1. Note Taking
Lecture 4
8 Basic Note Taking Skills

2. 1. Main Ideas and Supporting Facts
Very important to take ORGANIZED notes
--arrange in simple outline format,
means that main topics & main ideas should be
on left-hand side of page
supporting info. should be moved slightly to right
EXAMPLE:
main ideas-
start on left
Humorous comics-purpose is entertainment
ex. Hogan’s Alley (1895), set trend
Peanuts-best ex. today
--simply drawn
--not realistic
Political comics
make political commentary
examples &
supporting
details-
moved to
right

3. 2. Using Abbreviations and Symbols
*Necessary to write quickly & efficiently when taking notes
*Using abbreviations & symbols will help you write faster
*We have many standard abbrev. (hour = hr.), but you can also
make up your own
EXAMPLE: Notes on left are unabbreviated while notes on
right have abbreviations & symbols.
Advertising is a ninety billion dollar
industry in the United States.
*Advertising--$90 bil. industry in U.S.
found in newspapers, magazines,
TV, radio
*found in news., mags, TV, radio
Testimonials—advertisements
that have people tell they use
and like certain products
*testimonials—ads.—people use & like
prods.

4. 3. Using Key Words and Phrases
Key words from lecture help you to
remember main themes & ideas.
EXAMPLE: Here are some key words &
phrases taken from part of a lecture on Computer Crime.
computers becoming popular
opportunities for crime
access private, secret information
dangerous—movie War Games
significant rewards
Reading these key
words & phrases
should jog your
memory as to what
this lecture was about!

5. 4. Numbering a Series of Steps
*Most basic purpose of note taking is…organizing
ideas in lecture
*If lecture involves steps or stages, you MUST
number steps clearly.
*Best to start each new step on lefthand side of pg.
EXAMPLE: These notes from a lecture on Film Making
clearly number the necessary steps:
How movies are made—6 major steps
1st step—find a property
*types of properties
1. original story
2. from novel, play, musical
2nd step—prepare the script

6. 5. One you already know…
The Cornell System
* Refer to Lectures 2 and 3 for format and examples.
* Most popular and effective form of note taking
known to humanity
* Represents the foundation for all the other note
taking skills
* Time-consuming but well worth the effort!
* Combine the Cornell System with the other note
taking skills and strategies for a high-powered
approach to note taking.

7. Using Sketches (Drawings) *Sometimes, sketches help you to
understand material in notes.
*Sketches help us to VISUALIZE ideas.
--visual ideas—very powerful & easy to remember
EXAMPLE: Some sketches you might include in notes from
a lecture on the human body…
sketch of pituitary
gland
sketch of heart
sketch of lungs

8. 7. Making a Chart For some lectures, making a chart is the best way to
understand the info.
Charts are actually another way
of visually representing and organizing
ideas.
There are many different kinds of charts you can create.
Your format depends on the categories of info. that you
are arranging and how they relate to one another.
EXAMPLE: The Chore Chart that Every Kid Should Have…

9. 1 8. Using Numbers and Statistics ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
* Numbers & statistics are part of many academic fields.
* To hear numbers correctly, you have to practice 2 aspects: 1
Be able to distinguish between stress markings on spoken
numbers. ‘
EXAMPLE:
13--thirteen ‘
30--thirty ‘ ‘
19--nineteen
90--ninety
(continued)

10. 2 8. Using Numbers and Statistics (continued)
Listen carefully for number group markers.
--Numbers are given in grps. of 3 digits.
So, for large numbers, you must listen for
markers of millions, thousands, & hundred/ten/
single units.
EXAMPLE: 25,678—Twenty-five thousand//six hundred &
seventy-eight (units)//
4,064,150—Four million//sixty-four thousand//
one hundred and fifty (units)
--Stress & pause will usually help you identify these grp.
markers.