What is a “note” ?A “note” is the reduction of information into understandable and manageable form as a

reminder of things already understood.

CALENDAR

MONDAY 4th

Today I have to drive to the dentist office on Biglerville Road to get a cleaning and check-up of my teeth. My appointment is at 1:00 pm.

WRONG

CALENDAR

MONDAY 4th

Dent. 1 pm (cleaning)

CORRECT

26 WORDS 3 WORDS

at the College Level

Requirement: hard work

Preparation

Note-taking

Follow-up

WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARDWILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD

Desire to Desire to mastermaster the the materialmaterial

Appropriate study settingAppropriate study setting

Plan of attackPlan of attack

Budgeting your timeBudgeting your time

Read a chapter just ONCE to master it

Develop a system of effective note-taking

Prior to Reading/Note-takingBrowse through the chapter (day 1)

Look at topic headings, sub-topic headings Look at any charts, graphs, maps, etc. Look at any pictures and read the captions Look at any “end of chapter” information

Summaries Footnotes, bibliography Review questions

FINALLY—Read the chapter “introduction” carefully

At this point: Do you have a good idea of what the chapter is about ?

You’ll start to read and take notes on day 2

A “NOTE”

IS NOTHING MORE THAN A

REMINDER

TO OURSELELVES

OF SOMETHING

IMPORTANT

Note to self: Remove this slide before making any presentations.

Paris Hilton

“Bite” it off in small chunks

Take breaks !

Use Use few wordsfew words

Do notDo not use complete use complete sentencessentences

Take notes in Take notes in your own your own wordswords

Whenever possible—

Make lists

from the reading

“…and checking it twice” !

CHAPTER TITLE (and pages in text)NOTES ON CHAPTER INTRODUCTION

(Label it “Intro”)

TOPIC (and sub-topic) HEADINGS

--USE INDENTATIONS !!!!!!

--UNDERLINE or “BOX” all headings

Write it down

Look for the “topic sentence” and note it

Take summary notes for each paragraph

Take detailed notesTake “side-bar” notes

Shrthnd (shorthand)?

Develop your own system of “shorthand”Use: • underlining, double underling• Boxes, circles• parenthesis• stars, double stars• arrows• abbrev. wherever poss. on ass. (38% less work here)

to connect ideas or facts elsewhere on your page of notes

To highlight something important Or a topic heading

SAMPLEPAGE OFNOTES

QUESTIONS (How long will it take you to answer these?)

1. In what century was there a “little ice age” ?

2. Approximately what percentage of Europeans died from the resulting famine?

3. Which of the following was not a result of the “little ice age” ?

A. Increased infant mortality

B. Lower birth rate

C. Mass migration out of Europe

D. More disease like the plague

4. (T or F) In the mid-14th century three-fourths of the population died from the plague.

5. What effect did the plague have on labor?

Once you have completed your notesOnce you have completed your notes for a section, can you for a section, can you

► Readily Readily describedescribe in general terms what it was about? in general terms what it was about?

► Easily Easily spot key informationspot key information in your notes? in your notes?

► Easily Easily find names, dates, vocabularyfind names, dates, vocabulary terms in your terms in your notes?notes?

► Easily Easily find examplesfind examples of things pointed out in the of things pointed out in the text?text?

If you can do all of the above---If you can do all of the above---Then you are on you way to mastering the materialThen you are on you way to mastering the material

VERY IMPORTANT

DO YOU HAVE A

DICTIONARYAT YOUR SIDE AS

YOU READ ?

Let’s practice…

EXAM QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following was NOT an agent of British Industrialization?

A. British industrial secretsB. Talented entrepreneursC. Foreign capitalD. Government

2. Which of the following was an example of a talented German entrepreneur ?

A. William CockrillB. Fritz HarkortC. Thomas EdisonD. Kaiser Wilhem I

3. TRUE or FALSE ? Banks played no role in

the industrialization of Europe.

IDEALLY--IDEALLY--

Finish your note-takingFinish your note-taking

At least 3 daysAt least 3 days

prior to the examprior to the exam

1. Bite it off in small chunks2. Take breaks3. Use few words—develop your own “shorthand”4. Organize each page of notes—is it easy to spot information?5. Do not write in complete sentences6. Take notes in your own words7. If content includes “examples”, make note of these8. Make lists9. Review constantly10. Talk to yourself as you take notes

Remember:“Staring”

at your notes

is not the same

thing as

“active studying”

AT THE NEXT SESSION WE WILL LOOK AT SOME

ACTIVE STUDYING HINTS

and EXAM STRATEGIES

By diligently following these steps

• Your confidence level will increase !

• Your grades will improve !