Some features of good note-taking: ANSWER KEY

1. Why do students take notes when listening to lectures or reading texts? What might
they use the notes for at a later date?

a) for exam revision (listening or reading)

b) for guidance regarding ideas you need to research (listening: lectures in the UK do
not provide all the information you need to pass a course, but lecturers will indicate
what areas you should focus on in your reading)
c) research for essays/ exams etc (listening or reading)
d) to make use of the ideas of other writers when writing essays/ reports etc (reading)

2. Why is it inadvisable to try to write in complete sentences?

a) too time-consuming b) with a written text you are more likely to plagiarise c) with a
lecture you're likely to miss other crucial information

3. What information should you record in your notes?

The information you need in order to answer your question (you should always read,
listen and/or take notes with a purpose); main ideas (key words + phrases); useful
examples if needed

4. How can you record a lot of information in a short length of time?

Use abbreviations, symbols & acronyms (e.g. UNICEF, The EU, ASEAN)

5. What can you do if you hear what you think is an important word, but you don't know
what it means or how to spell it?

Write it as it sounds and ask someone afterwards

6. You don't have time to write down everything. How can you identify which information
is important?

a) Read or listen with a purpose, i.e. with specific questions in mind. b) Listen or look
for signalling language which tells you what the speaker or writer is doing, eg giving a
list of items/giving examples/ comparing or contrasting/evaluating a solution. This
helps you to understand the bigger picture and to locate the type of information you
need.

7. How can you structure your notes in order to present the information clearly?

There are various ways of linking ideas on the page or of showing how one idea is
linked to another. For example, for lists you can use numbering or bullet points; to
contrast 2 or 3 items, you could use a table. Use different sizes of indent (margin) to
show the main points:

Main point…………………………………………………………………
Details/ example etc………………………………………..
Main point…………………………………………………………………
Details/ example etc………………………………………..
Main point…………………………………………………………………
Details/ example etc………………………………………..

Academic Engagement: Week 1; day 2 TASK KEY

Task B: Match the abbreviations and symbols below with their meanings:

Symbol/ Abbrev. Meaning

= equals/ is the same as/ is similar to
i.e. In other words
→ leads to/ causes

↑ is increasing/ rising
is falling/ decreasing
↓
< less than
> more than
etc and so on
≠ is not the same as/ is different from
info. information
Govt. government
Aug. August
eg for example
diff. different OR difficult (depends on context)

Exam tips
 You are not expected to write in complete sentences. If you attempt to do this you will
waste time and are unlikely to be able to answer all the questions.

 Be strategic: rather than trying to understand everything, always listen or read with a
purpose

 Some symbols and abbreviations (eg the ones above) are very common or universal
in English; others are invented by the user. In the Pre-sessional exams, the ones you
use should be recognisable from the context. E.g., it should be obvious from your
other notes whether 'diff.' means difficult or different.

Academic Engagement: Week 1; day 2 TASK KEY