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McGill.CA / Student Accessibility & Achievement / Resources for Learning / Self-Directed Learning Guides

Icon: orange circle with a white outline of paper and pencil on top Learning Guide: Note-Taking Strategies

Learning how to take good, efficient notes will help you stay on top of schoolwork and do well on your exams.

4 Steps to Effective Note-Taking 

  1. Prepare

    Start every lecture ready to learn! Read assigned content, review notes, and write down any questions or areas you don’t understand.  This preparation is called “frontloading”. You are getting your brain ready to receive new information and connect new ideas to existing ones. This allows you to focus on learning concepts instead of getting stuck on vocabulary.

    Check out our Effective Reading Strategies (PDF). 

  2. Use a System

    A note-taking system allows you to identify important information and organize it.  It also helps you keep track of what you do or don’t understand.  Furthermore, good notes can act as a study guide when it’s time to review.

    There are many note-taking systems you can choose from: outline method, mind mapping, Cornell system, etc.

    The Cornell Note-Taking System

  3. Participate

    Be an active listener. Pay attention to:

    • What your instructor is emphasizing.
    • How the content is organized.
    • Listen for verbal cues (“you need to know”, “first of all” or words that are repeated).
    • Watch for visual cues (words written on the board, highlighted, or in bright colours). Record these cues in your notes and ask questions in class, by email, or during office hours.

  4. Review

    Reviewing your notes is key (see Learning and Memory).  Wait 15-20 minutes after class has finished, then go back to your notes. Mark down any questions you have, add information you missed, write down examples, and connect the information to your other classes or life.

    Try the 3 Colour Method of Highlighting:

    3 color bubbles indicating you should highlight definition colours in blue, names and dates in green, and important information in red.

    Infographic Text for Screen Readers

    3 Colour Method of Highlighting: Use highlighters and coloured pens to keep you organized. For example, blue for definition words, green for names and dates, red for important information.

Apps & Resources

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