Study Skills Core Modules

Note-Taking

There won’t be many classes at college that don’t involve an element of note-taking. You might have to take notes from your teachers’ presentations or lectures; you might be asked to make notes from a textbook; you might have to make notes about a film, or a TV programme, or a book, or something else that you’re studying. Sometimes you might be provided with a useful worksheet on which to fill in your notes, but often you'll have to work out your own best method for note-taking, in and out of classes. 

There are lots of different types of note-taking systems, all of which have their different benefits and uses for your study.

In this module we will be introducing a couple of different types of note-taking techniques and tips for use in and out of class which you can try out.

Look through the different methods of note-taking and complete the Review Quiz at the end of this module. You can also upload evidence of having tried out the different note-taking methods if you wish.

It's a good idea to have a look through all the different methods to see their benefits.

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Note-taking System #1 - The Cornell Method

A simple method; combines in-class note-taking, reviewing and revision all in one!

Note-taking System #2 - Mind-Mapping

A creative and visual way of organising topic notes for revision or planning an essay.

Note-taking System #3 – Summarising Pyramid

A visual way of reducing a large amount of text or knowledge into a smaller summary of important points. This is also a good technique for pair or group work.

Note-taking system #4 – Using the Fact Folder on Read & Write Gold

A useful way of collecting together information from the internet for later use in coursework projects or essays. It even creates a bibliography of facts for you!