Taking Notes from Lectures - Seneca College

Taking Notes from Lectures
Why take notes? There are three basic reasons:
• To learn.
• To reference later on.
• To keep you thinking.
Taking good lecture notes isn’t easy. Good lecture notes must:
• Summarize the main points.
• Include the important ideas in your own words.
• List the specific details needed to ensure that you understand the information.
Tips
Be Prepared To Take Good Notes
• Know what topics are going to be covered before you go to class.
• Read all of the assignments listed in the syllabus and those given to you by your
instructor for that week.
• Review your notes from the previous lecture and any handouts that were given
out during that lecture.
• Make sure that you are well rested for your class.
• When you arrive at the lecture, choose a seat away from distractions and have
your materials ready to start.
These techniques will not only help you to take better notes, but they will also make it
easier to understand the lecture.

Take Your Notes in a consistent style
• Use standard 8 ½ x 11 lined notebook paper.
• Title your paper with the class, date and whatever information is needed to
uniquely identify these notes.
• Devise and use your own shorthand to make note taking easier, and use it
consistently.
• If you miss information, leave a blank spot in your notes and ask a classmate for
that information after class.
• Don’t crowd information together. Leave room for extra information and put only
one idea or item on a line.
• Use bullets to create a summary-outline form.
• Keep your notes in order.
Know Your Instructor’s Style
Be aware of where the lecture material is coming from.
Does your instructor:
• Simply review the text page by page?
• Use the text as a basis for the lecture but add a lot of information from other
sources?
• Lecture on other sources and expect you to read the text on your own?
Consider the way an instructor organizes and delivers information
• If your instructor starts a class with “Today we will discuss the three basic
ways of …,” use that as a key to organize your notes as you take them.
• If your instructor begins with an anecdote, or some other illustrative material,
you will have to write down ideas in the order that the instructor delivers
them and then spend time organizing them after class.
Adapted from: Glendale Community College Learning Assistance Centre, Taking Useful Notes in
Lectures. Note Taking from Lectures Last Modified August 1, 2008

Stay alert for cues that your instructor gives you, such as:
• Changing voice pitch, rate or tone.
• Writing information on the board.
• Referring to audio-visual material, such as computer presentations.
• repetition
Adapted from: Glendale Community College Learning Assistance Centre, Taking Useful Notes in
Lectures. Note Taking from Lectures Last Modified August 1, 2008

Understand What You Write
• Don’t try to be a human tape recorder – writing a complete transcript of the class
is not good note taking. Your notes should capture the main points and only
those details that you need to clarify the main points.
• Make your notes simple and put them in your own words whenever possible.
Except for complex concepts or specific formulas that you must memorize and
therefore need to write/copy, always translate ideas into your own words.
• When your instructor refers to specific pages or chapters of your textbook or
other materials, write these references down. This way you can look up and
clarify points that you don’t fully understand.
Make Notes on Your Notes
• Study from your notes; don’t just read them over.
• Right after class, spend 5-10 minutes editing your notes. Fill in missing
information, clarify abbreviations, and expand details. Ensure that important
information is underlined or highlighted.
• Compare notes with a friend and fill in any missing information.
Adapted from: Glendale Community College Learning Assistance Centre, Taking Useful Notes in
Lectures. Note Taking from Lectures Last Modified August 1, 2008

Cornell-Style Note Taking (Recall-Clue System)
Try using the Recall-Clue system to index your notes:
• Leave an extra 2-inch margin at the left side of each page of notes. Do not write in
this margin while you are taking notes.
• After you have edited your notes, annotate in the left margin with words, phrases,
or questions that briefly summarize major points. These recall clues should be key
words that trigger your memory to help you recall the complete information.
• To study, cover up the lecture notes and look only at the margin notes. Read the
clue and try to recall all the information in your notes. Then, uncover the lecture
notes to check your answers.
Example of the Recall-Clue System
Adapted from: Glendale Community College Learning Assistance Centre, Taking Useful Notes in
Lectures. Note Taking from Lectures Last Modified August 1, 2008