KNOWING WHAT NOTES TO TAKE

It takes time and practice to develop your own “system” for taking good notes. The most important things to remember are to look (at the whiteboard/overhead) and listen (to your teacher). Your teacher’s words and actions are your best hints as to what is important. Here are some more specific hints to get you started on the road to good note taking:

  1. Write down any outlines or terms the teacher writes on the whiteboard or overhead projector. If it was important enough for the teacher to write, it will probably show up on the test.
  1. Listen for teacher cues. When the teacher says “This is important”, “Make sure you know this” or other such statements, WRITE THE INFORMATION DOWN. A key to good note taking is being a good LISTENER.
  1. Write down words and ideas that your teacher repeats. Repetition is one way teachers make sure you hear their main points.
  1. If you miss something or are confused about a point while you are taking notes, raise your hand. If your questions can’t be answered right away, leave a blank space with a big question mark where those notes would go. After class, ask your teacher or a classmate to explain to you what you missed. If you miss notes because you are absent, leave several blank pages. Get the notes you missed from a friend.

KNOWING HOW TO TAKE HELPFUL NOTES

The layout is the arrangement of your notes on paper. Layout is important because you need to be able to read and understand your notes later when you study them. The ideas listed below will help you to develop a layout that is clear.

o / Page 1
Jan 21
Climate – the ave. of all
weather cond. in a place
over many years
Weather – the cond.of the
atmosphere on a given day
  1. Develop your own layout for your

notes. Use the same layout for every

class and every page of notes. Be

consistent.

  1. Write the date on the top of the first

page of each day’s notes.

  1. Number your pages each day. Start

with page 1 for each new day.

  1. Leave spaces/lines between important

topics. Don’t cram your notes on the

page.

  1. It is not necessary to write in complete sentences. Use phrases, lists, etc.,

that capture the main ideas you must know.

WRONG WAY:BETTER WAY:

These are three basic rock types. 3 Types of Rocks:

The first type is igneous.1. Igneous

The second type is metamorphic.2. Metamorphic

The third type is sedimentary.3. Sedimentary

  1. Use abbreviations. You can make up your own symbols as long as YOU

remember what they mean.

EXAMPLES:

& = andind = independent

US = United StatesNY = New York

w/= withw/o = without

ex = exampleetc. = and more

  1. Important vocabulary and headings

o / Page 1
Jan 21
Climate – the ave. of all
weather cond. in a place
over many years
Weather – the cond.of the
atmosphere on a given day
5 Factors that determine weather
1.
2.

can be set off so they are noticeable.

Indent the information under the

important word or title. Also,

underline or highlight the important

word or title. Here is an example: