by Scott Cawfield
School of Business
Centennial College

How To Take Effective Notes In Economics

Effective note taking is an invaluable skill for you and your peers. This section is divided in two: "The Six Functions of Note Taking" and "Ten Strategies for Effective Note Taking."

The Six Functions of Note Taking

1. Taking notes in class and making your own notes at home or in the library will help you listen more effectively in all situations. Even when you are reading, you are "listening" to someone's presentation. Listening is a vital life skill, because it will be indispensable in business and other career situations. In many jobs, it is a key way in which employees are assessed.

2. Note taking will help you become an active learner. Active learners take control of their own learning; they aren't overly reliant on the instructor. Also, test and assignment preparation requires you to budget time so that you will have enough time to do research and adequately analyze and synthesize all the material.

3. Good notes will help you figure out what is really important in a course and organize the material to suit your style of learning. Without notes, you will likely attempt too much learning before exams in too short a time. Your notes will act as a guide map to the subject.

4. Notes will enrich your learning experience. Your instructor has likely constructed her notes using the very best sources that she was able to consult. Without notes, you miss the richness of the instructor's learning experience. Also, with notes, you can compare what you wrote with the material of your friends or study partners.

5. Notes will help you think critically. A major part of college or university training is developing the ability to evaluate or assess material as well as present it. You could know all about the techniques of investing in the bond or equities markets, but if you don't know what kinds of people would find bonds a preferred investment or when to time your purchases in relation to the interest rate, you won't be able to discuss that market very well, as would be required of a financial adviser.

6. Note taking is an excellent preparation for many careers. What would you think of a lawyer who listened to the facts of your case, but had to "wing it" in court because he hadn't taken any notes? How would you assess a financial advisor who didn't keep client files? Students who refuse to do any note taking are missing out on excellent practice in organizing complex and valued material.

Ten Strategies for Effective Note Taking

1. Follow the course outline for study objectives, and try to read as much text material as you can before every in-class presentation.

2. Choose a place in the classroom where you can see the instructor, the board, and any audio-visual materials presented.

3. Ensure that you have a separate filing system for each subject.

4. Note the course, date of presentation, specific topic, and page number at the top of each page.

5. Some instructors are very exact with respect to what they want to say on any subject, while others are very discursive, moving from topic to topic quickly and saying a lot that you may not consider relevant. In the latter situation, keep going back to what you think is the key topic or learning objective, and record only the most important material, avoiding their digressions.

6. When the instructor emphasizes material, put stars beside this material for extra study. This is particularly important for material that your instructor stresses may be on the exam.

7. Take notes when the instructor goes over exercise and problem material, and record short summaries of discussions.

8. Leave some space at the bottom of each page for your key summary, and allow yourself space in the margin at the left for key cues and terms.

9. Use abbreviations such as the upward arrow for "increasing," the downward arrow for "decreasing," the = sign for "equals," a rightward-pointing arrow for "resulting in," and leftward-pointing arrow for "as a result of."

10. Outlines such as those provided in a study guide or in the end-of-chapter material are helpful, but not nearly enough for understanding and test mastery. You could use them as a foundation, rounding out the material you want to learn in your own words.

or continue to the next section - How to Do Better On Economics Tests