When I previously attempted to take notes during lectures, I would sometimes be too focused on taking down word for word what the lecturer was saying, so I would miss half the lecture.Or my chicken-scratch writing would be illegible when I read back over the notes.Then in communications, we were shown 4 different standard forms of note taking:
1)Cornell Format
2)Outline Format
3)Sentence Format
4)Mind Mapping
I personally found two of these quite useful (Cornell and Mind Mapping), through trial and error.Not all of them will be of benefit, but you can test them out, and adapt them to work for you in your own notetaking.
I’ve begun using the Cornell Format in class.It involves jotting down related key words/memory triggers in a margin alongside your lecture notes.I find this to be a great revision aide, and I can take in more information during lectures using shorthand.I use Mind Mapping when making my own notes from Lectures slides.It’s a great way to link in other related information, and you can use images as memory triggers if they work for you.
When taking notes in class, listen for key expressions the lecturer might use, if they stress something as being very important, or as being “a perfect exam question” etc., make sure to highlight this piece of information.While waiting for a lecture to start, take the time to read back over your previous notes to refresh your memory.I hope some of these tips will be of use to you J
When I first heard we had to give a 5 minute presentation in front of our class group, I have to admit I nearly died!When talking one-on-one, or even to groups in less formal situations, I’m fine, I can express myself clearly and get my point across, but even the thought of public speaking leaves me with a feeling of panic!
Our lecturer broke down the structure of an effective presentation into 3 easy steps:
1.Tell em what you’re gonna tell em
2.Tell em
3.Tell em what you told em
First explain to the audience what subject you’ll be discussing, and what you hope they’ll take away from the presentation.Next you develop this further, expanding on the information already given.Try to be as concise as possible, consider how long you’ve been allocated to present, and stick to it!This will stop you from losing the audiences interest by overloading them with too much unrelated information (“Waffling” J ).Then you finish up the presentation by summarising what you have discussed.This format was a big help as I had never given a presentation before.It helps you to critically assess which information is most relevant, especially if you’ve selected a broad subject, and gives you a proper framework for the presentation. If you're using Powerpoint in your presentation, this video gives a few tips on how to keep your slides looking effective, but direct and to the point:
The most important bit of advice I was given was Preparation, Preparation, Preparation.Even though I was quite nervous, I had researched my topic thoroughly, and had spent a lot of time rehearsing. I got through the presentation, and received high marks as a direct result of Preparation.As long as you really “know” what you’re talking about, you’ll successfully deliver your presentation J
