Listening & Note Taking University of Louisville Disability Resource Center

Listening Being a good listener is important both inside and outside of the classroom. ◦ Outside the classroom  Listening to others will improve your interpersonal relationships. ◦ Inside the classroom  Listening to your professor will allow you to learn information that may not be presented in your text, or may make the information in your text clearer.  Listening to class discussion may raise important questions for you and enhance your understanding of the course material.

Interpersonal Listening Tips Keep your advice to yourself ◦ When you interrupt others to give advice, you keep them from being able to express themselves. ◦ Only give advice if someone wants it. Refrain from making judgments ◦ Everyone makes mistakes. ◦ What seems like the best option to you is not always the best option to someone else. Be empathetic rather than minimizing ◦ Try to understand why others feel the way they do rather than pointing out that their problem is not that bad.

Interpersonal Listening Tips (continued) Focus ◦ Multitasking while listening is a bad idea  You may not pay careful attention.  You may even hurt the person’s feelings because they think the other task is more important to you than what they are saying. Be Positive ◦ Thinking negatively can distract you from what is being said. ◦ Avoid being overly critical.

Why Is Taking Notes Important? Notes help memory. ◦ Writing it helps you remember the material. ◦ Summarizing things in your own words helps you learn. ◦ Writing notes in a pattern can help visual learners. Notes keep a record. ◦ Taking notes keeps record of the source of information. ◦ Class notes are a record of the important points discussed in class.

Why Is Taking Notes Important? (continued) Notes help your writing. ◦ Reviewing your notes allows you to revisit your thoughts and prepare to start writing. ◦ Your notes’ organization can inspire organization in your writing ◦ You can see what information you should plan to write about in your paper. ◦ Looking at your notes may get your ideas flowing.

Why Is Taking Notes Important? (continued) Notes help your understanding. ◦ Thinking about what needs to be written helps you to understand the significance of the material you learn. ◦ Through organization, you see how information fits and works together. Notes help you study for exams. ◦ Taking notes helps you commit some of the information to your memory. ◦ Organized material can help you learn more easily when preparing for an exam.

Simple Steps Listen to what the speaker is saying. Write things down. ◦ Get the important, big ideas. ◦ Get the relevant details too. Use the notes you take when studying.

Taking Effective Notes Be In Class ◦ You cannot take effective notes if you are not in class. ◦ Even if you receive supplemental notes as an accommodation through the Disability Resource Center, you are expected to attend class and take your own notes.

Taking Effective Notes (continued) Understand the Material ◦ Reading the textbook before listening to the class lecture will help you know what information is the most important. ◦ Understanding what is being taught is essential to taking good notes.  When you don’t understand the material, you are just writing down words that may not make sense to you later.  If you don’t understand something, ask the professor to explain it to you.

Taking Effective Notes (continued) Make Your Notes Complete, Legible, and Organized ◦ Get the information from the board or slides, and the information that the professor is saying. ◦ Write neatly or use a laptop to make sure you can read what you wrote later. ◦ Consider different strategies for organizing the information presented in class.

Note Taking Strategies Concept mapping ◦ Create a concept map that shows the various ideas discussed in class, and how they relate to each other. Main Topic Idea Details Idea

Note Taking Strategies (continued) Linear Outline ◦ Everything goes in order down the page. Main TopicIdeaDetails

Note Taking Strategies (continued) Main Topic Idea Details Main Topic Idea Details Main Topic Idea Details Two Column Format In the left column, indicate the main topic. In the right column, put the important information and details related to that topic.

References 5 Ways to Listen Effectively with Adult ADD ADHD Study Skills: How to Take Notes