How do you take notes?

In class, I jot brief notes on the outline, if we are given one. When I get home, I read the chapter and re-write notes on my own. This has worked well for me so far.

I acctually came up with my own system than includes a lot of arrows. It's hard to describe, but it works for me. I find the whole 1,2,3 a,b,c labeling really doesn't work for me.

i agree with lisabeth every penny for ur tuition should be worth all your studying hours. eventually this should make you a better student

I normally either underline, then turn that into an outline, and then pull the outline apart and put it on notecards.Or i just go right from book to notecard.

it is all about concentration. i usually sit on the front so there is no distraction and all ur attention is on the teacher. You can hear her clearly and her emphasizing of important concepts. I usually just write what is important off course you could get that if you read the book ahead of time. then i rewrite that the next day to make sense of it. hope this helps. good luck.

I actually take notes differently. After receiving the syllabus I sit down at my desk calendar and write out when we are having certain chapter lectures....

I read the chapter before the lecture happens, take notes while reading...

Then when I'm in class, I pull out the notes that I wrote and highlight the items the teacher goes over. If the teacher provides an example or explains it in a simpler way that I understand it better, i write on the side of that section.

Finally after I get home, i write it all out together into sections so that I understand the entire chapter completely. This has helped me with an instructor that i currently have who is horrible with lectures (goes SUPER fast through slides and talking) and takes more time out for labs.........hmmmm....

I know that it's repetitive but I do retain it a lot easier, especially when i go back to do the chapter sample tests/online tests - before the actual exam in class.

Good luck!

I almost always record lectures. I take pretty good (though sloppy) notes, sometimes in outline form, and sometimes in sentences with underlining. If there is an outline or copies of powerpoints, I write on those as well. At times I will highlight in the book if there is much in class reference to the text. I definitely keep the reorder on if there is any kind of test review offered. I listen to the lectures again on the ride home. I try to consolidate everything, type up and sometimes even transcribe the recordings verbatim, as soon after class as I can. On listening to the recordings, I can sometimes hear subtle inflections that give away answers.

This was my most extreme case, many classes don't need this kind of time consuming treatment. For the bioscience prereqs I absolutely relied on this system. I would also create my own "mini-lectures" for test prep on my digital recorder, highlighting the important stuff. Just reading it into the recorder was a great way to study. Once I got used to the awful sound of my own voice, I have found it SO HELPFUL. I can listen in the car, while running errands, while housecleaning and even while exercising. Plus since it is made from MY notes and is MY voice, I sort of OWN it. I know I put that info in there, so I know I can retrieve it when I need it, it is mine, not the professor's, and not the text's. It is in my own words and my own voice.