Academic Strategies Course Readings (ENGL 1003)

You’ve heard it for years from your high school teachers, from your parents, and now from your college professors.  They all echo that constant nagging command:  “You need to take notes during class!”  And, even after this repetitive attack on the senses, many students (and hopefully you are not one of them) still refuse to even think of putting pen or pencil to paper during the daily lecture.  Unfortunately, these same students often struggle during test time and end up with a less-than-favorable grade in the class.  Has this happened to you?  Could taking notes actually help you become more successful in college? 

   Before I bore you with yet another lecture on why note taking is important, I need to ask you a question.  Why take notes?  Why even bother purchasing a spiral for your classes?  And, while we are on this shopping spree (or lack thereof), why bother purchasing the textbook?  Why even bother with college?  I know I’ve strayed a bit here from my main point, but you can see how one may lead to another.  In order to save you from being too overwhelmed at this point (you’re welcome), we will just talk about note taking here.  I’ll save the rest of these topics for your Strategies instructor. 

    Believe it or not, we care about your academic success.  While there are still some students who feel that college instructors are simply out to play a childish game of “Gotcha!” with your grade point average, it’s just not true.  In fact, many people become professors for the sole reason of helping someone else along in their academic journey.  And, lucky you, I am here to help you with note taking.  When you take notes in class, you become an active participant in that class.  Your participation demonstrates that you are serious about your education, and your instructors will appreciate this more than you know.  Also, when you take notes, it provides a clear method of study for any pop quiz or exam.  Instead of forcing yourself to remember every single detail (which is nearly impossible in some classes), the notes do all of the “thinking” for you.

   Notes, in any form, will help you recall important information when necessary.  Sure, the textbook can provide you with some valuable material too.  But, how many of you have an instructor who does not lecture directly from the book?  How many of you have an instructor who likes to “tell stories” in class rather than present a straight lecture?  Certainly by now you have noticed that every instructor teaches in their own way.  Your job is to identify their style, figure out what information is important, and make sure that information is in your notes.  Now, while no one note taking “style” is better than another, I want to share a few tips with you here:

• Concentration is key!  Do you arrive to class tired?  Are you hungry?  Are you thinking about the weekend rather than the task at hand?  (Do I sound like your parents?)  These are all distractions that can easily bring your grade down to an unrecoverable level.  Remember, we want you to pass the class.  But, we cannot just give you a grade; you earn it!  Try to arrive every day with a new energy and enthusiasm to learn.  I realize this may be difficult for an 8:00 a.m. class on Monday morning, but you can do this!  Focus on the class.  Focus on the instructor.  Be ready to learn!

• Read the chapter first.  Many instructors will list the daily lecture topic in their syllabus.  So, read the assigned chapter ahead of time so you know what might be important for your notes.  Here’s a pro tip:  Do you know how your professor prepares for class?  They read the book just like you.  They prepare their lecture notes around the main points in the book just as you would.  There really is no secret here.  So, if you want to impress your instructor, read the chapter ahead of the lecture.

• When in doubt, write it down!  Unfortunately, many students do not take notes because they bet that certain information will not be on the test.  Believe me, there is nothing worse than asking your instructor “will this be on the test?”.  This sends the message that you are only interested if there is something to gain.  This is your education.  It is an investment in your future.  Do you really want to start out by simply doing the bare minimum?  I doubt it.  So, when you suspect that something is important, write it down.  Don’t wait for the instructor to tell you.  Your professors spend hours preparing their presentations for you.  So, in a way, everything is important. 

• Use abbreviations.  You will never be able to copy down everything your instructor says.  I know some instructors who talk so fast that Nascar should call them (hey-oh…well, I tried).  Instead of trying to capture everything, develop your own set of abbreviations to use.  Create a brief “key” on the top of your page that explains your abbreviations to you (remember you will need this later) and use these shortcuts as you take notes.  For example, if the topic for the day is the Renaissance, you might use “Ren” as an abbreviation.  Remember, these are your notes, so you can use whatever you wish here as long as it makes sense to you. 

• Know your instructor.  As I mentioned earlier, every instructor is different.  Early in the semester, get to know how they teach.  Get to know when they repeat important points.  Get to know when their voice slows down when they say something important.  The more you can identify an instructor’s manner, you are more likely to “capture” the material needed for any quiz or exam. 

For you “visual learners,” here is a quick video from WellCast and another from Long Beach Community College that each provide more tips for effective note-taking:

Now that you have a few tips for better note taking, I have another question for you.  How do you take notes?  In other words, what style do you follow?  Whenever I ask this question, I usually receive blank stares and surprised gasps at the very notion of different note taking styles.  But, believe me, there are plenty from which to choose.  One of the more popular methods is called “Cornell Notes.”  This method forces you to stay organized during class lecture, and it provides an excellent way to study.  Here are some example handouts and videos about Cornell Notes:

If the Cornell Method doesn’t resonate with you, there are some other options to consider.  

• The Outlining Method:  Yes, it’s just as it sounds.  You create an outline, complete with capital letters and roman numerals, to keep your notes organized.  You would start with the main idea as your “topic” line, then make all of your notes beneath it.  It’s very similar to the Cornell Method, but there tends to be a bit more formal structure here.  If you are a well-organized person, this method might work for you.
• The Mapping Method:  This method goes along with the “visual notetaking” section below.  Like outlining, you start with your main idea.  But, the Mapping Method looks more like a flow chart than a formal outline.  So, for those of you who like formulas and other visual elements akin to a math or science class, this method may be a good one.
• The Charting Method:  This one is probably the most complicated to explain here, so it might be best for you to review the PDF.  But, to live up to my promise of summary, here goes.  You create columns for all the important information (names, dates, locations, etc.) and then fill in these columns with appropriate information.  Like I said, a bit hard to explain. 
• The Sentence Method:  Just the facts, ma’am.  (Do you get that reference? )  Anyway, you simply create a new, complete sentence for every new idea addressed during the lecture.  This method is very writing intensive, but it does provide you with a logical, grammatically correct sequence of notes to follow.  And, this could be helpful come test time.

Okay, you have just read several paragraphs about taking better notes in the classroom.  And, after all this, you are still not convinced that any of these methods will actually work for you.  Fair enough.  Let me ask you another question.  Do you like to draw?  I’m not taking about Picasso-level material here.  Do you let your mind just go blank and start drawing random stick figures on the page while your instructor goes on and on about the daily topic?  What about doodling?  You know, that practice that was so rudely squashed in high school when your teachers thought you weren’t paying any attention to them.  Well…maybe you weren’t.  But, there is a way that you can still draw or doodle during class and make it a productive exercise.  This is called “visual notetaking,” and it involves everything from small doodles in the margin to large “mind maps” that fill the page.  Maybe if taking notes the old-fashioned way doesn’t work for you, you might try this method. 

 Here are some helpful websites and resources that discuss “visual notetaking” a bit more:

Important:  Watch the video FIRST then review the questions provided.  Try not to read the questions first.

Using either the Cornell method or another suggested route, take a moment to watch the following TED Talk by Jane McGonigal.  In the talk, she will provide some information about video games and why she feels they are important. 

It will be your job to “capture” (what you consider to be) the most important information.  After the video ends, use your notes to answer the questions, which can be accessed by clicking on the second link.

“Gaming Can Make A Better World” (Jane McGonigal, TED 2010)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1DuBesGYM

Transcript available here.