What Are the Benefits of Taking Notes of the Key Points of a Reading Assignment?

Listening Annotation Taking Strategies

Taking effective notes in lectures and tutorials is an essential skill for academy study. Expert notation-taking allows a permanent tape of primal information that you can integrate with your ain writing, and use for test revision. Taking reliable, accurate notes also reduces the risk of plagiarising. It helps you distinguish where your ideas came from and how and what you lot think most those ideas.

Six good reasons to take notes

• Notes are a useful record of central information, and the sources of that information.
• Writing notes helps you think what you heard.
• Taking notes helps you to concentrate and heed effectively.
• Selecting what to notation downwards increases your understanding.
• Notes create a resource for exam preparation.
• Notes taken in classes frequently contain information that tin't exist found elsewhere.

Taking notes vs listening: which is more important?

You'll get nearly out of lectures if you do both, but don't focus on getting everything downwards to the extent that yous miss what the lecturer is saying—remember that actively listening and thinking are what is of import.

Lecture slides are usually an outline of the lecture content. They guide your listening and help you place the key topics and concepts. Take notation of what appears on them, but don't confine your note-taking to simply copying it. The data is usually very limited compared to what the lecturer says, and then information technology'southward more than effective to listen to the lecture and accept notes from that. Most lecturers make their slides available before class, so print them out and take boosted notes in the lecture.

Before the Lecture: Exist prepared

Preparation earlier the lecture provides the background knowledge you need to be an constructive listener and an effective pupil.

• Know what the lecture will be about. Check the form outline for weekly topics.
• Do any required pre-reading.
• If lecture slides are available before course, download them.
• Review notes from previous lectures.
• Prepare notebooks/ documents for note-taking.
• Arrive on time and sit most the front - in order to have good notes, you need to hear and come across clearly.

Getting Started: Tips About Formatting

To take notes effectively, y'all demand to have a note-taking system that works for you lot. Having well organised notes will make them easier to sympathize and study from.

Develop a system and stick to information technology. Ready out your notes so that y'all have a consistent, familiar format each fourth dimension.

• At the start of term, make up one's mind whether you will hand write or type your notes.
• If you paw write, have one notebook for each class, or a large divided notebook for everything.
• Make sure your notes are clearly labelled. Earlier each lecture or tutorial, write the date, topic and lecture/week number at the acme of each page. Number each folio.
• Using a two-column page layout helps distinguish betwixt lecture information and your thoughts. Rule upward each page into two columns: the column on the correct should utilize about two-thirds of the page - this is where you accept notes. The column on the left is a space for questions and extra notes that can exist added later on (if y'all are left-handed, make the left-hand cavalcade the annotation-taking area).
• If y'all're using a laptop, certificate templates using the same principles can be useful to gear up. For more tips, run into the department on Notetaking with Electronic Devices

During the lecture: Strategies for effective notation-taking

Concentrate and pay attention

Arrive prepared to actively listen and learn, and to remember critically. Analysing and questioning the information helps you to focus and understand what you hear.

Don't try to write down everything existence said

Exist selective—you don't have to transcribe the entire lecture. Effective listening annotation-taking involves recognising key concepts and identifying and selecting what is relevant. Listen for the overall argument and note the main points and key information.

How tin I recognise what is of import?

Distinguish between primary points, elaboration, examples, 'waffle' and new points by listening for:

• • introductory remarks. Lectures often begin with a useful overview of the cardinal ideas or themes of a topic. This helps y'all grasp the 'big picture'.
  • verbal 'signposts' that indicate something of import is about to be said. Lecturers oftentimes bespeak central data with phrases like: "There are 4 main aspects", "This is important…" or "To sum up".
  • repetition. Important points will frequently be repeated, particularly in introductions and conclusions.
  • phonological cues (voice emphasis, change in volume, speed, emotion and emphasis) ofttimes betoken of import data.
  • final remarks. Most lectures conclude with a summary, a restatement of the main ideas and an indication of how the topic connects with upcoming material.

Look for:

• • not-verbal cues (facial expressions, paw and body signals) that indicate something of import is being said.
  • visual cues (note what is on the visuals, note references to names and sources)

Afterward the Lecture

To become the well-nigh out of your notes it'south of import to review and re-engage actively with them several times.

Review your notes while the lecture is fresh in your mind. Reviewing helps you recall what was said, builds upwardly your agreement, and helps place gaps in your knowledge.

To review:

• Read through your notes. Make certain they are articulate and legible. Clean them upwardly - set up spelling errors, expand on abbreviations, tidy upward handwriting (if necessary).
• Fill in missing words or information and add anything extra that yous may take thought of since the lecture.
• Lawmaking your notes - use colour and symbols to mark structure and accent, highlight major sections, primary points and diagrams. Use unlike colours to emphasise primary points, classify dissimilar topics and link concepts or information.
• Explicate and analyze diagrams by writing a simple version of their meaning.
• Identify annihilation that needs further clarification.

Label and file your notes forth with any lecture handouts.

Tips for re-engaging with notes

• Try "chunking" similar pieces of data into categories that y'all can remember more hands.
• Transcribe key concepts in your own words.
• Add your own questions to the notes to assistance y'all recall the key ideas.
• Write a brief overall summary of the notes.
• Reflect on the learning process itself—what practise you observe disruptive? How did you solve problems or clarify your understanding?

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Source: https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/note-taking-skills

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