If you have been given the source as a handout, you can add some notes right on the sheet of paper.

When a primary source is discussed in class or other students ask questions, jot down some notes.

So you should get some of this factual stuff down in your notebook, not just the prof’s big generalizations.

In any course, some of the lecture material will actually present factual information not available in the reading.

Start by using one or two such forms and then gradually add more. Every note-taker also develops short forms of words such as cd for could, wd for would, w/ for with, n for not, k for can, gd for good, etc. In your blank left-hand column you can provide a key to the abbreviations.

Calhoun can become JCC, Abraham Lincoln AL, etc. Why write out “popular sovereignty” when you could write “pop sov”? John C. Liberally use abbreviations and short forms of words.You can use the prof’s points as the major headings in your notes, but you will need to fill in a lot of information that isn’t on the blackboard. The professor may put an outline on the blackboard, but that is usually just a barebones list of topics to be covered during class.A spiral notebook is best because the pages won’t get separated from one another. I think it’s a good idea to take notes in ink and to use just one side of the page.

Take detailed notes to the right of this line, leaving the left-hand third of the page free so that you can later add brief summary notes, jot down a question, or whatever. A better way is to run a vertical line down the page about 1/3 over from the left edge. This was a mistake because it made the page hard to scan over quickly. I would usually write from one side of the page to the other, leaving very narrow margins.

When I was in college, I kept a lined 8 1/2 x 11 spiral notebook for each of my courses and took my notes in this notebook.

Memory is imperfect and won’t last long, but you’ll have the notes for review throughout the term.

Taking notes in class is important because it helps you to stay alert and focused on the class, and because you’ll walk away from the class with a fairly detailed record of what was said.

I don’t know of a good, succinct guide to note-taking, but here are a few random observations based on my own experience as a student and listener.

Taking good notes in college ppt