Taking notes is an integral part of your college experience. No doubt you will come armed to classes with some form of note-taking device, ready to take down every word your professor says.

But...that's ridiculous.

You don't need to write down everything. You just need to know what is worth jotting down for later and what isn't.

Here are some general note-taking tips I've found helpful:

1. Use what's most comfortable. If you like using your laptop, go ahead and use it. But, don't let yourself get distracted by your laptop. I've had plenty of friends that use their laptops to take notes, but end up looking at photos on their computer or surfing the Internet instead. If you like to take notes the old-fashioned way, make sure you have pens and pencils that are comfy and that you like to write with. If you prefer to record your lectures--which I find sort of a waste of time--do that. Do whatever feels most natural to you.
2. Keep a highlighter handy. Even if you want to keep your textbooks as pristine as possible to get the best price at textbook buy-back, don't fall for it. Highlight everything. Mark up your textbooks. Another good thing about highlighting is that it keeps you engaged in the lectures and forces you to pay attention and re-read what the teacher is going over from the front of the classroom.
3. Organize your notes. Keep one big notebook for all your classes, or have a different notebook for each class. Try using fun notebooks for class instead of the same old-same old. Target has some great notebooks you can use for class.
   
4. Don't forget to read. Professors often assign reading for homework, but students rarely actually read. Beware of this! Often you will get called on to answer questions or to comment on something, and if you haven't read, you'll just look silly. Keep yourself engaged in class--it will pay off at finals!
   

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog