# Note taking tips?..



## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

How do you effectively take notes during a lecture at university?

I require the skill (or should I say the art) of taking notes. How do you subtract the main ideas from a lecture where your professor talks so fast you could jot down 30 pages of full-length sentences in half an hour?

What method do you use for taking notes?

Thanks


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## Autumn26 (Aug 1, 2013)

I agree with going over power points ahead of class or recording the lectures. If chapters were assigned for reading, you should also read those beforehand. That way, if the professor repeats some things you've already read, you don't have too worry too much about getting every word he/she says. 

I usually jot down keywords and definitions, always in points and short-form. If you're a slow writer, you could use your laptop to type them out.


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## Testsubject (Nov 25, 2013)

Learn short hand. That's what I do. Translate once you get the free time. Also some like to record. I have some professors that will upload lectures like a podcast.


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## lles (Jan 5, 2014)

My professors almost always uploads the powerpoints, so I only take notes of things that are not already in the pp.


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## wraith (Feb 22, 2010)

You also need a good tool, such as workflowy.com


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Autumn26 said:


> I agree with going over power points ahead of class or recording the lectures. If chapters were assigned for reading, you should also read those beforehand. That way, if the professor repeats some things you've already read, you don't have too worry too much about getting every word he/she says.
> 
> I usually jot down keywords and definitions, always in points and short-form. If you're a slow writer, you could use your laptop to type them out.


I think you missed the point about how fast my professor speaks. Even using a laptop a normal person at 384 CPM can't keep up the pace. But anyway, I already use a digital recorder anyway.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Testsubject said:


> Learn short hand. That's what I do. Translate once you get the free time. Also some like to record. I have some professors that will upload lectures like a podcast.


My university doesn't allow podcasting. It's against the university's policy to podcast any study material.. What is 'learning short hand'?


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

wraith said:


> You also need a good tool, such as workflowy.com


Thanks man


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## Testsubject (Nov 25, 2013)

s12345 said:


> My university doesn't allow podcasting. It's against the university's policy to podcast any study material.. What is 'learning short hand'?


Ah that's a rough policy. This is short hand.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

failoutboy said:


> I think you missed the point that you are not supposed to write down everything the professor says word for word.
> 
> Typing is faster than writing by hand.


I think you missed the point that even if you are writing down single words as rough guides, he even speaks too fast for that. Think about that hm? Before you reply? Thanks!!! ;-)


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

wraith said:


> You also need a good tool, such as workflowy.com


I just took a quick look at workflowy. It just seems to do the same as EverNote and OneNote. I have both of those and OneNote is the best for me.


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## Greenleaf62 (Aug 1, 2013)

lles said:


> My professors almost always uploads the powerpoints, so I only take notes of things that are not already in the pp.


^Same here.

Also, if a professor says something more than once then it's a good idea to write it down. I know not all professors are like this but I have a professor this semester that says the same thing a bunch of different ways to help us understand.


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## Partridge (Jan 11, 2014)

Focus on paying attention to the professor and only write down what you think is important. If you feel as if you missed something, you can always just use someone else's notes.


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## Autumn26 (Aug 1, 2013)

s12345 said:


> I think you missed the point that even if you are writing down single words as rough guides, he even speaks too fast for that. Think about that hm? Before you reply? Thanks!!! ;-)


Is your professor an auctioneer or something, how fast does he talk?!

Even still, you could let your prof know to slow down, that has happened in some of my classes as well. Writing out full sentences is impossible.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Partridge said:


> Focus on paying attention to the professor and only write down what you think is important. If you feel as if you missed something, you can always just use someone else's notes.


"Just use someone else's notes". Now why did I not think of that? Come on man, I speak to no one on campus. I am an evil recluse.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Autumn26 said:


> Is your professor an auctioneer or something, how fast does he talk?!
> 
> Even still, you could let your prof know to slow down, that has happened in some of my classes as well. Writing out full sentences is impossible.


Hey, you put it really well. Indeed, he does sound like an auctioneer, just without the accent. If I ask the professor to slow down (I did once) and if I ask it too many times, our university's 'honor' is 'harmed' and they don't want to slow down that often anymore. If you are at university you should be a brainiac who has no trouble keeping up the pace. At least, that's their motto. But thanks, I will try to ask some of my professors. Or at least, those who are kind. I only know one of those.. hehe.


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## StNaive (Feb 21, 2013)

Like some other people said, read the chapter first, if there are powerpoint slides posted before the lecture, read those and maybe print them, and then when the professor says something you don't recognize, write that down. Also, if they repeat it or say something like "This is important," or "the take-home message is," "write this down," etc. then that's worth taking not of. Good professors will try to drop those kind of hints for you, at least in my experience.


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## Partridge (Jan 11, 2014)

s12345 said:


> "Just use someone else's notes". Now why did I not think of that? Come on man, I speak to no one on campus. I am an evil recluse.


