Note taking & study skills
- 1. Note Taking & Study Skills WHS Freshman Orientation
- 2. Common Q & A About Note Taking 1. Why do I need to take notes? 2. How do I learn to take class notes? 3. How should I organize my notes? 4. What should I do with my notes after I take them? 5. What should I do if my teacher is going too fast and I can’t keep up?
- 3. Why Take Notes? It is difficult to remember information for an entire unit or chapter that lasts over several days or weeks. It is important to take notes to help you remember and understand the material you are learning so that you can be ready for the test! Note taking keeps you active and alert during class and helps you stay focused on the information you are learning.
- 4. How Do I Take Notes? Every person has their own note taking strategy; you will develop yours over time. There are many different types of note taking strategies, so you will have to find one that works best for you. Some Common Types: Listing/Bulleting Outlining Two-Columns
- 5. Organizing Your Notes It is helpful to keep notes separate from worksheets, handouts, and homework assignments. Your teacher may require you to keep a notebook or binder organized in a certain manner. If so, do as your teacher asks; it will help you succeed in class. One possible way to organize your notebook is as follows: Use a 2-inch binder with three divider tabs. Put your syllabus in front of the first divider tab, so that it is the first thing you see when you open the binder. Label the first tab “Notes” and put all of your notes behind this tab. Label the second tab “Homework” and put all of your homework behind this tab, both before and after it is completed and graded. Label the third tab “Other” and put anything that doesn’t fit in the other two tabs behind this one.
- 6. Using Your Notes… If you take notes and then never look at them again, you’re wasting your time! After class, it is important to read over your notes to review. As you read, highlight or underline key details that you may have forgotten or that may appear on the test. When a test is coming up, use your notes as a study guide or to make up your own practice test or quiz before the real thing.
- 7. Keeping Up With the Teacher This problem usually occurs when students are trying to write down too much information. Try to write down main points, things that the teacher emphasizes, and anything the teacher tells you to write down. Consider recording the teacher’s lecture and taking notes later, when you can pause and restart. (Ask the teacher for permission before you do this!)
- 8. Study Skills If you want to succeed in high school, you will have to put forth the effort. You must set aside time to study and do homework EVERY DAY. Believe it or not, you can spend less time studying if you do the right things and have a plan.
- 9. General Study Hints Review your notes each night, and then study for a longer period of time the night before a test. Maintain good attendance. If you want to do well in school, attendance is important. When you miss school, you miss important material that will be on the test. It is your responsibility to get that information. Participate in Class. Ask questions, make eye contact with the teacher, listen to what’s going on, read the material Use Your Textbook and Other Materials Form Study Groups Stay Organized