Note-Taking Assessment

It is worth remembering that many students struggle with note-taking. We are often asked to take notes, but are generally given very little guidance on how to do so. To begin clarifying some of the murkier aspects of note-taking, we will begin with a self-assessment, so that you can see whether your note-taking practices are actually achieving their intended goal.

In thinking about how you take notes, consider these questions:

• Do you read your assignments before you attend a class lecture?
• Do you stay attentive and focused during class lectures?
• Are your lecture notes well-organized?
• Are you able to recognize the main ideas and key concepts from lectures?
• Do you see connections between your lecture notes and class readings or other assignments?
• Do you summarize your notes?
• Do you review your notes immediately after class? 

If you answered "no" to many of these questions, then you may not be practicing effective note-taking methods.

For a more detailed assessment regarding your note-taking practices, take the following assessment.

Note-Taking Assessment Links to an external site.

It's very short (only 10 questions!), but your score will help you better understand what you're missing from your current note-taking efforts - and where you can begin looking to grow and improve.