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A
System for Effective Listening and Notetaking
You
can think about 4 TIMES FASTER than a lecturer can
speak.
Effective
LISTENING requires the expenditure of energy; to
compensate for the rate of presentation, you have to
acively intend to listen.
NOTETAKING
is one way to enhance listening, and using a
systematic approach to the taking and reviewing of
your notes can add immeasurably to your understanding
and remembering the content of lectures.
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BEFORE
CLASS
 | Develop a
mind-set geared toward listening. |
| Test yourself
over the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to
begin. |
| Skim relevant
reading assignments to aquaint yourself with main ideas, new
technical terms, etc. |
| Do what you can
to improve physical and mental alertness(fatigue, hunger; time of
day, where you sit in the classroom may affect
motivation). |
| Choose notebooks
that will enhance your systematic notetaking: A separate notebook
with full-sized pages is recommended for each course. You might
wish to mark off the pages into one of the formats
shown at the end of this page. |
| INTEND TO
LISTEN.
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- DURING
CLASS
| Listen for the
structure and information in the lecture. |
| Resist
distractions, emotional reactions, or boredom. |
| Be consistent in
your use of form, abbreviation, etc. |
| Pay attention to
speaker for verbal, postural, and visual clues to what's
important. |
| Label important
points and organizational clues: main points,
examples. |
| When possible
translate the lecture into your own words, but, if you can't,
don't let it worry you into inattention! |
| If you feel you
don't take enough notes, divide your page into 5 sections and try
to fill each part every 10 minutes (or work out your own
formula). |
| Ask questions if
you don't understand. |
| Instead of
closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave, listen
carefully to information given toward the end of class; summary
statements may be of particular value in highlighting main points;
there may be possible quiz questions, etc.
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- AFTER
CLASS
| Clear up any
questions raised by the lecture by asking either the teacher or
classmates. |
| Fill in missing
points or misunderstood terms from text or other
sources. |
| Edit your notes,
labeling main points, adding recall clues and questions to be
answered. Key points in the notes can be highlighted with
different colors of ink. |
| Make note of your
ideas and reflections, keeping them separate from those of the
speaker.
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- PERIODICALLY
 Page
Formats. 
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