Writing notes while in college is a different experience from High School, which involves students reading not straight from the board. Most professors in Australia to North Down allow students to use phones to note the key elements and details they find critical. You can take good notes even in the fastest of all lectures if you prove your listening skills, develop your best system for taking notes, and go through your notes after the class to cope with homework better. Here are some tips that can help you take notes when you’re in a fast lecture.
Be selective and attentive
Writing good notes does not mean that you will produce a transcript for the class. If you try writing everything that gets to your ear, you’ll most likely get overwhelmed, and you will run out that the class goes on. You should instead carefully listen to the lecture and concentrate on getting the most critical points from it. Ensure that you listen keenly for key facts, definitions, and examples, including whatever the professor notes on the chalkboard. In case your professor deems something as critical, note it down and highlight it so that you can go through it later because the information might appear in your tests or examinations.
Utilize abbreviations
Since texting became a thing, most university students have perfected the art of using abbreviations. You can utilize the skill when you are writing notes to maximize your writing speed and capture as much information as you can while you’re in a lecture. Aside from using the most common abbreviations, you can also come up with your own for each class, making it easy for you to read your notes because you’ll understand them better.
Leave some white space
In case something the professor says passes over your head, do not panic. Instead of hastily trying to go back on track, leave their space blank and continue focusing on the lecture. After you get done with the class, you can follow up with the professor and request clarification or information to fill up their space. If you pay attention to the readings assigned in class, it will also help you fill up your blank spaces because most college lectures will follow through with the chapters you are given to read as homework.
Try recording the lectures
More students have got smartphones, iPods, tablets, or laptops which they can use to record the lecture as it is in progress. With various applications like quick voice and audio notes, you can conveniently record the professor’s points and then listen to them as you review them later after class. It will help you with the pressure of trying to scribble down notes, especially if you’re getting caught by a fast lecturer. In case your lecturer does not allow electronic devices in his class, be sure to explain why you need to record the lecture, and you can also ask them if you can place your phone on the table as the class continues.
Review the notes you write
The worst thing that you can fail to do as you finish your class is reading your notes. Never leave the class and put the notebook in your bag and leave it without touching it until you are getting ready for a test. If you do that, you’ll only be doing damage to yourself because it will be easy for you to forget all the information you need. Trying to cram the content days or even hours before the exam sets in will not help you because you’ll be confused, and you’ll have anxiety powering all out of you. Research in 1998 has shown that a normal human being forgets almost 50% of the information, and then the next 62% will get lost after one day. To prevent this from happening to you, ensure that you revise the notes when you do your homework. Reviewing your classwork immediately after the lecturer leaves the class is also an effective method to keep the key concepts in mind.