Take note of note taking

Are tests a nightmare for you? Do you have trouble remembering key things taught during class when it is time to put your knowledge to the test?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might want to find a way to turn these questions into a “no.”

Becoming a better note taker and understanding how to find the key points in a lecture can help improve your academic career, according to the Office of Student Success and Retention which is giving workshops about note taking.

Several times a week, events are held during college hour in the Center for Academic Success building at the heart of Kean University’s campus to help students improve various learning skills. At a recent a studying/note taking workshop on Oct. 25, though, only two students attended.

“I needed to go to an event for my class and I thought this one would help me most,” said Courtney Ellman, senior and communication w/ public relations option major.

Ellman recognized that this workshop would be helpful for her and it seems as though the only reason she found it is because of her class assignment.

“I don’t think that I am a bad note taker. Honestly, it all depends on the professor or presenter,” Ellman said.

Workshops like the note-taking one can be found on Kean university’s Cougar Link. This website provided by the university allows students to have access to involvement opportunities and later document it. Cougar Link is available to all students and contains other workshops to aid students in their academics.

A person taking notes. Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons.

The presenter of this workshop Dena Emawad, academic coach and a graduate student said she understands what it is like to be a presenter and a note taker.

“I find that engaging, giving examples, having Q&A, knowing the audience, and feedback helps students most when I am presenting,” said Emawad.

Teaching methods vary from so understanding the type of learner you are can help you make the best of whatever teaching style your professor has.

Emawad began the workshop with a quiz that helped to assess learner types: Visual, Tactile, and Auditory.

“When choosing how I will present something I consider the activity, the type of learner, and access to the audience,” said Emawad.

Emawad also taught five methods to take notes: Cornell, Spidergram, Charting, Mapping, and Sentence method.

Visual learners need to take in information so the Spidergram and Mapping method would be best for this style of learner. A Spidergram has the main idea in the center of a paper with sub points reaching outward in an organized manner.

Tactile learners need a hands-on experience so things like labs and role-playing would help best for this style of learner. Hands-on learners need to actually do the job.

Lastly, auditory learners need to hear what is going on so it’s important for the student to engage with the presenter and to be attentive. Auditory learners would do very well if they make songs or little sayings to remember things.

Another important factor that can help all learners is to rewrite and review their notes within 24 hours of the presentation to ensure the information sticks.

Each of the five methods has its own benefits that help a particular individual learn the best possible way to retain that information.

Cornell is said to be the best note-taking style because it has elements that appeal to each type of learner by getting the information out, reviewing it, and highlighting key things within it, according to Emawad.

Students if you are having trouble taking notes for your classes take a moment to can find out what type of learner you are at http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml and try out the note-taking methods to see which works for you best.