Note Taking in College

Independent Note Taking

Taking your own notes is a critical part of the learning process in college.  The method used to take notes influences your retention of information.  More specifically, research shows that handwritten notes are correlated with better retention, but it is unclear why. It could be the physical process of writing, but it could also be that handwriting notes requires people to synthesize information in order to paraphrase, use shorthand, and make decisions regarding what they write and don’t write.  Whether handwriting or typing, you should begin trying to synthesize and paraphrase your notes.

•  Record the lecture in class on your personal device.  Recording takes away the pressure to hear and write every word because you can go back and fill in the missed information later.
•  Take your own notes as you participate in class.  You have to capture your own notes for them to be meaningful.
•  Obtain copies of lecture materials and computer slide presentations or take photos of the board as needed to free up time and ability to process the information and write only the necessary notes.  Obtaining lecture materials and/or computer slide presentations can be a reasonable accommodation.
•  Because the recording will allow you to fill in the gaps, begin paraphrasing and using shorthand to write down what is important instead of writing every word.
•  This freedom can also create confidence and remove some of the anxiety of participating in class.

The Cornell Note Taking System

See the attached information on this important and helpful note taking system.

Note Taking Tools

There are a wide variety of tools out there for note taking.  Most software and technology focus on organization, recording audio, or both.  There is no exhaustive or definitive list of options either because technology and software evolve so rapidly. Instead, what are shared are a few common options that have typically been successfully used in higher education.

Microsoft OneNote (Free: Windows, Mac, Mobile)

You might prefer to type your notes and organize them electronically. Microsoft OneNote is a free tool that works across platforms (Windows, Mac, and mobile devices/tablets).  It allows you to type your notes, keep them organized like a traditional notebook, import other files like lecture materials and computer slide presentations, and it has a recording feature that simultaneously syncs lecture audio with typed notes. The best thing about it is that you might already have it on your devices and you can use it even if you do not want to record audio.  OneNote may be one of the most intuitive apps for managing the organization of notes during a single semester, and across an academic career.

Other Software/Apps (Cost Varies Free to Paid: Windows, Mac, Mobile)

There are dozens of other apps for laptops and tablets to assist in taking and organizing notes and separate apps that record audio.  There are increasingly more that do both simultaneously.  You can typically find them under productivity lists of app stores; common examples include OneNote, Evernote and Notability. The main question for you to ask is whether the tool you found solves your note taking concerns.

Digital Recorders

Digital recorders and apps to record on smartphones or laptops are still useful tools. The best way to use these devices is for you to monitor the recording timer while taking notes.  For instance, if you realized you zoned out for the last few minutes of lecture, you can write the current time stamp into your notes to have an idea of where you need to go in the recording to find the information you missed.  Similarly, you may realize you are falling behind or want to put the pen down to listen momentarily, and you can do this more easily if you write the current time of the recording so you can skip directly to it later.  Without this practice, you might record lecture, but never listen to it because you do not want to listen to the entire class all over again.  HEARD and Cogi are apps can be used to record class sessions and are available on app stores.