1. Listening Note taking Strategies
Note taking Skills
Listening Note taking Strategies

2. Preparation prior to listening
Have a clear purpose
Recognize main ideas
Select what is relevant; you do not need to write down everything that is said
Have a system for recording information that works for you  

3. Before the Lecture revise the previous lecture or tutorial
pre-read about the topic
check the pronunciation of any new words or discipline-specific language in the pre-readings.
rule up pages according to your note-taking system. This saves time in the lecture.

4. During the Lecture
be on time and sit near the front
distinguish between main points, elaboration, examples, repetition, 'waffle', restatements and new points by:
Listening for structural cues (signpost/transition words, introduction, body and summary stages)

5. During the Lecture
Looking for non verbal cues (facial expression, hand and body signals)
Looking for visual cues (copy the content of any visual aids used (e.g. OHTs), note references to names and sources)

6. During the Lecture
Listening for phonological cues ( voice change in volume, speed, emotion). Generally with more important information the speaker will speak slower, louder and they will direct their attention to the audience.

7. After The Lecture
revise lecture notes within 24 hours. Tidy up your handwriting and fill in any missing bits. Reviewing makes remembering lectures much easier.
write a short summary of the lecture (1 paragraph) in your own words
attach any handouts to your lecture notes. 

8. Use Symbols and Abbreviations
The use of symbols and abbreviations is useful for lectures, when speed is essential. You also need to be familiar with symbols frequently used in your courses.
Develop a system of symbols and abbreviations; some personal, some from your courses
Be consistent when using symbols and abbreviations

9. Use Symbols and Abbreviations
& or + and, plus, with (the ampersand symbol is rather difficult to draw freehand
– many people use a simple squiggle ( ) to represent ‘and’)
– minus, without
= equals, is the same as, results in
≠ does not equal, is not the same as, does not result in
≈ is approximately equal to, is similar to
< is less than, is smaller than
> is greater than, is larger than
↑ increase, rise, growth
↑↑ rapid increase
↓ decrease, fall, shrinkage
↓↓ rapid decrease

10. Use Symbols and Abbreviations
⇒ or ∴ therefore, thus
→ leads on to, produces, causes
x no, not, incorrect
xx definitely not, disproved
? uncertain, possibly, unproven
✓ yes, correct
✓✓ definitely, certain, proven
# number
✳ special, important, notable (when added to a word or phrase)
/ per (e.g., £50/day instead of ‘fifty pounds per day’)

11. Some common general abbreviations
c. approximately, roughly, about (abbreviation for the Latin ‘circa’)
e.g. for example
i.e. in other words (usually used when adding more detail or an explanation)
cf. compared to, by comparison with
w/ with
w/o without
v very
vv. extremely
C century (e.g. C19 for ‘nineteenth century’)
etc. and so on
K or k a thousand (e.g. 500K for ‘five hundred thousand’)
m a million (e.g. $6m for ‘six million dollars’)
vs against

12. Two abbreviation techniques
1. Use the first few letters of the word – just enough to remember what the abbreviation stands for, e.g.
imp for ‘important’
info for ‘information’
eval for ‘evaluation’
2. Remove all (or most of) the vowels from the word and use just the key consonants bunched together, e.g.
mngmt for ‘management’
mkt for ‘market’ (and mkting for ‘marketing’)
dvpt for ‘development

13. Use Symbols and Abbreviations
An example of the use of symbols and abbreviations to take efficient notes Imagine you heard the following in a lecture: At the end of the twentieth century the United Kingdom’s population, at around sixty million, was similar to that of Italy, but Italy’s population was shrinking because its birth rate had fallen below its death rate. The UK’s population was still growing, albeit very slowly – at a rate of 0.09% between 1995 and Your notes on this part of the lecture might look like this: end 20 UK pop c60m ≈ I. BUT I. ↓ due BR < DR – cf. UK ↑ slow ie 0.09% 95–2K

14. Abbreviations These can be classified into three categories:
1. Common Abbreviations Many are derived from Latin.
c.f. (confer) = compare i.e. (id est) = that is e.g (exempla grate) = for example NB (nota benne) =note well no. (numero) = number etc. (et cetera)= and so on

15. Abbreviations 2.Discipline-Specific Abbreviations In chemistry:
-Au for gold
-Mg for magnesium
In the case of quantities and concepts, these are represented by Greek letters in many fields.
A or a (alpha) B or b (beta)

16. Abbreviations
3. Personal Abbreviations Here you can shorten any word that is commonly used in your lectures.
diff =different , Gov = government
NEC = necessary
Some abbreviations are so well known and widely used that they have become an Acronym - an abbreviation pronounced as a word.
For example , the word 'laser' was originally an abbreviation for 'Light Amplification by Stimulation Emission of Radiation'. It now is a noun in its own right!

17. Taking Notes
Activate your brain
Copy and Paste Makes it Dangerous

18. Types of Notes Prose or summary Outline or skeleton
Mind or concept maps
Cornell or 2 Column
How do you take notes?

20. Outline

21. Use Concept Maps and Diagrams
Begin in the middle of the page and add ideas on branches that radiate from the central idea or from previous branches.
Arrows and words can be used to show links between parts of the concept map.
Colour and symbols are important parts of concept maps, helping illustrate ideas and triggering your own thoughts.

22. Concept Maps

23. Mind Map

24. The Cornell Method The Cornell Method is based on two columns:
one containing the keyword or concept,
other containing the description or notes associated with the keyword or concept.
This method can be used while listening to the lecturer.
a) The right hand column can list the main ideas or an explanation paragraph
and
b) The left column can note the keyword or concept that relates to the students’ section of the notes.
c) At the bottom of the page a paragraph is written summarising the information contained in the notes.

27. Other examples: The Outlining Method
This method involves writing a series of topics and sub-topics, and identifying them by indenting the text, numbering the lines, or using a dash or bullet point.
Main Topic
Sub-Topic
Detailed points
Second Main Topic

28. The Sentence Method
With this method you simply write every new concept, or topic on a separate line. You can also number the information if you wish. It is recommended that you use some form of visual aid to group related points together.

29. References and further reading
Buzan, T. (1995). The mind map book: Radiant thinking (Rev. ed.). London, England: BBC Books. [Massey Library link]
Student Academic Services. (2011). Notetaking systems. California Polytechnic State University. Retrieved from
The Learning Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
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