How do you take notes?

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Aug 24, 2004

You are lucky your instructors provide the power points in advance.

I finally had to ask for them when I couldn't get the lecturers to be consistent and actually leave the slides up for more than 5-10 seconds! And these were long, detailed lists!~

I finally had to play the "disability card." As I have ADHD, I went to the appropriate office, explained the situation and was able, with a lot of resistence (the director actually worked very hard to keep me from getting it!!!) I got permission. I probably could have managed without them, but since I was the one in the class with the laptop, and people were depending on me, I felt it was more than worth the effort.....

I still had problems getting the power points. One instructor hoarded hers until 30 minutes before a major exam. Of course I was already at school. The jerk!

I hope you don't have to deal with meanness. It really has no place in a learning situation. (Interestingly, the ADHD hasn't interfered significantly with my learning experience before or since.... but in that situation I just went nuts. Couldn't find my stuff, lost my notes, late all the time, confused, agitated, irritable. Charming, just charming!)

Jen2 · Aug 24, 2004

Don"t you guys hate power point presentation for nursing lecture? We have one instructor that will put page numbers up on power point for her lecture she'll say something like. "Lead poisoning, you can read about it on page 1302" and that is it. I hate that. Teach me darn it! Oh I forgot many of our instructors make their notes public my posting them on my schools website in outline format and we can then print out the outline before class and use it to take notes in class saves on a lot of writing and everything is in order.

abundantjoy07, RN · Aug 24, 2004

1. read the chapter beforehand.
2. keep book open during lecture and highlight important stuff.
3. if you hear anything in the lecture that you already read in the book, you don't have to write it down...just highlight.
4. that night, review and or rewrite notes.
5. don't kill yourself writing notes like crazy during a lecture...you'll miss stuff.
6. by now you should have heard/read the material 3-4 times.
7. party hard. :chuckle

what a great idea!

manna, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2004

During the summer, we tried to write everything down off the Powerpoints word for word. Since fall term has started, I've been following the method that Zenman suggested (read/highlight/rewrite/etc). Other than it being sort of difficult to maneuver all that paper (textbook, pen, highlighter, notebook) on a very small desk, the method seems to be working MUCH better so far!

cherokeesummer · Aug 25, 2004

Our professors last term did not allow tape recording and didn't pass out the notes but talked slower and repeated things for us. I wrote everything and then read it for review before the test. I passed with an A. This term, our instructors give us the power points for most lectures. I write on the pp's as we go along. I am doing ok this term, but it is harder! We can record so I've been trying that out, have not done that before!

angelac1978 · Aug 25, 2004

I am also one of those "write down everything the prof says" note takers. I had one prof that put his powerpoint notes online and we could print them off and just follow along and I hated it! I retain stuff much better if I hear it, write it down and then read it again later. I may start typing my notes after class this year, depending on how much time I have! :eek:

dixienurse2be · Aug 25, 2004

i usually read the chapter that we are going to discuss the night before and i underline in pencil what I think is important. I type up what I underlined...i found typing to be MUCH faster than writing it. Then during lecture I highlight what the teacher talks about and takes notes in outline style. Our instructors use power point and move VERY VERY quickly so it's impossible to write word for word. I use a lot of abbreviations. It's working so far. In the past I used to re write notes but realized that it wasted a lot of time that I could be studying...plus i type much faster than i write. Good luck!