Note Taking Skills
Think of your notes as a foundation for deeper learning, not the final product. Your brain retains information more effectively when it encounters it multiple times and through different pathways.
Engaging multiple senses while taking and reviewing notes can strengthen memory. Try writing your notes, discussing key ideas with a classmate, and creating visuals such as diagrams or concept maps.
Learning shouldn’t begin and end with the lecture. Effective notetaking happens before, during, and after class. Preview materials in advance and jot down initial thoughts. During class, add to your notes using abbreviations or symbols to keep pace. Afterward, revisit your notes to summarize key points and make meaningful connections
10 Ways to Use Your Notes
- Visit office hours to review questions you noted during lecture
- Create a study guide
- Write a brief summary of key points
- Turn your notes into visuals (diagrams, charts, concept maps)
- Answer questions you generated during class
- Develop your own practice test questions
- Organize key ideas using post-it notes or other tools
- Make connections across lectures and topics
- Identify real-world or clinical examples of key concepts
- Teach or explain the material to a peer
Note-Taking Strategies
Build notes that support learning—not just recording information.
1. Write in Your Own Words
Putting ideas into your own language reduces cognitive overload and helps you process information more deeply. Focus on understanding key concepts rather than transcribing lectures word-for-word.
2. Use Consistent Abbreviations & Symbols
Develop a personal system of abbreviations and symbols to save time during lectures. Consistency helps reinforce meaning and creates quick mental connections when you review.
3. Rework and Refine Your Notes
Transform your notes into summaries, outlines, or concept maps. Revising your notes strengthens understanding and creates multiple pathways for recall.
4. Capture Learning Across All Environments
Notes aren’t just for lectures. Include insights from class discussions, peer conversations, and group work to deepen and expand your understanding.
5. Experiment with Different Methods
Try a variety of note-taking styles (e.g., outlines, charts, concept maps) to find what works best for you. Adapting your approach can improve both engagement and retention.
In some cases, consider the following scenarios
The professor talks too fast
- Use abbreviations so you can capture information faster
- Share and compare notes with friends before or after class
- Mark areas you need to return to or add details to later when studying
- If the lecture is recorded, review the recording and fill in missing information
You’re having trouble understanding the professor because of an accent
- Write questions you hope will be answered in class
- Listen for key concepts, key terms, or answers to your questions
- Watch for clues to important information
- Visit your professor during their office hours to get clarification, the more you communicate with him/her the better you get at understanding their speech
There are very few lecture slides to follow
- Try to find the information in your text, books, online etc. that will support the slides provided
- Look for connections and add details from other resources (textbook, videos, etc.)
- Write questions you hope will be answered in class.
You are not sure what to write down
- Pay attention and listen for big ideas or key concepts
- Listen for repetition- during your lecture the instructor will repeat him/herself in different ways to emphasize what they want you to know.
- Look out for cues or specific examples of a concept- often times this is an indication of important information that might be used as testing material.
In any case, it’s always best to practice the following
- Prepare before class. Pre-reading is highly recommended so that you may be prepared for your upcoming lecture.
- After class share your notes with your colleagues and compare them with each other. This will also help you get clarification on areas of confusion.
- Visit your professor during office hours.