Article Surfing Archive

By following these ten steps, you will become a more efficient note taker and this will help improve your overall study skills. With good note taking skills, better grades are just around the corner.

1. If possible, sit near the front and center of the class. You will beless likely to become distracted and will probably find stayingfocused easier.

2. Use a binder instead of a traditional notebook. This way you canadd, rearrange, or rewrite pages of your notes, insert handoutsand assessments in the appropriate chronological order andreview the material covered in the chapter/unit much easier.

3. Put headings and the date on all papers. Organize themchronologically in your binder.

4. Take notes on loose-leaf paper and keep them organized in athree-ring binder. Make sure that you hole punch and add all ofthe handouts, assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. to your binder. Itusually is best if everything for the entire chapter/unit is kept inchronological order in your binder.

5. Think about what is being said before you write anything down.Do not write down everything the teacher says. Pick outimportant phrases, terms, and concepts to focus on.

6. Record any examples the teacher may give while lecturing.Examples are extremely important in creating connections in yourbrain and in helping to jog your memory while studying.

7. Look for cues that teachers give to indicate that something isimportant. For instance, they may repeat something a few times,change the volume or tone of their voice, write it on the board oroverhead, and/or creates lists for you. Be sure to ask them torepeat what they have just said if you miss the initial cue but laterrealize that you should be writing the material down.

8. Leave some space between portions of your notes so you canmake additional comments as you study or read the text.

9. Re-write or even re-TYPE your notes. Not only will your notes bemuch more organized and make studying easier, but the practiceof re-writing notes gives you another opportunity to think aboutthe material as you write or type it again. Make sure that you re-write them in a timely manner. The more time that passesbetween taking the original notes and re-writing them, the lesseffective this strategy is.

10. Review these notes often. The more times you see them, theeasier it is to commit them to memory and the less time you willspend studying them prior to the test.

Go to www.live-etutor.com to learn more about online tutoring and watch a virtual tour inside of our online classroom. All tutors are screened, qualified and ready to help your child get better grades!