Listening Skills &

Successful Note Taking

Center for Academic Student Achievement

AIM: Lina Maria Franco

Listening Skills

• 50% is information that we recall

• 20-30% information is incorrect

• Passive vs. Active Listening

Passive Listening

• Aka: Bad listening

• Not interested

• Fake paying attention

• Distracted/technology

• “spacing out”

• …..

Active Listening• PAYING ATTENTION!

• Determine what the speaker is saying is important*

• Arrange it so you CAN hear

• Listen OPENLY, don’t let your emotions block out the noise

• L.I.S.T.E.N

L.I.S.T.E.N• Lead- Be prepared mentally and physically

• Ideas- Focus only on the main ideas and concepts

• Summarize- Summarize and create links between the ideas and concepts

• Talk- Ask questions for clarification or get involved by asking for specific examples

• End- Stay to the END to conclude your notes

• Notes- Review what you have learned after the lecture and before starting the next lecture

5 Reasons to Take Notes

• Triggers and helps you remember information

• Concentrate in class

• Prepare for tests

• Notes are valuable clues for what is important

• Your notes are written in your own words… YOU only understand them!

Note Taking:Questions and Problems

• What is Important?

• Do I write down every word?

• My Professor talks too fast!

• Can I simply record the lecture?

• Can’t I just print out the powerpoint?

What is Important?

• Beginning and Ending, Definitions, Terms, Repeated information

• Emphasis on specific words

• Write notes about things that you don’t understand/confuse you

• Look for main ideas supported by bullets, listings, names and dates

• If you are still not sure, ask your professor

Write it all Down?!

• Do not write word for word. Be brief

• Translate into your words/ short hand

• Organize in a logical form and write legibly

• Spelling/Grammar?

• Re-write your notes after class and add from other people’s notes

They Talk TOO FAST!!

• The professor usually makes an important point or idea by:– Pausing before or after the idea– Uses repetition to emphasize the point– Uses key words such as “Write this down” “Be

sure to know…” “Make note of…”– Writing ideas on the board/ bolding text in

power point

Recording Lectures & Print Outs

• Always ask!

• Are you REALLY going to have the time?

• Print outs help, BUT DON’T RELY on them

• Refer back to the syllabus and class website

Lecture Notes

• L.I.S.T.E.N

• Are your questions answered?

• Personal notes- examples, stories, key words, abbreviations

• Cornell Method

• Outline

• Combo!

www.freewebs.com/lanzbom/cornellnotes.pdf

www.eleven21.com/notetaker

Organizing Notes

• Class, date, page #

• Use symbols and abbreviations

• Use

• Edit/Rewrite/Add to your notes

More Tips

• Take Notes, Not Dictation

• Skip lines between points– Visual break– Fill in later

• Make sure YOU understand your notes!

casa.tamucc.edu

Academic Insight Mentors (AIM) at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi