1
Making effective notes
Why take notes?
Think about any reasons you might have for taking notes in everyday life, and
any occasions when you do so. Its a skill we all use, to some extent, as part
of organising daily life and routines, recording useful information, and
identifying key points within it.
As a student, you will need to develop this skill for use in specific contexts,
such as lectures and reading for assignments.
Its important to be pro-active about this spend some time thinking about
your reasons for taking notes as part of your studies. Why are notes useful?
This nuclear or spider plan sums up some general reasons for you as well.
A. Useful record
1. of important points for
future use
2. of where the information
comes from
C. Helps understanding
1. If you focus on selecting
info. to note
2. if you think through where
everything fits
WHY
TAKE
NOTES?
E. Helps exam revision
1. Material is well organised
2. More info. is already in memory
B. Helps writing
1. Helps ideas flow
2. Helps planning-you can see
what info. you have
3. Assists organisation-you
can rearrange and renumber
notes in a new way
4. Helps you get started
D. Helps memory
1. Summing things up briefly
helps long-term memory
2. The act of writing helps
motor memory
3. Pattern notes can be more
Memorable visually
General principles of note-taking
Good note-taking is based on a clear sense of why you are taking notes in the
first place. Once you are clear about this, whether you are in a lecture or
reading a text, you can make notes that will be useful, rather than jotted down
randomly because everyone else seems to be doing this.
Its important to keep checking: Why am I taking notes on this? What kinds of
points are useful to note? Why?
Effective notes should be:
In a format that suits you try different methods linear, nuclear,
patterned
Be brief and clear use underlining, colour, your own shorthand
Should help make sense of the material, break it down
Should link to previous knowledge and information on the subject going
over them after a lecture, say, and thinking about the links is important
Should be useful so in a format that will bring it all back when you get
them out ready for the next essay, or revision
Be legible, but only for you no-one else needs to read them
Should contain any useful names, dates, statistics that you need to use
again
Be filed somewhere appropriate, even if its just a cardboard box with a
label on it
Strategies for note-taking
These strategies can apply to different note-taking situations and the
strategy you use depends on the situation and your own preferences. These
are ideas that can start you off developing your own strategies
1.
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Good note-making: general
Think before you write
Keep notes brief
Keep notes organised
Use your own words
Leave a wide margin and spaces
to add notes later
Useful strategies
Note key words and main ideas
Write phrases not sentences
Use abbreviations
Use headings
Number points
Make the page memorable with
Colour, illustrations and so on
2.7 Link up points using arrows, dotted
lines, colour, numbers, boxes
2.8 Note sources of info. exactly
2.9 Write quotations in colour
3.
3.1
3.2
3.3
Unhelpful strategies
Copying chunks or phrases
Writing more notes than you can use
Writing out notes several times to
make them neater
4. Tidying messy notes
4.1 Draw a square around sections of
notes in different colours to make
them stand out
4.2 Use a ruler to divide the page up
between sections
4.3 Draw a ring around floating bits of
information
4.4 Link stray information by
colour-coding it
Taking notes in lectures
Think about the subject of the lecture beforehand, however briefly. It helps
you have a sense of what might be covered, so you can grasp ideas quickly.
Develop good listening skills
Concentrate on the big picture in lectures - dont try to write
everything down.
Watch body language. You can usually tell when the lecturer is
starting a new topic, or winding up the old one.
Listen for speech cues for changes of topic or main ideas e.g.
The important point here is...
I repeat that
It is important to note that
The next point is crucial
On the other hand, an alternative view is
Keep notes brief
Making brief notes helps you concentrate on the lecture long notes dont
help your understanding of the lecture at all
Use a format that suits you keywords as headings, spider diagrams
Dont write things down that you dont understand - if you do, put a big
question mark next to them so you follow it up later
Make key words stand out - underline, capitals
Use your own abbreviations, but make sure you can de-code them
afterwards
Use handouts highlight keywords etc
If you are a natural doodler, turn doodles into mind maps of things
related to the lecturego over them later and de-code them
Be pro-active
Note anything you wish to query
Ask yourself was that clear? Do I agree with that?
