NOTETAKING TIPS _

7 STEPS USE CORNELL NOTES 1. Heading 2. Page Numbers 3. Divider John Doe 8/20/02 Period 7 Page 1 PENGUINS Ps have flat feet Better to swim with Like swim fins Ps have special blood circulation system Counter current flow Warm blood from heart warms cold blood from feet Prevents freezing Why do Ps have flat feet? What is counter -current flow? Penguins are designed for their cold, ocean habitat. They have flat feet for swimming and counter -current blood flow to stay warm. 7 STEPS 1. Heading 2. Page Numbers 3. Divider 4. Title 5. Notes 6. Questions 7. Summary

GET READY Have materials ready. Get a good seat. Sit up. Concentrate. Avoid distractions. Attitude is everything!

A GOOD TITLE Never use the class name as a title. Use the overall topic of the lesson. Be specific. MATH PERIMETER GEOMETRY

IMPORTANT STUFF ONLY! Keywords Main Ideas Important Concepts New Vocabulary If you are writing every word the instructor is saying, you’re writing way too much!

LOOK FOR CUES Repeats Writes on board Changes voice Emphasizes in any way If that little voice in your head thinks it is important, then write it down!

BE QUICK Use symbols and abbreviations. Don’t worry about mechanics. Write in phrases. Leave space to add more detail later. If you fall behind the speaker, you’re writing too much.

QUESTION Always be thinking of questions. If you don’t understand, ask. Write questions when you review. Make them hard. The only stupid question is the one you don’t attempt to answer.

REVIEW ASAP! Check accuracy of notes. Write Questions & Summary. Underline/Highlight important stuff. Most forgetting happens in the first 24 hours.

SUMMARIZE Tell what you learned. Main ideas, not details. Don’t give a class play-by-play. If you can’t explain what you learned, did you learn anything?

STUDY Read over notes. Recite aloud. Self-Test. Compare with other students. Waiting until the night before the test to study is a sure way to lower your grade.