Academic Services

Tips for Notetaking

Am I doing this right?

78% of students surveyed use pen and paper as their primary notetaking method.
Often students mistakenly believe just because they understand everything that is said in class that they will remember it.

Good notes will:

Focus on the professor’s point instead of writing every word and not listening. Don’t write just to take notes — you should write things down that will be a be real value for later.
Use your own words whenever possible.
Create a concise outline of: what is meaningful, concept relationships, clarification of ideas and embellishment of material presented.
Be brief… only record key phrases or a few words to get main points.

"Don't try to write everything down word for word! Inject your own personality into your notes when appropriate — if you can re-phrase what the professor is saying in your own words then you'll have an easier time recalling the information later."

Before Class

Do the assigned reading for class! Take notes in the margins and/or on sticky notes for points that are especially important and/or about questions to ask in class or office hours.
Some instructors provide outlines of their lectures on Power Point slides — if you find they are well integrated with the topics covered in class (sometimes these presentations are intended to be a supplement to materials presented in class), print the slides out ahead of time, and take notes on them during class (the same strategy can work for printing readings ahead of time)
Create a loose outline for notes before class — readings, previous lecture and syllabus give a good idea of topics the instructor will cover in class.
If you’re taking notes on a laptop, disable wi-fi or utilize a website blocker before class, so you’re not tempted to surf the web during class… this drives professors crazy!

“Depending on the class style, I may print slides out and take notes in the margins.”

“I try to print 3-4 slides per page so that I can write directly on the slides.”

During Class

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Formatting the Actual Paper

Use abbreviations/symbols (underlining or asterisks) to save time; put code key in margin of paper. Mark each note set with date and title; keep each class separate
# or indent to distinguish between major/minor/supporting ideas
Leave blanks or make mark of missed information and ask/fill in later by talking to instructor or classmates
Highlight unfamiliar vocabulary

Student Quotes

“I write questions in the margins or at the top of the page, where I can clearly see them and be reminded to ask the teacher or TA.”

“Clearly label everything.”

“Using different colors or highlighting while taking notes can make it easier to study the information later.”

“I draw pictures to remember complicated patterns/interactions. Visual representation always helps and if I draw by hand it's more effective.”

Use Examples

Add examples your professor provides to clarify abstract ideas and to jog memory later

Student Quotes

“I find myself writing down a lot of direct quotes from professors in my notes as that helps me understand better.”

“I focus on the professor's comments almost exclusively.”

“Write example problems as the instructor does them so you can reference them when you solve problems on your own.”

“(Professors) will often say a lot of valuable information that is not written down or included on the slides, so it is very important to be and writing down things that are not indicated anywhere else.”

Write It Down If:

The following key moments: previews/reviews, summaries, written on board, visuals, repetition of points, change in tone/volume of voice, cause-effect relationships, pointed/gestured to, directly references text, asked if everyone understands, an example is given, pace is slowed down
Word clues, such as: “4 causes of…” “5 aspects of…” “therefore,” “in conclusion,” “similarly,” “on the other hand,” “however”
Write down exactly when: formula, definition, structures/diagrams and specific fact

Include Action Steps

After Class

More than 1:4 students surveyed rewrite/retype notes to organize and comprehend the material and add information from readings to their notes
Try to look over your notes within a 24-48-hour period after you’ve written them, so the lecture is fresh in your mind
Make notecards after each lecture especially if your class has a lot of terms; use them as an exam study tool
Quiz yourself on the material you wrote down in your notes
Fill in blanks and clarify questions you had about what you wrote in your notes

“I make sure to integrate my class and book notes to make sure I understand the concepts completely.”

In Summary

Notetaking is a 3-part process involving habits before class, during class and after class
Make sure that your filing/organizing systems match each other for electronic files and physical files for better integration
It’s important to find the note taking style and organizational flow that works for you
Don’t rely on powerpoint to do all note taking — important information also comes from the professor’s comments and description of the material
Write notes in your own words, not just a “carbon copy” of what your professor says, to better grasp the material
Refer to multiple sources for taking notes — textbook/readings, professor lecture and powerpoint slides

This study resource was developed with input of groups of student leaders associated with Academic Services: BUGS and SSSP tutors, Disabilities notetakers, Fellowship recipients and Roosevelt Fellows. The leaders surveyed represented all class years and academic disciplines. Many thanks to all who participated in our survey — we were glad to benefit from your expertise, and hope other students who use this resource will be as well!