Assembling a good set of notes is an essential component of successful learning in college. Far too often, students have the experience of reviewing worthless notes. Unless you have an extraordinary memory, effective note-taking will be very valuable to you throughout your college and professional careers.

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Part of the challenge in taking good notes is that teaching styles vary from instructor to instructor—as do lecturing styles. Some instructors are well organized and some wander; some are storytellers who leave it up to the student to determine the significance of the story. It is essential for you to determine an instructor’s lecture style and the method he or she uses to divulge important ideas. This will help you determine what information should be included in notes taken during a lecture.