Taking notes in 3 steps

Be mentally and intellectually prepared before the course

• Review the notes from the previous lesson or the handout so you know what topics are covered.
• Prepare your materials in advance, noting the course title (in abbreviated form) and page number on each page.
• Choose a seat so that you are in good conditions to listen and participate actively.

Don't write everything down during the course

• Take notes straight to the point and adopt a neat layout.
• Fix what is not immediately médiable such as dates or proper names.
• Develop your own abbreviations and symbols.
• Note down any terms you find obscure straight away.
• Use tables or diagrams (comparison, numbers, etc.).
• Look for your teacher's logic and way of thinking to anticipate their conclusions or the next step in their reasoning.
• Relate what is being said to your own knowledge, experience and reading.
• Focus on what is being said and not on the teacher's pedagogical abilities.
• If anything is unclear, ask the teacher·e or à assistant·e your questions. If you can’t follow, leave spaces for later, you can ask him your questions à the end of the course. 

Before the lesson, clarify

• Review your notes and fill in the blanks.
• Identify the important points and structure your notes (underlining, numbers, colours, etc.). This will enable you to better prepare for an exam with the key points for your exams.
• Prepare your notes with the key points for your exams. Complete your notes with the reference readings given by your teacher.