Tips on how to take better class notes
Sunday, 16 December 2007
M A Islam
ATTENDING class attentively and taking notes are important for students as far as their recieving clear concepts on the subject and getting prepared for the type of questions that might come in the exams are concerned. For taking class notes, you need to be very careful before, during and after the class.
Before the class
You should study as much as possible on the topic the teacher is going to lecture. If you can read three to four books on the same lecture ahead of time, you will be able to grasp the lecture very easily and note taking will be comfortable. Studying on the topic will also make you interested in the topic. Prior to the class, you will have some understanding about which issues to concentrate on more and which issues to concentrate less in the class. Also, you can pre-select questions that you will need to ask the teacher in the class.
During the class
Concentrate fully on what the teacher is saying. Try to think ahead of what he or she is going to talk in the next sentence or in the next minute. This approach will help you be on the track and you can take good notes. Surely, you can use shortnotes like 'signi' for 'significant', 'yr' for year and so on. Just be sure that these short-notes do not confuse you when you will be writing your notes freshly after the class.
After the class
You must write your classnote freshly after the class. You must take care of all the short-notes you used during the class. If time permits and the lecture is too important, you can reproduce the whole lecture in your scripts. This script can be a good note for your exam.
Your three-step approach of note taking- before, during and after the class will obviously make your whole task easier, interesting and rewarding.
ATTENDING class attentively and taking notes are important for students as far as their recieving clear concepts on the subject and getting prepared for the type of questions that might come in the exams are concerned. For taking class notes, you need to be very careful before, during and after the class.
Before the class
You should study as much as possible on the topic the teacher is going to lecture. If you can read three to four books on the same lecture ahead of time, you will be able to grasp the lecture very easily and note taking will be comfortable. Studying on the topic will also make you interested in the topic. Prior to the class, you will have some understanding about which issues to concentrate on more and which issues to concentrate less in the class. Also, you can pre-select questions that you will need to ask the teacher in the class.
During the class
Concentrate fully on what the teacher is saying. Try to think ahead of what he or she is going to talk in the next sentence or in the next minute. This approach will help you be on the track and you can take good notes. Surely, you can use shortnotes like 'signi' for 'significant', 'yr' for year and so on. Just be sure that these short-notes do not confuse you when you will be writing your notes freshly after the class.
After the class
You must write your classnote freshly after the class. You must take care of all the short-notes you used during the class. If time permits and the lecture is too important, you can reproduce the whole lecture in your scripts. This script can be a good note for your exam.
Your three-step approach of note taking- before, during and after the class will obviously make your whole task easier, interesting and rewarding.