According to a source on college-level learning, in contrast to high school classes, which focus on what the teacher says out of the book, most college classes are focused on the lectures, and college students must listen attentively to lectures and write down the information in ways that are clear, comprehensive and conducive to new learning and recall over time.

As a test of your note-taking savvy, explain and illustrate the key characteristics of an efficient, complete note-taking and note-studying system. Utilize you own experiences as well as incorporating ideas from your textbook and class discussions.

Demonstrate that you understand a system that allows for both day to day new learning and unaided review and recall. Remember, you don't get a grade in any course in any college for highlighting what you think is the important information in a note-set or for rereading your notes and thinking in your head, Yep, I KNOW THAT!

Grades on tests are derived from strategies of improving upon notes with text annotations and learning to understand and therefore remember, lots of lecture and book information!

To get you started on your answer, BRAINSTORM important details that fit into this sketch of attributes of good note behavior:

In the best of times, good note-taking:

1. Uses space meaningfully on the page; WHY?
2. Is fast: uses dashes rather than numbers or letters,
   • uses SHORTHAND THAT YOU INVENT.
3. GETS IT ALL, including elaborated examples:
   • Streamlined
   • Leaves spaces for additions later
   • Is compared with others notes
4. Helps predict areas to study
   • Forms questions the margin to study
   • Notes clues from teachers
5. Sets up a two-part procedure for study:
   • Rehearsal
   • Retrieval
     ( What are they and why are they so important?)
6. Allows for consolidation with the book.

Being able to take good notes is ndeniably one of the KEYS TO SUCCESS in college. Mastering a system that works for you will take some thought and some practice.