Note taking

1. Before the lecture

	Prepare before class know what will be covered, read the chapter summary and then skim the chapter.
	Look over the last set of notes.
	attend all lectures. notes that you take will be more beneficial to you than someone else's photocopied notes.

2. during the lecture

	Sit as close to the front as you can to avoid being distracted.
	Sit up straight in your chair using good posture. Active learning occurs best when actively sitting up and not when slouched in a relaxed state of laziness.
	write on one side of the paper only using 2/3 of the page leaving room to add stuff. Save the back side for annotation later during review.
	On the top of your all pages record lecture and date along with number of page. It is not uncommon to take 5 to 15 pages of notes during a single lecture. If you have a spill it will be easy to reorganize your notes.
	Begin taking notes right away. Things will move quickly and you night miss important information.
	Use words used in the lecture both in the notes and on exams.
	Concentrate, actively listen and write everything you possibly can. This will improve with practice. What is not written can be lost.
	Write in short phrases using abbreviations or concepts. your notes do not need to be in complete sentences, develop your own symbols and abbreviations.
	Make notes complete as possible for later understanding. I found that my own note taking improved greatly when I took notes for a fellow blind student. I wanted her to get all the information and as a result I got all the information. Prior to this I only took sparse notes on what I did not understand, and I forgot the stuff I initially understood but did not record.
	Use clear letters not scribbles.
	Capture ideas as well as the details.
	Keep the organization simple and clear.
	If the lecture is too fast then capture fragments and fill in later.
	Leave blanks where you miss things and fill in later.
	Record all lecture examples.

3. After the lecture

	Conclude by writing the main points covered in the lecture before you leave the lecture hall. Just a couple of minutes here will save you hours later. In your mind touch on each concept and write a few words about each one. This reinforces what you have just learned and will be much easier to recall later. Then close the book and leave on a confident note.
	Fill in blanks. This is easier if you have a study group to review with.
	Use the back side of the previous page to edit notes and integrate information in the text. In a sense this is like rewriting your notes
	Review notes as soon after lecture as possible.

Recopying your notes is a personal decision. If you do recopy your notes it is best to keep it in your own writing. There is something about seeing information in your own writing rather than text from a word processor. However if you follow the above method of note taking in a sense you are recopying your notes but you also have the original page your notes were taken on. Sometimes a way a word is written in your own writing will trigger a memory that can be lost in the neat recopying. Never throw out your originals.