How to Excel

NOTE TAKING SKILLS

 Studies show that
people may
forget:
• 50% of a lecture
Did You
within 24 hours
Know?
• 80% in two weeks
• 95% within one month
• If … they do not take
notes.
OK…
but taking notes is
HARD…
Besides, I listen
…most of the
time.
So why bother?
 Did You Know?
● That you can think about four times
faster than a lecturer can speak?

● That means that in order to learn

effectively from lectures, you have to
listen and take notes effectively.
This is an active process; it doesn’t
happen automatically.
So…
what’s
your
plan?
In my experience, the main
difference between those
students who EXCEL in class
and those who DON’T isn’t about who
is SMARTER…
…it’s about study
skills.
 DURING CLASS
●Listen for the structure and information
in the lecture.
●Resist distractions, emotional reactions,
or boredom.
●Pay attention to verbal, postural, and
visual clues as to what's important.
●When possible, translate the lecture into
your own words.
 Cornell Outline Mapping
Method
FOUR
Ways to
Take
Notes Sentence Charting
THE CORNELL
METHOD

Draw lines or fold paper in

this fashion. This allows you
to take notes on the right-
hand side of the page
leaving space on the left to
summarize the main point
with a cue word or phase.
DURING LECTURE
Take notes in the NOTES
section.
Translate ideas into your
own words.
Be brief. Write down only
the points that pertain to
your PURPOSE for
reading/listening.
Write legibly. Notes are
useless if you cannot read
When the instructor
moves to a new
topic, skip a line.
It is also a great idea
to use some
organizational
structure to your
whole page. Use
bullets and/or
underline important
words. Don’t forget
to DATE your page!
AFTER LISTENING
Read through your notes.
Draw lines, separating
notes into distinct sections.
For each section, provide a
keyword or phrase that
tells you the topic that is
covered in that section—
BIG IDEA.
At the very end of your
notes, summarize the
content of your notes in 2-3
sentences.
Here’s an
example of
a student’s
Cornell
notes.
Here’s
another
…
and
another.
 OUTLINGING
Date METHOD
Class Topic: How To Outline Notes
I. The first level is reserved for each new topic/idea
and is
very general.
a. This concept must always apply to the level
above it
i. This concept must always apply to the level
above it
ii. This is a second supporting piece of
information for the level above it (a) but is
equal to the previous
information (i)
iii. This information is a sister to (i) and (ii)
II. You don’t have to use Roman Numerals, Letters,
and Numbers – try only indents, dashes, and bullets!
III. Outlining requires listening and writing in points in
an organizational pattern based on space
indentation
a. Advantages to outlining
i. It is well-organized
ii. It records relationships and
content
iii. It reduces editing and is easy to
review
by turning the main points into
questions
Here’s a sample of notes taken
using the outline method.
MAPPING METHOD
Mapping is creating a
graphic--visual--
representation of a concept.
The main idea is in the center,
while related concepts flow
from that center idea.
It is NOT “doodling”, but a
way to show conceptual
relationships between ideas.
 Human need for
Nature’s impact on
power
● Tom’s fight humanity
● The storm
with Mary
● Cold weather
● Pete’s
creates isolation
decision to
refuse help
● Mary’s battle
with neighbors Primary
Themes

Alienation of the
Symbols individual
● Water ● Tom’s divorce
● Mountains ● Mary’s death
● Weather ● Pete’s illness
● Shoes
Here’s a sample of a mind
map from a lecture on
energy…..
 THE SENTENCE
METHOD
This method is the easiest to do, but
can leave you wondering what the
relationships are—what’s important and
how ideas are related.
It’s better than no notes, but less
helpful for studying later.
This method requires that you review
and re-organize your notes right after
you take them.
Date
1. Write every new thought, fact, or topic on a
separate line as you progress, numbering each
sentence.
2. Advantages: it’s more organized than
writing paragraphs and still records most of
the information.
3. Disadvantages: it’s hard to determine
major/minor points and it’s hard to edit and
review with clean-up.
4. It’s a good method when there’s lots of
information and you don’t know how the ideas
fit together.

