Taking notes is a crucial academic skill. Many high schools do not teach students how to take notes effectively. Even if there was some instruction, taking notes in a class of 25 students is really different from taking notes in a large lecture. Note-taking is highly personal; trial and error will be helpful in the process of finding your best strategy. Here are a few essential tips:

 

• Handwritten notes are better. There are multiple studies that show that taking notes by hand is better for learning than taking notes on a computer. Most studies conclude that handwritten notes are more effective because students are forced to paraphrase; no one can write fast enough to record every word a professor says. Indeed, when I read student notes taken on a computer where they did write down every word I said, it was eye-opening! Many of my asides or stories are meant to engage students or “warm them up” to learning. It would be equivalent to ESPN broadcasting the warm-ups of the Celtics game. Being forced to paraphrase requires that the student thinks about what the professor is saying, and then makes a judgment about what to write down. Keeping your computer closed will also limit your distractions. No one, and I mean no one, is immune to the distractions of technology. Faculty meetings are full of professors answering emails, texting, online shopping, grading exams, and so on. Avoid those distractions by relying on a notebook and pen.

• Show your notes to your professor or teaching assistant. Exercising judgment is scary! If you are not sure that you are taking notes on the “important” stuff (versus another story about my dogs), go during office hours and ask your professor to take a look at a section of notes from one class. They can help you learn to exercise judgment.

• Ask if classes are recorded. One positive by-product of the pandemic is that many faculty record classes for students who are in quarantine. I have always recorded classes when the technology is available in my classroom; it is helpful to everyone to have access to the recordings to review, check whether their notes are complete, listen again to topics that are confusing, and slow things down for students for whom English is not their first language. If your professor does not record, you can ask permission to make a recording. Be sure to explain the purpose of the recording. Many professors are concerned that students will skip class and just listen to the recordings.

• Leave a column for questions. Find an easy way to note items that do not make sense to you. I am amazed by how many students will write stuff down in their notes and the day before the exam when reviewing they admit that they have no idea what it means. I suggest leaving a column in your notes so you can put a big question mark or a word or phrase to come back to it. Then when you review your notes after class (See Guide to Studying to Learn) you know what you need to follow up on. A different color pen or a highlighter color that signifies confusion also works.

• There is an exception to every rule. Every student is different. Although I recommend handwritten notes, some students have disabilities that make it much easier to take notes on a computer. Or really pathetic handwriting. But take the lessons of handwritten notes and apply them to your typed notes. Listen, synthesize, paraphrase. But most of all, try different methods until you find one that works for you.

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