High School Study Skills: Taking Notes

Taking notes is an important part of getting good grades. For high school students, note taking is also a skill that can be practiced and perfected before it is needed in college. While taking notes may seem as easy as writing down whatever the teacher says, the task also requires being able to read and understand the notes when it is time to study. The key to taking good notes is to use note-taking skills that create organized, easily reviewed notes.Tips for Taking Good NotesBecause taking good notes is a learned skill, not everyone knows how to take good notes. The following tips will improve your note-taking skills:Prepare for the lessons. When your teacher assigns readings or homework, be sure to do them. They will prepare you for the lessons. You will go into the classroom knowing what material is going to be covered and knowing which areas are problems for you. This will also help you know whether the teacher is giving you information that is not covered in your reading material, in which case you need to include it in your notes.Use short, simple sentences. It is not necessary to write down every word your teacher says. Write down main points, key ideas, and anything the teacher tells you specifically that you will need to know.Organize your notes. The whole point of taking notes is to be able to review them later. If they are not organized, it makes it difficult for you to study for exams. There are several different methods you can use for organizing your notes, but make sure you use a method that is comfortable for you. The following are some of the most popular ways of organizing your notes:oOutline. A quick and easy way of organizing your notes is to use a basic outline. Some people prefer to write down main topics, then use bullets or dashes to indicate the supporting ideas for that topic. Other people like to use a formal outline, with I, A, 1, a labels for headings, subheadings and supporting information. Either way creates notes that can be reviewed without the frustration of trying to find information across several pages.oThe Cornell Method. Also known as the 2-6 method, this one takes a little more time than the outline, but it also creates extremely organized notes. With this method, you divide your page into two columns using the red line on the side of your paper as a guide. The first column, to the left of the red line, is about 2 inches wide, while the column to the right of the red line is about 6 inches. You write notes in the 6-inch column, then put keywords or main ideas in the 2-inch column. The keywords act like an index, showing you at a glance what information is covered in the large column.oThe split page method. Again, this method takes longer than the outline method, but results in more detailed notes. Divide your page into two columns by drawing a line down the middle of the page. One column is used to take notes during class, while the other column is used for outlining the reading material for the class. When you study, you will have information from both the textbook and the teacher on the same page.Neatness counts. Make sure you can read your notes later. Use neat handwriting. Avoid shorthand because it may be confusing when you look at your notes after a day or two. Leave a blank line or two after main points to call attention to those points.Being able to take good notes is a skill that goes beyond the high school classroom. It is also an essential part of doing well in classes. While note taking is not a skill that comes easily to many people, it is possible to learn to take good notes.

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