Active Listening and Note-Taking
Think about the academic skills needed to be successful in classrooms. This page outlines resources available for students who wish to develop their success in-class. Please contact the Academic Success Center to meet with an Academic Consultant if you believe we can help you develop these skills!
Effective Listening and Note-Taking: Note-taking enhances your thinking and listening, but you cannot write as fast as you think. This handout suggest strategies to maximize your note-taking to capture most of what you hear in class. (Based on "How to Study in College" by Pauk and Walker)
Tips for Note Taking: An outline of basic tips for being a successful note-taking. Notice that successful note-taking requires you to spend time on your notes before, during, and after class.
Note-Taking Systems and Methods: This handout does a good job describing five different note taking methods. Students tend to stick with a method that is comfortable; however, knowing all the methods will help you adjust to a variety of different courses and learning experiences. (Source: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
Evaluating a Difficult Lecture: Due to the variety of human differences in learning and personalities, some lectures may be a challenge for students. This handout offers suggestions for managing your difficulties in challenging lectures. (Based on "Integrating College Skills" by Sotiriou)
Information Matrices: This handout outlines how to organize information into matrices. Matrices are very useful for creating order in your notes, compiling notes from multiple sources, and reviewing prior to exams.
