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4.4 Got Notes?, Types (Detail) - Coggle Diagram
4.4 Got Notes?
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Keeping Your Notes
Class is over, and you have a beautiful set of notes in your spiral notebook or saved in your laptop. You have written the summary of the class in your own words. Now what?
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If you used note cards, insert them in plastic photo holders for binders.
Group all notes from a class or unit together in a section; this includes class notes, reading notes, and instructor handouts.
You might also want to copy the instructor’s syllabus for the unit on the first page of the section.
Next, spend some time linking the information across the various notes. Use the recall column in your notes to link to related information in other notes (e.g., “See class notes date/page”).
If you have had a quiz or test on the unit, add it to your binder, too, but be sure to write out the correct answer for any item you missed. Link those corrections to your notes, too.
Use this opportunity to write “notes on your notes.” Review your summary to see if it still is valid in light of your notes on the reading and any handouts you may have added to your notes package.
You don’t need to become a pack rat with your notes. It is fairly safe to toss them after the end of a course except in the following cases:
If the course you took is a prerequisite for another course, or when the course is part of a standard progression of courses that build upon each other (this is very common in math and science courses), you should keep them as a reference and review for the follow-up course.
If the course may pertain to your future major, keep your notes. You may not realize it now that they may have future value when you study similar topics or even the same topics in more depth.
If you are very interested in the course subject and would like to get into the material through a more advanced course, independent study, or even research, keep your notes as a prep tool for further work.
Note Taking
There are various forms of taking notes, and which one you choose depends on both your personal style and the instructor’s approach to the material.
Each can be used in a notebook, index cards, or in a digital form on your laptop.
No specific type is good for all students and all situations, so we recommend that you develop your own style, but you should also be ready to modify it to fit the needs of a specific class or instructor.
To be effective, all of these methods require you to listen actively and to think; merely jotting down words the instructor is saying will be of little use to you.
You will have noticed that all methods end with the same step: reviewing your notes as soon as possible after class. Any review of your notes is helpful (reading them, copying them into your computer, or even recasting them using another note-taking method).
But THINK! Make your review of notes a thoughtful activity, not a mindless process.
When you review your notes, think about questions you still have and determine how you will get the answers. (From the next class? Studying with a friend? Looking up material in your text or on the net?)
Examine how the material applies to the course; make connections with notes from other class sessions, with material in your text, and with concepts covered in class discussions.
Finally, it’s fun to think about how the material in your notes applies to real life. Consider this both at the very strategic level (as in “What does this material mean to me in relation to what I want to do with my life?”) as well as at a very mundane level (as in “Is there anything cool here I can work into a conversation with my friends?”).
Key Takeaways
After effective listening, good note taking is the most important skill for academic success.
Choose among effective note-taking styles for what works best for you and modify it to meet the needs of a specific class or instructor.
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Instructor handouts and PowerPoint presentations help with—but do not replace the need for—personal note taking.
If you miss a class, explore your options for replacing your missing notes.
Keep your notes organized in a way that makes it easy to study for tests and other uses in the future.
Learning Objectives
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Use the four primary methods of note taking: lists, outlines, concept maps, and the Cornell method.
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Instructor Handouts
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hey are a very useful complement and will help you confirm the accuracy of your notes, but they do not involve you in the process of learning as well as your own notes do.
After class, review your notes with highlighter in hand and mark keywords and ideas in your notes.
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Types (Detail)
The Outline Method
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Key ideas are written to the left of the page, subordinate ideas are then indented, and details of the subordinate ideas can be indented further.
To further organize your ideas, you can use the typical outlining numbering scheme (starting with roman numerals for key ideas, moving to capital letters on the first subordinate level, Arabic numbers for the next level, and lowercase letters following.)
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This takes practice and experience with each instructor, so don’t give up!
In the early stages you should use your syllabus to determine what key ideas the instructor plans to present.
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If you’re using your laptop computer for taking notes, a basic word processing application (like Microsoft Word or Works) is very effective.
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Use the increase or decrease indent buttons to navigate the level of importance you want to give each item. The software will take care of the numbering for you!
After class be sure to review your notes and then summarize the class in one or two short paragraphs using your own words.
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The Cornell Method
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This method is simple to use for capturing notes, is helpful for defining priorities, and is a very helpful study tool.
The Cornell method follows a very specific format that consists of four boxes: a header, two columns, and a footer.
The header is a small box across the top of the page. In it you write identification information like the course name and the date of the class.
Underneath the header are two columns: a narrow one on the left (no more than one-third of the page) and a wide one on the right.
The wide column, called the “notes” column, takes up most of the page and is used to capture your notes using any of the methods outlined earlier.
The left column, known as the “cue” or “recall” column, is used to jot down main ideas, keywords, questions, clarifications, and other notes.
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Finally, use the box in the footer to write a summary of the class in your own words.
This will help you make sense of your notes in the future and is a valuable tool to aid with recall and studying.
The Concept Map Method
This is a very graphic method of note-taking that is especially good at capturing the relationships among ideas.
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They also give you the flexibility to move from one idea to another and back easily (so they are helpful if your instructor moves freely through the material).
They also give you the flexibility to move from one idea to another and back easily (so they are helpful if your instructor moves freely through the material).
To develop a concept map, start by using your syllabus to rank the ideas you will listen to by level of detail (from high-level or abstract ideas to detailed facts).
elect an overriding idea (high level or abstract) from the instructor’s lecture and place it in a circle in the middle of the page.
Then create branches off that circle to record the more detailed information, creating additional limbs as you need them.
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When a new high-level idea is presented, create a new circle with its own branches.
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Use arrows and symbols to capture the relationship between the ideas. For example, an arrow may be used to illustrate cause or effect, a double-pointed arrow to illustrate dependence, or a dotted arrow to illustrate impact or effect.
As with all note-taking methods, you should summarize the chart in one or two paragraphs of your own words after class.
The List Method
The list method is usually not the best choice because it is focused exclusively on capturing as much of what the instructor says as possible, not on processing the information.
Most students who have not learned effective study skills use this method, because it’s easy to think that this is what note taking is all about.
Even if you are skilled in some form of shorthand, you should probably also learn one of the other methods described here, because they are all better at helping you process and remember the material.
You may want to take notes in class using the list method, but transcribe your notes to an outline or concept map method after class as a part of your review process.
It is always important to review your notes as soon as possible after class and write a summary of the class in your own words.