One of your most valuable resources in Chemistry is your notebook.  It will contain information presented to you in class, observations that you make during demonstrations and lab activities, practice problems done in class and as homework, and also daily objectives that will help you quickly find information when you are studying.  It is one thing to simply write everything down onto a piece of paper in a notebook; it is another thing to have that information in a format that will make it useful to you.  Below, you will find some hints for taking effective notes in class.

Write the Date at the top of each new day of notes.  This will help you reference information further on in your notes (i.e.- if you are referring back to reference values, observations, or a sample problem that you previously wrote down in your notes)

Write the Daily Objectives at the top of each new day of notes, and make them stand out somehow.  You can do this by putting a box around them, using a different color pen/pencil to write them, or any other method that might work for you.  Daily objectives help you when you are searching your notes, looking for a particular topic. 

Leave yourself a large margin.  It doesn't really matter if it's the left or right margin.  The point is, leave yourself space to jot notes, write down questions, draw diagrams, define words, or summarize your in-class notes when you review them after class.  If you fill the page up during class, chances are it may not be as neat as you like it to be, you may have had a question that you didn't get a chance to ask, or you may have written down a word that you didn't recognize or understand.  By leaving yourself space, you can address those issues and have that information present when you review your notes in the future.

Write the notes so that you understand them.  You don't have to write everything down, word for word, the same as I have it presented in class.  If it is necessary for you to do this, I will tell you.  But in general, you should paraphrase whenever possible.  This is for two reasons; a) it allows you to process the information in terms that you understand, and b) it helps keep class moving along.

Come up with a system of shorthand or symbols to help you write notes more quickly.  There are many systems of shorthand out there, but it is best to come up with abbreviations for words that are used frequently, or are lengthy to write out fully.  Defining the abbreviations in the margin is a good reason for leaving yourself a large margin.  Click here to see a list of abbreviations that I commonly use in class.

Use pictures and diagrams to help you understand models and concepts.  The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" does have some merit to it.  For example, drawing the setup of Rutherford's Gold Foil experiment, or drawing how Bernoulli's Principle applies to lifting an airplane wing in the air can be very helpful in understanding these concepts, rather than simply writing down a description.

Make new units in your notes stand out from one another.  Highlight unit headings, start on a fresh piece of notebook paper, or use large letters.  This will help you when you are searching your entire notebook for a particular section.

Highlight or otherwise mark words written or mentioned in class that you don't know the definition of.  When you review your notes later, you can look these words up in your textbook, glossary, or dictionary.

Write down questions that you have.  Sometimes you think of a question a minute or two after we move on with the class discussion.  Sometimes you may have an idea of what you want to ask, but can't quite formulate it into a question right then and there.  Write these items down in the margin of your notes, then come and see me after class or school to discuss these items.

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