Strategies for Improving Your Notetaking Process
As a volunteer notetaker, you are not required to take notes in any specific format. The strategies and tips below are intended to help you get more out of your own notetaking. Remember – your notes are first and foremost for your learning and understanding of the course material.
- Prepare for your lecture by previewing the current week’s readings, lecture slides, or other course materials before the lecture.
- Set up your notebook/document before the lecture using your preferred format or template.
- Using an active notetaking method helps you stay engaged during lectures.
- Keep your notes organized:
- Use a new notebook or digital folder for each course.
- Label your notes with the lecture number or title, course code, and date.
- Use abbreviations and shorthand where possible for efficiency:
- Creating a legend in your notes before uploading them to Ventus will help students who may be unfamiliar with the abbreviations to understand your notes.
- Be metacognitive – think about what you are writing down and why.
- Avoid rewriting content from the lecture slides if they are made available on Brightspace.
- Focus on details that are new to you.
- This Notetaking Guide provides prompts to support you in developing your metacognitive skills during lectures.