Have you tried asking someone and they refused to let you borrow their notes? Is there any way you can register with school disability services and make arrangements for someone to give you their notes?


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Autumn26 said:


> I agree with going over power points ahead of class or recording the lectures. If chapters were assigned for reading, you should also read those beforehand. That way, if the professor repeats some things you've already read, you don't have too worry too much about getting every word he/she says.
> 
> I usually jot down keywords and definitions, always in points and short-form. If you're a slow writer, you could use your laptop to type them out.


But don't go overboard with the powerpoints. I've seen some students even print up all the powerpoint slides and bring them to class. Then they take little to no notes. I swear to god those types do the worst on exams. Maybe they don't really study besides looking at the powerpoint.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Partridge said:


> Have you tried asking someone and they refused to let you borrow their notes? Is there any way you can register with school disability services and make arrangements for someone to give you their notes?


Yes I did. And yes they refused. 
Disability services? What's wrong with you? That's an insult. I have no disability!!!


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## Remnant of Dawn (Feb 22, 2012)

komorikun said:


> But don't go overboard with the powerpoints. I've seen some students even print up all the powerpoint slides and bring them to class. Then they take little to no notes. I swear to god those types do the worst on exams. Maybe they don't really study besides looking at the powerpoint.


I'm probably even worse. I tend to bring my laptop to class, open the slides on that, and then keep a Word document open and only type what's not on the slides. I always thought it helped me pay attention better to not have to worry about taking notes so much, but I'm probably wrong about that.

As far as actual advice, I don't have much, sorry. Only thing I can do is echo what everyone else has said that I've definitely found it helpful to read lecture notes and the book before the lecture, as opposed to after. If you're reading a book and don't quite get something, you can go back until you get it. If you're listening to a lecture, the professor moves on and, especially if the rest of the lecture builds on that, you could miss lots of stuff.

Good luck


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## Partridge (Jan 11, 2014)

s12345 said:


> Yes I did. And yes they refused.
> Disability services? What's wrong with you? That's an insult. I have no disability!!!


It's amazing that you've asked every person in the class for notes and they all refused. I'm sorry to hear that so many people are like that in a college setting. On the upside, you're a really hard worker and I wouldn't have had the guts to do what you did.

Since you asked, I have Asperger's, general anxiety/depression.

Considering you already use a tape recorder, it doesn't look like you're in too bad shape to begin with. It's probably not necessary to use disability services, especially since you don't need it. I'm more worried now about what you find insulting about having a disability.


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## prettyful (Mar 14, 2013)

i used to copy the powerpoints word for word because i was very thorough with my notes. make sure you use legible handwriting cuz i cant tell you how many times i rushed and had trouble later reading my notes. :/


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Partridge said:


> It's amazing that you've asked every person in the class for notes and they all refused. I'm sorry to hear that so many people are like that in a college setting. On the upside, you're a really hard worker and I wouldn't have had the guts to do what you did.
> 
> Since you asked, I have Asperger's, general anxiety/depression.
> 
> Considering you already use a tape recorder, it doesn't look like you're in too bad shape to begin with. It's probably not necessary to use disability services, especially since you don't need it. I'm more worried now about what you find insulting about having a disability.


Yes it is actually amazing. And yes I've asked everyone. I went around back and back to front. Most people (about 95% of them) say they don't have any notes. 2,5% of the 5% said "no" and 2,5% said they don't have the patience to copy their notes for me. It's amazing how selfish humanity is. If you don't want to believe it, then I think you live in a pink bubble. University kids are pure vermin. At least I know it. I've worked with those selfish brats for three years. I don't know what I asked.

Oh and speaking of disability services: you are only allowed to use those if you are diagnosed officially to have one of the disabilities - which I don't have. A friend of mine does though, it had something to do with not having depth-sight and 'loss of concentration'. He gets an hour extra to do his exams, while we only get 1 hour 30 minutes per exam.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

prettyful said:


> i used to copy the powerpoints word for word because i was very thorough with my notes. make sure you use legible handwriting cuz i cant tell you how many times i rushed and had trouble later reading my notes. :/


Good thing I take notes with a laptop.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

failoutboy said:


> Tell them that they don't have to do any work--you will just take a picture of their notes and you will decipher the picture on your own later. It takes less than a minute to do this.


I was referring to copying the existing notes from their USB stick to mine. That's how lazy they are.


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## Finished123 (Jan 15, 2014)

Most smartphones have capability to record audio. Do it discretely bc some professors don't like people recording their lectures.

For what it's worth, I find reading the textbook carefully to be more useful than lectures, but I guess that is how I learn best.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Finished123 said:


> Most smartphones have capability to record audio. Do it discretely bc some professors don't like people recording their lectures.
> 
> For what it's worth, I find reading the textbook carefully to be more useful than lectures, but I guess that is how I learn best.


That is how I learn best as well. The recorded lectures are a great boost to it.  They complete it.


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