College help?

Question

I'm a homeschooled high school senior, and I'm going to be graduating in about a month. I've been homeschooled since 2nd grade and I have one concern about college; I'll be going to college in 4 months.
My question is, how do I take notes? I've never had to, but I know I will have to soon. Do students use paper or laptops? How do you know how much to write down? And what to write down? Help!

Answer 1

First of all, most people use notebooks. In technical courses it is difficult to write notes on your laptop unless you have a tablet PC but in humanities and other classes you do see some people on laptops. And I think that you pretty much get a feeling of how much you need to write down. Some students go to lecture and dont write a single word. Others go in and write down everything they possibly can. I do not think you should be too seriously concerned about it because I never took down notes when I was in high school and am sure many others didn't either.

Answer 2

Some students use laptops, but most use paper. Notetaking is a vitally important skill, and you should develop it immediately to prepare for college.
Think of it as writing an outline or overview. You won't remember everything your professor said later, but you still need to review the important information they discussed. Generally techers have their lectures organized by topic and subtopic, so pay attention to their style of talking to catch these key words for your headings and sub-headings.

Practice with your textbooks. Read a chapter, and then outline it from memory. Watch an educational program on TV, like the History Channel or Animal Planet, and practice taking notes on the show.

Many large colleges also offer "class notes" for sale. The teachers or professional note-takers will take notes on the class, which are then available for sale in the student store a few days later. This is not a replacement for attending class or taking notes yourself, but is a very valuable supplement.

Answer 3

You better start practicing note taking (why haven't you ever had to take notes?) You can also probably take some practice classes in notetaking either at the college you go to or another college or school and there are some books and things you can read that will help you. There are a few methods of taking notes. Usually, it is good to write down what is said in class by the teacher unless the teacher tells you that you don't need to write down what he is saying. As you write things down, think of possible questions that could appear on a quiz or test based on what you're writing down. One method I've seen that I like is to fold your paper in half using one half to write the notes down and the other half to write a question based on the notes down. Your notes should be organized and easy to read. Try to section your notes off by using brackets and spaces. Anything put on the board is important. Comparing your notes with other students in your class works also. If you can afford one and want to use one, you may use a laptop to take notes down but I really don't see that many students doing so in my college. Paper is better for studying and comparing with other students.

Answer 4

I was homeschooled too (from the ninth grade on).

Most students take notes in a spiral. Occassionally there are people who type their notes directly onto a laptop. You want to write down anything that the professor places emphasis on (by dramatic phrasing or repetition). Another option is to tape record the lectures and take notes while listening to them later on. This might be helpful until you get the hang of it.

Also, the first day, introduce yourself to your professors and tell them exactly what you've told us, and ask them for their advice. They'll be more than happy to help you out, hon.

Oh, and some colleges offer a class on study skills and note taking. See if your college is one of them. Good luck!

Answer 5

when you take notes, you shouldn't write down every little thing that the professor says. it will slow you down. instead, you should just choose the main points of the lecture, and details that he puts great emphasis on. also, use abbreviations for some words, like b/w for between, or w/ for with. you'll be able to take notes faster.

Answer 6

You can take notes on paper or laptop. Just write down important dates and things like that. If it sounds important, write it down.