Use your metacognition skills (Plan, Monitor, Evaluate) for lectures to minimize time and maximize learning by following a notetaking strategy.
Video by Thomas Frank, 2014.
Take a few minutes to preview material that may be covered in class. The goal is to become slightly familiar with the information so that the class material will be less overwhelming.
Read and pay attention to titles, bolded terms, objectives, and the summary/conclusion.
Write down any questions that come up while you are previewing to ask in class.
Watch the video below to learn about Cornell Note-taking System and prepare the three sections on your piece of paper.
Video by Learning Strategies Center, Cornell University, 2019.
Record:
In the wide column on the right ("Notes"), write down the information from the lecture. Use an informal outline or a modified block style of note-taking.
Check with your professor or classmates after class if you missed a portion of the information.
Check to make sure your notes are legible.
Reduce:
As soon as the class is finished, reduce the content down to important Recall Questions.
Write the Recall Questions in the left hand margin ("Cue"). the questions should be located near where the answers will be found in the notes (right hand margin).
Underline or highlight the answers to each Recall Question
You can transfer these Q&A's to notecards for portable studying.
Write a summary at the bottom section of the page.
Try to capture the main points on each page and put it in your own words.
At the end of each major section or chapter, write a summary section for the whole topic.
Reflect
How does this relate to the previous lecture notes?
How can you apply this information?
What ideas or terms are important to know?
Recite
Practice these Q&A's by reciting the answers out loud and in your own words from memory.
Cover up the answers in the right hand column. Check your answers and keep repeating until you have mastered the content.
Review
Before you start studying the new material each night, quickly review your old notes.
Ask yourself the Recall Questions and check to see if your answers are correct.
Try to summarize the page based on the topic at the top of the page.
A brief review each night is more effective than a late night study session the night before the exam.