Reaching Lifelong Goals

Now that most of us are into our first few days of college as non traditional students, it is time to start working on the study skills portion of this blog.  I still have a small bit of summer break left (my classes do not start til 9/28)  and I am getting prepared for Fall Term as well.   One of my favorite blogs about older students returning to college is penned by Marybabysteps at the Never To Late For College blog.   This post link has some great points about note taking.   This is a skill that everyone can benefit from.   There are many styles and models for note taking.  I personally utilize the Cornell Method. It’s a system and a format that builds on what is known as the 5R’s of note taking. Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect and Review. The format itself I find especially intriguing, the use of a “cue column” seeming really beneficial to those, like me, who tend to go pretty free form with their notes.   The method’s main claim to fame is the study and review enhancements to your note taking.    The note taker divides the paper into two columns: the note-taking column (usually on the right) is twice the size of the key word column (on the left). The student should leave five to six lines, or about two inches, at the bottom of the page. Notes from a lecture or teaching are written in the note-taking column; notes usually consist of the main ideas of the text or lecture, and long ideas are paraphrased. Long sentences are avoided; symbols or abbreviations are used instead. Relevant questions (which should be recorded as soon as possible so that the lecture and questions will be fresh in the student’s mind) or key words are written in the key word column. You then write a summary of the information on that bottom area of the page.

An important concept in the Cornell system is the “five Rs”.     I learned them as they relate to Cornell, however, these concepts are essential to any system you use to take notes;

1. Record. During the lecture, as many meaningful facts as possible are recorded.

2. Reduce. As soon after class as possible, ideas and facts are concisely summarized in the Recall Column. Summarizing clarifies meanings and relationships, reinforces continuity, and strengthens memory.

3. Recite. Most of the page is covered and the student tries to recall as much of the lecture as possible, using only what has been written in the Recall Column. This procedure helps to transfer the facts and ideas to the long term memory.

4. Reflect. The student’s own opinion is distilled from the notes. This also has the effect of training the mind to find and categorize vital information, leading to more efficient memorization.

5. Review. The student reviews the notes briefly but regularly. Because of the highly condensed nature of the notes, the student remembers a significant amount of material.

The concepts of Cornell notes can be modified to suit  your needs for every type of class.   For example, when I took notes for Math 060, I still utilized the two column format, but my notes were more specific for each point (algebraic formulas…etc.).    Where my History 203 notes were not as specific and focused on the concepts and facts of a time period studied.    The end result in using the notes as a study guide were the same.    I needed to focus on highly detailed specifics and “how to” points for Math, and by using the concepts of the 5 Rs I was able to organize my study time better.     This system takes some getting used to, and some discipline to keep up with, but in the long run, you will benefit greatly.    I found a great .PDF file online about the Cornell System.   The format of your note pages is illustrated here.

The key concept here is:  NOTE TAKING SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT!   Develop a system that works for you, everyone learns differently.   Take a College Study Skills class if your institution offers one, it will be a great investment in your Non Traditional Student Journey!!