You can make some connections as you go—

 Charting method
• Method: Determine the categories to be covered in lecture. Set up your paper in
advance by columns headed by these categories. As you listen to the lecture, record
information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) into the appropriate category.
• Advantages: Helps you track conversation and dialogues where you would normally
be confused and lose out on relevant content. Reduces amount of writing necessary.
Provides easy review mechanism for both memorization of facts and study of
comparisons and relationships.
• Disadvantages: Few disadvantages except learning how to use the system and
locating the appropriate categories. You must be able to understand what’s happening
in the lecture.
 All Methods
Include…
Prepare-Abbreviate-Revise-Review
●Prepare – be prepared for the lecture, DATE
notes, write down main ideas as well as
examples, and note important details and
unfamiliar terms.
●Abbreviate – create abbreviations to increase
writing speed.
●Revise – revise notes within 24 hours while
the information is fresh in your mind.
●Review – Review your notes after the lecture
as well as before the next lecture.
 Three abbreviation techniques

 1. Use the first few letters of the word

 Use just enough to remember what the abbreviation stands for. Ensure
that there are enough letters to prevent confusion between other words
with the same first letters.
 For example:
 imp for ‘important’

 info for ‘information’

 eval for ‘evaluation’

 dev for 'development'

 gov for 'government'

 2. Use initials for phrases
 Examples:
 UP for 'University of Portsmouth'

 RS for 'reflective skills'

 LG for 'local government'; NG for 'national government

 3. Remove all (or most of) the vowels from the word
 Use just the key consonants bunched together.
 For example:
 mngmt for ‘management’

 mkt for ‘market’ (and mkting for ‘marketing’)

 dvpt for ‘development’

 Common note-taking symbols
⇒ or ∴ therefore, thus
 & or + and, plus, with (the ampersand symbol 
can be difficult to draw freehand so many
people use a squiggle to represent ‘and’)  → leads on to, produces, causes
 – minus, without  x no, not, incorrect
 = equals, is the same as, results in  xx definitely not, disproved
 ≠ does not equal, is not the same as, does not  ? uncertain, possibly, unproven
result in
 ✓ yes, correct
 ≈ is approximately equal to, is similar to
 ✓✓ definitely, certain, proven
 < is less than, is smaller than
 # number
 > is greater than, is larger than
 ✳ special, important, notable (when added
 ↑ increase, rise, growth
to a word or phrase)
 ↑↑ rapid increase
 / per – for example, £50/day instead of
 ↓ decrease, fall, shrinkage ‘fifty pounds per day’

 ↓↓ rapid decrease 
 Common general
 w/ with
abbreviations
c. approximately,
roughly, about
 w/o without
e.g. for example
(abbreviation for
the Latin ‘circa’)  v. very
i.e. in other words  vv. extremely
(usually used cf. compared to,
when adding more by comparison
detail or an with  C century (e.g. C19 for
explanation)
‘nineteenth century’)
m a million (e.g.
$6m for ‘six vs. against
 etc. and so on
million dollars’)
 K or k a thousand (e.g. 500K
for ‘five hundred thousand’)
Note taking example

 Imagine you heard the following in a lecture:

 "The United Kingdom’s population, at around sixty million, is
similar to that of Italy, but Italy’s population is now shrinking
because its birth rate has fallen below its death rate. The UK’s
population is still growing, albeit very slowly – at a rate of 0.09%
between 1995 and 2000.“

 Your notes could look like:

 UK pop c60m ≈ I. BUT I. ↓ due BR < DR – cf. UK ↑ slow ie
0.09% 95 – 2K
To write a TED Talk summary, follow these steps:
1. Watch the TED Talk Carefully:
1. Watch the talk attentively, preferably more than once, to fully grasp the key ideas
and message. Note down main points, examples, and any quotes that stand out.
2. Identify the Core Message:
1. Determine the speaker's main argument or thesis. What is the central idea they
are trying to convey?
3. Take Note of Supporting Points:
1. Write down the key points that support the main idea. Include any statistics,
anecdotes, or examples the speaker uses to make their argument stronger.
4. Focus on Structure:
1. A TED Talk usually has a clear structure: introduction, body (main points), and
conclusion. Reflect this in your summary.
2. Begin with a sentence that captures the essence of the talk, then summarize the
supporting points.
5. Be Concise and Clear:
1. Keep your summary brief, around 150-200 words, focusing on the most important
information. Avoid unnecessary details and focus on clarity.
6. Paraphrase:
1. Use your own words to convey the message rather than copying sentences
directly from the talk.
7. Add Context If Needed:
1. Briefly mention who the speaker is and why their perspective matters. This can
help readers understand the background.
Example Summary:
"In her TED Talk, Brené Brown explores the concept of
vulnerability and argues that it is essential for developing
strong connections with others. She shares her own
experiences and research findings, explaining that people often
perceive vulnerability as a weakness. However, she emphasizes
that embracing vulnerability is crucial for courage, creativity,
and authentic relationships. Brown’s talk encourages the
audience to let go of perfectionism and embrace their
imperfections as a way to lead a more fulfilling life."