Make notes of anything you want to follow up
Ask questions, if you can
Ask for copies of any OHPs used
Reflect on the style of the lecture was it clear? Easy to follow?
Demanding? Could you deal differently with this type of lecture next time?
Exchange notes (not literally) with other students. A twenty minute chat
after a lecture can transform your understanding of what it was about. Try
and find people to do this with over a coffee?
Review and recall
Check over your notes as soon as you can after the lecture. You may need to
add points, check you understand them, ask yourself questions to clarify your
understanding, note anything you need to follow up.
File them do this as soon as you can, in an appropriate file, folder, or
whatever you use
A good aid to understanding is to turn your notes into a mindmap.
(see last section)
Taking notes from reading
Effective reading skills are linked to effective note-taking, so its worth thinking
about your reading skills at the same time (see Active Reading booklet).
Before you start
Why are you reading something? Do you need a general summary of
the reading? An overview for future reference?
Identify the purpose of your notes and break down the note-taking task
by asking specific questions.
Specific information? References for an assignment? Names and
dates?
Are these notes for an assignment? Revision?
Spend more time thinking, planning and focussing before you even
start the reading and note-taking
Taking useful notes
Decide how much to read/note at once
Break the text down into chunks to help concentration know your
limits
Skim-read each section first-get an over-view
Note key points, ideasusually at the start of a section or paragraph
Keep checking the purpose of the notes to stay on-track
Include references (page numbers, etc for finding/checking back)
Keep notes brief number, highlight, make them useful leave space
for adding other points later
Use your own words where possible to help understanding
If using a photocopy, highlight and underline key points
Develop your own system
Make notes useful
Check you can read/understand your notes
Organise use numbers, highlighter, headings to make notes more
useful later on
Note down queries, places where you disagree
Think about how the information relates to previous knowledge/data
you have-how could you use this? What else do you need? What was
missing?
File somewhere useful and easy to find
Mindmapping as a strategy for understanding
Some people find mindmaps invaluable as a way of exploring connections
within subject areas, and as a useful tool for planning a task like writing an
essay but other people find them messy and inconclusive.
These are some note-taking occasions when they can serve a useful
purpose. Its worth finding out a bit about their uses and trying them out.
After lectures, as a way of getting an overview of what was said, and
expanding on your basic notes. They also help your understanding of
the topic, as the connections with previous knowledge can be made
After reading, for the same reasons. Try asking yourself what the
reading was about, jotting down ideas and making the connections with
other aspects of the topic
Planning an assignment-a way of brainstorming around a title and
exploring aspects of the subject. A series of mini-mindmaps can help
break down a seemingly huge topic into manageable sections which
you then organise and write up
Exam revision a way of recalling a subject and making connections
also, working out which aspects you need to look at more carefully
Exam essays a quick way to plan an exam answer which gives a structure,
however sketchy, for your writing
On the next page is a quick mindmap that represents the points above
For more on mindmapping, see:
Buzan, T. 2002 How to Mindmap London: HarperCollins
If you would like this leaflet in an alternative format, contact:
ELS@[Link]
Sample Mindmap
Starting
point for
selection
Represents
everyones
views
Help
understanding
Expand on
notes
Good for
getting ideas
Get an
overview
AFTER
LECTURES
Connects
with previous
knowledge
GROUP
Quick
plan
WORK
Own
words
Overview
EXAM
ESSAYS
USING
AFTER
MINDMAPS
READING
Get a
structure for
essay
Helps
memory
Understanding
Slot in
names
and dates
Make
connections
PLANNING,
ASSIGNMENTS,
ANY TASKS
EXAM
Check
gaps
Explore the
question
REVISION
Prioritise
tasks
Make
connections
Recall on
a topic
Make
mini-mindmaps
around each
aspect
Decide
reading
