This handout contains some hints for surviving a lecture intensive course (i.e.
a course in which the professor talks a lot and the student writes a lot).
The first survival skill is notetaking. A common complaint from students is
that he/she "expects us to be tape recorders - there is no way I can write that
fast." WRONG! The professor does not expect anyone to be a tape recorder.
He does expect good notetaking. Good notetaking CAN be learned.
Here we go ----
- Be on time for class - have your lecture materials out and ready to go
when the professor walks in the door.
- Be ready to start LISTENING as soon as the professor walks in the door.
- Have more than one pen or pencil ready.
- Make sure you have reviewed prior lecture material - if you already have
a concept in your lecture notes, and the idea is referred to again, all you
have to do is jot a note to refer back to old notes.
- Know how to spell - both plain old English words - and technical words
that have all ready been presented in class. If you can spell them you won't
have to waste time trying to figure out HOW to spell. If you are hopelessly
beyond spelling when under pressure, learn to spell words as they sound -
BUT - then make very sure you go over notes immediately after class and
put correct spelling in or you will never remember what you have written.
- Be aggressive in notetaking. Don't wait for an idea to strike you - it's far
better to have too much material than too little.
- If the professor repeats something, MAKE SURE YOU WRITE IT
- Be especially aware of lists and problems or examples done and write
- Take notes, not dictation. That means being able to develop your own
form of notehand.
- Some common forms of notehand include spelling every day words
phonetically eg. says = saz, days = daz.
- Another notehand technique is to develop abbreviations for words that are
used frequently in the course.
- eg. Real Numbers - R
- Natural Numbers - N
As long as you have the word spelled out correctly somewhere in your
notes, you can refer back.
Leave out the "the's, a's", etc.
Use symbols when you can
Leave out vowels.
- & for and
- B for but
- X for except
If there is a simple symbol, use it
- between =btwn
- among = amng
- patient =ptnt
PRINT key words. The eye and brain recognize print faster and you will
remember it longer.
Use indentation when taking notes.
- 1° = primary
- 2° = secondary
- = heart
- = for each
- = therefore
- = there exists
- = such that
- = is an element of
definition 1. _____________
definition 2. _____________
Skip lines - leave visual breaks between definitions, lists, or explanations.
(note space between definition 1 and 2 above)
If you miss something, leave a blank in your notes. You can fill it in
later. If you try to copy it from your neighbor, both of you will lose more
If you miss something in lecture, DO NOT interrupt lecture. There is
nothing more distracting to both lecturer and class than to be tracking along
with an idea and have someone in the room interrupt with "What came after
'foreign protein'?" Fill in your blanks after lecture.
Get together with classmates after lecture and pool your notes. That way
you can be sure you have everything down. It will also help make sure you
understand what you have written down. (That's how students survived
pre-tape recorder days)
Read your text before you come to class. If you have read the text, new
concepts and vocabulary will be less formidable and it becomes easier to
decide what to write and what to skip.
Try to figure out where your instructor gets lecture material. Some
faculty tailor their lecture notes to fit the text. Some faculty take lecture
material from one or two of their recommended readings or from their
bibliography. If, within a couple of lectures, you haven't figured out where
the lecture material is coming from, ask someone who has already taken the
class. Most students who are active learners figure it out before the
semester is over.
If the instructor does take lecture material from the text, you have been
blessed. Carry that heavy thing with you to class everyday and take lecture
notes by highlighting as you go along.
BUT - make sure you have paper and pencil ready. Most instructors
will add other examples or pieces of information from time to time and you
will need to jot that down.
If you feel more comfortable taking your own notes all the time, that's fine.
Knowing where the lecture material comes from is still valuable. If you
miss a definition or a concept, you can always go to the source to fill in
Many times, it is not necessary to write down examples, but again, know
your instructor. If the example is one that may end up on an exam as a
think question, write down at least the highlights of the example. If it is a
"story" to create a word picture, listen rather than write - you'll remember it