Diana Cason Bakersfield College

Why is it important to take notes effectively? We are likely to forget as much as 80% of what we learn after just one week. Imagine how much is forgotten by midterm or final exam time! Taking effective notes and reviewing them regularly can help us remember significantly more of what we learn.

Tip #1: Be Selective Don’t try to write down everything you read or hear word-for-word. This is time consuming and does not help us actually learn the material. Instead, paraphrase the information--put it in your own words. Focus on “content” words, or the words with the most significance. Leave out words that do not affect meaning like “a,” “an,” “the,” etc. Don’t write in complete sentences.

Tip #2: Use Abbreviations & Symbols Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols to save time. Abbreviations can be formed by shortening a word (psych. = psychology) or by dropping letters (gvmnt = government). Some examples: & = = at ¶ = paragraph ex. = example indep. = independent w/ = with b/c = because < = less than # = number instd = instead w/o = without diff. = different > = greater than freq. = frequently  = leads to, produces, causes

Tip #3: Organize Your Notes Date each set of notes. Use titles and headings. Use all caps, underlining, or highlighting to make important ideas stand out. Use bullet points or make a list or an outline using numbers/letters. Leave blank space (skip a line) between topics. Arrange information with equal importance an equal distance from the margin. I.Point 1 A.Detail B.Detail II.Point 2 A.Detail B.Detail

Putting It All Together To the right is an example of an effective set of notes. Notice that it contains a title, underlining, abbreviations, lists, and bullet points. The writing is neat. This student did not write in complete sentences. Instead he or she focused on content words and paraphrased the information. Space on the page is used to separate different ideas.

Tip #4: Use Cornell Notes 1. Divide page into a 2” and 6” column. Leave a couple inches at the bottom. 2. Take notes as you normally would in the “Notes” column using the strategies introduced earlier. 3. In the “Cues” column, create questions that might be on your test that are answered by your notes. Also, write out vocabulary terms. 4. Write a short summary of the main points in your notes.

Cornell Notes Example

Studying Cornell Notes Cover the right-hand “Notes” column with a sheet of paper so that only the “Cues” column is visible. Try to answer the questions or define the vocabulary terms you have written in the left-hand “Cues” column.

Need more explanation? Watch these YouTube videos: ▫Video #1Video #1 ▫Video #2Video #2 ▫Video #3Video #3

Tip #5: Schedule Study Time For every unit you are enrolled in, expect to spend 1-2 hours studying and completing homework. For example, if you are taking a 3-unit history class, expect to spend 3-6 hours per week reading your textbook, completing assignments, and studying for tests. Plan regular study sessions in your schedule. In other words, don’t wait until just before an exam to have a cram session.

Tips from Your BC Peers Check out these videos to hear note-taking tips from fellow BC students: ▫Video #1Video #1 ▫Video #2Video #2