You could be the best listener in the world, but if you don’t know how to take notes, most of what comes in one ear will go right out the other side as soon as class is finished. Remember that the prime objective of taking a course is to pass it, and in order to pass it, you’re going to have to take a final exam. Note taking is a skill you’ll need for all levels of education starting from middle school all the way on up to grad school. If you can do it well, you will flourish. If not, you’ll suffer. It’s as simple as that. These are the kinds of skills that will best serve you if you have someone telling you where you’re going wrong so that you can correct it. That entails hiring the kind of private tutor Manhattan is known for. If you want to be successful, this is what you need to know.
There are four main points that remain true at all levels. You must be alert, you must be organized, you must have a system, and you must be punctual.
Alert: A great way to ensure you’re focused and engaged is to be conscious of where you’re seated. Make sure the speaker knows you’re there. When you feel as though your instructor is speaking directly to you, you’ll have an easier time picking out which points are important and what can be overlooked. The key to good note taking is to jot down the important points in terms you understand that will appear again later when you take your exam.
Organized: Make sure all of your notes are filed accordingly. That means dividing them up into their respective classes, but also organizing the themes, topics, and sections. Once you complete a section, you should not be mixing those notes with newer ones, because that will make it all the more difficult to recall them later. And if it becomes too much of a time waster looking for past notes, they’ll probably just get swept under the rug, which defeats the purpose of taking them in the first place.
System: Over time, you’ll come to develop a routine. That is, you’ll write in the margins in such a way that you can understand. But do not be too vague to the point that you have no idea what you were talking about. These notes are supposed to be used to help you study. Sometimes it’s okay to write full sentences because by writing them down, even if it’s tedious, you are telling your brain that this point is important. Your notes, especially when thorough, are much easier to study than going back and reading full texts trying to dig out the main idea for a second or third time when it comes to study time.
Time consciousness: Similar to the organized point, you don’t want to mix up notes from last week with notes from last semester. Know your deadlines and make sure that your notes are organized accordingly. Once you take the exam, even if it’s a midterm, those notes should go in a separate section for old, or semi-old classwork.
Your notes are what will get you through your education, so take them seriously. Build good habits with good tutors. Big Apple Tutoring is at your service and available to help as we speak. Give us a call today at 212-479-0830.
