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School can be difficult for some students that are not prepared for class. During classroom lectures, whether in college or high school, a lot of information is passed along by the instructor. The information that is given in class is very important for the student. Most instructors will go over information that they view as important for the students to hear. However, the tricky part is listening to all the information and coming up with the important data that would be needed for a test. That’s where good note taking, can help!
Before Class
In order to take effective notes, it is important to be prepared ahead of time. If you are assigned homework to read a chapter or a portion of the chapter, prior to class, it is important that you complete the assignment. If the instructor is going over the material in class, you have the opportunity to be familiar with the work. By completing the homework, before class you will:
- Be familiar with the material
- Have the opportunity to formulate questions on the material
- Have an idea what information is important
- Be ready to discuss the information with your instructor
- Need to make sure you have your books and notebooks in class
- Need to bring pencils or pens, and a highlighter
By being prepared before your class, you will be ready to attend class and take effective notes.
During Class
While in class you have the opportunity to hear the instructor talk about classroom material. The material that he or she talks about is important, because in all likelihood information that is talked about will be on an exam. When in class, be sure to:
- Listen carefully to the instructor
- Try to determine the important facts to write down or highlight
- Write down anything that the instructor writes on the board
- Ask for clarification if you don’t understand what the instructor means
- Ask what’s important to study for exams
- Ask for help if you are uncertain if the information you have is relevant
After Class
Once you have your notes, you still have some work to do before you are ready to study. You need to organize your notes to make studying easier. Prior to printing the notes out, make sure you have a fresh printer ink cartridge as it may be helpful to print out your notes. After class, you should:
- Review your handwriting to make sure it is readable
- Copy over any information to make it easier to understand
- Make sure you have the class date on the notes
- Organize it in a folder or binder
- Or, re-organize the information by putting it on your computer (a laptop is just as convenient as a notebook to carry)
Other Resources
Effectively taking notes and organizing them into easily readable review notes, can make the difference between passing and failing a course, or can help improve your grades. Utilize some of these tips, adapt others and you will be a better student.
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