1. Ten Note-Taking Tips For Students Some students are stumped when it comes to scribbling down what matters most. Here are some tips and advice to help students start to master note taking.

2. Write Down Key Facts: Make sure to write down the most important points from class. It is also important to highlight (either verbally or visually) a crucial or important point during a lesson. These critical facts and points may be historical dates, definitions, examples, or math formulas.

3. Copy Notes at Home: If possible, students should copy their notes over at home before they complete their homework for the evening. Rewriting notes helps students attain better retention and understanding of content. If a student has messy handwriting, they will benefit from rewriting their notes for clarity.

4. Listen for Word Clues: Teachers may signal to students what is important to write down by providing a numbered list or using words such as "important," "critical," "pivotal," or phrases such "led to," or "compared with. Each teacher will have his or her own habits when it comes to phrasing so it may take a couple of tries to perfect note taking in a particular class.

5. Start Fresh With a New Page: For each day, students should start their notes on a new page in their notebooks. Students will be able to have a clear mind and not read their previous notes while attempting to listen and write down new notes for the day. It will also be easier to find specific notes when studying for a test or when a quick resource during an assignment is needed.

6. Summarize Notes in One Sentence: Before the next lecture, read and review notes, and then write a one sentence lesson recap. If possible, share summary and discuss with the class.

7. Review Classmate's Notes: At the end of the day, pair up and use class notes to review the lesson. Identify how s classmate's notes are different and write down what is in their partner's notes for their future reference. This will help to see what they can contribute to their own note taking, and give them the opportunity to help their partner as well.

8. Outline to Assign Importance: There are benefits to using outline formatting for notes. Outlining is a great way to capture hierarchical relationships and it's always been a great way help students stay organized.

9. Mind Map to Understand Connections: Write the lecture's main topic in the middle of a paper and then create branches of sub-topics and sub-points around the main bubble. This is another way to present the hierarchical relationships between topics. This will help students stay organized and be better prepared for studying for quizzes, tests, and other assignments. Students who need extra help often benefit from mind mapping and can create their own graphic organizers to mind map efficiently.