Select an overriding idea (high level or abstract) from the instructor’s lecture and place it in a circle in the middle of the page. To develop a concept map, start by using your syllabus to rank the ideas you will listen to by level of detail (from high-level or abstract ideas to detailed facts). Concept maps harness your visual sense to understand complex material “at a glance.” They also give you the flexibility to move from one idea to another and back easily (so they are helpful if your instructor moves freely through the material). This summary will significantly affect your recall and will help you prepare for the next class.Ĭoncept mapping is a very graphic method of note-taking that is especially good at capturing the relationships among ideas. Taking good notes in college software#The software will take care of the numbering for you!Īfter class, be sure to review your notes and then summarize the class in one or two short paragraphs using your own words. Use the increase or decrease indent buttons to navigate the level of importance you want to give each item. Format your document by selecting the outline format from the format bullets menu. If you’re using your laptop computer for taking notes, a basic word processing application (like Microsoft Word or Works) is very effective. Your reading assignments before class can also give you guidance in identifying the key ideas. This takes practice and experience with each instructor, so don’t give up! In the early stages, you should use your syllabus to determine what key ideas the instructor plans to present. To further organize your ideas, you can use the typical outlining numbering scheme (starting with roman numerals for key ideas, moving to capital letters on the first subordinate level, Arabic numbers for the next level, and lowercase letters following.) At first, you may have trouble identifying when the instructor moves from one idea to another. ![]() Key ideas are written to the left of the page, subordinate ideas are then indented, and details of the subordinate ideas can be indented further. The advantage of the outline method is that it allows you to prioritize the material. Most colleges recommend using some form of the Cornell method. The Cornell method can include any of the methods above and provides a useful format for calling out key concepts, prioritizing ideas, and organizing review work. You may also include a summary box at the bottom of the page. After class or completing the reading, review your notes and write the key ideas and concepts or questions in the left column. The right column (about two-thirds of the page) is used for taking notes using any of the methods described above or a combination of them. The left column takes up no more than a third of the page and is often referred to as the “cue” or “recall” column. The Cornell method uses a two-column approach. Also good if the instructor tends to hop from one idea to another and back. Use arrows and lines to connect the various ideas.Ī great method to show relationships among ideas. When designing a concept map, place a central idea in the center of the page and then add lines and new circles in the page for new ideas. Easy to use when taking notes on your computer. Under each of these ideas, further detail can be added, designated with an Arabic number, a lowercase letter, and so forth.Ī good method to use when material presented by the instructor is well organized. Supporting ideas to these main concepts are indented and are noted with capital letters. The outline method places most important ideas along the left margin, which are numbered with roman numerals. It is not easy for students to prioritize ideas in this method. This method typically requires a lot of writing, and you may find that you are not keeping up with the professor. ![]() This method is what most students use as a fallback if they haven’t learned other methods. Lists may be short phrases or complete paragraphs describing ideas in more detail. A sequential listing of ideas as they are presented.
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