Study Skills

Take Notes

There are many different ways for you to take notes as you are listening to lectures and reading documents. There are pros and cons to taking notes with a pen and paper or on a computer. For online learning, you might find it helpful to have a notebook available for each of your online courses. Below we highlight three different types of note taking. We recommend that you try different methods of taking notes and realize that what method you use for one course might not be the same for another.  As you take notes, the 5 Rs of Note Taking might be helpful:

  • Record: Record the main points of the lecture or book. You will want to write legibly so that you can review the notes.
  • Reduce: Summarize the lecture into smaller bits that clarify relationships and meanings.
  • Recite: Repeat the ideas of the lecture aloud and in your own words.
  • Reflect: Take what you are learning and think about how it relates to your life experiences or material being taught in other courses. It is helpful to make connections to the material so that you can see how it applies beyond just in the context of a lecture. It will be important to also make connections with the previous material taught in the course. 
  • Review: Regularly review your notes for each course. As the semester goes on, don't forget to review the notes from previous weeks and lectures. 

The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method includes a space for Cues, a larger space for taking notes, and a space for summarizing.  The Cornell Method is a systematic way to format notes so that ideas are condensed and easy to review at a later time. The Cornell Method often does not require time to recopy the notes in a more organized fashion. The Cornell Method breaks your page into three components: Note Taking Area, Cues/Questions Column, and the Summary. A paper that uses the Cornell method will provide a 2.5 inch margin on the left of the page and a 2 inch bottom margin. During the lecture, use the Note Taking Area to take down key ideas and phrases. When the instructor moves to a new idea, leave a space. After class take time to write a word or two that serves as a cue or reminder for those key ideas discussed or presented in class. Use the summary block to record a summary of the ideas on that page. The goal for the summary should be one to two sentences. 

Reading

Part of being a student is learning to understand the material that you read. Gathering the information from what you read can be difficult. College-level readings can be different from what you choose to read for enjoyment, often with a different rhetorical structure. Learning to read college-level material will help you in all of your courses. To help you with your reading assignments, this video with Thomas Frank from Crash Course will give you hints and tips about succeeding with your reading. As you watch the video, consider the following:

  • How does a reading hierarchy help you know what to read?
  • What does this video suggest about becoming better at reading instead of focusing on speed reading?
  • How could pseudo-skimming help your reading?
  • How does highlighting influence your recognition and recall of the material?
  • What is active reading?

Preparing for Exams

Now that you have taken notes and done the readings for the course, it is important to prepare for the exams. Although there are a lot of different ways to prepare for exams, we provide a few ideas to help you as the semester continues:

  1. Put the exam dates into your personal calendar
    1. It is tempting to just use your Canvas calendar to organize your tests. However, putting the exams into your personal calendar will help you recognize outside events.
    2. Put in large papers and groups projects also into your calendar.  
  2. Schedule study sessions
    1. Now that you have the exams scheduled, you are able to start scheduling study time in advance. For mid-term exams, you might consider starting 2 weeks in advance. For larger exams, such as the final, you might want to start studying 3 weeks in advance. 
    2. Schedule times to work on group projects and larger papers. 
  3. Understand the types of questions that will be used for the test
      1. Look in the syllabus or ask the professor if the exams will have multiple choice questions, true or false questions, essays, etc. 
      2. Look at the objectives for the course and the modules that the exam will cover. The following words might give you a clue about the types of test questions to prepare: 
    Example Words and Possible Question Types
    Word Possible Question Type
    Identify Matching, Multiple choice
    Recognize Matching, Multiple choice
    Describe Essay, Short answer
    Explain Essay, Short answer
    List Matching, Short answer
  4. Understand and replicate the test conditions as you review
    1. Will your test require a testing center or the use of LockDown Browser? 
    2. What types of materials will be allowed on the test? 
    3. Try studying in a similar environment and constraints
    4. Set a timer a couple of times that will replicate the time constraints of the exam
  5. Quiz yourself without the book and notes
    1. Use any prior exams provided by your professor
    2. Use any study guides that your professor has given
    3. Make your own questions
    4. You are trying to recall the information, which means pulling the material from the depths of your memory instead of just recognizing it
  6. Ask your instructor for help when needed
    1. What don't you understand exactly instead of just "I don't get it"?
    2. Write down all of the steps that you have taken to solve the problem so that your instructor can see what process you have followed.
  7. Cheat card exercise
    1. Even if your instructor does not allow a small card into the exam, taking time to write the key ideas will help you organize and focus your thoughts as you review. 
    2. Focus on the priority items that you often forget or confuse.
    3. Physically writing this card can help your memory. 
  8. Take breaks
    1. It is important to study, but you also need to provide your brain time to refocused. 
    2. If you have scheduled study time, it will be easier for you to feel like you can take a break. 

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