Note-Taking Pt 1: Recording Information

The first step in effective note-taking is recording – the act of capturing the main ideas and concepts in your own words. Whether you're taking notes from a video lecture or live in a classroom, the goal is to capture information that you can use later for the next steps: review and revise (Gurung and Dunlosky, 2023). 

  1. Prime your brain. Prepare for lecture by completing assigned readings, reviewing any provided slides, and even just thinking about the topic and considering what you know and don’t know. This priming helps your brain prepare for what it’s going to hear.  

  1. Prepare for note-taking. If you have slides available, print them or prepare them on your computer for note-taking. You can also create a skeleton outline that you can add details to and fill in content as you go.  

Close up portrait of man working from home office taking notes in note pad while working on laptop computer
Closeup of someone writing in a notebook with a laptop in front of them and phone next to them

  1. Preview practice problems. Take a look at the homework assignment due next. Consider what you know and what you have questions about that you hope the lecture will answer.   

  1. Monitor your focus. Recording notes relies on listening. Minimize distractions, close out extra tabs on your computer, and try to focus on the content. If you notice your mind drifting, gently reorient yourself back to the lecture.   

  1. Actively think as you take notes. Don’t just copy down words like a transcriber. Capture concepts or ideas in your own words. Listen for connections between topics and examples.  

  1. Evaluate what is important. Why is the instructor choosing the examples they do? Use your answer to make choices about what to write down in your notes.

  1. Try out a note-taking organizational method. There are lots of different ways to organize your notes. If you’re new to note-taking or looking to change it up, try Outline, Cornell, or Mind-Mapping.  

  1. Be willing to take messy notes. It can be tempting to want to take neat and organized notes. If that’s not possible, it’s better to take good notes and then work on cleaning them up later.  

Close up of a blank mind map in a notebook
Concentrated student taking notes in lecture hall

  1. Take strategic short cuts. Symbols, acronyms, and other short-cuts can ease the note-taking load and make it easier to keep up: w/ to represent with or an arrow (-->) to indicate a cause-and-effect relationship.  

  1. Mark areas of confusion and follow-up. If you get lost, have questions, or know you want to learn more, capture those so you can follow up. These questions might be about the content, but they also might be about assignments, exams, or other instructions from the instructor.  

The act of taking notes during a lecture keeps you alert, attentive and accountable as you listen. Students who take notes experience increased attention and concentration in class (Hartley & Marshall, 1974 as cited in Cuseo, Fecas & Thompson, 2007). But the second function of notes is to support your studying and learning after the lecture as well. Reviewing notes before tests produces better recall which is important to your performance on exams (Kiewra, 1985).