Note taking is one of those skills you're supposed to learn in high school, but it's rare for schools to actually teach students HOW to do it.  Of course, there are exceptional teachers who do - but often, students are left to their own devices.

How Do YOU Take Notes?

  • Do you write nothing until the teacher says "Write this down"?
  • Do you furiously write down everything because you don't want to miss anything...but leave the class wondering what you were supposed to have learned?
  • Do you find that just listening to the teacher is more effective than writing notes?

Each of these three strategies has strengths and weaknesses, but none are ideal.

Whatever your current note-taking style, you should know these facts:

  • To be a good note-taker, you have to be a good listener. Listening is the main task expected of students in high school. According to one researcher, about 46 percent of students' time is spent listening.
  • Even when students listen well, it's impossible to remember everything from a class. One study found that at the end of a 55-minute class, students typically remember less than half of a lecture. One week later, they remember about 17 percent of what happened. Note-taking helps students remember more.
  • Students who listen and take notes usually do better on tests than students who just listen.

Taking good notes will help you do better in school. But how? What do good notes look like and how do you take them?

We're glad you asked. Read on.

How to Take Good Notes in Class

Good note taking actually starts with good listening. So, let's start with ways to get more from your listening.

A lot of people think that listening is a passive activity when in fact, a good listener has to act on what she hears. The more active you can make yourself as you listen in class, the better. This doesn't mean running laps around the room - but it does mean thinking critically about what the teacher and your classmates say. The first note-taking skill, then, is about listening critically - because if you don't know what something means when it's said in class, you're not going to know what it means when you're studying for a test either.

  1. Listen with the intention of understanding. Don't just let the words wash over you as you sit in class. Don't phase out or let the teacher's voice become the nasal "Wa-Wa-Wa" of Charlie Brown's teacher (you know what we mean!) To really learn, you have to try to understand what the teacher is saying. Use these tricks to engage your "listening ears" and your mind.
    • Try to repeat what the teacher says in your own mind.
    • Ask yourself, "Did that make sense?" If not, raise your hand and ask for clarification.
    • Nod. Actually moving your head in agreement can engage you, especially if you're someone who learns best by doing.
    • Make connections between what the teacher says and what you already know. If you can't make a connection, ask the teacher. "Mr. Smith, how does that connect to what we learned yesterday?"

If you're not in the habit of listening critically, that's okay. It takes time to develop this skill. Start by using one of these tricks in your classes this week. Add more as you get better at listening for understanding.

  1. Listen for teacher cues. As you're listening for understanding, you should also be listening for key phrases that teachers use to tell you, "Hey! This is important!" Teachers won't always tell you  to "write this down" but they will always give you clues about the take-home messages of each lesson. The following phrases always introduce information that you should write down:
    • The three most important points are...
    • The chief cause of this is...
    • This happens because...
    • The reason for this is...
    • Remember that...
    • There are five characteristics of...
    • The result is...
    • They key message here is...
    • From this, we learn that...
  2. If it's on the board, write it down. Teachers use the blackboard, whiteboard, the overhead and the digital projector to present important information. If they take the time to emphasize a point on the blackboard, you can be sure it's important enough to go into your notebook.
  3. If it's on a handout, take notes in margins. Don't re-write stuff that's already been prepared for you in a handout. That said, you should add notes to yourself, and any kind of clarification that the teacher offers about the handout in the margins of the page.
  4. Write down definitions and examples. Students should pay special attention to definitions and examples that illustrate new concepts. Write these things down. Examples usually help to explain a new concept. Plus,  they're handy to have when you're studying for tests.
  5. Don't try to write down everything the teacher says. You'll never keep up. Students who use this technique don't have the capacity to think about what they're writing because they're using all of their energy to record every word. They also don't have time to think about the questions the teacher asks during class - so they actually miss out on a lot of learning.  You should be aiming for notes that paraphrase the main concepts of each class. Write down words the teacher emphasizes, key questions and important points and think about how it all fits together. If you review your notes that night, the lesson will stick in your mind.
  6. Make up symbols and abbreviations that you understand. This can be fun, plus you'll save time when you use your own short-hand system while taking notes. This downloadable .pdf from the University of  Central Missouri and this link at the University of North Dakota can help you get a start.
  7. Pay extra attention at the beginning and at the end of class. Teachers usually introduce the lesson at the start of the class. They will often give you an agenda and tell you what you're going to learn. If you have this framework in your mind as the class continues, you'll be able to follow the lesson more easily. Also, teachers usually review important concepts at the end of class. They re-state ideas that you should have understood from the lesson. During this review, be sure you've got the important concepts in your notes.
  8.  Review your notes. You've probably heard this before, but seriously - students who take time to just review their notes that night - even for just 5 minutes - remember way more than students who don't look at their class notes until they're studying for a test. Plus, you can figure out how good your note-taking skills are when you review them. If your notes don't help you remember the most important information from a class, you know you have to do something differently tomorrow. Check out the Cornell system of notetaking. It's a very cool notetaking strategy that uses two columns and requires students to review notes. It's quick and efficient.
  9. Keep track of dates and deadlines. This might seem obvious, but put the date at the top of every page. If your binder pops open and all of your notes spill out, the dates will come in pretty handy. Dates are also helpful for knowing what you learned when. You should also make special note of deadlines in your notebook or in your organizer.

A Final Note on Notetaking

Learning how to take good notes is just like any other complex skill. It takes time and practice. If you feel like you need help to improve your notetaking skills, talk to your teachers. They know all sorts of ways to take notes. Plus, if they know you're concerned about your notes, they can also help you out during class by giving you extra cues and reminders. 

Other Resources

  • Learning and Teaching Scotland has created fabulous online tutorials for students. Link to this one called Learn from Lectures. You'll see examples of good notes and test your own knowledge of what good notes look like.
  • How to Study.org has a list of links to all sorts of information on how to take notes in class.

Learn More Study Skills

 

Sources:

Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., Jacobsen, D.R. & Bullock, T.L. (1990) "Tools for learning: A guide to teaching study skills". Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jacobsen, D.R. (1989) "The effects of taking class notes using the Cornell Method on students' test performance and note-taking quality." Doctoral dissertation, University of Oregon.

McLeish, J. (1976). "The lecture method." In "The psychology of teaching methods:Seventy-fifth yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education," edited by N. L. Gage. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.