Deck 7: Note Taking

Question 1

One way to stay focused during class is to

A) breathe rapidly.
B) silence your phone alerts.
C) focus on listening rather than taking notes.
D) sit with students who like to talk during class.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Shanna usually takes notes on her laptop in all of her classes, but she finds herself getting bored during her Geology class and ends up surfing the Internet rather than taking notes. Which strategy would best help Shanna stay focused on taking notes in her Geology class?

A) taking notes with a paper and pencil instead of using the laptop
B) using a program that limits her to ten minutes of Internet during class
C) setting a silent alarm that pops up on her screen to remind her to pay attention
D) taking notes on a tablet computer instead of a laptop

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Where is the best place to sit if you want to be able to concentrate on the lecture during class?

A) near a window
B) in the center of the room
C) at the front of the room
D) at the back of the room

Answer 3

C

Question 4

_____ will help you stay alert during class.

A) Leaning back in your chair
B) Moving your shoulders
C) Holding your breath
D) Sitting in the darkest part of the room

Question 5

Marc always does the assigned reading for his psychology course, and he attends every class. However, his class participation grade is slipping because he has a tendency to doze off during lectures. Which strategy would best help Marc stay alert and focused during his psychology class?

A) wearing his most comfortable clothing to class
B) sitting in the back corner of the room
C) eating a snack during class
D) using an audio recorder instead of taking written notes

Question 6

As Sonya was waiting for her physics class to begin, she got a text from her older sister telling her that she just got engaged. Sonya was thrilled to hear the news and texted her sister back, saying she'd call her after class. During class, Sonya had difficulty paying attention because all she could think about was the upcoming wedding. Before she realized it, the class was over, and as her classmates began filing out of the room, she realized she had no idea what the instructor talked about during class. With the midterm exam only a week away, Sonya fears that she might have missed something important while thinking about her sister's wedding. What should Sonya do?

A) spend extra time reading the next chapter in the textbook
B) focus on her notes from other chapters and try not to worry about what she missed
C) assume she'll do poorly and focus on studying for her other classes instead
D) visit her physics instructor during office hours to review the material

Question 7

A useful technique for taking thoughtful notes in class is to pretend that each lecture is a

A) conversation between you and the instructor.
B) show being performed for your entertainment.
C) final exam being administered verbally.
D) presentation consisting of opinions rather than facts.

Question 8

When taking notes, what should you highlight?

A) everything the instructor says
B) only main ideas
C) examples rather than main ideas
D) anything the instructor repeats

Question 9

What should you do if you have questions about the material being presented during a lecture but are unable to ask those questions during class?

A) Try to memorize your questions so you can look them up in the textbook later.
B) Stop and go back through your notes to see if the questions were already answered in a previous class.
C) Write your questions down in your notes and ask your instructor about them later.
D) Keep your questions to yourself unless someone brings them up during your study group.

Question 10

How does writing down your personal reactions when taking notes help keep you more engaged?

A) It encourages you to take verbatim notes.
B) It requires you to pay attention and respond to the lecture conversation.
C) It prevents you from asking potentially distracting questions.
D) It discourages you from thinking about the material too deeply.

Question 11

If your instructor hands out an outline of the lecture at the beginning of class, you should

A) use it to guide your note taking.
B) disregard it and focus on taking notes your own way.
C) verify that it follows the same order of information as the textbook chapter.
D) use it in place of your own notes.

Question 12

When taking notes using the outline format, you should include your personal reactions

A) in the margins.
B) toward the top of the page.
C) toward the bottom of the page.
D) in the body of your notes.

Question 13

When using the outline format, where should you summarize your notes?

A) in the margins
B) at the top of the page
C) in the center of the page
D) at the bottom of the page

Question 14

If you circle a phrase in your notes and draw an arrow to related material on the same page, you are drawing a(n)

A) flowchart.
B) simple diagram.
C) information map.
D) bar graph.

