Tech Tip: Take Notes like a Rock Star

TECH TIP

TAKE NOTES LIKE A ROCK STAR

People remember only half of what they hear, which is a major reason you need to take lecture notes. Good note taking will also help you learn and remember key concepts and make it easier to study for tests. So why not improve your note-taking skills?

THE PROBLEM

You don’t know how to use your digital lecture notes to help you remember class material.

THE FIX

Use basic programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to make your notes more organized and effective. Also check out apps like Evernote and OneNote.

HOW TO DO IT

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  1. Word is great for taking notes in most classes. To emphasize main ideas, you can use boldface or underlining, font size or color, use highlights of different colors, or insert text boxes or charts. You can make bullet points or outlines and insert comment bubbles for emphasis. You can cut and paste material as you review your notes to make things organized and clear. You can also create different folders for each of your classes so that you can find everything you need with one click. (Note: Play around on the toolbars until you learn how the various tools work.)
  2. Excel is especially good for economics and accounting courses, or any class that involves making calculations or financial statements. You can insert messages inside the cells of a spreadsheet to explain calculations. The notes will appear whenever you place your cursor over that cell.
  3. PowerPoint can be a valuable tool for visual learners. Instead of keeping your notes in one long Word document, you can open up a Power-Point slideshow and type right into it. That way, every time your instructor introduces a new term or concept, you can open a new slide. It’s a nice way to break up the material. Good to know: Some instructors post the PowerPoint slides that they plan to use in class a few hours in advance. Print them out and take them with you as note-taking tools; you can even write notes on the slides themselves. More and more, instructors are using the dynamic presentation tool, Prezi, described as a “virtual whiteboard.” Prezi allows you to convert slides to pdf format.

CLEVER TRICKS

Date your notes. Focus on writing down the main points, using phrases or key words instead of long sentences. Keep your notes in order and in one place. Back up everything. If you’re not a tech whiz, keep a pen and paper handy for sketching graphs and diagrams. Label your notes clearly. And if you find yourself struggling to keep up, practice your listening and typing skills.