With the semester in full swing, new and recurring students may have noticed that college lectures are an important aspect of their learning experience.

Even more important, however, are the outlines, graphs, and notes that students take during those lectures.

Well-taken notes help students succeed, while poorly written ones may hinder the students or cause them confusion.

In addition to this, bad note-taking habits are disastrous and can be hard to correct.

One of the most basic steps to achieve good note-taking is to always be prepared.

Having your materials during lecture. Whether it’s your pen and paper or tablet/laptop, it is crucial to succeed or even to start!

Instructors enjoy teaching students who are prepared and ready to learn, so be sure to put in the extra effort to make your lessons more efficient.

A key aspect of college learning is the ability to understand concepts. Your notes should be short and to the point. Highlight, make notations and ask questions.

Don’t be afraid to abbreviate or leave things out! What’s matters most is that you understand your notes. Every student’s ideal method is going to be different.

Another tip is to keep your notes organized. It can be hard to find even the simplest keyword when your notes are a scrawl of text on a sheet of scratch paper.

If you prefer using a binder, assign tabs or sections to each subject.

Got a notebook? Try keeping a separate section for each class. That alone can make a the difference between having your materials ready and needing to wander around a small wasteland in search of paper.

If you find electronics to be your preference, electronic folders are the way to go.

It is crucial to remember that notes, apart from being a resource, are also a way to think and learn about the subject matter if you were unsure about something during the actual lecture.

While there is no single correct method to note-taking, keep in mind that if something works for you, make that part of your note taking routine.