Orientation

Welcome to the online student orientation

This orientation is also available as

• Text Only
• Downloadable Word Document (442k)

Table of Contents

• The Pathway to Success in Your College Course
• Time Management
• Study Environment
• Learning Styles
  • Learning Styles Activities
• Reading Skills & Strategies
• Note Taking
• Memory Techniques
• Preparing For and Taking Tests
• Computer Basics
• Distanct Learner Handbook
  

Note Taking (top)

Why take notes?

1. It triggers basic lecturing processes and helps you to remember information.
2. It helps you to concentrate in class.
3. It helps you prepare for tests.
4. Your notes are often a source of valuable clues for what information the instructor thinks most important (i.e., what will show up on the next test).
5. Your notes often contain information that cannot be found elsewhere (i.e., in your textbook).

Evaluate your present note-taking system. Ask yourself:

1. Did I use complete phrases or sentences that mean something to me later?
2. Did I use any form at all?
3. Are my notes clear or confusing?
4. Did I capture main points and all subpoints?
5. Did I streamline using abbreviations and shortcuts?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to develop some new note-taking skills!

Here are some guidelines for taking notes:

1. Concentrate on the lecture or on the reading material.
2. Take notes consistently.
3. Take notes selectively. Do NOT try to write down every word. Remember that the average lecturer speaks approximately 125-140 words per minute, and the average note-taker writes at a rate of about 25 words per minute.
4. Translate ideas into your own words.
5. Organize notes into some sort of logical form.
6. Be brief. Write down only the major points and important information.
7. Write legibly. Notes are useless if you cannot read them later!
8. Don't be concerned with spelling and grammar.

The information above is from http://www.arc.sbc.edu/notes.html. Click on the link for more on how to streamline your notes. This MSWord document provides more information on note taking: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/docs/taking_notes.doc.

There are a number of different methods for taking notes and they may look very different, as illustrated by these two examples. The one on the left is the Cornell method; the one on the right, mindmapping:

These are some common notetaking methods:

• the Cornell Method (this MSWord document provides more on this method: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/docs/cornell_note_taking.doc)
• the Outline Method
• the Mapping Method
• the Charting Method
• the Sentence Method

For details on these methods, go to http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetaking.systems.html. Also check out this resource about note taking: http://www.how-to-study.com/Taking%20Notes%20in%20Class.htm.

Go to http://www.ablongman.com/textbooktips/index.html and select the following for more on note taking:

• Zen and the Art of Note-Taking (Rely on Your Text and Class Notes)
• Don't Look Into the (High) Lighter (Take Notes in Your Text)

Select the links related to note taking at http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html.

View http://www.how-to-study.com/Taking%20Notes%20in%20Class.htm at How-to-Study.com

Finally, check out these sites for hints on using your notes effectively to review: http://www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/notesonline/note5.htm and http://www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/notesonline/note6.htm.

If some of these links don't work or if you are interesting in further research, use a search tool and type in "note taking."

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice makes perfect! If you practice enough, you won't have to think about applying reading strategies or taking notes. You will just do it.

Start small by using the short stories at http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/home.html to practice your reading skills and reading strategies.

1. Click on the Story Archives button.
2. Select a story that interests you.
3. Read the story.
4. After reading the story, complete the short quizzes listed at the left:
   • Vocabulary
   • Word Selection
   • Multiple Choice
   • Sequencing
   • Conclusions

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