Try this strategy to help you make notes during class. It will also prove to be a useful way to review the information after class.

Before class, divide your paper into two sections.

Recall/Summary (1/3 of the page)	Main Column (2/3 of the page)
1. Record	During the lecture, record in this column the most important concepts and ideas presented in the lecture.
2. Reduce	As soon as possible as the lecture, review your notes to see if they make logical sense. Use your textbook, a classmate’s notes, your teaching assistant, or your lecturer, to fill in the holes that you are missing. Now summarize/reduce them into key words and phrases in the recall column. Use these key words as test questions when you study. They may show up on your exam.
3. Recall	Cover the main column. Using only your recall column and questions, see how much you can remember. Then uncover your notes to see how well you did. This technique can be very helpful in transferring the information to your long term memory.
4. Review	If you review your notes regularly, you’ll retain most of the information. Studying for the exam will then be a review process, not a learning process.