Lecture Notes for Mature Students
How To Take Effective Study Notes
As a mature student, returning to education can have its challenges and developing effective note taking may be one of them. If it's some years since you've sat in a classroom or lecture hall, you can suddenly find yourself being bombarded with information that you need to remember. Getting your note taking right, early on, is essential to staying on top of your studies.
Note Taking not Every Word Taking!
It's important that you're listening to what is being said as well as making notes. If you're busy trying to write down every word said, you will find that you're actually taking in very little. Note down key words; develop a form of abbreviation that you understand. Write your notes in ways you understand, not verbatim. Abbreviation isn't scribble; many people struggle with notes that later looks more like a hen's scratchings that actual notes. While you need to write quickly develop a style that you can also read clearly.
A Picture says a Thousand Words
Some people, but not everyone, find that pictures are more helpful than words. If you are one of these people then you might find it more helpful to draw brief diagrams that help you remember information. Mind Mapping is a useful technique for taking notes, and through spider diagrams helps the note taker visually capture information in words and diagrams.
For more information on Mind Mapping see Tony Buzan's website. Mind Maps originated in the late 1960s by Tony Buzan.
Listen, Think and Absorb
While you need to take notes, you also need to actively listen to what is being said, and this means thinking about it. The more you think about it, the more you will understand, and in many ways your notes will simply trigger a memory for what you already know.
Be Organised
Ensure that you have a separate notebook or section for each subject, and keep all your lecture notes for that subject together. Simple things, like dates and lecturer, will help you later on when you are searching for a piece of information. Using highlights and colours may help highlight information and group information.
Other Methods of Note Taking
If writing notes doesn't work for you, try another method. You can try recording lectures and playing them back at a later stage where you can pause and make your notes. You might find it easier to take a laptop to lectures and type your notes. Find a way that works for you!
Your notes are very important to your studies, and it's likely that you will need to refer back to them some time after the lecture. Therefore they need to capture the key words and key information. Find a way that works for you, whether that's by words, diagrams, or abbreviations. What's important is that you are listening and taking notes so that they can trigger your memory later on. So listen to understand, not to take notes.
See also How to Take Effective Class Notes
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