LECTURE NOTES

It can be hard to keep up, so keep these notes simple and clean.

Before Class

One of the easiest things to do is read the content ahead of each class. If you know what sections will be covered, read them so you have a basic understanding already. Then you can focus on more important parts of the lecture instead of worrying about writing everything down.

Another (easier) thing to do is choose your organization method ahead of time. If you need a key, make it before class starts. If you think you'll have time to color code, prepare that ahead as well.

During Class

Don't focus on taking nice looking notes. If that's really important, you can always rewrite later to incorporate colors and decorations. But in class, work simple: one pen and an easy to read hierarchy. Separate headers with caps or underlines, organize points with bullets and arrows, and create abbreviations for words (but make sure you have a key/remember them). Write fast, but make sure handwriting is still legible.

After Class

It can be helpful to rewrite the notes following class, since rewriting can aid in memorization. You can also take that time to include information from the reading(s) and supplemental material(s). If you don't want to rewrite, you can incorporate this material using sticky notes, and also go through and highlight important information in the lecture notes.

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