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Note taking entails being organised and engaging with your material in
a critical and active way.
Getting organised
- Keep all your materials from each course together and keep materials for each course separate. For example, ring binders are a good idea as they enable you to move material around when necessary. Coloured dividers are also useful as are plastic divider sheets and plastic or cardboard folders and envelopes.
- It's not a bad idea to date your notes so that you can keep track of when they were taken.
- Write down the full bibliograhical details of each source you consult to make documenting easier.
- Using margins can be effective - page numbers can be recorded as can any ideas that you have while reading etc.
- Work on developing an effective system of note-taking rather than one that just looks good (of course your notes do need to be legible!!)
- Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols that are understandable to you.
Example
Engaging with the material
- As with reading, keep your purpose in mind. This
will help you select information and ideas that are
pertinent to your needs.
- Only start taking notes after you have read the
material first and decided what is relevant.
- Do not mindlessly copy. Instead, take notes in your
own words (when you do need to quote make sure you use
quotation marks and copy the quote exactly, including
taking note of where you got it from and the page
number).
- Record any ideas of your own that emerge while
reading, listening or watching. and make sure these can
be distinguished from the ideas of others. Using a
different coloured pen to record your own ideas can help
with this.
- Integrate facts into concepts, general principles,
theories etc.
- Before attending residential schools, do some
preliminary reading. In class concentrate on
listening to what the lecturer says rather than
trying to copy down everything that he or she is saying.
Pick out the main points − details can be filled in
later. After class read over your notes and relate these
to other reading you have done.
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