How Are You Doing?

1. Go back to the notes that you took yesterday in one of your classes and read them.
A. Do they make sense to you?
B. Do you feel as though you are sitting in the lecture and hearing your professor talk about the topic?
2. Now go back to the notes that you took at the beginning of the semester.
A. Do they still make sense?
B. Do you feel as though you are sitting in the lecture and hearing your professor talk about the topic?
3. After an exam, reread your lecture notes, looking for information that appeared on the exam.
A. Did you find the answers to most of the questions that were on the exam?
B. Did you find that the answers to many of the questions were missing?
4. Using only your notes, reconstruct the lecture for a friend who did not attend the class.
A. Can you able to explain the material?
B. Does your friend understand the main points?

Test Your Note Taking

1. Do you review and edit your notes within twenty-four hours after each of your classes?
2. Do you tend to write down exactly what your professor says in class?
3. Do you separate the main points form the supporting points in your notes?
4. Are you able to read and understand your notes when you study for your exam?
5. Do your notes include Roman numbers, capital and small letters, and numbers?
6. Do you tend to write down only important or key words when you take notes?
7. Do you review your notes by reciting them out loud?
8. Do you tend to miss a lot of information when you take notes?
9. Do you rely on a tape recorder instead of taking notes in some of your classes?
10. Do you read your textbook before you go to your lecture class?