5 Ways to Boost Your Note-Taking Skills

By Alicia Geigel on November 19, 2017

Let’s be real, taking notes in class is a struggle. Sometimes you have a professor that is as monotone as it gets, who writes two words on the board and rambles on for the rest of the period, and before you know it, you’re drooling a puddle in your notebook.

On the other hand, you might have that caffeine addicted, high-speed rambling professor that talks at a rate no human should, making you not only anxious but frustrated by the end of their lecture when you see you have nothing in your notebook because you just could not keep up.

These experiences can make us all scarred regarding the task of taking notes, which can leave us proposing the question, “how can I take notes effectively while not driving myself crazy in the process?”

Fear not, I will be your guide! If you are struggling with taking notes or are just looking for some new techniques to help with your studies, check out my five tips that will guarantee you success in any class you are taking!

Image via Pexels

1. Determine how you want to take notes: One of the most important elements of taking notes is the medium in which you go about doing so. Do you like to handwrite your notes in a notebook or a binder? Do you prefer to type your notes on a laptop or a tablet?

These are things to consider when thinking about taking notes. I personally find that taking notes on a laptop for me is the best because I’m a fast typist and I find that if I type, I can record information fast! Some people, however, prefer to handwrite notes because it helps with memory retention. Whichever way you prefer, find the way that works best for you and stick with it!

2. Be prepared for class: After you figure out exactly how you want to take notes, you can prepare for your next class. Prepping for your next class by reading assigned materials and older notes helps to brief you on any concepts or subjects that you may either understand or be confused about immediately.

For concepts you may be confused about, it’s helpful to jot those down so you know what words and phrases to particularly pay attention to in your next lecture in order to take more effective notes!

3. Approach class with a positive attitude: Listen, you are not the only one who doesn’t want to take your 8 a.m. lecture; odds are that just about everyone is dreading the class every day. This may seem obvious, but a positive mindset is known to produce a positive outcome!

In other words, if you approach your class absolutely hating it, thinking about what you’d rather be doing, or how much you don’t want to be there, you most likely aren’t going to take the best notes because you aren’t invested.

To further help with your newly acquired note-taking skills, go into class with a positive attitude! Doing so not only makes you a more attentive listener, but it also can motivate you to do better in your class!

Image via Pexels

4. Don’t try to write down everything the professor is saying: One of the biggest mistakes students make (and I am guilty of it) is attempting to write or type down everything that the professor is saying because we have fear of missing material they are going to say. Doing this can not only overwhelm you while you’re taking notes but also make it hard for you to take coherent, clear notes.

According to Dustin Le of Edudemic.com, “Taking notes should be 75 percent listening and only 25 percent writing. When writing, notes should be short, and right to the point. Each sentence should be no more than 1-5 words long. This forces students to record only the critical information.”

 5. Try the outline method: There are plenty of fun varieties of ways to takes notes with colors, graphs, charts, doodles, etc. and I encourage you to go about it the way you want to! One great way to take notes, however, is the outline method. The Outline Method is plain and simple in nature, and according to OxfordLearning.com, is best for easily creating study questions for review.

This method uses large headers with key points or sub-points beneath them to detail and support each main idea. This is a great way to keep your concepts and their relative information organized so when it comes time to study later, you will have no problem!

Image via Pexels

Taking notes is an art in itself, especially for a course that you have zero interest in. However, if you follow what is best for you and gauge effective learning techniques, taking notes will become a breeze for you sooner than you know it! Just have a positive attitude and let your pen do the talking. As always, good luck!

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format