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• Don't try to write everything down
  • Remember that you are trying to learn things in your lessons. If all your energy is used writing and you leave no time for thinking you will not be able to ask questions, so you will not learn very much.
  • You can fill in the gaps from other students notes if you work with your friends during study periods.
  • You can also fill in gaps from your text book when you write up your notes.
  • Write down the main points
  • Think about what your teacher is saying

Here are some simple ideas for using your text books

• If you have bought your own texts, you can annotate them in the margins.
• Use post-it stickers to quick index topics
• Photocopy, cut and paste paragraphs
• You could even read them

You must do something with your class notes within a few days of each lesson: if you don't you will probably realise that they do not make sense to you when it is time to revise. By then it will be too late to get help.

• You should re-write your notes with your text book to add details
• Talk about each topic with friends and compare notes
• Use your text book to add details
• Make spidergrams or flash cards ready for revision time

If you have really worked hard making notes, you will probably find that you don't need them any more because you have understood and memorised the materials already. You have already made the revision cue cards.

Here are some good uses for those old notes:

• Burn them in the fireplace to help heat the house
• Sell them to a friend who did not work as hard as you
• Keep them for when you become a teacher!
• Write a text book and earn lots of money