How to Study Lecture Notes
Develop a system of organization., Read assigned materials before going to class., Review previous lecture notes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Develop a system of organization.
A well-organized set of lecture notes is one of the most important tools in your exam-studying arsenal.
Scattered, lost, incomplete and non-sequential notes create stress and take up valuable time that could be spent studying, not scavenging.
Here are a few ways to organize your notes to avoid these pitfalls.
Color-coordinate the folders and notebooks for each of your courses.
For example, buy a green notebook and folder for science, a blue notebook and folder for history, a red notebook and folder for literature and so forth.
On the first page, write the title of the lecture and the date and begin taking notes.
Start each subsequent lecture on a new page and again write the title and date.
If you miss a class, leave several pages blank in your notebook, ask a friend or your teacher if you can get those notes and insert them into the blank pages.
Another way to organize your notes is by purchasing a three-ring spiral binder, loose-leaf paper, subject dividers and 3-ring pocket folders for handouts and assignments.
For your first course, insert plenty of loose-leaf paper, then insert a 3-ring pocket folder and finally a divider.
Repeat for the next course.
If you are on an alternating-day schedule, purchase two 3-ring binders.
Put science and history in one and literature and art in the other, for example.
If your teacher allows you to use your laptop in class for taking notes, create a folder for each course.
For each lecture, either a) start a new document and “save as” the date followed by an abbreviated title of the lecture (doing this will help when it comes time to study as you will be able to quickly see the order of the lectures by date) or b) create a running document, in which you type the title of the lecture and the date at the start of each lecture.
Leave some space between lectures, and bold and enlarge the font of the lecture title and date so you can easily see when a new one begins. -
Step 2: Read assigned materials before going to class.
Reading before class primes those all-important neural networks, kind of like warming up gets your body ready for a strenuous workout.
It will help you better understand what the teacher is discussing, more quickly absorb and process additional material presented and more readily recognize particularly significant points (say, when your teacher spends 10 minutes talking about the poison dart frog, not the spotted salamander, in a lecture on amphibians).
When reading, take down notes of those areas that are confusing.
Look up terms you are unfamiliar with or that are not fully explained within the readings.
Create questions that you can ask in class, if they are not clarified during the class period.
Sometimes teachers will make course materials available online, including lectures, readings and helpful resources.
If not stated in the course syllabus, ask your teacher how to access these materials.
If your teacher uses electronic media in class but does not post it online, ask if he or she might do so. , Before going to class, review the previous lecture’s notes to refresh yourself on what was last discussed.
Note any questions you have and raise them in class.
Reviewing the previous lecture will also help you better follow along with what is presented that day, particularly if the lectures are cumulative, or built upon each other.
It also will help you be a more active listener, which is particularly profitable in the retention- and recall-testing arena.
Doing this before each class meeting will have a multiplying effect, making all subsequent study efforts more, well, effortless.
It also has the added benefit of being ready for the often inevitable and generally dreaded pop quiz! -
Step 3: Review previous lecture notes.
Detailed Guide
A well-organized set of lecture notes is one of the most important tools in your exam-studying arsenal.
Scattered, lost, incomplete and non-sequential notes create stress and take up valuable time that could be spent studying, not scavenging.
Here are a few ways to organize your notes to avoid these pitfalls.
Color-coordinate the folders and notebooks for each of your courses.
For example, buy a green notebook and folder for science, a blue notebook and folder for history, a red notebook and folder for literature and so forth.
On the first page, write the title of the lecture and the date and begin taking notes.
Start each subsequent lecture on a new page and again write the title and date.
If you miss a class, leave several pages blank in your notebook, ask a friend or your teacher if you can get those notes and insert them into the blank pages.
Another way to organize your notes is by purchasing a three-ring spiral binder, loose-leaf paper, subject dividers and 3-ring pocket folders for handouts and assignments.
For your first course, insert plenty of loose-leaf paper, then insert a 3-ring pocket folder and finally a divider.
Repeat for the next course.
If you are on an alternating-day schedule, purchase two 3-ring binders.
Put science and history in one and literature and art in the other, for example.
If your teacher allows you to use your laptop in class for taking notes, create a folder for each course.
For each lecture, either a) start a new document and “save as” the date followed by an abbreviated title of the lecture (doing this will help when it comes time to study as you will be able to quickly see the order of the lectures by date) or b) create a running document, in which you type the title of the lecture and the date at the start of each lecture.
Leave some space between lectures, and bold and enlarge the font of the lecture title and date so you can easily see when a new one begins.
Reading before class primes those all-important neural networks, kind of like warming up gets your body ready for a strenuous workout.
It will help you better understand what the teacher is discussing, more quickly absorb and process additional material presented and more readily recognize particularly significant points (say, when your teacher spends 10 minutes talking about the poison dart frog, not the spotted salamander, in a lecture on amphibians).
When reading, take down notes of those areas that are confusing.
Look up terms you are unfamiliar with or that are not fully explained within the readings.
Create questions that you can ask in class, if they are not clarified during the class period.
Sometimes teachers will make course materials available online, including lectures, readings and helpful resources.
If not stated in the course syllabus, ask your teacher how to access these materials.
If your teacher uses electronic media in class but does not post it online, ask if he or she might do so. , Before going to class, review the previous lecture’s notes to refresh yourself on what was last discussed.
Note any questions you have and raise them in class.
Reviewing the previous lecture will also help you better follow along with what is presented that day, particularly if the lectures are cumulative, or built upon each other.
It also will help you be a more active listener, which is particularly profitable in the retention- and recall-testing arena.
Doing this before each class meeting will have a multiplying effect, making all subsequent study efforts more, well, effortless.
It also has the added benefit of being ready for the often inevitable and generally dreaded pop quiz!
About the Author
Kelly Edwards
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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