5.2 Taking Notes

If for no other reason, you should take notes during class so that you do not forget valuable and important information. We’ve become accustomed to searching for information on demand to find what we need when we need it. The consequence is that we don’t often commit information to memory because we know it will be there tomorrow if we wish to search for it again. Thus, there is an importance of taking notes. “Note-taking facilitates both recall of factual material and the synthesis and application of new knowledge, particularly when notes are reviewed prior to exams.”¹

Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist, studied the rate of forgetting and formulated his “forgetting curve” theory. The “forgetting curve” shows that after one month, only 20 percent of information is retained after initial memorization. Without review, 47 percent of learned information is lost after only 20 minutes. After one day, 62 percent of learned information is lost without review.

As discussed Chapter 3, in order to try to retain information over time, you must move it from short-term memory to long-term memory. One of the best ways to do this is through repetition. The more you review information, and the sooner you review it after you initially learn it, the more information is transferred into long-term memory.

The first step in being able to review is to take notes when you are first learning information. Students who do not take notes in class will often struggle to recall all of the information covered. Taking notes during lectures is a skill, just like riding a bike. If you have never taken notes while someone else is speaking before, it’s important to know that you will not be an expert at it right away. It is challenging to listen to someone speak and then make a note about what they said, while at the same time continuing to listen to their next thought.

With practice and concentration, you can gain confidence and improve your note taking skills. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell refers to the “10,000-hour rule.” Based on research by Anders Ericsson, the rule states that 10,000 hours of dedicated practice in your particular field will allow for the greatest potential of mastery. We do not expect you to practice taking notes for 10,000 hours, but the point is that practice, just like many things, is necessary to become more skilled.¹

Some instructors will give you cues to let you know something is important. If you hear or see one of these cues, it’s something you should write down. This might include an instructor saying, “this is important,” or “this will be covered on the exam.” If you notice an instructor giving multiple examples, repeating information or spending a lot of time with one idea, these may be cues. Writing on the board or presenting a handout or visual information may also be a cue. Cue’s fall into two categories–nonverbal and verbal.

Non-Verbal Cues²

A speaker will often have unique facial and body nonverbal cues that alert you to several things, as you learn to “read” your professor.  An instructor may exaggerate their facial expressions or body movement to indicate important information.  A few of the most important, but often overlooked nonverbal cues are when an instructor writes material on the board, or lectures directly from notes, which indicate they are discussing key information. This is in contrast to a professor putting down their notes and talking more informally, which may indicate nonessential information.  Pointing, nodding, shrugging are all nonverbal cues that can help important information from less relevant material.

Verbal Cues

Paying attention to and understanding verbal cues will help you differentiate between essential and non essential information. Verbal cues help understand the difference between defining and term and giving examples, or outlining the lecture information versus sharing less important information.  Verbal and nonverbal cues are often unique to individual instructors so it’s important to pay attention and notice patterns in body language and speech.

Tips for Taking Notes During the Lecture

Arrive early and find a good seat. Seats in the front and center are best for being able to see and hear information. A seat at the 50-yard line for the Super Bowl is more expensive for a reason: it gives the spectator the greatest experience.

Do not try to write down everything the instructor talks about. It’s impossible and inefficient. Instead, try to distinguish between the most important topics and ideas and write those down. This is a skill that students can improve upon. You may wish to ask your instructor during office hours if you have identified the main topics in your notes, or compare your notes to one of your classmates.

Use shorthand and/or abbreviations. So long as you will be able to decipher what you are writing, the least amount of pen or pencil strokes, the better. It will free you up so you can pay more attention to the lecture and help you be able to determine what is most important.

Write down what your instructor writes. Anything on a dry erase board, chalkboard, overhead projector and in some cases in presentations; these are cues for important information.

Leave space to add information to your notes. You can use this space during or after lectures to elaborate on ideas. You may choose to include information from your text, outside research, conversations with classmates, tutors or instructors. Adding information outside of class is an excellent way to review lecture notes and help retain information.

Do not write in complete sentences. Do not worry about spelling or punctuation. Getting the important information, concepts and main ideas is much more important. You can always revise your notes later and correct spelling.

Often, the most important information is delivered at the beginning and/or the end of a lecture. Many students arrive late or pack up their belongings and mentally check out a few minutes before the lecture ends. They are missing out on the opportunity to write down valuable information. Keep taking notes until the lecture is complete.

The Cornell System

Cornell System is a note-taking method created in the 1950s by Walter Pauk at Cornell University. This system is helpful for both in class and textbook note taking. The method requires you to divide your paper into three sections: Notes, Cue and Summary.

The Notes column is for you to use to record notes during lectures. The Cue column is where you can create study questions, identify main ideas or include diagrams. This section should be completed after class and it is a great tool for quizzing yourself.  The notes you took should answer the questions you create. Finally, the Summary column is just that, a place to outline the main ideas and answer the question, “Why is this important?”.

After the lecture, consolidate notes as soon as possible and identify the main ideas by underlining or highlighting them. Test yourself by looking only at the questions on the left. If you can provide most of the information on the notes side without looking at it, you’re in good shape. If you cannot, keep studying until you improve your retention. Review periodically as needed to keep the information fresh in your mind.

Students use the bottom area for summarizing information. Practice summarizing information — it’s a great study skill. It allows you to determine how information fits together. It should be written in your own words. Don’t use the chapter summary in the textbook to write your summary, but check the chapter summary after you write yours for accuracy.

The Outline Method

Another way to take notes is the outline method. Students use an outline to show the relationship between ideas in the lecture. Outlines can help students separate main ideas from supporting details and show how one topic connects to another.  Outlines are a great tool when learning about topics that have many supporting details and need to be neatly organized.

Mind Maps

Visual learners may want to experiment with mind maps (also called clustering). Invented by Tony Buzan, an English author and educational consultant, in the 1960s, mind maps are another way of organizing information during lectures. Start with the main idea in the center of the paper; landscape orientation is recommended in order to have enough room. Using branches, like a tree, identify supporting ideas that supplement the main idea. These branches help to identify relationships between topics and understand the hierarchy of ideas. Write down everything you can as the lecture is happening. Reorganization and editing can be done later.

Preview and Review

Keep in mind that students who know what their instructor is going to lecture on before the lecture are at an advantage. Why? Because the more they understand what the instructor will be talking about, the easier it is to take notes. Take a look at the syllabus before the lecture. It won’t take much time, but it can make a world of difference. You will also be more prepared and be able to see important connections if you read your assigned reading before the lecture.

For maximum efficiency and retention of memory, it’s best to review within 20 minutes of when the lecture ends. For this reason, we do not advise students to take back-to-back classes without 30 minutes in between. It is important to have adequate review time and to give your brain a break. Reviewing shortly after the lecture will allow you to best highlight or underline main points as well as fill in any missing portions of your notes. Students who take lecture notes on a Monday and then review them for the first time a week later often have challenges recalling information that help make the notes coherent.

You may consider discussing your notes in a study group with your classmates, which can give you a different perspective on main points and deepen your understanding of the material. You may also want to make flashcards for yourself with vocabulary terms, formulas, important dates, people, places, etc. Online flashcards are another option. Students can make them for free using Quizlet and test themselves online or on their phone.

Citations

1. Dillon, Dave. Blueprint for Success in College and Career. OER Commons. https://press.rebus.community/blueprint2/. CC BY 4.0.
2. Center for English Language Support. John Jay College. Queensborough Community College. https://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/pdfs/5.pdf