Giving students strategies on effective note-taking and staying active while reading textbooks was the focus Tuesday afternoon, as the Julia N. Visor Academic Center hosted “Ins and Outs of Note Taking and Textbook Reading.”

Sarah Dolan, a Visor Center graduate assistant, said students do not seem to realize they need to make time to study in repetition and not leave everything until the last minute.

Dolan said as much as five to 10 minutes per day or one hour of studying per week can make a huge difference in how much a student retains for a test.  

“Our brains are extremely efficient. It’s unbelievable. If I don’t tell it [the brain], ‘hey slow down, remember this material’, it’s just going to dump it,” Dolan said.

However, Dolan added students should never attempt more than two hours of studying per day.

“Your brain can’t handle any more information,” Dolan said. “You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to spend the whole night preparing.”

According to Dolan, on the night before a test, studying should be the last activity a student does before going to sleep.  She explained the mind continues to review the material while the student sleeps.

Martha Warfel / Daily Vidette Photo Editor: Sarah Dolan, master student in college personnel and graduate assistant for the Visor Center, helps students reach their full potential in school through studying techniques.

Dolan added that the most effective way to take good notes is to start by knowing the professor.  

She said knowing whether the professor will repeat material read in class or discuss different material can help determine how a student should take notes during their classes.

Dolan said some professors might even lecture for half of the class on textbook material and half the class on new material. Knowing the professor allows a student to prepare for what the lecture will contain and what key concepts to listen for during class.

Additionally, Dolan explained the most effective way to read through a textbook.  She said it is a good idea to make sure to read the textbook before class to get an idea of what the lecture is going to be about.  

She also said before just reading all the way through from beginning to end that a student should scan the chapter for key ideas, then read through all the way and highlight one sentence from each section of a chapter, summarize each section and finally, summarize the chapter in two to three sentences.

April Milkovic, junior psychology major, said she took a similar session in the summer but this presentation was a good way to brush up on it.  

She said she also learned something new – how to be more efficient with textbook reading by skimming through the chapter rather than just reading from beginning to end.

“It was really helpful. I always try to read the chapter before the class, so I’m looking forward to cutting out a lot of time,” Milkovic said.

Dolan handed out a sheet with 10 basic steps to good note taking.  Some of these tips included not writing down everything heard during lecture, writing key words and short sentences and thinking a minute about the material before writing down notes.  

Dolan also gave students a sheet with a list of study methods such as mind mapping, flash cards and websites with study resources.

Students who did not attend the session could pick up each of these sheets at the Visor Center.