Comments on: How to Take Reading Notes

on 11/5/2007 Maire Martinez you are wrong you should NEVER make notes colorful you would be detracted on the colors instead of what is important yes color makes it PRETTY but it also can make it PRETTY DETRACTING.

Everything else you said was correct.

on 8/8/2006 Use colored pens in your notes - you'll remember it better. You can also make up your own system of color coordinating your notes (Ex. red = main ideas, blue = names/dates/etc., black = details). And make sure you keep your notes organized! A loose-leaf binder or spiral bound notebook will help.

on 1/9/2006 The most helpful tip I have found is to type my notes as soon as possible after class. Also typing notes while reading the text or those you have highlighted. This may sound like to much extra work, but if you have a poor memory then this will help. Plus you will have a great study guide to go over for the test.

on 11/22/2005 Using the outline method, turn headings into questions. Then read and take notes that answer the question.

For example: Heading: "Our National Parks Are Being Threatened." Turn into a question and read and take notes to get the answer: "What Are National Parks? How Are They Being Threatened?"

This is a great way to review for exams. You'll find that many times these same questions appear on tests!

on 11/22/2005 When you find something important use those mini Post-it note tabs and place it on that page. Then write down a few notes on it, or you can get colored tabs and have a different color for each character, quote, etc.

on 11/22/2005 I like outlines for most every class except math. Making outlines after you read is easy and helps you retain what you have read. To make an outline you have to do the following things:

#1- Read the entire assignment.
#2- After you have read the entire assignment, go back to the beginning and outline the whole chapter.
#3- To outline the whole chapter, you simply think of the main idea and have that idea be your heading. Your subheadings are what you think support the main idea, and anything in addition to the subheadings are any additional information you find relevant (and they will sometimes be the details)

Reading whatever your professor has assigned, and outlining it out prior to the class meeting, is a great way to be able to really follow a lecture to the fullest extent of your abilities. After you have read what you have been assigned to read and have outlined it, it is a good idea to make a list of main topics as well as anything you might not have understood. When you take your lecture notes, keep this list handy and it will be a good way to keep up with the lecture. You can actually cross off what your professor went over, no different than how you cross off items from a grocery list when you go shopping. Then, if there is anything left over, or if there is anything you do not understand (that you have written down on your list), you have what you need to ask your professor right there in front of you.

For math, I really think the most important way to take reading notes is to really go over the examples that are right before the problems that your professor will assign. Really go over all the examples (and everything else) as well as you can, and focus on those examples. Sit yourself down and focus on the steps that lead to the answer and write down what is hard for you and really focus on it. Then you can ask your professor about what is hard for you when they cover it in the class meeting, or you can go to the math tutoring lab, or ask a pal about it. A neat way to focus on what you are trying to learn about for math, is to read over everything a couple of times and then focus on the steps to the examples to the very best of your abilities. Then take some paper and fold it in half, on one side of the paper write down the example problems and all of the steps and everything and on the other side just write down the problem itself (with no steps). Focus on the example problems that you have written out in their entire form, and then when you feel ready, fold the paper where all you see are the problems you wrote out with no steps and write down what you have tried your best to understand. Remember, math is comprehensive, so you really have to try your best to not get behind at all.

on 11/22/2005 During class, write down your notes so you can at least read them. Then, when you go home later, make a nice and organized outline. Maybe even do it on the computer. It is always much more interesting when it's neater.

on 11/22/2005 Use colored pens in your notes - you'll remember it better. You can also make up your own system of color coordinating your notes (Ex. red = main ideas, blue = names/dates/etc., black = details). And make sure you keep your notes organized! A loose-leaf binder or spiral bound notebook will help.

on 11/22/2005 Don't take any notes, pure and simple

on 11/22/2005 I've found it helpful to write down only the points that I find hard to understand or did not know before. Often there is information in reading material you've already run across. There's no need to waste your time recording these things.

on 11/22/2005 Usually, each paragraph has a topic sentence and concluding sentence, which, like the opening and closing paragraphs, help to give clues on the important information. It's generally a good idea to be sure that you don't just skim over these sentences.

on 11/22/2005 Fold your paper horizontally at 1/3. This small section is where you write the topic; on the other 2/3 you write your notes. This is really good with vocab because you can fold back the notes and memorize what the topic was about.