Notes' Checks

From time to time I will check to see how much of the lecture material you are actually taking down in your notes. Following a lecture, I will ask you to keep your notes open take a short quiz on the material presented in class that day or the previous day.  You can use only your notes.  If you are absent on the day notes were taken, you should ask a study buddy for a copy of his notes.  Try to be in the habit of putting a day and a date on the top of every page of notes you take.  If you start new notes on the same page, separate the notes with a day and a date, as you might in a journal or diary.

Here are some cues to look for when taking notes.

• The teacher changes his/her pace when (s)he arrives is making a significant point.

• The teacher will repeat something.  If you missed it the first time, get it down on paper.  If you already have something (s)he repeated, put a star next to it everytime it is mentioned again.   This will tell you  how likely it is to be on a test or a quiz.

• The teacher gives an example to illustrate a point.  Make sure you reference the examples in your notes and link them to the point.  If you remember the example or story, but don't know what it has to do with a lecture point, you've lost an important memory aid.

• Try to think of questions to ask the teacher regarding what is being presented.  Chances are, if you asked a question about something, you'll be sure to remember that part of the material.

• Finally, try to ween youself away from just taking down notes that are on the board.  This is ok for grammar school, but not high school material.  There's much more to learn than can be written on the board.