Most students make some common mistakes while taking down notes in the class during a lecture, even if they have developed a very effective way of taking down all the important points in the right way.

Let’s see what these mistakes are so that you can avoid them.

Mistake 1

Trying to write down everything without actually ‘listening’ to the lecture.

You need to pay attention to what the teacher is explaining, understand it and then note down only the key points. So this technically means you should be doing 75 per cent listening and only 25 per cent writing in the class.

But in the enthusiasm to note down a lecture, students often try to write down things without giving their mind time to process and understand the information. So listen first, understand and then jot down the key points.

Mistake 2

Not asking questions.

With the attention on taking-notes, some students don’t bother to ask the teacher any questions. They probably don’t have any questions because they are not paying attention to what is actually being said — they are only hearing it and not really listening.

You listen to what is being explained and if there is something you don’t understand then ask questions, if the teacher permits, without interrupting the lecture of course. Now when you will note down the important points, they will be without any confusion. Otherwise it is likely that later on when you are going through your notes, you will find questions popping up in your mind. You will need extra effort to understand the topic in this case. — KAQ

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 29th, 2016