The
5 R's of Notetaking
Professor Walter
Pauk of the Study Center at Cornell University describes five essential
aspects of note taking. He characterized these as the five R's of
note taking. Here they are:
Recording
Get down the main ideas and facts.
Reducing
To reduce is to summarize. Pick out key terms and concepts. You can
make from your notes what students sometimes call "cram sheets."
These are sheets that list, usually in outline form, the bare bones
of a course. You will use them in reviewing by using the key ideas
as cues for reciting the details of what you have in your notes. On
each page of notes you take, allow room to write down these cues.
Reciting
Review lecture notes as soon after the lecture as possible. But you
will also want to review your notes before an exam and from time to
time during the semester to keep them fresh in your mind. Do so in
your own words. That way you will know that you understand.
Reflecting
Something that many students don't grasp is that ideas from college
courses are meant to be thought about. It is easy to fall into the
trap of reciting ideas by rote. One of the main purposes of a college
education is to help you think. Then too, if you reflect about what
you are learning, you won't be surprised when ideas turn up on examinations
in an unexpected form.
Reviewing
One of the real secrets of successful studying is knowing when, how,
and what to review. But however you do it, reviewing is essential.
Even the accomplished performer--the pianist or the stage performer--knows
that a review, no matter how well he or she may know the material,
is essential to a professional performance.
Source:
http://www.csbsju.edu/academicadvising/
