Take Notes, Make Notes and Organize Notes:
If you need to improve your exam performance then it is very important to take notes during lecture. Taking the right notes, and using them rightly, is one of the best techniques for improving your performance in exams since memory blurs quickly. Taking notes during lectures is one thing. But mostly students don’t understand the difference between notes and effective notes. If you just rely on the points you have noted during lecture, then they are not enough and when you will sit to prepare for the exam you will need to refer to the book again. Effective notes are the one that contain all the information and you don’t need to refer to other resources while studying them. So there is a need to organize your notes. There are many methodologies available on the internet for taking notes. One the most suggested technique is dividing the page of your notebook into three parts, one for noting the important points of the topic, second for noting the relevant arguments and examples and third for the related question that can be asked.
Make Preparation for Next Class:
Planning is vital to persuasive note taking. Preparation for the next lecture means that you must know what topics will be discussed in the next lecture. You must search for the basic information or knowledge about those topics or you can better just give one read to those topics from the book and underline the points that are ambiguous or note down the question that came into your mind. Secondly preparation also means that you must have all the necessary things that are required in class. For example you must have your notebook or a three-ring fastener for taking notes instead of borrowing papers for friends. Additionally carry a highlighter to class you can use to underline significant ideas inside your notes that are probably going to be on the exam. This will help remind you later when you're considering your notes for preparation of the exam what you certainly need to know. Above all it is very necessary to attend all lectures and to be in class at time.
Utilize a Note Taking Technique:
There are a few powerful note taking strategies that have been proven very effective by education researchers. Which type of technique you choose depends on your comfort and style of learning. It is best to have a date and number on each page, keep your notes in sequence, and utilize just one side of the paper. You can make extra notes in the edge however don't compose on the back. Leave clear space inside your notes so can include remarks or extra notes later. It is better to keep your notes short by utilizing phrases rather than sentences. Use tables, graphs and images where required. The research has suggested that the mind maps and flowcharts remain in memory for longer as compared to paragraphs.
Focus and Tune In:
It is difficult to focus when you don't have an uplifting demeanor. Do all that you can to show up at class with motivation and enthusiasm and must be mentally prepared for your next class. This will empower you to have a receptive outlook and participate in class discussion. During the lecture keep yourself busy in notes taking or reading the slides or text from the book so that you don’t get lazy or lose momentum. Try to listen actively to the teacher.
Evaluate Notes after Each Class:
As discussed above the notes are very important from an exam perspective. Many students just take notes in class and don’t bother to have a look at it after class until the exam approaches. And at that time they find out that their notes are incomplete or ambiguous. The right is to daily review your notes in the evening at home. This will not only help you to revise the lecture that you have attended in the morning but also you will get to know which points you have missed and which things are unclear to you. You get a chance to note down your queries and discuss it with your teacher in the next lecture.