This document provides guidance on effective note taking strategies for students. It discusses four key elements of note taking: being prepared, being present, recording information, and reviewing notes. Some best practices include coming to class prepared, actively engaging with the material, labeling and organizing notes, paraphrasing information, and revising notes after class. The document also describes different note taking methods like outlining, charting, the Cornell method, and concept mapping that students can use depending on their learning style and content area.

1. Note Taking:
BUILDING YOUR OWN STUDY GUIDE

2. Elements Of Note Taking
What goes into a good set of notes?
• Being Prepared
• Being Present
• Recording the Information
• Reviewing and Revising Notes

3. How do you prepare for class?

4. Being Prepared
•Have your note taking materials
•Do the readings
•Look at announcements
•Look to the syllabus
•Print off materials

6. What Does Being Present In
Class Mean?

7. Active Participation
Engage with the information
• Before Class Starts
• Turn off technology
• Get everything out that you’ll need
• During Class
• Look and listen for cues
• Vocal emphasis
• Write questions as you take notes

8. What’s wrong
with these notes?
What are some
improvements that
you could make to
your own notes?
• There is not a
title/date
• There isn’t any clear
distinction of
importance
• Nothing is
underlined or
highlighted

9. Organizing Your Notes
General strategies
• Label your notes
• This makes it easier for your future self
• Include the date!
• This is helpful if you miss a day and need to fill in
your notes
• Title them with the class and lecture
• This is really critical if you use one notebook for all of
your classes

10. What if I don’t like carrying
around notebooks?
• Take stack of loose-leaf paper to your classes
• Make sure to label your notes
• Date each page
• Add page numbers for easier organization
• At the end of the day put notes into individual
folders/binders for each class

11. Recording The Information
General strategies
• Paraphrase
• Restate the information in your own
words
• Identify the important information
• Key details need to be precise!
• Formulas, definitions, dates, and
locations

12. Recording The Information
STEM classes
• Learn the shorthand for the subject
• Leave space for extra notes
• Include units when needed
• Include examples of important formulas
• Summarize what a formula/equation means

13. Recording The Information
Online classes
•Take notes on readings, videos, and recorded lectures
•Take notes from discussion boards and instructor
feedback
•Categorize class notes based on topic
•Keep up with lectures
• Try not to put everything off till the end on the
week

14. Recording The Information
Note taking methods
• Outlining
• Charting
• Cornell Method
• Mapping

15. Outlining
• Great method for all
types of subjects
• Creates a structure
of importance for
ideas
• This style doesn’t
require much prep
work

16. Charting
• Great method if
you have lots of
people/events to
keep track of
• Requires some
preparation
• Good way to
rewrite class
notes for review

17. Cornell Method
• Structure of notes that
separates main subjects and
details
• Includes summaries for each
page of notes
• It can be helpful to make the
sections on your page
before class starts

18. Mapping
• This method is great for
connecting ideas
• Difficult to do while in
class
• Great way to review
notes and study

19. Try Making A Map
• Find a topic in your notes that you could create a
concept map with
• Connect that topic with other things that you
have learned in that class
• Star topics or connections that you feel you need
more information on

20. Reviewing And Revising
•Revisit your notes after class
•Summarize key points
•Fill in any gaps in your notes
•Review notes before the next class
•Rewrite notes to solidify concepts

21. Summarize Your Notes
• For a couple sections of your notes write 2-3
sentence summaries for pages/sections
• List out important dates/details/equations
• Highlight sections that you have questions on

22. Your notes are a study tool –
they should be helpful!