 Do you have trouble finding or organizing your notes so you can study for an exam? Do you sometimes look at your notes and wonder if they were even written by you? Does it seem like you can't keep up with the professor's lecture? When taking tests, do you have trouble recalling information that you know you've seen before? If you're like most students, you've experienced all of these at least once. These note-taking tips may help you avoid these issues in the future. When it comes to note-taking, there are some general tips that you should always keep in mind. One, it's good to keep all your notes, and this includes outlines and power points that your professor might give in one specific spot. So that can be in a subject-specific notebook or a binder, which is make sure it's all together so you don't get lost. And then you also want to keep your notes in chronological order. So put dates at the top so you know which event happened first. And it's also helpful to do your assignments and the readings before going into lecture so that way you have an idea of what's about to happen. And then after lecture, you can go back to your notes and fill in any gaps to make sure that you have all of the needed information. Now you're probably wondering what the best method for actually taking notes is, and there are various ways of doing it. First we have the formal outline, which is great for taking notes from your readings. It is basically an outline that uses Roman numerals and numbers to set up the main ideas and then the supporting details underneath them. And it's really good for readings because it's very structured, but it's not always the best thing to use for lectures because sometimes professors jump around a little bit and it can get a bit confusing with the formal outline. We also have an informal outline, which is really similar to the formal outline, but it doesn't utilize the Roman numerals, and so it's more of just kind of main ideas and supporting details underneath them with less of the structure. So that one is better for using during lectures. Paragraph style notes are also a note taking style, which you can use for lectures, but I would recommend not doing them unless you have to. They're good for discussions or if your professor is not very organized, but when they are just in the paragraph style, it's hard to review and they're not a great study tool. So definitely go back and look over your notes and reformat them after class. And then there's the Cornell system of notes, which basically you fold the paper and you make about a two-inch margin on the left-hand side of your paper. And then on the right-hand side, you take your notes as usual, oftentimes using an informal outline. And then after class, in the left-hand side of the margin, you write down any main ideas or you can write down questions that you have. And then that Cornell note becomes a study tool that you can use by looking at the left-hand side and quizzing yourself. And then you have the information on the right-hand side that you can just look at. If you do well, put a check next to the keyword or on your flash card. If you need to review on that topic, make a note to yourself to come back to it later. Some students might not know what they should actually write down in their notes. A few guidelines would be, if a professor ever tells you it's important, make sure to put a star next to it because it will probably show up on the test. Also, if they take the time to break something down into steps or write it on the board instead of just having a PowerPoint up. And if they get excited about it and you can tell in their voice that they really like the subject, they'll probably test it as well. Now that you've taken your notes, it's important to know how to actually use them. The best way is right after class. If you can't do it right then, at least within 24 hours, make sure that you go back and reread your notes, fill in any blanks, and clarify anything that you might have found confusing. That way you really understand what information is in your notes. And this helps bring anything from short to memory into long to memory and make it easier for you to know the information. This is the retention graph. Here is where you were first exposed to the information, whether that is in lecture or through reading. Within 24 hours, you lose about 80% of that knowledge. It just goes out the window, your short term memory just can't handle it. But if you review your notes within 24 hours, then your attention goes up to about 60%. And then you add on weekly review on top to that 24 hour review. And all of a sudden you've gained that 80% of the knowledge. And you just have to review a small little portion before going into test day. Hi, I'm Katrina Buckman. I'm the Tutoring Center Coordinator. Thank you for taking the time to watch this study skills video on note taking. If you have any other questions on note taking or other study skills, feel free to stop by the Tutoring Center in Wilson 280 and make a study skills appointment with one of our peer advisors. Or check out our website at www.wwu.edu backslash tutoring.