For most geology courses (and for
most courses), asking questions is the key to better learning.
The note-taking process is a vital component of this process and
involves the following steps:
1. Leave a three-inch margin on the left side of your page (or
buy law-ruled notebooks, which have three-inch margins.
2. Take notes on the wider, right
side of the page, leaving the left side empty.
3. Shortly after class, look over
your notes. Look at what you've written as a series of answers
to questions - then begin "translating" the answers
into questions, writing your questions in the left margin of the
page.
4. If you can't think of a question
for a section of notes, it means you don't understand or need
more information on that section of notes. Don't just leave the
section blank: put a "?" in the margin, and see your
instructor, textbook, or other class resource material
5. As the course continues, the
question-asking process becomes automatic; you'll find that you're
writing questions in class, as your instructor brings up new information.
There are a few more things you need to know about note-taking
to make the job complete, including:
1. Keep writing. Your notes should be a complete
record of that day's class. If you stop writing during lectures,
you'll lose information from which to generate questions. If your
lapse continues, you'll later make faulty assumptions from your
notes, forgetting that they're incomplete. As soon as you lose
track of the information given, put a "*" or "?"
in the margin of your notes; you'll be able to go back to them
later and see what you don't understand.
2. Copy information from the
blackboard or projected images. If your instructor
is writing on the board or projecting images, together with explaining
the material, you have to work harder to copy what is on the
board at the same time you are taking notes on the explanation
of the material. Many times your instructor writes on the
board to outline a topic, other times to sketch a diagram that
helps to explain the lecture material, and other times, to slow
the pace of the lecture so everyone can catch up. Some students
will take notes by writing down only the information from the
board. This is a big mistake! You must copy whatever's
on the blackboard and take notes explaining this material.
3. Review your notes and write
your questions as soon after class as possible. If you review
your notes for completeness and accuracy and write questions while
the information is still freshin your mind, you'll find that the
process of asking questions helps you focus on the essential information;
each time you go to lecture, your notes will become increasingly
more organized. You won't have to work at organizing your notes
so much. Since question-asking helps you see things more clearly,
you'll begin to anticipate the questions as your instructor shifts
topics.
4. Consider taking notes on alternate pages in your notebook.
Use the skipped pages to clarify your notes with material from
the text or other course resource material. Reorganize your recorded
data on these pages on the same day you attend class.
5. Write questions for all information, especially that presented
in numbers, symbols, and diagrams. Most importantly, write a question
for each calculation in your notes, "translating" it
into English. If you don't understand a segment of your notes,
just label it "?".