Usually you must organize and rewrite your notes when you go over them at home. Remember the "review tips" (page 11): "Immediately after a lecture, review your lecture notes. Make notations where you may have missed some information and plan to use the textbook or get together with a study partner to fill in those blanks." You may want to look at another student's notes, rather than just relying on your memory. However, the best method is to use your textbook to do this more efficiently.

TEXTBOOK:

Your instructors carefully choose course materials that will best serve as a core source of information. Your textbook complements what is being presented in class. Use the textbook to help you learn! As stated before, your textbook is a 24-hour learning tool, giving you access to knowledge, insights, and experience of the author who is an expert in the field. It may also serve as a reference long after you have completed your course work and degree.

Your textbook is a powerful tool for academic success -- a tool that you yourself can annotate, highlight, study and retain or sell back at the end of the term.

The figures (pictures and photos) in your textbook are especially useful. Use these pictures in the text to put concepts into a pattern that makes sense to you. You have probably heard the expression "a picture is worth more than a thousand words". If you can picture something in your mind it will help you to understand how it all fits together.

1. Before you read a chapter, preview the material by first reading the chapter outline or the main headings (most textbooks have an outline) to see how the material is organized.
2. Then, look over all the figures and tables. The textbook author has carefully selected these to give you, the reader, an idea of what is important in the chapter.
3. Next, read and underline the topic sentence (the first sentence) of each paragraph.
4. When you have finished reading the topic sentences, turn back to the beginning of the chapter and read it thoroughly.
5. Take notes in the margin or on a separate paper. Underline or highlight key points in the text.
6. Look up terms you don't know in the textbook glossary or a dictionary. Make sure you understand each term before you move on.
7. Use a study aid (learning tool) to test your knowledge. There are summaries and end-of-the-chapter questions in the textbook, and on Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice you will find Key Term Lists, Lecture Outlines, Lecture Objectives, and Self-Review_Quizzes. If something confuses you, first try to look up the facts or answers in your textbook. Then, if you don't understand the textbook, ask the instructor for help. Ask during class, chances are other students are confused as well. If you are shy, go up after the lecture and ask, but don't ask the instructor to complete your notes, remember the instructor is not your personal tutor.

Here are some helpful tips on how to become a better note taker:

1. Attend all lectures.
2. Pay attention to your instructor.
3. If possible, sit near the front of the class to avoid distraction.
4. Spend 10 - 15 minutes before each lecture reviewing the material you learned in the previous lecture, especially chapter figures. Also preview the textbook figures in the chapter covering the upcoming lecture. These reviews and previews are extremely important! It is important to know the topic of each lecture before you enter the class, and to spend a few minutes reflecting on facts you already know about the subject.
5. At home, before each lecture, look over the main headings and figures in the chapter.
6. Develop a shorthand system of your own to facilitate note taking. Symbols like = (equals), > (greater than), < (less than), w (with), w/o (without) can save lots of time so that you don't miss the main points or key facts. Omit vowels and abbreviate words to decrease writing time. Develop special abbreviations to cut down on writing time. E might stand for energy, AP might be used for air pollution.
7. Don't take down every word your instructor says, but be sure your notes contain the main points, supporting information, and important terms. Watch for signals from your instructor indicating important material that might show up on an exam. If an instructor spends a lot of time discussing a point, you can assume it will be on the exam. Also, if an instructor keeps repeating a piece of information during a lecture or over several lectures, you can assume it will be on an exam.
8. Review your notes soon after the lecture is over, while they are still fresh in your mind. Be sure to leave space in your notes written during class, so that you can add material you missed. If you have time, recopy your notes after each lecture.