The eNotes Blog Note-Taking Essentials Highlighting the GoodStuff

Note-Taking Essentials Highlighting the GoodStuff Exchange Ideas by Collaboration Youve spent years taking notes in classbut have you ever stopped to think, is this note-taking strategy the right one for me? Well help you reflect on your current  note-taking strategies  to find room for  improvements, and ultimately your academic career, with these new strategies, tips, and tricks. Take note! Types of Notes Cornell Method   Youve probably heard of (and used) Cornell Method Notes–one of the most popular note-taking strategies amongst students today. This technique is best used when needing to divide your notes into three  sections: keywords, notes, and a summary. In the left margin, select keywords that are significantly important or words that include a definition. In the right column, keep more important ideas about the keyword selected. Try to keep these notes short sweet–creating notes in the right column that are too long or not organized with the correct keyword can become confusing and unclear when needing to look back at your notes. At the end of your notes, develop a summary to help you reflect on the key aspects you surely dont want to forget! Split-Page Method This method, very similarly to the Cornell Method Notes, requires dividing the note-page vertically into two sections: main ideas and secondary ideas. With split-page method notes, the ideas is that you are continuously organizing your ideas, so that you can better optimize your study time when using your notes. Visual Aids   Using visual aids when taking notes has been shown to improve the way our brain processes information. Visual aids can involve the use of photographs, diagrams, graphs, films. Rather than writing several paragraphs of information, you can organize your ideas into a cleaner, more appealing way to he eye. The use of colors and different visual elements can be a more resourceful method when it comes to yo developing ideas and memorizing information. Exchange Ideas by Collaboration During a large class lecture filled with several hundred students, it can be very helpful to befriend a couple  students that you to trust to take good notes on your behalf for those days youre out sick  (or the days where life just happens). Youll be able to make the most of a missed day and stay caught up on important information that might be crucial to your next quiz or exam. Creating a diverse study group will also help you exchange ideas by collaboration and allow you to gain different perspectives on lessons you might not have been familiar with before. You can share notes, quiz each other, and critique each others essays. Just remember–dont get lazy. You cant expect your study buddy to do everything for you. If you both take detailed notes and do your parts, youll find yourself reaping the rewards of discussing new ideas and gaining new perspectives! Important Quick Tips for Successful Notes Make sure you attend your classes–attendance in class give you optimum success for taking great notes. Read all textbook material relevant to the topic prior to attending class–preparing for lectures and discussions ahead of time allows you to be familiar with the subject and know what to ask. Youll know ahead of time what to write, and what is extremely important. Have a designated work space where you feel youre most inspired to complete your best work and stay focused. Keep the notes for one class separate from your other classes. Even better, have a separate binder for each classes notes. Using Your Notes to Write an Essay You can use a variety of techniques to take notes when you are reading for an essay, but the   most important aspect to remember is to record the key information and ideas in your own words. The benefit to taking notes from a reading in your own words will ensure that you avoid any plagiarism and violations to your schools academic code–its easy to forget that the notes you jotted down werent actually your own, but, rather, the authors (word for word!). Taking notes in your own words will also allow you to have a better understanding of the text youre reading. While  taking notes from a specific reading, write down all the information you might need for your works cited page–title of the text, author, page number, paragraph number, etc. Youll thank yourself  when youve finished your essay and go to complete your works cited page! Youll save a ton of time and frustration of not having to back-track through your book trying to find where you used a direct quote or paraphrased information. MLA Style Guidelines Overview → APA Style Guidelines Overview → Remember that good note taking calls for effort! Show up to class, listen intently, and write legibly (and maybe with a  favorite writing utensil!). If you put these  note-taking essentials to practice, we ensure youll be taking more meaningful notes to increase your chances for academic success in the classroom and beyond. Further Reading More on the Cornell Method of note-taking (and image source):  http://martinabex.com/2011/07/06/cornell-notes/ More on taking notes with graphs (and image source):  school-for-champions.com/grades/taking_notes_with_graphical_outlines.htm