How to Take Notes During a Lecture

Trying to take notes while your instructor is talking can be a difficult skill to master. With practice and these tips, you should be able to take notes during a lecture efficiently and without the frustration.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Be prepared. Make sure that you have all the pencils, paper, and other supplies that you may need. The speaker is not going to pause to wait on you to find something when you need it.

2. Try to sit close so that you can hear and won't be as easily distracted. Make sure that you have a good visual of the speaker, as well as any presentation material that he might be using.

3. Make sure you listen. It is important to write things down, but if you are too busy trying to figure out what to write then you won't listen to what the lecturer is actually trying to get across. Listen and absorb what is being said. Write down what you think the key points are, leaving space in between each one in case you have to add details later.

4. Make your own set of abbreviations and shorthand. Using common symbols help, such as arrows for increase or decrease. Common shorthand for words include b4 for before and bc for because. Making your own abbreviations will make note taking much easier. If you can't think of any, then just try to leave the middle vowels out of a word. You will still be able to know what the word is without these couple of letters. For example: govrnmt means government, or some people just write it like gov't.

5. Take a tape recorder. Your phone or mp3 player may be able to function just as well using the voice memo feature. With a tape recorder, you will be able to go back and add to the notes that you have or just listen and get a better understanding. Make sure that tape recorders are allowed to be used before taking one.

6. Write notes on one side of the paper only. This will keep things more neat and organized so that when you want to go back and find something you won't have to flip through every page. Also, if you are using pencil to write with, your words won't smudge on each other.

7. Don't worry about if it if your notes are messy, with questions and notes seemingly scattered everywhere. You can always go back and rewrite it. In fact, rewriting it will allow you to organize it better, refresh your memory of the lecture, and allow you to add more to the notes from your memory or textbook.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't write down every word. Write down main ideas. If you listen, then you will understand and remember and be able to add to it later.

[georgelarson]

on 1/9/2009 Great information for taking notes. Thanks.

[sunshine11219]

on 1/9/2009 all good tips on taking notes