectures, where it is the
student’s responsibility to take detailed notes.
*You should be writing for most of the lecture – the more notes
you have, the better you can recall the lecture*
 It will be going fast, but don’t stress about writing every word
down – you want to get down the main points.
 Work to capture major themes, points, keywords, and ideas of
the lecture.
 This will help you recall the lecture, connect the lecture to your
reading, and solve related problems when you are studying.
 It will take the professor longer to get to a point than you might
have experienced in high school. Themes can often be
discussed over 5-10-15 minutes.

3. Methods of Note-Taking:
Indent Method
 While the professor is lecturing, write down topics
as bullet-points, then indent each subtopic/key
point under headings.
 Setting off subordinate points.

4. Indent Method Example
Psychology Class
- History of Psychology
- Sigmund Freud
- Father of psychoanalysis
- Developed therapeutic techniques such as free association
- Discovered transference
- Wilhelm Wundt
- “Father of experimental psychology”
- System described as Structuralism
- Breaks consciousness down into essential feelings
- Goals of Psychology
- 1. Describe
- Gather data
- 2. Explain
- Generate theories
- 2. Predict
- Use theories
- 4. Influence
- Generate change

5. Methods of Note-Taking:
Abbreviated Format
 Looks somewhat like the Indent Method, but
compiles all bulletpoints into chunks of text.

6. Abbreviated Format Example
Philosophy Class
 Thales – first western philosopher – search for first principles of
metaphysics – reductionist who thought everything was made of
water.
 Plato – Greek philosopher – pupil of Socrates – lived 427-347
B.C. – believed in the separation of the mind and sense
perceived world – in early dialogues believed in anamnesis (we
forgot all that we once knew as souls) – knowledge is gained
through power of reasoning.

7. Methods of Note-Taking:
Professor’s PowerPoint
 The professor’s PowerPoint is usually very top-
line, limited information: really just an outline to
help guide the professor’s discussion.
 Bullet-points are usually the keys to the important
topics.
 You can use it to take notes if you print it out in
advance.

8. Professor’
s
PowerPoin
t: Example

9. Math Format Example

10. Tips for Note-taking in Math
classes
 Often, students put down their pens when the professor stops
writing on the board.
 Instead, you should keep writing!!: Make sure to write down
their explanation.
 Get down the explanation that goes with what's on the board, like
"factor out the y." Write out a reason for each step of the problem
as it was done on the board.
 If your professor moves so fast you can't get both the board
material and the explanation, leave large blank spaces in your
notes. Then, as soon as possible after class (math students say
twenty-four hours is too long to wait to go over math notes), write
additional explanations for each step of a problem so you will be
able to understand it when you study for exams. Number and list
all the steps in each problem or process so you can understand
and learn them quickly.

11. Method of Reviewing Notes
after class or reading
(or, if you’re feeling fancy …)

12. Method to Review Notes:
Cornell Method

13. Cornell Method Example
History Class

14. Note Taking Exercise
 Nathan Wolfe: “What’s Left to Explore?”
 http://www.ted.com/talks/nathan_wolfe_what_s_le
ft_to_explore.html
 How do my lecture notes compare with yours?