What’s the best note taking style for college courses?
Help. I’m all over the place. Links and examples welcome.
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hartfire Best Comment
Learning shorthand is a good idea.
Failing that, leave out vowels unless essential to avoid ambiguity - this speeds up the writing, makes it easier to get every point the lecturer makes.
Use a heading, Topic Number, Name of Topic (Subject of Lecture) Week Number, Date, Name of Lecturer (sometimes there are guest lecturers)
This helps find what you need later.
Listen carefully. Some lecturers repeat themselves, digress, or embroider with interesting but unnecessary detail. Only write what is essential to the understanding of the topic.
Take note of any special points of view or biases that the lecturer reveals about him or herself. If possible, ask a few questions to try to discover them. Remember that they are probably based on a very deep knowledge of the field. When writing an essay, your need not pander to that point of view, but it's a good idea not to run counter to it unless you can provide logically sound arguments and peer-reviewed evidence. Actually all essays must have this attribute, but if you're running against the grain, a second rate lecturer can be less than perfectly objective with the marks.
Be especially fastidious about taking down the names and details of authors and their books, and internet reference sites.
Allow blank space between points. Don't overcrowd the page.
Be sure that your writing is legible.
Use coloured pens in a coded way - decided your own code and stick to it.
Keep the notes for each subject in a separate, colour-coded file.
These help you find what you need when later you need to write your assignments.
Failing that, leave out vowels unless essential to avoid ambiguity - this speeds up the writing, makes it easier to get every point the lecturer makes.
Use a heading, Topic Number, Name of Topic (Subject of Lecture) Week Number, Date, Name of Lecturer (sometimes there are guest lecturers)
This helps find what you need later.
Listen carefully. Some lecturers repeat themselves, digress, or embroider with interesting but unnecessary detail. Only write what is essential to the understanding of the topic.
Take note of any special points of view or biases that the lecturer reveals about him or herself. If possible, ask a few questions to try to discover them. Remember that they are probably based on a very deep knowledge of the field. When writing an essay, your need not pander to that point of view, but it's a good idea not to run counter to it unless you can provide logically sound arguments and peer-reviewed evidence. Actually all essays must have this attribute, but if you're running against the grain, a second rate lecturer can be less than perfectly objective with the marks.
Be especially fastidious about taking down the names and details of authors and their books, and internet reference sites.
Allow blank space between points. Don't overcrowd the page.
Be sure that your writing is legible.
Use coloured pens in a coded way - decided your own code and stick to it.
Keep the notes for each subject in a separate, colour-coded file.
These help you find what you need when later you need to write your assignments.