Question 15

During his biology class, Jon's instructor explained the process of metamorphosis, using the transformation of a larva into a pupa, and then into a butterfly. To illustrate this process in his notes, Jon drew a simple illustration of the insect at each stage, and then drew arrows between them to indicate the transformation from one phase to the next. Which type of visual aid did Jon include in his biology notes?

A) information map
B) bar graph
C) flowchart
D) pie chart

Question 16

When you draw a(n) _____, you place key concepts in the middle of the page and then add notes that radiate from those key points.

A) simple diagram
B) flowchart
C) bar graph
D) information map

Question 17

Adalyn is concerned because her grades have been slipping in her political science class. She does all of the assigned reading, hasn't missed a single class, and always takes notes. The class meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and she sets aside time to study on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. However, when she sits down to study, she often has trouble remembering the context of her notes. Which strategy would best help Adalyn improve her retention of the material presented in classroom lectures and discussions?

A) studying her notes and the assigned reading on Sunday instead of Saturday
B) taking verbatim notes instead of focusing on main ideas, key points, and examples
C) setting aside ten minutes later in the day after each class to go over her notes
D) sitting further away from the instructor during class to get a better view of the room

Question 18

Reading over notes from previous class sessions while reviewing your new notes will

A) increase the connections you make between material discussed on different days.
B) make it more difficult for you to remember the new information.
C) decrease the likelihood of synthesizing what was said during the lecture.
D) be a less effective method of studying than focusing only on the new material.

Question 19

What should you do if you don't understand why your instructor assigned a particular reading?

A) Do the reading and do not worry about why you are doing it.
B) Hold off on doing the reading until you have a chance to talk to the instructor.
C) Skip the reading and wait to see whether it is discussed during the next class.
D) Consult your lecture notes.

Question 20

A few minutes before class starts, you should

A) skim through the next assigned chapter in your textbook.
B) review your notes from the last class.
C) open to a blank page in your notebook and wait for class to begin.
D) review the syllabus to see when the next test will be.

Question 21

Taking good, well-organized notes takes effort but will save you time when you study or complete an assignment.

Question 22

It's important to be thoughtfully engaged during class because the information presented during class is integral to your learning and to your academic success.

Question 23

You must fully concentrate throughout class in order to take thoughtful notes.

Question 24

If you view the lecture as an exchange of ideas and thoughts, you become a passive observer rather than an active and important participant.

Question 25

When taking notes during a lecture, you should include facts but disregard any opinions or perspectives the instructor discusses.

Question 26

Your notes should include your own analysis of the material the instructor is presenting.

Question 27

It is inappropriate to use different note-taking styles in different classes. You should instead choose one style and use it for all of your classes.

Question 28

The less you personalize your notes, the more likely they are to aid your understanding and studying.

Question 29

Linear thinkers use charts or visual representations in their note taking.

Question 30

The Cornell format is helpful for taking notes on material that is highly structured.

Question 31

How does note taking help students make sense of what they're learning?

Question 32

Why is it important to complete assigned readings before each lecture?

Question 33

Identify three types of information you should write down when taking notes during a classroom lecture.

Question 34

What are you sacrificing when you take notes verbatim in a lecture?

Question 35

What do you do to prepare for a lecture? Describe each step of your process, explaining what you do and why you do it. Include examples in your response.

Question 36

Describe three strategies that you use to help stay awake and alert during class. Include examples to support your reasoning.

Question 37

Describe at least two different ways that you take notes in your classes. For each method, explain the steps you follow and why you follow them, and describe how using the method helps you retain the information discussed in class.

Question 38

Describe three types of visuals you might include in your class notes. Explain what each involves and how it helps you to understand or recall the material. Include examples in your response.

Question 39

How do you use your class notes? Describe what you do with your class notes after you take them, including how often and when you refer to them. Do you find that taking notes in classes helps you study more effectively? Why or why not?